100:00:01,000 –> 00:00:06,720For Adam, he loved God and he never had to work at that.200:00:06,760 –> 00:00:09,880See, we sometimes say, well, I ought to pray300:00:09,920 –> 00:00:12,400and we ought to come to worship.400:00:12,440 –> 00:00:16,000But for Adam, there was no ought about it.500:00:16,040 –> 00:00:18,920It was in him. It just flowed from him.600:00:18,959 –> 00:00:21,240It came out of his very nature.700:00:21,280 –> 00:00:25,080Can you imagine how wonderful, therefore, this life was?800:00:25,120 –> 00:00:26,520Welcome to Open the Bible900:00:26,559 –> 00:00:27,879with pastor, Colin Smith.1000:00:28,680 –> 00:00:29,920Hi, I’m David Pick.1100:00:29,959 –> 00:00:31,240Glad you could join us today.1200:00:31,280 –> 00:00:33,040And, Colin, today, we are starting a new series1300:00:33,080 –> 00:00:36,200called The Inside Story of Human Life.1400:00:36,240 –> 00:00:37,680And, today, we’re talking about the life1500:00:37,720 –> 00:00:40,439you never knew and how Adam and Eve,1600:00:40,480 –> 00:00:44,520our first parents, didn’t even have to work at loving God.1700:00:44,560 –> 00:00:46,360Yes, that’s right.1800:00:46,400 –> 00:00:47,799They were made in a way1900:00:47,840 –> 00:00:50,520in which they were completely upright.2000:00:50,560 –> 00:00:52,360And the Bible states this2100:00:52,400 –> 00:00:55,200in Ecclesiastes in chapter 7 and verse 29.2200:00:56,200 –> 00:00:58,439It’s a fascinating statement.2300:00:58,480 –> 00:01:00,959God made man upright.2400:01:01,000 –> 00:01:04,080Literally, God made Adam upright,2500:01:04,120 –> 00:01:07,239but men have gone in search of many schemes.2600:01:07,279 –> 00:01:09,599And what that tells us is that human life2700:01:09,639 –> 00:01:12,239as we experience it is very different2800:01:12,279 –> 00:01:14,720from life as Adam experienced it.2900:01:14,760 –> 00:01:18,639There is a human life that none of us have ever known,3000:01:18,680 –> 00:01:19,959and it was a very rich life,3100:01:20,000 –> 00:01:21,239and it was a very wonderful life,3200:01:21,279 –> 00:01:22,720and it went terribly wrong.3300:01:22,760 –> 00:01:23,919Well, there are times when,3400:01:23,959 –> 00:01:25,360I think, as believers in Christ,3500:01:25,400 –> 00:01:27,760we do feel that love for God.3600:01:27,800 –> 00:01:30,680And there are times when we struggle to feel the love.3700:01:30,720 –> 00:01:32,639Obviously, sin entered the picture,3800:01:32,680 –> 00:01:33,959and that impacts it.3900:01:34,000 –> 00:01:35,480So, for that person who says,4000:01:35,519 –> 00:01:36,839I want to love God more,4100:01:36,879 –> 00:01:38,519but I’m struggling to do so,4200:01:38,559 –> 00:01:40,239how do you engage in that?4300:01:40,279 –> 00:01:41,879Well, I think the first thing4400:01:41,919 –> 00:01:45,080is to have a really good understanding of the problem.4500:01:45,120 –> 00:01:47,199And because we don’t often talk,4600:01:47,239 –> 00:01:50,760in church world, about the subject of sin,4700:01:50,800 –> 00:01:52,239I mean, original sin,4800:01:52,279 –> 00:01:55,120I mean, that’s hardly the most attractive title is it?4900:01:55,160 –> 00:01:57,080That doesn’t look very promises.5000:01:57,120 –> 00:01:59,760It’s actually, surprisingly, helpful.5100:01:59,800 –> 00:02:02,559The first thing about getting better5200:02:02,599 –> 00:02:04,199is knowing what’s wrong with you.5300:02:04,239 –> 00:02:05,879Before you ever get a prescription,5400:02:05,919 –> 00:02:07,519you need a diagnosis.5500:02:07,559 –> 00:02:09,279We want to rush into prescription all the time5600:02:09,320 –> 00:02:11,039without ever getting a diagnosis.5700:02:11,080 –> 00:02:13,199And this series is about diagnosis,5800:02:13,240 –> 00:02:16,000it’s about understanding the human condition.5900:02:16,039 –> 00:02:18,520It’s understanding me,6000:02:18,559 –> 00:02:21,080and therefore understanding my baffles6100:02:21,160 –> 00:02:22,399and therefore understanding6200:02:22,440 –> 00:02:24,479how the grace of God operates in human life.6300:02:24,520 –> 00:02:28,039Well, join us today in Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven6400:02:28,080 –> 00:02:29,759as we begin the message,6500:02:29,800 –> 00:02:31,520The Life You Never Knew.6600:02:31,559 –> 00:02:33,119Here’s Pastor Colin.6700:02:33,160 –> 00:02:35,639Now, last week was the Chicago triathlon,6800:02:35,679 –> 00:02:37,000an extraordinary event6900:02:37,039 –> 00:02:39,279with about 4,000 participants.7000:02:39,320 –> 00:02:41,160A fascinating race.7100:02:41,199 –> 00:02:43,080The triathlon is one event,7200:02:43,119 –> 00:02:46,839but it comes in three very different looking stages.7300:02:46,880 –> 00:02:49,320The run, the bike, and the swim.7400:02:49,600 –> 00:02:52,800And this series is a little bit like the triathlon.7500:02:52,839 –> 00:02:54,080It is one series,7600:02:54,119 –> 00:02:58,039but it will come in three quite different parts.7700:02:58,080 –> 00:02:59,279We’re going to begin by looking7800:02:59,320 –> 00:03:02,399at the inside story of human life.7900:03:02,440 –> 00:03:03,639Asking the question,8000:03:03,679 –> 00:03:06,759why is the world as it is?8100:03:06,800 –> 00:03:07,759Then later in the fall,8200:03:07,800 –> 00:03:10,080we’re going to move on in the second stage,8300:03:10,119 –> 00:03:11,919as it were, of the triathlon8400:03:11,960 –> 00:03:15,520to look at the inside story of the Christian life.8500:03:15,559 –> 00:03:17,320What does it mean to be a Christian?8600:03:17,320 –> 00:03:19,559How can I do this well?8700:03:19,600 –> 00:03:22,479What should I expect by way of experience8800:03:22,520 –> 00:03:24,600in the Christian life?8900:03:24,639 –> 00:03:26,600And then the plan is that in the new year9000:03:26,639 –> 00:03:29,199we’ll take up stage three of the triathlon,9100:03:29,240 –> 00:03:33,160and that will be the inside story of your future life,9200:03:33,199 –> 00:03:36,800because your life will not always be as it is right now.9300:03:36,839 –> 00:03:38,800Ahead of every person,9400:03:38,839 –> 00:03:40,600there is a future9500:03:40,639 –> 00:03:41,960that the Bible makes clear9600:03:42,000 –> 00:03:45,520will either be one of eternal misery9700:03:45,520 –> 00:03:49,279or it will be of eternal joy.9800:03:49,320 –> 00:03:51,639And we’re going to look at that in the new year.9900:03:51,679 –> 00:03:53,679So this is an extended series10000:03:53,720 –> 00:03:57,360that we begin in these three parts today.10100:03:57,399 –> 00:03:58,759Now, we begin then in the first stage10200:03:58,800 –> 00:04:00,759of the triathlon, as it were,10300:04:00,800 –> 00:04:03,399looking at the inside story10400:04:03,440 –> 00:04:05,119of human life,10500:04:05,160 –> 00:04:07,839the question that is before us here.10600:04:07,880 –> 00:04:12,960Why is the world as it is today?10700:04:12,960 –> 00:04:14,759And don’t you feel that, as you look at the news10800:04:14,800 –> 00:04:19,559even this week, with regards to Somalia10900:04:19,600 –> 00:04:25,799and the agony of children and adults11000:04:25,839 –> 00:04:29,119starving and dying?11100:04:29,160 –> 00:04:33,239And food has been given,11200:04:33,279 –> 00:04:34,720but it has been commandeered11300:04:34,760 –> 00:04:41,880by the most brutal and evil militias.11400:04:42,040 –> 00:04:43,239And you look at this and you say,11500:04:43,279 –> 00:04:44,640now, why does this happen?11600:04:44,679 –> 00:04:46,559It seems time and time and time again11700:04:46,600 –> 00:04:48,600when there is the greatest human need,11800:04:48,640 –> 00:04:52,799we see the outbreak of the greatest human evil.11900:04:52,839 –> 00:04:57,640Why is the world as it is?12000:04:57,679 –> 00:05:00,559So, in just seven days, like Sunday12100:05:00,600 –> 00:05:03,119we will be here, it will be the tenth anniversary12200:05:03,160 –> 00:05:06,440of September the 11th.12300:05:06,440 –> 00:05:11,239And if eleven years ago Hollywood had produced a movie12400:05:12,079 –> 00:05:15,359that depicted the events that took place on that day,12500:05:15,399 –> 00:05:17,880we would all have gone to see it on a Friday night12600:05:17,920 –> 00:05:19,720or some of us would’ve.12700:05:19,760 –> 00:05:23,880And we would’ve wowed at the special effects12800:05:23,920 –> 00:05:27,440and we would’ve gone out for something to eat afterwards.12900:05:27,480 –> 00:05:29,920We’d have said, wow, that was an extraordinary movie.13000:05:29,959 –> 00:05:31,200But of course, nothing like that13100:05:31,239 –> 00:05:32,720could ever happen in real life.13200:05:33,799 –> 00:05:34,679We would have said.13300:05:37,359 –> 00:05:40,119What is your explanation of evil?13400:05:42,839 –> 00:05:45,320You cannot live in this world without one.13500:05:47,079 –> 00:05:49,239Whatever a person believes,13600:05:49,279 –> 00:05:50,720whatever their philosophy of life,13700:05:50,760 –> 00:05:52,600whatever their cultural background,13800:05:52,640 –> 00:05:55,640you cannot live in this world without some thoughts13900:05:55,679 –> 00:05:58,959about why the world is as it is.14000:05:59,000 –> 00:06:01,119What is your explanation of evil?14100:06:01,160 –> 00:06:03,160And explanations are all around us.14200:06:04,160 –> 00:06:05,760People will tell you it is social,14300:06:06,279 –> 00:06:09,160or it is educational, or it is economic.14400:06:11,119 –> 00:06:14,320But we all know that great evil is committed by the rich14500:06:14,359 –> 00:06:15,679as well as by the poor.14600:06:17,440 –> 00:06:20,440We all know that evil bursts out in multiple ways,14700:06:20,480 –> 00:06:23,279as much under capitalism as it does under communism.14800:06:24,880 –> 00:06:27,519And we all know that some of the most wicked atrocities14900:06:27,559 –> 00:06:29,600that have ever happened in the history of the human race15000:06:29,640 –> 00:06:32,679have been conceived by the most brilliant of human minds.15100:06:33,600 –> 00:06:35,600Or let’s bring this why question down15200:06:35,640 –> 00:06:39,040to perhaps a closer and more personal level.15300:06:39,079 –> 00:06:41,040Why do families break up?15400:06:42,239 –> 00:06:43,359Why does that happen?15500:06:46,079 –> 00:06:47,440Why would it be15600:06:49,279 –> 00:06:53,279that time and again people15700:06:53,320 –> 00:06:56,079whose love for each other was so strong15800:06:56,119 –> 00:06:59,119that they came to make vows to each other15900:06:59,119 –> 00:07:01,720and pledged their lives to each other16000:07:01,760 –> 00:07:04,799came to a place where they felt they could no longer abide16100:07:04,839 –> 00:07:06,600to live under the same roof?16200:07:06,640 –> 00:07:10,160What could possibly cause that to happen?16300:07:11,239 –> 00:07:16,239Why is the world as it is today?16400:07:18,320 –> 00:07:20,000Now, would you open your Bible, please,16500:07:20,040 –> 00:07:21,679in the book of Ecclesiastes16600:07:21,720 –> 00:07:25,119in chapter 7 and verse 29.16700:07:25,160 –> 00:07:28,760Psalms, Proverbs, and then Ecclesiastes.16800:07:29,119 –> 00:07:30,920The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes16900:07:30,959 –> 00:07:33,119chapter 7 and verse 29.17000:07:34,239 –> 00:07:36,079And as you’re turning there, let me remind you17100:07:36,119 –> 00:07:38,040that the entire book of Ecclesiastes17200:07:38,079 –> 00:07:40,119is really an exploration of the question17300:07:40,160 –> 00:07:42,000that is before us today.17400:07:42,040 –> 00:07:45,040It was written by King Solomon, the son of David.17500:07:45,079 –> 00:07:47,920Solomon had fabulous wealth and power,17600:07:47,959 –> 00:07:49,600and at the beginning of his reign,17700:07:49,640 –> 00:07:52,119he walked with God and God gave him great wisdom.17800:07:53,320 –> 00:07:55,320But then he made a different choice,17900:07:55,359 –> 00:07:56,760you can read in the Old Testament18000:07:56,839 –> 00:07:58,720the story of how money, sex, and power18100:07:58,760 –> 00:08:00,519took possession of his heart,18200:08:00,559 –> 00:08:03,040and this man began to live at a distance from God,18300:08:03,079 –> 00:08:05,320he changed the trajectory of his life.18400:08:05,359 –> 00:08:07,959He began to live on impulse.18500:08:08,000 –> 00:08:11,880And he pushed every boundary of life.18600:08:11,920 –> 00:08:15,040And the book of Ecclesiastes comes out of that experience,18700:08:15,079 –> 00:08:16,959he tells us what he found.18800:08:17,000 –> 00:08:18,239And its summary is this,18900:08:18,279 –> 00:08:22,000that the more he pursued money and sex and power,19000:08:22,040 –> 00:08:24,239the emptier his life became,19100:08:24,359 –> 00:08:27,600and out of that experience he writes the book of Ecclesiastes.19200:08:27,640 –> 00:08:30,519And he speaks, therefore, about how he has found19300:08:30,559 –> 00:08:33,119so much emptiness, so much vanity,19400:08:33,159 –> 00:08:35,559and then at certain points he comes in the book19500:08:35,599 –> 00:08:39,599to give us a conclusion that is like a kind of fixed point19600:08:39,640 –> 00:08:42,840that he says, well, this is one thing I know for sure.19700:08:42,880 –> 00:08:44,599And the verse that is before us today,19800:08:44,640 –> 00:08:47,280if you’re not familiar with it, it’s well worth underlining,19900:08:47,320 –> 00:08:50,119it’s a great verse to use in conversations with others20000:08:50,159 –> 00:08:52,320and should be familiar to you.20100:08:52,679 –> 00:08:55,320Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 29,20200:08:55,359 –> 00:08:58,679he’s giving us a firm conclusion20300:08:58,719 –> 00:09:01,719that has come from the exploration20400:09:01,760 –> 00:09:04,840of the extremities of life.20500:09:04,880 –> 00:09:08,440And he says, this only I have found.20600:09:08,479 –> 00:09:11,000So now he’s gonna give us his conclusion.20700:09:11,039 –> 00:09:13,440Ecclesiastes 7, 29.20800:09:13,479 –> 00:09:17,320This only I have found.20900:09:17,359 –> 00:09:21,080God made mankind upright.21000:09:22,080 –> 00:09:26,679But men have gone in search21100:09:26,719 –> 00:09:28,280of many schemes.21200:09:28,320 –> 00:09:31,039Great verse to get into memory,21300:09:31,080 –> 00:09:33,200into your mind and into your heart,21400:09:33,239 –> 00:09:37,080this only I have found.21500:09:38,200 –> 00:09:42,599God made mankind upright.21600:09:42,599 –> 00:09:45,000Man kind upright.21700:09:46,840 –> 00:09:49,440But men have gone in search21800:09:50,559 –> 00:09:52,760of many schemes.21900:09:54,239 –> 00:09:57,719Now the word that is translated mankind here22000:09:57,760 –> 00:10:00,359is the word, Adam.22100:10:00,400 –> 00:10:03,919Or as we would pronounce it, Adam.22200:10:03,960 –> 00:10:10,359God, Solomon is saying God made Adam upright.22300:10:11,039 –> 00:10:13,919But men have gone in search of many schemes.22400:10:13,960 –> 00:10:16,559So you see that this verse is making a contrast22500:10:16,599 –> 00:10:19,359between Adam as he was created by God22600:10:19,400 –> 00:10:23,799and men as Solomon observed the world in which he lived22700:10:23,840 –> 00:10:26,599or as we observe the world in which we live today.22800:10:26,640 –> 00:10:29,719It’s a contrast that’s being made.22900:10:29,760 –> 00:10:32,119Now, he says, God made Adam upright.23000:10:32,159 –> 00:10:34,000Now what does it mean to be upright?23100:10:34,039 –> 00:10:35,520What that means is very simply23200:10:35,559 –> 00:10:40,280that Adam was right and good in himself.23300:10:40,960 –> 00:10:42,760That is how God made him.23400:10:42,799 –> 00:10:44,880Doing what was good, doing what was right23500:10:44,919 –> 00:10:46,679just came naturally to Adam.23600:10:46,719 –> 00:10:48,239It was his instinct.23700:10:48,280 –> 00:10:51,520He had a bent towards what was good and what was right.23800:10:51,559 –> 00:10:53,960It was simply what he wanted to do.23900:10:54,000 –> 00:10:55,719So think of what that means.24000:10:55,760 –> 00:10:59,840For Adam, he loved God and he never had to work at that.24100:11:00,960 –> 00:11:03,799See, we sometimes say, well, I ought to pray24200:11:03,840 –> 00:11:06,320and we ought to come to worship,24300:11:06,359 –> 00:11:09,840but for Adam, there was no ought about it.24400:11:09,840 –> 00:11:12,599It was in him, it just flowed from him,24500:11:12,640 –> 00:11:15,000it came out of his very nature.24600:11:15,039 –> 00:11:19,280Can you imagine how wonderful, therefore, this life was?24700:11:19,320 –> 00:11:22,159God gave to this man a wife, Eve,24800:11:22,200 –> 00:11:25,880and she was made upright too.24900:11:25,919 –> 00:11:27,320Think of this.25000:11:28,479 –> 00:11:31,719Ladies, the one woman in all the world25100:11:31,760 –> 00:11:34,559who never had to correct her husband.25200:11:36,320 –> 00:11:38,960And guys, don’t you envy Adam,25300:11:39,000 –> 00:11:41,359the one guy in all the world who never had to work25400:11:41,400 –> 00:11:44,159at trying to understand his wife.25500:11:44,200 –> 00:11:48,520The perfection of this relationship made upright.25600:11:49,840 –> 00:11:50,960Instinctively.25700:11:51,919 –> 00:11:54,400You’re listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith25800:11:54,440 –> 00:11:57,320and a message called The Life You Never Knew.25900:11:58,239 –> 00:12:02,200It’s part of our new series, the Inside Story of Human Life,26000:12:02,239 –> 00:12:06,039and today’s message is based on Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven.26100:12:06,080 –> 00:12:07,599If you ever miss one of our messages,26200:12:07,599 –> 00:12:10,400you can catch up or go back and listen to them again26300:12:10,440 –> 00:12:14,799by coming to our website, that’s at openthebible.org.uk.26400:12:14,840 –> 00:12:17,400Or by going to your favourite podcast site,26500:12:17,440 –> 00:12:22,359search there for Open The Bible UK or follow the link from our website.26600:12:22,400 –> 00:12:25,559Back to the message now. Here again is Pastor Colin.26700:12:26,479 –> 00:12:28,320Now the word upright, of course,26800:12:28,359 –> 00:12:31,719indicates that from the very beginning of time,26900:12:31,760 –> 00:12:34,719there was something called right27000:12:34,760 –> 00:12:37,520against which Adam could be measured.27100:12:37,960 –> 00:12:39,960You remember, of course, that the Ten Commandments27200:12:40,000 –> 00:12:44,640were only given much later in the course of the Bible’s story.27300:12:44,679 –> 00:12:46,080And so that raises the question,27400:12:46,119 –> 00:12:48,320well, how then did Adam know what was right?27500:12:48,359 –> 00:12:50,080And the answer is simply this,27600:12:50,119 –> 00:12:55,119that God wrote what is good and what is right on Adam’s heart.27700:12:55,719 –> 00:12:57,919He knew it by instinct, he was made upright.27800:12:57,960 –> 00:12:59,840That’s what our verse is saying.27900:12:59,880 –> 00:13:03,239Thomas Boston, who writes so helpfully on this, says,28000:13:03,320 –> 00:13:07,640Adam did not have the law written on tablets of stone28100:13:07,679 –> 00:13:10,039but it was written on his mind28200:13:10,080 –> 00:13:13,359and the knowledge of it was created within him.28300:13:13,400 –> 00:13:15,799He says, God impressed it,28400:13:15,840 –> 00:13:17,359that is, what is good and right,28500:13:17,400 –> 00:13:19,880God impressed it upon his soul28600:13:19,919 –> 00:13:24,320and made him a law to himself.28700:13:25,559 –> 00:13:27,919Friends, that is a very striking phrase.28800:13:27,960 –> 00:13:29,760What that is saying is simply this.28900:13:29,760 –> 00:13:31,119Because he was made upright,29000:13:31,159 –> 00:13:33,599Adam didn’t need a code of laws.29100:13:33,640 –> 00:13:35,039He didn’t need the Ten Commandments29200:13:35,080 –> 00:13:39,400for the Ten Commandments were already written in his heart.29300:13:39,440 –> 00:13:40,559You could say to Adam,29400:13:40,599 –> 00:13:42,559just do what comes to you by instinct29500:13:42,599 –> 00:13:44,880and the instinct within him29600:13:44,919 –> 00:13:49,880was to do what is good and what is right.29700:13:49,919 –> 00:13:52,640By the way, that’s why even after the fall29800:13:52,679 –> 00:13:55,039in Romans chapter 2 and 15,29900:13:55,080 –> 00:13:58,000there’s still some remnants of the instinct30000:13:58,000 –> 00:14:00,039of what is good and right.30100:14:00,080 –> 00:14:01,799And even in the fallen world,30200:14:01,840 –> 00:14:02,919we call that what?30300:14:02,960 –> 00:14:04,239Conscience, you see,30400:14:04,280 –> 00:14:08,119that’s the remnants of what was there in Adam.30500:14:08,159 –> 00:14:11,919But in Adam, it was unsullied by any sin in the garden,30600:14:11,960 –> 00:14:14,760was instinctive, he was a law to himself.30700:14:14,799 –> 00:14:16,159He didn’t need Ten Commandments,30800:14:16,200 –> 00:14:18,440they were in his heart.30900:14:18,479 –> 00:14:20,359By the way, doesn’t that just show you31000:14:20,400 –> 00:14:24,440the radical effects of sin in the world?31100:14:24,479 –> 00:14:25,880I mean can you imagine what would happen31200:14:25,919 –> 00:14:26,840in America today31300:14:26,880 –> 00:14:30,599if we said, you know from a week on Tuesday,31400:14:30,640 –> 00:14:34,200the president said from a week on Tuesday,31500:14:34,239 –> 00:14:35,880there’ll be no more legislation,31600:14:35,919 –> 00:14:37,799we just want all you guys, all Americans,31700:14:37,840 –> 00:14:39,400cause we’re all good at heart,31800:14:39,440 –> 00:14:41,599want all Americans to what comes from your heart.31900:14:41,640 –> 00:14:44,320You know, there’ll be no tax laws just give32000:14:44,440 –> 00:14:46,880what you feel and know in your heart32100:14:46,919 –> 00:14:48,559is the right thing to give to the government32200:14:48,599 –> 00:14:50,280because we all know that certain things32300:14:50,320 –> 00:14:54,479need to be done for the good of all and so forth.32400:14:54,479 –> 00:15:00,640And you just begin to think about it32500:15:00,679 –> 00:15:05,840and you realize what it means to live in a sinful world.32600:15:05,880 –> 00:15:08,640And you realize that the reason that we live in a world32700:15:08,679 –> 00:15:11,599where legislation goes on and on and on and on and on32800:15:11,640 –> 00:15:14,840is that human governments have this ongoing32900:15:14,880 –> 00:15:19,039and ultimately impossible task of trying to contain33000:15:19,080 –> 00:15:22,000sinful impulse that is now in the human heart.33100:15:22,000 –> 00:15:27,460see how far we are from Eden.33200:15:27,500 –> 00:15:29,760The knowledge of what was good and right33300:15:29,799 –> 00:15:32,159is in him, he was a law to himself.33400:15:32,200 –> 00:15:34,359He loved God and he loved his neighbor by instinct.33500:15:34,400 –> 00:15:36,119It was completely natural.33600:15:36,159 –> 00:15:40,020That was his glorious freedom.33700:15:40,059 –> 00:15:44,260But while Adam’s righteousness, with which he was created,33800:15:44,299 –> 00:15:46,400his uprightness was natural.33900:15:46,419 –> 00:15:48,159That’s the first thing to know about it.34000:15:48,200 –> 00:15:50,260The second thing that you must remember about it34100:15:50,299 –> 00:15:51,859was that it was also changeable.34200:15:51,859 –> 00:15:53,380And it was changeable.34300:15:53,419 –> 00:15:56,380Doing what is good and right was instinctive to Adam34400:15:56,419 –> 00:15:59,320but it was not inevitable for Adam.34500:15:59,359 –> 00:16:04,219Adam’s righteousness was natural but it was also changeable.34600:16:04,260 –> 00:16:06,059Which does get us to the question34700:16:06,080 –> 00:16:11,179why did God ever allow the possibility of sin?34800:16:11,219 –> 00:16:15,280I mean, if Adam and Eve had remained upright34900:16:15,320 –> 00:16:18,760the whole human race would be born in paradise.35000:16:18,780 –> 00:16:20,919And we’d be living in a world of harmony35100:16:20,919 –> 00:16:23,979in which no external laws were needed.35200:16:24,020 –> 00:16:26,179And in which it was natural for all to love God35300:16:26,219 –> 00:16:27,739and natural for all to love each other35400:16:27,780 –> 00:16:31,380we would be in paradise.35500:16:31,419 –> 00:16:32,880God made man righteous35600:16:32,919 –> 00:16:36,179so why did he allow even the possibility of sin?35700:16:36,219 –> 00:16:40,520And the answer to that of course is that God made man upright35800:16:40,539 –> 00:16:43,520but He also made him free.35900:16:43,539 –> 00:16:45,340And for Adam that meant that,36000:16:45,380 –> 00:16:49,840well freedom always means that there is another choice.36100:16:49,900 –> 00:16:52,140And for Adam that meant that while he was made36200:16:52,159 –> 00:16:54,940with this natural bent, this natural inclination36300:16:54,960 –> 00:16:56,840towards what is good and what is right,36400:16:56,859 –> 00:17:00,559he was not nonetheless a robot.36500:17:00,599 –> 00:17:04,359God made him a thinking and a willing and a feeling being36600:17:04,400 –> 00:17:07,000just as you are.36700:17:07,040 –> 00:17:12,540And gave to him real choices and therefore real consequences.36800:17:12,560 –> 00:17:13,560And God said to Adam,36900:17:13,599 –> 00:17:15,300you remember Genesis 2, 1737000:17:15,339 –> 00:17:18,640you must not eat from the tree37100:17:18,739 –> 00:17:22,400of the knowledge of good and evil.37200:17:22,439 –> 00:17:25,900And of course being upright Adam would have known that37300:17:25,939 –> 00:17:28,699by instinct.37400:17:28,739 –> 00:17:35,099But God as a kind father speaks this word of protection37500:17:35,140 –> 00:17:40,500to his created son.37600:17:40,540 –> 00:17:46,099And face to face says,37700:17:46,140 –> 00:17:47,640Adam, don’t go there.37800:17:47,699 –> 00:17:52,839And you know the story that the serpent came to Eve37900:17:52,859 –> 00:17:55,660and said, you can be as God.38000:17:55,699 –> 00:17:59,640And Eve was upright and she loved God38100:17:59,660 –> 00:18:03,060but she chose against the inclination of her heart.38200:18:03,099 –> 00:18:04,560You say, now how is that possible?38300:18:04,599 –> 00:18:05,959Have you never done that?38400:18:06,000 –> 00:18:09,939And Adam joined her in this wretched choice38500:18:09,959 –> 00:18:14,660and all the blessings of paradise were lost.38600:18:14,680 –> 00:18:18,579Outside of the garden, Adam experienced frustration38700:18:18,619 –> 00:18:21,819in his work every day.38800:18:21,859 –> 00:18:24,520Eve experienced pain in bearing her children.38900:18:24,560 –> 00:18:26,719The kids were born outside paradise.39000:18:26,760 –> 00:18:29,760Paradise was the life that they had never known39100:18:29,780 –> 00:18:34,020and paradise is the life that you and I never knew either.39200:18:34,060 –> 00:18:36,079And it cannot be created in this world.39300:18:36,119 –> 00:18:40,579It cannot, it cannot, it cannot.39400:18:40,619 –> 00:18:43,780And you know the story, that before long the first human family,39500:18:43,780 –> 00:18:45,599four people, began to fracture.39600:18:45,640 –> 00:18:48,040Isn’t this incredible, that after the fall,39700:18:48,079 –> 00:18:53,540very soon it becomes obvious that four people can’t live together.39800:18:53,579 –> 00:18:55,540There’s Adam and there’s Eve and there’s two boys39900:18:55,579 –> 00:18:57,439and guess what the two boys are fighting40000:18:57,479 –> 00:19:00,599and one kills the other.40100:19:00,640 –> 00:19:06,439And from there, the story of human history flows out40200:19:06,479 –> 00:19:08,939A fractured family.40300:19:08,979 –> 00:19:11,579And God outside.40400:19:11,780 –> 00:19:19,180And the fellowship broken and the friendship severed.40500:19:19,199 –> 00:19:26,040A hostility between man and God.40600:19:27,780 –> 00:19:34,839God made Adam up right.40700:19:34,880 –> 00:19:39,099But men, so we’re not talking about the whole history40800:19:39,619 –> 00:19:50,319of the human race since the fall, but men have gone in search of many schemes.40900:19:50,339 –> 00:19:52,979You’ve been listening to Open The Bible with pastor Colin Smith41000:19:53,099 –> 00:19:56,599and a message called The Life You Never Knew.41100:19:56,900 –> 00:20:01,500It’s the first part of our new series, The Inside Story of Human Life.41200:20:01,540 –> 00:20:04,500And if you ever miss one of our messages, you can easily catch up41300:20:04,500 –> 00:20:10,339with us back and listen again by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk41400:20:10,760 –> 00:20:13,180or find us as a podcast on all the main podcast41500:20:13,239 –> 00:20:16,380sites by searching for open the Bible UK.41600:20:17,359 –> 00:20:20,660Well, Colin, today’s broadcast, there’s been a lot about sin,41700:20:20,719 –> 00:20:22,699and I think some people are going to think to themselves,41800:20:22,800 –> 00:20:23,660so we’re not sure.41900:20:23,760 –> 00:20:26,260I want to know too much about that, all about Adam42000:20:26,260 –> 00:20:31,839and original sin, and they’re thinking, oh, help is there hope.42100:20:31,859 –> 00:20:32,680Is there any hope?42200:20:33,000 –> 00:20:34,079And what do I do?42300:20:34,119 –> 00:20:35,339What do I do about all of that?42400:20:35,479 –> 00:20:38,699Well, actually, there are profoundly practical applications.42500:20:39,060 –> 00:20:39,920Here’s the first.42600:20:39,979 –> 00:20:42,099Stop blaming God.42700:20:42,619 –> 00:20:47,520We live in a culture where whenever something goes wrong, the instinct is very42800:20:47,520 –> 00:20:48,560often to blame God.42900:20:48,599 –> 00:20:49,500Why has God done this?43000:20:49,500 –> 00:20:51,920What why is the world in this way?43100:20:51,920 –> 00:20:53,420And so forth and so on.43200:20:54,199 –> 00:20:58,780The doctrine of sin takes me out of blaming God.43300:20:59,180 –> 00:21:01,619God created the world good.43400:21:02,219 –> 00:21:06,979It is a human issue that the world has been spoiled by sin.43500:21:06,979 –> 00:21:09,239So that’s going to change my whole perspective of God.43600:21:09,599 –> 00:21:13,880That’s going to liberate me from a place where I’m blaming him and bring me into a43700:21:13,880 –> 00:21:16,699place where there’s the possibility of loving him.43800:21:17,160 –> 00:21:19,640And then it’s going to bring me to a place of confessing.43900:21:20,060 –> 00:21:23,739You know, if I go through life thinking that I’m basically good and that the world’s44000:21:23,739 –> 00:21:26,979basically right, everything’s God’s fault and I’m justifying myself.44100:21:27,439 –> 00:21:31,420But when I grasp really the doctrine of human sin, I’m going to say,44200:21:31,420 –> 00:21:32,140you know, wait a minute.44300:21:32,160 –> 00:21:32,979I am a sinner.44400:21:33,260 –> 00:21:40,540Once a person identifies one single sin, one real one, I see pride.44500:21:40,880 –> 00:21:46,219For example, identify one and you’ll begin to see there’s a whole mass of them, a44600:21:46,219 –> 00:21:46,979whole mass of them.44700:21:47,400 –> 00:21:52,579And so you begin to stop blaming God, you begin to see your own need to confess.44800:21:52,920 –> 00:21:56,739And then at that point, you begin to see the relevance of Jesus Christ.44900:21:56,739 –> 00:22:01,079There is one righteous one, only one righteous one in all of the history of45000:22:01,079 –> 00:22:01,540the world.45100:22:01,640 –> 00:22:05,060He is the son of God and I need to put my trust in him.45200:22:06,040 –> 00:22:10,599Many of us love reading but our busy lives don’t allow much time for that.45300:22:10,599 –> 00:22:15,760So we often listen to audiobooks and podcasts maybe when we’re driving or out45400:22:15,760 –> 00:22:16,520for a walk.45500:22:17,119 –> 00:22:21,979So we have a new podcast starting this month and it’s called, Hike Through the45600:22:21,979 –> 00:22:22,500Bible.45700:22:22,880 –> 00:22:26,219Yeah, and the Hike Through the Bible podcast will take you on a journey through45800:22:26,219 –> 00:22:31,219the entire Bible story giving you the option of listening or watching rather45900:22:31,339 –> 00:22:31,920than reading.46000:22:32,500 –> 00:22:37,020And in each episode I’ll read a chapter of my book Hike Through the Bible and46100:22:37,020 –> 00:22:38,819then I’ll discuss it with some friends.46200:22:39,300 –> 00:22:42,800I hope you’ll join me in hiking through the Bible.46300:22:43,339 –> 00:22:48,300You’ll grow in your faith, you’ll deepen your grasp of scripture and you’ll come46400:22:48,300 –> 00:22:49,579to love Jesus more.46500:22:49,959 –> 00:22:54,359So that’s the Hike Through the Bible Podcast and it’s not too late to get46600:22:54,420 –> 00:22:54,979started.46700:22:54,979 –> 00:22:59,599You’ll find the Hike Through the Bible Podcast wherever you get your podcast46800:23:00,119 –> 00:23:03,859and there’s a link on our website at openthebible.org.uk46900:23:05,099 –> 00:23:07,900You’ll also find more information about the podcast.47000:23:08,979 –> 00:23:13,420Open The Bible is supported by our many listeners and if you’re one of them,47100:23:13,420 –> 00:23:14,660thank you so much.47200:23:15,339 –> 00:23:17,760It’s not just the radio programme,47300:23:17,760 –> 00:23:20,459the website and podcast that you’re supporting.47400:23:20,920 –> 00:23:23,939Here’s Open the Bible’s Executive Director John Martin.47500:23:23,979 –> 00:23:28,859David, it’s very exciting that we’ve seen an open door ironically into prisons.47600:23:29,339 –> 00:23:32,920We have distributed the film of the story of the Thief on the Cross,47700:23:32,920 –> 00:23:35,439Heaven, How I Got Here, based on Colin’s short book.47800:23:35,439 –> 00:23:41,199We printed this onto a DVD and sent it into every prison in England and Wales last year47900:23:41,739 –> 00:23:48,319and this year we are trialing a 15 session course of Colin’s material Fly Through the Bible.48000:23:48,800 –> 00:23:52,459This has been done in partnership with Daylight Christian Prison Trust48100:23:52,500 –> 00:23:54,839who also helped us distribute the film48200:23:54,839 –> 00:23:58,800and we’re also partnering with London City Mission to trial this course.48300:23:59,560 –> 00:24:05,119Sessions begin with inmates watching a short video of Pastor Colin reading each chapter of the book48400:24:05,119 –> 00:24:07,000and then they do a simple Bible study48500:24:07,000 –> 00:24:11,479with booklets designed for prison use given to every participant.48600:24:12,420 –> 00:24:14,459One prison chaplain said this,48700:24:14,819 –> 00:24:17,640The men really listened to Pastor Colin.48800:24:17,640 –> 00:24:20,660The focus on the Bible characters has been really good48900:24:20,660 –> 00:24:23,079and rich conversations have come from it.49000:24:24,000 –> 00:24:26,599One of the men is using it on his wing49100:24:26,599 –> 00:24:30,099to lead his own Bible study with other men who aren’t in the groups.49200:24:30,099 –> 00:24:32,300It’s all very encouraging.49300:24:32,300 –> 00:24:35,579So David, if listeners are interested in supporting this prison ministry49400:24:35,579 –> 00:24:40,439that we have in partnership with Daylight Christian Prison Trust and the London City Mission49500:24:40,439 –> 00:24:44,160they can get in touch with us and do a donation through the website.49600:24:44,160 –> 00:24:47,160You can get involved in supporting Open The Bible’s work49700:24:47,160 –> 00:24:50,979by coming to our website openthebible.org.uk49800:24:50,979 –> 00:24:54,579You’ll find lots more information, terms and conditions49900:24:54,579 –> 00:24:56,760and you can give online.50000:24:57,339 –> 00:25:00,420For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick.50100:25:00,719 –> 00:25:03,300Join us again next time on Open the Bible.50200:25:14,819 –> 00:25:19,619What do people around you think about the fact that you go to church?50300:25:19,819 –> 00:25:22,599Find out next time on Open the Bible.