3:21
¶ Unto Adam also and to his wife did the
LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Death
is introduced by God into the world, as a response to man and woman’s sin, to
cover man and woman’s nakedness as there is no covering for our sin apart from
God’s direct action. This directly relates to one of, what Paul said in
Hebrews, the doctrines of Christ. The first foundation is repentance from dead works, which while to many modern
fundamentalists means whatever you were justifying yourself with other than
Christ, to earlier commentators like John Gill and Matthew Henry it was a reference
to sin.
Hebrews
6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of
the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Here is a cross-reference to dead works in the same Hebrews
that agrees with Gill and Henry.
Hebrews 9:13 For if the
blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve
the living God?
When
John the Baptist made his declaration and complaint;
Matthew
3:7 ¶ But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of
vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for
repentance: 9 And think not to say
within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God
is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of
the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire. 11 I
indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose
fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat
into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
…he
blasted the self-justification of the righteous Jew who regarded his heritage
as a Jew as justification before God.
Just
as God Himself will shut the door on Noah’s salvation, preserving mankind…
Genesis
7:16 And they that went in, went in male
and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
…with
the Ark representing a type of our salvation as baptism does today, a picture
of God’s salvation.
1Peter
3:21 The like figure whereunto even
baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,
but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ:
So,
we must understand that it is only by God’s will and by His direct action that
we are saved. You hear, read, or perceive that it is God alone who justifies
and how He accomplished it and you believe and He saves you from Hell, the
consequence of rebellion against Him.
John
1:12 But as many as received him, to
them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name: 13 Which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
At
that moment also He gives you faith to believe the truth about Him and to live
in Him.
Ephesians
2:8 For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Romans
10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. 11
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed. 12 ¶ For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that
call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Acts
16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
This
is the only covering for our sin. Jesus Christ made peace between rebellious
mankind and the God who created them male and female.
Romans
5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ:
Understand
that you, upon your ability to discern between good and evil against God, are
accountable for your sins against Him and being a sinner. From that point on
there is no covering for your sin that is not provided by God Himself. Apart
from His direct action through the sacrifice of His physical body, the Lord
Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins, as a sacrifice to appease His
wrath for our rebellion, and our acceptance of that sacrifice there is nothing
we can do to justify ourselves.
Genesis
22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will
provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them
together.
God
justifies us. God delivers us. God saves us. Bible salvation is given and never
earned and is predicated upon belief.
John
6:28 ¶ Then said they unto him, What
shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is
the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Christ
is the only covering for our sin as God clothed fallen man and woman here.
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