Old Testament Reading: Exodus 20:12–17

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:12–17, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Matthew 5:21–24

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” (Matthew 5:27–30, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

In the introduction to this sermon on the seventh commandment, I wish to say a little about the interconnectedness of the Ten Commandments. At first glance, the Ten Commandments may seem to be ten individual and unrelated moral laws. Upon more careful examination, we see that each of the Ten Commandments are connected. 

Broadly speaking, the first four commandments and the last six are related in that to love God truly one must also love their fellow man, and to love man truly, one must first love God. To say that you love God but to hate your fellow man makes you a liar and shows that the truth is not in you. This is what John says in his first epistle: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:20–21, ESV). And in like manner, to claim to love your neighbor but without love for God in your heart makes your love for neighbor hollow and superficial. To love others truly, we must love them to the glory of God. To love others in a way that counts, we must love them with God’s love and urge them to love God too, through faith in Jesus the Messiah. This is what John means when he says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7–8, ESV). So then, broadly speaking, though the first and second tables of God’s moral law may be distinguished from one another, they are interconnected. To love God truly, we must love our neighbor. And to love our neighbor truly requires the love of God.   

The first four commandments are also interrelated. The first commandment requires us to worship and serve YHWH alone as God, for he alone is God, and besides him there is no other. And commandments two through four have to do with the way of worship. What form is worship to take? Never are we to worship God with images. What should the attitude of our worship be? We are to have reverence for God and his names. And what about time? How are we to worship God as it pertains to time? Six days are to be devoted to God-honoring work, and one day out of seven is to be set apart as holy for rest and for worship – it is a day for the people of God to assemble and to give God praise. You can see, then, that the first four commandments are all intertwined. The first commandment is the head commandment. God alone is to be worshiped. And commandments two through four establish how God is to be worshiped. You cannot untangle these commandments. Together, they teach us to honor and to love God as God.

Now, I want for you to see that the last six commandments are interrelated too. The head commandment of the second table of the law is the fifth: “honor your father and mother”. As we have learned, this commandment requires all men to “[preserve] the honor, and [perform] the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals” (Baptist Catechism, 69). Men and women, boys and girls, are to be honored, brothers and sisters. Human life is to be honored, for man is made in the image of God. The fifth commandment establishes this. 

So then, you can see that the first commandment is the head commandment of the first table of the law, and the fifth commandment is the head commandment of the second table of the law. Both, you will notice, have to do with honor. How are we relate to God? The first table of the law begins by saying, in essence, YHWH alone is to be honored as God. And how are we to relate to our fellow man? The second table of the law begins by establishing that honor is to be shown by children to parents. From here it may be deduced through reason and by the example of Holy Scripture, that honor is to be shown to all people in a way that fits their position in life. Or if you would prefer to use the word “love” instead of “honor”, the first and fifth commandments establish that God alone is to be loved as God, and that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

If the fifth commandment establishes that all men and women are to be honored and loved, how then do commandments six through ten relate to that head commandment? Well, they specify how this honor is to be shown. 

First, murder is forbidden. Human life is to be honored. Never is a human life to be taken unjustly. The fifth commandment establishes that honor is to be shown to all people in a way that fits their God-given position in life, and the sixth commandment builds upon this by forbidding the unjust taking of human life. Human life is to be honored in all stages, brothers and sisters. Human life is to be honored from the womb to the grave. No individual, acting as an individual, has the right to extinguish human life, except in the case of self-defense. This we considered in some detail in the previous sermon. 

Next, adultery is forbidden. How does the seventh commandment, which is, “you shall not commit adultery, relate to the head commandment, which is. “honor your father and mother”? Well, if the sixth commandment, “you shall not murder”, teaches us to honor human life as it pertains to its end, the commandment, “you shall not commit adultery”, teaches us to honor human life as it pertains to its beginning. 

Only God has the right to determine when a life will end. Sometimes he brings life to an end through his ministers in the civil realm who are tasked with upholding and executing retributive justice. No matter if death comes about naturally, by accident, or judicially, it is God who numbers our days. Individuals acting as individuals do not have the right to decide when the life of another will end. And though it is true that God also determines when a life will begin, human choice is involved in this. Human life is brought into existence through sexual intercourse. This is the means that God has determined to use to create new life. Adam and Eve were created directly by God in a unique way. All others are created by God through the natural process of procreation. God’s design is that humans be brought into this world by a man and woman coming together physically. Furthermore, God’s design is that the man and woman be joined together in the marriage covenant so that they do not only come together to create life, but they stay together all the days of their lives to nurture the life that has been brought into the world through them. This is God’s design. Men and women are to come together physically only after they have come together covenantaly in marriage. Human life is to be brought into the world in this way so that the new human being might be raised and nurtured by their father and mother to the glory of God. 

I’ll say more about this in a moment. For now, I am making the basic observation that the seventh commandment, “you shall not commit adultery” is related to the fifth in that it is about the honoring of human life as it pertains to the beginning of it. Yes, the seventh commandment requires individuals to maintain sexual purity. We will come to that in a moment. But there is something bigger going on here. When God says, “you shall not commit adultery” he does not only require sexual purity, he does also draw special attention to the sanctity of the marriage bond. To commit adultery is not only to be sexually immoral. It is to break the marriage covenant, you see. To commit adultery is to be unfaithful to cause another to be unfaithful to their spouse sexually. If God were only concerned with sexual purity, he could have said, “you shall not be sexually impure.” That would have forbidden the sin of adultery and much more. But in saying, “you shall not commit adultery”, he has both required sexual purity (by way of implication) while also drawing special attention to the sanctity of the marriage bond, and to the way in which he has designed new life to be brought into the world. The point is this: while the command, “you shall not murder”, is about honoring human life as it pertains to the end, the command, “you shall not commit adultery”, is about honoring human life as pertains to the beginning of it and to the nurturing of it in the family.

I will not say much about the relationship of the eighth, ninth, and tenth commandments to the fifth at this time. We will have the opportunity to elaborate on this in future sermons. In fact, it is not difficult to see the relationship between them. If the fifth commandment requires us to show honor to all image-bearers in a way that fits their God-given position in life, this means that we are not to steal from one another, lie to or about others, or covet what God has given to others. These are the particular ways in which we are to show honor and love to our neighbors, no matter if they are rich or poor, powerful or weak.

In just a moment we will ask, what does the seventh commandment require and forbid? But before we go there I wish to make to be sure that this is clear in your minds. The commandment, you shall not commit adultery, is ultimately about showing love and honor to our fellow human beings. The whole second table of the law is summed up with these words, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. This includes the seventh commandment. By abstaining from sex outside of the covenant of marriage, we honor and love our fellow man. Stated negatively, by engaging in sex outside the covenant of marriage, we dishonor and hate our fellow man. When a man engages in sexual relations with a woman who is not his wife, he dishonors the woman, he dishonors her future husband (if it is not to be him), he dishonors the child that will come into the world through her if she conceived. If she is a married woman, he greatly dishonors her husband, and her children, if she has any. And the very same thing may be said of the woman who willing participates as it pertains to the dishonoring of the man. Our culture calls sex outside of the bonds of marriage, “love”. In reality, it is dishonor and hate. And you would think that the world would wise up to this fact as they witness all of the death, destruction, and dysfunction that their promiscuity produces. Instead, they scoff at people like us, calling us old-fashioned, uptight, and prudish.  Deep down they know that they are miserable in their sin and that we are quite happy trusting in the Lord and walking in his ways. This is about love, brothers and sisters – true love, and true honor. When you violate the seventh commandment in thought, word, and deed, you do not love but hate. And the wages of sin is death. 

 *****

What Does The Seventh Commandment Require And Forbid?

What then does the seventh commandment forbid of us?

Answer 77 of our catechism says, “The seventh commandment [forbids] all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.”

And what does the seventh commandment require of us?

Answer 76 of our catechism says, “The seventh commandment [requires] the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.”

Again, our catechism helps us to get to the heart of the issue. Adultery, technically speaking, is when a husband or wife is unfaithful to their spouse physically. When two unmarried individuals engage in sex outside the bonds of marriage, they do not commit adultery but engage in sexual immorality, technically speaking. But the seventh commandment does not only require marital faithfulness and forbid marital unfaithfulness. By way of implication, or necessary consequence, it forbids any and all perversion of God’s design for sex in the context of marriage.  Again, the summary of God’s moral law is this: “you shall not commit adultery.” Adultery is the sin that is named because it draws our attention to the ideal or design, namely, sexual union in the context of covenantal union, while also forbidding all perversions of this ideal.   

The seventh commandment forbids unchastity and requires chastity. This means that we are to maintain sexual purity.  For those who are not married, this requires abstinence. For those married, this requires faithfulness to one’s spouse. 

You will notice that our catechism says that “the seventh commandment [requires] the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity…” How can we preserve our neighbor’s chastity? Answer: by not being a source of temptation to them by the way that we dress, the way that we speak, or the way that we interact with them. Have you thought about this, brothers and sisters? You have a moral obligation not only to maintain your own chastity but also your neighbors, so far as it depends upon you. 

And notice also the phrase,  “…in heart, speech, and behavior.” “The seventh commandment [requires] the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.” Adultery, properly speaking, is a behavior. It is an act wherein one spouse is unfaithful to the other physically. But in this sermon series on the Ten Commandments, we have learned how to properly interpret and apply God’s moral law. These moral laws are summaries. The implications of them are meant to be fleshed out. Also, these moral laws are meant to be applied to the heart. 

When Christ said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart”, he did not say something new. No, when he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’” he was referring to the superficial and false interpretation of the law which was predominate in his day.  And when he added, “but I say to you…”, he was not countering Moses or the original intent of the law. Rather, he was giving the right and true interpretation. The law of Moses was always to be applied within the heart, brothers and sisters. The summary of it was always “love”. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV), and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18, ESV).

Lust in the heart is not adultery. But lust in the heart is adultery in the heart and in seed form. That is the point. Lust in the heart leads to adultery if left unchecked. Also, we may say that the sin of adultery is present in the heart when lust is present there. Just as an oak tree is present in the ground where an acorn is present, soo too the sin of adultery is present where lust is present. There is a great deal of difference between an acorn and an oak. And there is a great deal of difference between the sin of lust and the sin of adultery. But both are sins. And the one will grow into the other if left unchecked. Brothers and sisters, the sin of adultery is to be rooted out of our lives in all of its forms, and we must begin with the heart. 

The words of James are appropriate here. “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:13–15, ESV). This is true of all sin. It is certainly true of the sin of adultery. It begins in the heart and in the realm of desires.

The scriptures warn often against the sin of sexual immorality in general, and adultery in particular. In the book of Proverbs, we find very strong warnings against this sin. You may read Proverbs chapters 1-9 for yourself. Listen now to Proverbs 5:1-14, 20-23. 

“My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, and you say, ‘How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation…’ [verse 20] Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray” (Proverbs 5:20–23, ESV). Of course, the same warning must be delivered to our daughters too regarding the seductive man. 

You know, it is interesting how the book of Proverbs highlights sins of sexual immorality in general and adultery, in particular, to show foolish they are. In fact, though I do not have the time to go into great detail about this now, the first 9 chapters of Proverbs set forth the sins of sexual immorality and adultery as the epitome of foolish living. The seductive woman represents the way of folly, whereas wisdom is personified by the excellent and faithful wife. In brief, the reason is this. To live a life of wisdom means living according to God’s design for things and in obedience to his moral law. To live a life of foolishness involves being driven by your passions, your fleshly cravings, and your sinful desires.  There is no better illustration of this than the sin of adultery. For a moment of pleasure men and women plunge themselves into ruin. This is the epitome of the way of folly, which leads to death, apart from the grace of God in Christ Jesus. 

 *****

Suggestions For Application

I think I have said enough about the sin of adultery and about what the seventh commandment requires and forbids, generally speaking. Please allow me now to offer some suggestions for application. 

First of all, we must think correctly about gender and sex. 

This is especially difficult in our culture given the perversity that is all around us. It may not be so difficult for those who are older, but our young people have been raised in a culture that is exceedingly perverse as it pertains to sex and sexuality. Christian parents must have a clear understanding of what the scriptures say about sex and sexuality, and they must instruct their children. God’s Word is our authority for truth, brothers and sisters. Our belief is that God created the world in a particular way, that he made men and women to correspond to one another, that he instituted marriage, and that sex is to be enjoyed within that context. In other words, we have this fundamental belief that God designed the world to function in a particular way, that morality is fixed, that it is wise to live according to God’s design and his law, and it is sin and folly to rebel. This way of thinking is very much out of style today. We ourselves must be comfortable with being out of style, and we must raise our children in such a way that they are comfortable with being out of style in the eyes of the culture. The way to do this is to teach them God’s word and to show them that God’s law is good, beautiful, and lovely. We can do this by showing them how good it is to live according to God’s design, and how ultimately miserable it is to rebel. Teach them these things with your words. Teach them also by your way of life. Lead by good example, and where you have failed be appropriately honest with them concerning the folly of your ways. Tell them about the grace of God shown to us in Christ. Urge them to repent and believe upon him. Lovingly urge them to walk in God’s ways in Christ Jesus. Do this as it pertains to all of God’s moral laws, but especially as it pertains to matters of sex and sexuality. Urge them to marry, and to marry in the LORD.

Single people and married people must think correctly about sex. We must remember that sex is not only for pleasure. It is for procreation. The two things go together. I was careful with my wording. Again I said, sex is not only for pleasure. It is for pleasure, brothers and sisters. It is meant to be enjoyed, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, by a husband and his wife. It is a very important part of the marriage relationship. In fact, the scriptures warn husbands and wives not to neglect it. You may go to 1 Corinthians 7 to read about that. There Paul says, among other things, “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1 Corinthians 7:5, ESV). In the sexual union between a husband and wife the spiritual, emotional, relational, and covenantal union is consummated or made complete. If I may speak in this way, the sexual union seals the marriage covenant. In the marriage covenant, the husband and wife become one flesh. They are no longer two individuals, but one in the marriage band. And the sexual union seals that covenant bond. By the way, this is one reason it is so inappropriate to engage in sex outside of marriage. To engage in sexual intercourse outside of the bonds of marriage is to apply the seal of the one-flesh union without the covenantal reality of it. It can be compared to applying baptism or giving the Lord’s Supper to those who do not believe in Christ. To do so would be to profane the sacraments. Why? Because these sacraments are signs of the New Covenant. It is those who are partakers of the Covenant of Grace through faith in Christ who are to receive the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper along with their spiritual benefits. They are not for the world. And the same can be said regarding the gift of sex. It seals the marriage covenant. It is to be enjoyed by those who have entered into the covenant of marriage. In fact, I would argue that it only can be truly enjoyed by those who are in the covenant of marriage. The substantial part of the marriage relationship is the covenant. The physical act of sex seals it. To partake of the seal without the substance is hollow, not to mention profane. That is why those who engage in sex outside of the marriage covenant feel hollow and relationally empty after the thrill of the fornication wears off. Sex is meant to be enjoyed, brothers and sisters. It is to be enjoyed by a man and woman bound together as one flesh in the covenant of marriage. It is be enjoyed physically, emotionally, and relationally.

In our culture, the problem is on the other side of the spectrum, though. Many act as if sex is only for pleasure. They forget that it is also for procreation. This is the way that new life is created – through sexual union. Think about that for a moment. Human beings have the ability to procreate. What an awesome power this is. What an awesome responsibility this is. Think of it. God is the Creator of all things seen and unseen. He is the source of all life. But he has given man, made in his image, the ability to create life. This is an awesome power, and with great power comes great responsibility.   

I’m afraid that men and women have forgotten about the power and responsibility of procreation. Many in our culture wish to use sex for pleasure while ignoring the power a great responsibility of procreation. When a man and women come together and create life, they are then responsible to nurture that life to bring it to maturity. Our children are to be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They are to learn to live for God’s glory and in obedience to his moral law. They must learn of their need for Christ because of their sin. The point is this, as we consider the seventh commandment, “you shall not commit adultery”, we must remember the great power and responsibility of procreation. Sex is to be enjoyed by a husband and wife in the covenant of marriage in part because sex is for procreation. And the children that are brought into this world through procreation are to be nurtured to maturity by a father and mother. As I have said, the seventh commandment is about honoring life in the beginning stages.     

We must think correctly about gender, sex, marriage, and procreation. This will become ever more difficult and important for the church as the culture around us continues to run full speed down the path of sin and folly. 

Secondly, those who have sinned as it pertains to the seventh commandment and those who have been sinned against in this regard, must not be given over to despair but must run to Christ and abide in him from this day forward. I’m especially thinking of those who have been sinned against as pertains to marital unfaithfulness who are now raising their children alone. Yes, ideally husbands and wives will remain together for life. Yes, ideally children will be raised by fathers and mothers committed to one another in the covenant of marriages. It is important that this idea be preached for the sake of current and future generations. But we know that things are not always ideal in this world. Sin is a rebellion against the ideal, and its consequences are devastating. But we must not forget that God is able to bring much good from evil, and much light from darkness. Those who are living now in the aftermath of sin – either their own or the sin of another – must not forget that. You must remember that God is able to work all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes. I’m speaking now both to single parents and to the children of single-parent homes. I think it is safe to say that life in this fallen world is never ideal. The idea of God’s design and of God’s law must be proclaimed! But the gospel must be proclaimed too. And what is the gospel except that God has provided a Savior so that our sins might be forgiven and our hearts renewed? One of the blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that our heavenly Father works all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes. I trust that the Lord is able to work powerfully in situations that are less than ideal. We must be strong in faith, brothers and sisters. We cannot allow ourselves to be given over to despair.   

Thirdly, I wish to exhort married people to be very careful to protect the sanctity of the marriage covenant. In the spirit of 1 Corinthians 7 I say, be generous with each other. Be kind and compassionate to each other always. Be tenderhearted and forgiving. And be sure that you are faithful to one another, not only physically, but in the mind and heart too. There is so much at stake, brothers and sisters.

Fourthly, I wish to say that the church has the opportunity and the responsibility to be salt and light to the culture around us. We are to shine forth the light of the gospel, but we also have the privilege of showing how good life is when lived according to God’s design. The family is breaking down in our culture, friends. Let us show the world how good the family can be. The institution of marriage has been degraded. Let us show the world how wonderful a Christ-centered marriage can be?  We must proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with our lips, but let us be sure to also show the world how good and pleasant it is to walk with God in obedience to his laws. May the Lord use us in this way to show the world the folly of their sinful ways. 

Fifth, I wish to speak specifically to the sin of abortion which plagues this land. While abortion is a direct violation of the sixth commandment, “you shall not murder”, it should not be difficult to see that viuolatioons of the seventh commandment are a leading cause. The vast majority of the children murdered in the womb through abortion are murdered because they are ”unwanted”. Here I am simply making the observation that if the seventh commandment were kept – if men and women were to engage in sex only within the covenant of marriage – then there would not be so many “unwanted” pregnancies. I agree that men and women ought to have the choice to bring a child into this world, but the choice must be made before conception and not afterward. Y

es, abortion ought to be outlawed in this land. It is a great evil and ought to be a crime. But the problem is bigger than this. The problem is sin. Only Christ can solve that problem, friends. Men and women need Christ. They need to hear the gospel. They need to be exhorted to turn from their sin and to Christ for forgiveness. They need to be taught to observe that he has commanded from there. Lord, have mercy on us.  

Baptist Catechism 17

Q. 17. What is sin?

A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. (1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:13)

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1–10

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:1–10, ESV)

*****

Introduction

I should remind you of what the last question and answer said, for this one builds upon the last one. 

Question 16 askes, “Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?” Answer: “Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.” We discussed the meaning of this Q&A last Sunday. Here I want you to remember that our first parents fell from their state of innocence…  “by sinning against God.” Now, or catechism asks, “what is sin.”

By the way, this is one reason a catechism like this is such a useful tool for Christain discipleship. Not only is the teaching of Holy Scripture summarized for us in this document, it is done so in an orderly way so that we might understand the Christian faith. The most foundational truth are laid down first and then they are built upon. And as you can see, important terms are defined along the way. 

“Sin” is one of those important terms. In fact, you cannot understand the gospel of Jesus Christ without understanding what sin is? Why did Jesus Christ come to live, die, and raise again? Why do the scriptures tell us that we must trust in him to be saved? Saved from what? My point is this: The story of scripture and the Christian faith do not make sense without this concept of sin and its consequences. 

Our first parents, Adam and Eve, fell from the state of innocence and into a state of corruption, guilt, and depravity by sinning against God. 

All who are born into this world after them are born into this same condition. We are born corrupt, depraved, and guilty before God because Adam was our representative, as we will soon learn. In other words, we are born into a state (or condition) of sin. 

And all who are born into this world in this state of sin do they themselves sin (Christ was not from Adam’s seed, remember. He was born into this world, yet without sin, being virgin-born).

And sin, as we will soon learn with the help of our catechism, has devastating and eternal consequences. I’ll refrain from saying more. We will come to all of this in catechism questions 18 through 22. Each of these questions and answers will help us to learn more about sin and it effects. 

But we must begin here with the most basic question, “What is sin?” Again, the answer: “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”

 *****

The Law Of God Is The Mark

The first thing that I want you to understand about sin is that to sin is to miss a mark, and God’s law is the mark. 

Here I am using archery terms to describe what sin is. Can you picture an archer with a bow and arrow in their hands? In a tournament, what will the archer try to do except hit a mark? We might call the mark a bullseye. And when an archer misses the mark, we may say that the archer has sinned. That is what the word means. To sin is to miss the mark. 

But we are not talking about archery, are we? No, we are talking about hitting the mark of God’s moral standard for us. And here I am asking, what is God’s standard? What is the bullseye, if you will? What is the mark that God has called us to hit? 

The answer that our catechism gives is the right one. The mark is God’s law. If I were to speak in a more technical way, I would say that the mark is God’s law, and that includes both the moral law (which was written on man’s heart at creation)  and any positive laws that God chooses to add to it. The command that God gave to Adam to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is an example of a positive law. God added that law to the moral law (which was written on man’s heart when God created him) when he entered into the Covenant of Life (or Works) with him. 

So then, the standard is God’s law, both moral and positive. And we sin when fail to hit, or live up to, that standard. 

*****

Want Of Conformity Unto, Or Transgression

But that is not all our catechism says. Again, the answer to the question, what is sin? “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”

Want means “lack” or “failure”. So “sin is any [lack] of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”

The word “any” seems important to me. Men and women sometimes fool themselves into thinking that only the “big” sins are a problem. Yes, it is true that there are bigger and smaller sins. But both big and small sins are sins. 

The phrase, “want [lack] of conformity unto… God’s law” helps us to understand that God’s law requires us to do certain things. Some laws are stated positively. For example, “honor your father and mother” and “keep the Sabbath day”. These laws are stated positively so they are telling you what must be done. The negative side – that is to say, that which ought not to be done – is implied. And some commandments are stated negatively. “You shall not murder” and “you shall not steal” are examples of these. When commandments are stated positively, the negative things that should not be done are implied. 

The point is this: God’s law requires us to do things. His law does not only tell us what not to do, but what we are to do. We are to love God with all that we are, and our neighbor as ourselves. That requires action. And sin is “any [lack] of conformity unto… the law of God.” In other words, we sin when we fail to do what God has commanded us to do. Children do not only sin when they dishonor their parents. They also sin also when they fail to give the honor to their parents which is due to them.  We call these “lack-of-conformity” sins, sins of omission. For in these we omit or fail to do that which God’s law requires. 

The phrase, “sin is any…  transgression of, the law of God” helps us to see that we sin when do that which God’s law forbids. When God’s law says, don’t do this or that, and then we do this or that, we sin against God. When Adam was told not to eat of that one tree and he ate of it, he sinned. And when we lie we sin, for God’s law has told us not to lie. We call these “transgression-of-God’s law” sins, sins of commission, for these are sins that we do actively commit.   

*****

Conclusion

I hope you can see why it is important for us to have a proper understanding of what sin is. 

Not only will we be unable to properly understand the gospel of Jesus Christ – and indeed, the whole story of scripture, and the Christian faith – without a proper understanding of sin.  A deficient understanding of sin will lead to many other problems too.

Brothers and sisters, if you take anything away from this little sermon I hope it is this: Our standard for right and wrong, good and evil, is not for us to determine. Our standard is not the opinions of man, or the customs of culture. No, our standard is God’s law, and he has revealed it in nature and much more clearly by his Word. We sin when we fail to conform to, or transgress, that standard – the standard of God’s law.

If we understand this, we will be in a good place to understand why we need a Savior, Christ the Lord, and how it is that we are to live in this world in a way that is pleasing to our Great God and King. 

Baptist Catechism 16

Q. 16. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?

A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God. (Gen. 3:6; Eccles. 7:29; Rom. 5:12)

Scripture Reading: Genesis 3

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’? And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’’  But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.’ Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’ The LORD God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’ To the woman he said, ‘I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.’ And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3, ESV)

*****

Introduction

I would like you to listen again to question 16 of our catechism. “Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?”

The word “estate” is very important. We don’t use that word very often. Instead, we might “state of being” or “condition.” 

If you and I were talking about a person  – let’s say, Michael – and I were to ask you, what is Michael’s estate?, then I would be asking about his condition. I would not be asking about Michael’s nature. His nature is fixed. Michael is a human. More specifical he is a human who is male. That does not change. No, if I were to ask you about someone’s estate I would be asking about their conditional. Human beings do not change with the passing of time as it pertains to their nature, but we do experience changes as it pertains to our estate. Those who are in a healthy etate might become ill. Those who are in a poor estate might become rich. A rich man and a poor man do not differ as it pertains to their nature. They are both human beings! What differentiates them? Their estate, or their condition.

Listen to the question again. “Did our first parents continue in the estate [condition] wherein they were created?”

 *****

The Question Considered

What is meant by the words, “our first parents”? Who are we talking about here?

Answer: We are talking about Adam and Eve. They are called “our first parents” because from this man and this woman the whole of the human race descended. 

You have parents. Your father and mother were joined together and that is how you were brought into the world. And your father and mother had parents. You call them grandparents. `And your grandparents have parents too. Isn’t it incredible to consider that this whole process of procreation can be traced back to one man and one woman, Adam and to Eve? 

You know, this is a bit of an aside, but it should be noted that though the world is often divided by nations,  race, and class, we share humanity in common. All men and women, no matter the place they live, the color of their skin, or the circumstances of their lives, are all human. We have the same “first parents”, Adam and his wife Eve. And it was God who created these two in his image. 

The question is, “Did our first parents continue in the estate [condition] wherein they were created?”

Well, what was the condition of Adam and Eve when God first made them? Notice, I did not ask, what was their nature? We know they were humans made in the image of God. They had bodies and souls. As humans, they possessed the ability to think, to feel, to distinguish between right and wrong, to make choices, and to act. This is what it means to be human. Humans were made in such a way that they could know, obey, worship, and serve God who made them. 

We know what Adam and Eve were. They were humans made in God’s image. Here I am asking you, what was their condition? Were they flawed when God made them? Were they ill? Were they lacking in something? No! God made man upright. The Genesis narrative is very clear. When God made man, they were good, indeed very good. 

I wonder if you can remember how our catechism describes the estate or condition of Adam and Eve when God first created them? In fact, there are two questions that speak to this. Question 12 asks, “What is the work of creation?” Answer: “The work of creation is God’s making all things of nothing, by the Word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good.” The words “all very good” tell us about Adam and Eve’s condition. They were in a “good” condition. They were without defect or blemish, in other words. They were free from all corruption and sin. 

Question 13 also speaks to the estate of Adam and Eve. It asks, “How did God create man?”

Answer: “God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.” The words, “in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness” speak to the estate or condition of Adam and Eve. To state the matter negatively, Adam and Eve were not created ignorant, unrighteous, or impure. No, in their original condition they possessed true knowledge, they were righteous before God, and they were holy. 

Chapter 9 paragraph 2 of our confession of faith refers to this original estate of man as the “state of innocency”. And it rightly says that man, in this state of innocency, “had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God, but yet was mutable (or changeable) so that he might fall from it.” Clearly, this is what the scriptures describe. Man was good, indeed very good. But when God entered into covenant with man, he set apart two trees in the garden from all the rest – the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These trees represented two paths. To walk on the one path, Adam would have to lovingly obey God and live in submission to his word. To walk on the other path would mean that Adam had rebelled against God in his heart and had decided to listen to the voice of another. This was a time of testing for Adam. When God made man he “endued the will of man with [the] natural liberty and power of acting upon choice…” Adam and Eve were “neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature determined to do good or evil” (2LCF 9.1). They were upright and good in their original condition. But they were unstable because God gave them a choice to make and the ability to act according to the freedom of their will. 

Again the question: “Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?” Did they remain innocent? Did they continue to be good? Did they persevere in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness?

 *****

The Answer Considered

Now for the answer: “Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.”

Here is the short version of the answer: No, our first parents did not continue in the condition they were in originally. They fell from that condition. “Our first parents… fell from the estate wherein they were created…” 

Notice this: their nature did not change. They did not go from being human to non-human when they fell. They did not go from being image-bearers to non-image bears. While their nature remained the same (they remained body and soul), their condition changed. They went from being upright and innocent to fallen and corrupted.  They went from being clean to dirty, if you will. 

Chapter 9 paragraph 3 of our confession calls this fallen state the “state of sin” and is right to say that man, by his fall into this state of sin “has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.”

In other words, whereas man originally possessed knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, now that Adam our federal head has fallen into sin, we are born into this world ignorant of God, unrighteous, and unholy. 

How did man fall from innocence? By sinning against God. 

And what is sin? We will soon learn to rightly say, “sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God” (BC 17). And what was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created? “The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit” (BC 18).

Lastly, I wish to ask the question, how could it be that Adam, who was perfectly good when God created him – who possessed true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness – would rebel against his Maker? There are mysteries here, of course. But one thing we can say is that Adam and Eve were “left to the freedom of their own will[s].” Do you see that phrase in answer 16? “Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.”

We do believe in free will, brothers and sisters. Without a doubt, God created man in such a way that they are able to make free choices. Adam and Eve had this ability and so do we. We make real choices constantly. We perceive the world around us. We consider our options. We chose to move toward that  which we perceive to be good, beautiful, and beneficial, and to avoid that which we perceive to be evil, ugly, or detrimental. Again I say, Adam had that ability to freely choose, and so do all who have ever lived. Men are not irrational beasts, and neither are they robots. Men and women have this ability to make real, free, and genuine choices – choices for which they will have to give an account before God! 

But here is the question that so many who believe in free will forget to ask: what is man’s estate, or condition. The nature of man has never changed. Man is still an image-bearer. Man still has the capacity to freely chose. What changed when Adam fell into sin? Man’s estate or condition changes.

When man was in his state of innocence, “he had the freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God, but yet was mutable so that he might fall from it” (2LCF 9.2).

When man fell into a state of sin, he did not lose the ability to freely chose. No, here is what he lost. He lost “all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto” (2LCF 9.3).

But here is good news, brothers and sisters. When God converts a sinner to bring them to faith in Christ, he “translates him into the state of grace, he frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he does not perfectly, nor only will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.”

And finally, “this will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory only.” Will man have free will in the new heavens and earth? Indeed! But will he be able to sin in the new heavens and earth? By no means! Why? Because of his estate or condition, for then he will be in the state of glory. 

*****

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, if Adam would have passed the test, he would have entered into glory – he would have been confirmed and established in his uprightness. Adam fell, but Jesus Christ succeeded. Christ has entered into glory, and all who have faith in him will enter into glory with him. Thanks be to God.

Baptist Catechism 15

Q. 15. What special act of providence did God exercise towards man, in the estate wherein he was created?

A. When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. (Gen. 2:16,17; Gal. 3:12; Rom. 5:12)

Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:4–17

“These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 2:4–17, ESV)

*****

Introduction

Question and answer 15 of our catechism presents a very important doctrine. I think it is safe to say that the story of redemption that is found in the pages of Holy Scripture cannot be properly understood without the doctrine that is summarized here. 

The whole story of the Bible can be told in four parts: creation, fall, redemption in Christ, and consummation. And you will notice that here in question 15 of our catechism we are still talking about how things were in the very beginning after God created man, but before man fell into sin. We are still laying foundations, therefore. And if we do not get the foundational things right, we will not be able to understand the things that come later in the story. This is why you do not show up to the movies late, or start to read in the middle of a book. If you miss the beginning, you will certainly be lost as you consider the middle and the end.

Again, the question is, ​​ What special act of providence did God exercise towards man, in the estate wherein he was created? When we talk about the estate (or we might say “state”) wherein man was created?  We are talking about man as God made him in the beginning – man as he came from the hand of God – man in the garden – man before his fall into sin. And our catechism is asking, what special act of providence did God exercise towards man in that state of being?

We have already defined God’s providence, remember? When we speak of God’s providence we are talking about the way that God preserves and governs the things he has made. We know that God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning, and after he created the heavens and earth, he began to uphold and govern his creation to bring about his eternal purposes. He preserves and governs his creation in many ways, generally speaking. But here we are talking about a special act of providence.  Did God do anything special in the beginning to govern man? Did he go beyond the created order of things to guide and direct man? The answer is yes!

 *****

God Entered Into A Covenant With Man

Specifically, we confess that when God created man he entered into a covenant with him. 

Genesis 1 tells the story of creation in a general way. There we learn that God made “all things of nothing, by the Word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good”(BC, 12). There we also learn about the creation of man. “God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures” (BC, 13). 

But Genesis 2 tells the story of creation from another vantage point. In Genesis 2 the focus is on the covenant that God made with man in the beginning. Take special notice of this: when God created man in the beginning he did not merely leave them alone on earth to live as his creatures. No, took them somewhere special and he entered into a special arrangement with them, wherein he offered them something special – that is to say, something more than what they possessed has his creatures.  

As I have said, Genesis 1 tells us about creation in a general way, but Genesis 2 tells us about creation with special attention given to the covenant that God made with man in the beginning. God planted a special garden and placed the man there. And in the garden, God entered into a special arrangement with man. He gave man a special mission and set apart special trees to function in a symbolic way.  

Here is the point: first God created man, and then afterward he entered into a covenant with him. This covenantal arrangement is said to be a special act of providence because it was not an original part of the natural order of things. No, the covenantal arrangement was added after creation. What was the natural relationship that excited between God and man in the very beginning? God was the Creator and man was the creature? What did man owe God as his creature? Everything! Man owed God obedience and worship. And what did God owe to manas his Creator? Nothing! Except for justice. But God did something extra. God entered into a covenant with man. God offered man something more than what he had as God’s creature. 

I’ve said that God entered into a covenant with man. Genesis 2 tells the story of that. But what is a covenant? A covenant is simply an agreement between two or more parties. Concerning the covenants that God has made with man, we may say that covenants are “declarations of [God’s] sovereign pleasure concerning the benefits he will bestow on [man], the communion they will have with him, and the way and means by which this will be enjoyed by them.” The word covenant is not used in Genesis 2, but the substance of a covenant is certainly

 *****

God Entered Into A Covenant Of Life With Man

So, what were the benefits that God offered to man in the beginning? 

The benefits were symbolized by the tree of life. Life was offered to Adam and to his posterity should he keep the terms of the covenant that God made with him. This might sound strange to some. Some might reason, but wasn’t Adam already alive? And wasn’t he alive in paradise with a right relationship with God?  Well, yes he was. But eternal life was the thing offered to Adam – eternal life in the blessed presence of God was offered to him – glory was offered to him. The life that was offered to Adam through the covenant that God transacted with him in the beginning was the same as the life that will be ours in the new heavens and earth when Christ our Savior comes again to make all things new. That is the life that the tree of life signified – life eternal. 

This is why our catechism refers to the covenant that God made with Adam as the Covenant of Life. This covenant goes by many names. It is sometimes called the Covenant of Creation because it was made in the beginning after God created the heavens and the earth. It is also called the Adamic Covenant because the covenant was transacted with Adam as the federal head. And many refer to it as the Covenant of Works, because this is how the blessing of this covenant would be received – through Adam’s work, or obedience.  All of these names for the covenant emphaisize different aspects of it, but our catechism calls it the Covenant of Life so that we might remember what the promised reward of keeping this covenant was. 

 *****

Upon Condition Of Perfect Obedience 

Notice that our catechism answers the question, how would Adam come to receive the promised blessing of this covenant with the words, “upon condition of perfect obedience…” What was the promised reward? Eternal life. And how would that promised reward be obtained? Through perfect obedience. 

Adam was to worship and serve the lord perfectly. He was to expand the garden temple and protect it from all evil. He was to faithful work to expand the garden and to fill the earth with his offspriiong, and he was to rest and worship one day in seven. In brief, Adam was to faithfully serve as God’s prophet, priest, and king during this time of testing. And having passed the test, he would have been permitted to eat of the tree of life to enter into life eternal. The condition of the covenant of life was perfect and perpetual obedience. 

 *****

Forbidding Him To Eat Of The Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil

And what was forbidden? In this covenant, Adam was forbidden “to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…” 

I’ve already said that these two trees – the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – were sacramental. By that, I mean that there was nothing special about these trees until God set them apart as special. The tree of life was not magical, nor was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil poisonous. They were just trees. But God set them apart to signify something. In brief, the tree of life signified Adam’s obedience and the reward that would come as a result of it, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil signified Adam’s rebellion and the cure that would come as a result of that. 

What is meant by the name, “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. Well, by eating of that tree Adam would be claiming to decide for himself what is good and evil instead of submitting himself to the word of God. Furthermore, by eating from this tree Adam would come to know good and evil in another way. Through obedience, Adam would know what is good experientially, and what is evil through abstinence. But through disobedience, Adam would come to know what is evil experientially.  

*****

Upon Pain Of Death

And lastly, what was the guaranteed curse for breaking the terms of this covenant? The pain of death. And certainly, on the day that Adam ate of this forbidden tree, he and Eve passed from the state of perfection and into the state of sin and death. They, and all of the posterity, came under God’s curse, wee cast out of Eden, and barred from the tree of life which had been offered to them. If they were to enter into life now, then it would have to be by the grace of God and by the work of another who was sinless and greater than them.   

*****

Conclusion

I think you can see why I have said, if we do not understand this doctrine then it will be difficult for us to understand the rest of the story that is told in the pages of Holy Scripture. If the Bible tells the story of creation, fall, redemption in Christ, and consummation, then we must know about this covenant. Stated differently, if we do not know about this covenant made with Adam in the beginning, then we will not be able to understand the fall, redemption in Christ, or the consummation of the kingdom of God in the new heavens and earth which he will bring about. 

Q. 15. What special act of providence did God exercise towards man, in the estate wherein he was created?

A. When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. (Gen. 2:16,17; Gal. 3:12; Rom. 5:12)