A Free, Yet Accountable Creature

MEMORY SELECTION: “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty: only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” —Galatians 5:13

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Genesis 3:1-13

WHEN we read the account of Adam’s disobedience as recorded in our selected scripture, we must keep in mind that Adam was created perfect, in the image and likeness of God. He had the ability to discern between right and wrong. His experience in the Garden of Eden was only with righteousness, and therefore he could not fully judge the consequences of his disobedience. The Apostle Paul, in I Timothy 2:14, tells us, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Since Adam was not deceived and disobeyed deliberately, we can understand the justice of God’s sentence, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”—Gen. 3:19

From the standpoint of strict obedience and the ability to obey, Adam was capable of making the proper decision. But this is not complete freedom of choice as desired by God. Complete freedom of choice involves the full knowledge and full appreciation of the consequences of both courses of action.

It has been God’s arrangement that for some 6,000 years he has withdrawn his favor from Adam’s offspring, allowing them to experience in full measure the consequences of disobedience. When this cup of experience with suffering and death is finally drained and Christ’s kingdom is established, Satan will be bound and his evil influence will be eliminated. Then will come mankind’s first experience with only good, which will be the reward of obedience.

For the first time man, having an experience with both good and evil, will be in a position to exercise true freedom of choice and therefore be fully accountable.—Rev. 20:1-3; Isa. 26:9; Jer. 31:29,30; Acts 3:23; Matt. 25:31-46

The church of the Gospel Age precedes the world of mankind in accountability. Our memory verse states, “Ye have been called unto liberty.” True liberty, as we have said, can be exercised only when knowledge and appreciation are complete. And so the Heavenly Father deals with those who have been called to the heavenly calling in a very special way.

God has designed that those called to the high calling be covered by the robe of Christ’s righteousness; that is, have the merit of the ransom applied on their behalf now. (I John 1:7; Rom. 5:9; Heb. 9:14) Associated with this application of the blood of Christ is the begetting of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a very wonderful enlightening effect upon the minds of the Lord’s people.

The Apostle Paul, in I Corinthians 2:4,5,7,10,12, states, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. … But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory. … But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. … Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”

It is through the operation of the Holy Spirit upon the mind of the true Christian that he is enabled to know God and the righteousness and loving principles that govern his relationship with his creation. It is through the Holy Spirit, also, that we are enabled to appreciate the standard of righteousness and faithfulness and of sacrifice given to us by Jesus.

It is through a knowledge and appreciation of these things that the members of the church, during the Gospel Age, are enabled to discern truly between good and evil, and therefore are accountable.

It is the knowledge of the love and goodness and mercy and righteousness of God that motivates the church to activity in the service of God and his great plan of salvation. And it is in this activity that the church receives the experiences necessary to develop the fruits and graces of the spirit and to write God’s law in their hearts.

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