“The Nature and Sacrifice of Christ”

Extract from a paper compiled by the Wilston, Coorparoo and Redcliffe Ecclesias in their discussions with the Brisbane (Petrie Terrace) Ecclesia over the latter's acceptance of Clean Flesh in fellowship - 1971

1. P.T. Teaching

"Very good", Gen 1:31 has reference to man’s condition before· transgression and not to his physical condition or nature. A law of decay existed in man before the fall, so that Adam could be described as "related" to death though not destined to die.

Central Teaching

"Very good" is a phrase describing the condition of all creation. For Adam it meant a condition of nature in which he was neither mortal (ie. subject to death) or immortal. (ie. possessing Divine nature). Though capable of death, if he had never sinned he would have continued to live until changed into an immortal being. Death came into the world extraneously to the nature bestowed upon Adam in Eden, and was not inherent in him before sentence.

2. P.T. Teaching

The "Law of decay" in man was not in operation until the fall, due to the medicinal effects of the Tree of Life of which Adam and Eve continually partook.

Central Teaching

Because death and evil were no part of Adam's experience before the fall, continual eating of the Tree of Life was not required to sustain him in the condition of nature in which he was created. In fact one eating of the fruit of the Tree of Life would have bestowed immortality upon him. This is clearly taught by the Lord Jesus Christ in Rev 2:7.

3. P.T. Teaching

Impulses existed within man from his creation which enabled him to be tempted from within, in the absence of any external suggestion contrary to the Divine Law. Man could have fallen in the manner described in Gen 3. without the intervention of the serpent and his reasoning.

Central Teaching

Though created with desires in their bodies, Adam and Eve did not experience impulses towards sin or disobedience before the fall. They experienced for example, a desire to eat, which they freely exercised, but never felt any inclination from within to partake of the forbidden fruit of "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" until the intervention of the serpent and the acceptance of his lie. Adam and Eve experienced no bias towards sin before the fall.

4. P.T. Teaching

The effect of the sentence upon man was only, physical in its effects inasmuch as it banished man from the garden of Eden and consequently from the medicinal benefits of the Tree of Life, so that there began to operate within man, the "law of decay" which was inherent in all the creation from the beginning.

Central Teaching

Mortality (ie. being made subject to death) was imposed upon Adam and Eve as a consequence of sin. The divine sentence "defiled" them and became a "physical law of their being" inasmuch as "the Law of Sin and Death"· began to operate within them. This meant for Adam and Eve the serpent's carnal reasoning which they had adopted, the unlawful desires which they had already exercised, together with the mortality that came by sin, became fixed in their physical constitution or nature. The imposition of the sentence necessitated a physical change for the worse in man's original flesh and blood (though "very good") constitution.

5. P.T. Teaching

The Divine sentence upon man required no action on the part of God in order to bring it to pass, apart from banishing man from approach to the Tree of Life. Adam's nature was not the subject of any physical change as a result of direct Divine intervention. No "miracle" was required to make man subject to death.

Central Teaching

In a similar way as the condemnation upon the serpent and Eve require the intervention of Deity to bring to pass the physical consequences of the sentence upon them, so an act of God or Divine operation was necessary to effect a physical change within man's being in order to impose upon him mortality and its consequences.

6. P.T. Teaching

The transgression and subsequent sentence did not "defile" man's being in any physical sense but only in a moral sense. The unlawful desires inherent within man from creation were given a keener bias by actual transgression. Adam's posterity receive by inheritance the same "bias" which he possessed at his creation and like­ wise experience an increased bias towards transgression through the operation and consequences of sin in their lives.

Central Teaching

The unlawful desires exercised by Adam and Eve as a result of adopting the serpent's carnal reasoning became fixed in their flesh as part of their condemnation. In no way can the origin of this bias towards sin be attributed to Deity. He did not create it but in sentencing Adam, bestowed upon man that which he had chosen for himself and which now became a hereditary principle of his nature and was transmitted to all his posterity· It is true that habitual transgression blinds and hardens men through the deceitfulness of sin but it is equally true that the bias, proneness or tendency towards sin in the flesh of a newborn babe is identical to those in the flesh of a mature adult. For the latter, the exercising of sinful lusts in transgression morally alienates men from God while the mere possession of sinful flesh does not.

7. P.T. Teaching

No where in the Scriptures or in the writings of the Pioneers is it taught that sacrificial bloodshedding has relationship to anything but transgression.

Central Teaching

In the Divine etiquette bloodshedding was efficacious for the purging and cleansing of that uncleanness and defilement which prevented man's approach into the presence of God as well as for the atonement of actual transgression which morally separates man from God. This Principle is clearly amplified by the Apostle in Heb. 9 when discoursing upon the sanctification of the Tabernacle. That bloodshedding is only ever used in relationship to transgression is unscriptural and contrary to the teaching of the Pioneers.

8. P.T. Teaching

In Heb 9:12 and 13:20 the Apostle is not teaching that the shedding of Christ's blood had reference to his own redemption or salvation as well as the salvation of his brethren. Both contexts have to do with the offering of Christ on behalf of others exclusively, as he received no benefit from his own offering.

Central Teaching

Heb 9:12 and 13:20 are conclusive proof that Christ personally benefitted from his own sacrifice on our behalf. By the shedding of his own blood he obtained "eternal redemption" from the bondage of Sin and Death which he shared in common with us as a son of Adam.

9. P.T. Teaching

The shedding of Christ's blood played no part in his own redemption because he had nothing to offer for. Bloodshedding for the purging of an unclean and defiled nature formed no part in God's plan of redemption, through Christ.

Central Teaching

Because Jesus possessed our nature, which was a defiled, condemned nature, it  was necessary that he should offer for himself for the purging of his own nature, first from the uncleanness of death, that having by his own blood obtained eternal redemption for himself, he might be able afterward to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him.

10. P.T. Teaching

By dying Christ abrogated the Law of Sin and Death for himself. His death under any circumstances would have fulfilled the demands of the "Law of Sin and Death" or "Adamic condemnation" in his case, and nothing else was required for him to be redeemed from death.

Central Teaching

In his sacrificial death Jesus abrogated the Law of condemnation for himself and all who should believe and obey him. Redemption from death however, was wrought through his resurrection to life which the Apostle says God performed "through the blood of the everlasting covenant" (Heb 13:20). He could not have been saved out of death without the shedding of his own blood.

11. P.T. Teaching

Eternal life could be gained through perfect Law-keeping by those who lived under the dispensation of the Law of Moses. Christ was one such who obtained a title to eternal life by perfect obedience to the Law of Moses.

Central Teaching

The Law of Moses was never designed as a system by which men might through perfect Law-keeping obtain a title to eternal life. Quite apart from the inability of men

to perfectly obey Law, through the weakness of the flesh, Law-keeping as a means to eternal life was no part of the Divine purpose in delivering the Law through Moses unto Israel, Gal 3:21. The perfect obedience of Jesus to the will of his Father which gained for him a title to eternal life does not in any way contradict this truth. Even the Son of God fell under the curse of the Law by Divine appointment and through no fault of his own so that the Law could be justly set aside in the plan of Deity.

12. P.T. Teaching

Christ's perfect obedience to his Father and to the Law testified that perfect obedience was also possible in others, although unlikely. Perfect obedience in others given the environment, upbringing, and education received by Christ is quite feasible.

Central Teaching

For all except Jesus Christ who by virtue of being Son of God as well as son of man was endowed with strength to overcome sin in the flesh, perfect obedience to God's will is impossible. It is impossible because of the weakness of the flesh and the "deceitful lusts" inherent within man from birth which no man, except Christ, has been able to completely subdue. We are called upon to render obedience to the Divine will and with Christ to "crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts" and with the strength that comes from God's Word we are able to "overcome" and "walk in the Spirit" of Christ, yet inevitably sin will enter our lives through the constant waywardness and sin-bias of our nature. From such sin we can be cleansed and forgiven in Christ.