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THE ANCIENT LIE

    When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. _^[NIV]

•  Trust your experiences and your conscience.                

  The truth about our five senses.

    There is a way that seems right to a man,
        but in the end it leads to death. _^[NIV]

    There is a way that seems right to a man,
        but in the end it leads to death. _^[NIV]

  The truth about our conscience.

    My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. _^[NIV]

    For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. _^[NIV]

    So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. [18] They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. _^[NIV]

    Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. _^[NIV]

THE ANCIENT LIE IN MODERN-DAY TERMS

   I’ve got total peace about it!                 

    In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. _^[NIV]

    In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. _^[NIV]

    The way of a fool seems right to him,
        but a wise man listens to advice. _^[NIV]

   I’ve prayed about it – and I’ve got total peace about it.

    In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. _^[NIV]

    They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. _^[NIV]

   This is what everyone else does.

    In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. _^[NIV]

    In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. _^[NIV]

    The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. [6] The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. [7] So the Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them." [8] But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. _^[NIV]

    God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. [13] So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. [14] So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. _^[NIV]

   This is how God made me.

    Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. [2] As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. _^[NIV]

    Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. _^[NIV]

    So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [17] For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
    [19] The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
    [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. _^[NIV]

    I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. [19] For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. [20] Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
    [21] So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. [22] For in my inner being I delight in God's law; [23] but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
    So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. _^[NIV]

  I’m just not there yet.

    Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
    [17] "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
    [18] "Which ones?" the man inquired.
    Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, [19] honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"
    [20] "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
    [21] Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
    [22] When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. _^[NIV]

    Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. _^[NIV]

  My (our) situation is unique.

    I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. [19] For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. [20] Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
    [21] So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. [22] For in my inner being I delight in God's law; [23] but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!
    So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. _^[NIV]

    Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. _^[NIV]

    So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [17] For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
    [19] The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
    [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. _^[NIV]

RECALIBRATING OUR CONSCIENCE

    Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. _^[NIV]

    All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. _^[NIV]

    But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. _^[NIV]

    The way of a fool seems right to him,
        but a wise man listens to advice. _^[NIV]

    The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
        but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. _^[NIV]