God’s Creation of Life & Man’s Choice of Death
178 Views

Author: Timothy Tin
Translator: Mandy Kwan

 

Every person in this world has the freedom to choose; however, this personal freedom is limited and conditional. We all can choose what we like and how we do things, when it is bound by the situation or legal constraints. For example, children cannot just take whatever or play wherever they desire; they must obey their guardians and be subject to discipline, teaching, and self-regulation. This is why every child needs to receive the right kind of upbringing and education to teach them to make sound choices.

When God made man with a breath of life, it not only awakened the man but also gave an eternal spirit. Man can act on his will and but must accept the consequences of his choices. Thus when God instructed Adam, the first man He created, to choose the right fruit to sustain his life, God allowed him to choose whatever fruit he desired, with the exception of one tree: “… you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). This is a choice of life or death, a commandment and law that determines which path one leads. This is the foundation of man’s upbringing, that wisdom is having the discernment between good and evil. If he chooses good, then subsequently the fruits of human history would result in peace, joy, beauty, wisdom, power, glory, and eternity. If he chooses evil, then war, pain, fear, and death will come about. Which did Adam choose?

Even though we did not see how Adam chose, as evident in our ancient history to the present time, Adam chose death, because death is what every human being will ultimately face. This permitted sin and suffering to enter the world, and we cannot bear the consequences of this. We also inherited the sinful nature that started with Adam, as we humans continue to make mistakes that lead to tragedies, robbing us of true peace and joy!

We might ask, “Why did Adam so foolishly make the choice of death?” The answer is found in the Bible: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Well, how did sin enter the world? “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15). The Bible also recorded that Adam’s wife Eve was tempted by the devil to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. That led to Adam making the wrong choice, and seeds of selfishness were planted into the human hearts, in every descendent of Adam and Eve.

The root of all evil comes from Satan. He continues to use the seeds of evil and plant them in our minds. Satan also uses the weakened flesh to tempt and continue to sow seeds of discontent in the human race. God made the beautiful and bountiful Eden, but sin caused this beautiful world to deteriorate. When man follows his own desires and chooses selfishness, it perpetuates the cycles of death and suffering. God did not abandon man because of his sin; He continues to use wisdom, goodness, righteousness, and love and plant their seeds among the human race. In Mark 1:15, it states, “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” God said that the only hope for the human race is to forgive and love one another. But even Jesus’ own disciples did not accept his teaching and would rather choose darkness and death. Thus God raised Jesus from the dead and gave one alternative to everyone: eternal life through Jesus Christ.

This world’s suffering and pain did not originate from God’s design. He created life but man chose death. God sacrificed his Son Jesus Christ so we can have a second chance. The decision this time will bring a tremendous impact on your present life and eternity. Are you willing to accept Jesus Christ and receive eternal life? If so, please say this prayer with me, “Dear Eternal and the Only True God, in a world filled with hatred and violence, where right and wrong are muddled and truth is relative, only Your Word is the lamp in the darkness. I’m willing to lay down my presumptions to accept Jesus Christ’s love and forgive everyone who has wronged me. I will choose eternal life and I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”


Author: Rev. Dr. Timothy Tin is the lead pastor of the Christian Alliance Bible Church in L.A.. Rev. Tin serves as Board of Director in the International Fellowship of Christian Short Term Missions and Presence Quotient. Rev. Tin is currently teaching in USA Christian Mission Seminary. He holds practitioner’s licenses of acupuncture in Southern CA and NACCAOM in US. Rev. Tin received his Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Alhambra Medical University, Master of Longevity Martial arts and Doctoral degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from University of East West Medicine. Rev. Tin is a frequent speaker in many churches and nonprofits organizations.

 

Tin, Timothy (translated by Mandy Kwan). “God’s Creation of Life & Man’s Choice of Death” NYSTM Truth Monthly, December, 2023.
https://nystm.org/nytm2312-13/

田森傑牧師/博士

田森傑牧師/博士

作者/講者

■ 現任:
▪︎美國加州羅省聖經宣道會主任牧師
▪︎國際短宣使團國際董事及洛杉磯區代表

The Eternal Meaning Behind Thanksgiving

The Eternal Meaning Behind Thanksgiving

When people think of Thanksgiving, we often think of the bountiful feast with turkey and other dishes. How often do people remember the treacherous journey of the Puritans, who came upon the shores of North America on the Mayflower and their harrowing experience as they settled upon Provincetown, Massachusetts?

Global Boiling: the Call for End Times

Global Boiling: the Call for End Times

On July 27th, the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a dire warning: “The era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived.” According to World Weather Attribution (WWA) which analyzed worldwide weather patterns and statistics, the month of July was possibly the hottest period in Planet Earth’s 120,000 years of history.

Escape the Death Trap of the Titan

Escape the Death Trap of the Titan

On June 18, 2023 at 8 am EST, a state-of-the-art submersible led by OceanGate Expeditions’ founder and CEO Stockton Rush, made its descent in Canada’s Newfoundland province approximately 375 miles east of the coastal town of St. Johns. Its objective was to explore the unsinkable Titanic’s wreckage, which sank 111 years ago, its mysteries and at a depth of nearly 13,000 feet below sea.

A Message of Wisdom from the Beginning of the Coronation Ceremony

A Message of Wisdom from the Beginning of the Coronation Ceremony

Despite the fact that the British Empire and its colonialism policies had drawn ire, the tabloids pursued all sorts of gossip about the royal family, as well as lackluster feeling of this coronation (compared to Elizabeth II’s ceremony seventy years ago), Charles III’s coronation’s prelude still contained pearls of ancient wisdom that we should take note of:

Earthquake in Turkey & End Times

Earthquake in Turkey & End Times

On the fifteenth day (lantern date) of the 2023 Lunar New Year, Turkey experienced its worst earthquake in the past two centuries! According to reports from the United Nations, on February 6 around midnight, the southern part of Turkey and Northern Syria had massive earthquakes.

Life & Death? A Choice in a Crowd!

Life & Death? A Choice in a Crowd!

According to yahoo news, on October 29 in Itaewon, South Korea, one hundred thousand revelers who gathered to celebrate Halloween were caught in a crowd crush, leading to hundreds of fatalities and injuries. President Took Suk-Yeol declared a weeklong mourning as well as a thorough investigation into the tragic incident.

The DART Mission & Apocalyptic Crisis

The DART Mission & Apocalyptic Crisis

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA has a Double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART mission that successfully changed the orbit of an asteroid named Dimorphos by intentionally smashing into it on September 26th at 7:14 pm EST. This space mission success demonstrates that humans can take action to deflect a potentially deadly asteroid approaching the planet (Tim Fernholz).

Floating Corpses on Lake Mead

Floating Corpses on Lake Mead

Due to a global warming trend, Lake Mead, the largest man-made lake in the US, has a water level at 27% of its capacity, the lowest ever recorded since 1937 due to unusual drought conditions. Because of the receding water level, many corpses have been discovered! On May 1st, the police discovered a gun homicide victim possibly in the 1970’s or 80’s that was abandoned in a barrel and discarded in the lake.

Heat Wave & Doomsday

Heat Wave & Doomsday

While the conflict in Ukraine continues to rage on, Europe not only is facing a crisis in energy scarcity, but also a flood of refugee resettlement issues. However, the most shocking devastation is the record breaking heat wave across Western Europe.

Homicide vs Sacrifice

Homicide vs Sacrifice

Recently mass shootings in the US have increased dramatically. The issue of gun control became a hot political topic. The US is reputed to be one of the most powerful free nations in the world, attracting countless immigrants to seek the American dream and freedoms not available elsewhere.

Nuclear Threat & Endwar

Nuclear Threat & Endwar

As the world witnesses the outbreak of Russia-Ukraine conflict, tragedies occur on a daily basis. The Polish vice prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said during an interview with the German press that Poland is armed and prepared with American nuclear weapons.

Russia and Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine

While the world is slowly recovering from the threat of the Omicron variant, on February 24, 2022, Russia suddenly invaded Ukraine!A military attack initiated by President Putin, the largest military operation in Europe since WWII, is intended to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine.