Before we get started with this topic there’s a couple of things I’d like to say. First, I was born again in November 1975. Since that time, I’ve been a student of God’s word, seeking truth for myself and for the ability to teach other people the things I learn, proving the truth with scripture, not just what I might think.

Secondedly, just as always, what I teach has to become your truth, not mine. You must be able to see what I’m saying from scripture and not just agree with me or any person just because we say something or teach a certain point. It’s the same way with this topic. We can’t just say things without God’s Spirit proving to our hearts that what is being taught is his truth and not our own.

The Apostle Peter said this about some things written in scripture:

2 Peter 3:15-16

AND ACCOUNT THAT THE LONGSURRERING OF OUR LORD IS SALVATION; EVEN AS OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL ALSO ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN UNTO HIM HATH WRITTEN UNTO YOU; (16) AS ALSO IN ALL HIS EPISTLES SPEAKING IN THEM OF THESE THINGS; WHICH ARE SOME THINGS HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD, WHICH THEY THAT ARE UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE WREST, AS THEY DO ALSO THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, UNTO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION.

(i BELIEVE) that there is nothing in God’s word by mistake, it’s perfect! All we have to do is find the patience to seek out truth. It’s not easy, it takes patience and study! We live in a time when we like things simple and, often we simply except what others say because it’s the easiest thing to do.

So, let’s start this looking back in the Old Testament.

Genesis 6:3-7

AND THE LORD SAID, MY SPIRIT SHALL NOT ALWAYS STRIVE WITH MAN, FOR THAT HE IS ALSO FLESH; YET HIS DAYS SHALL BE AN HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS. (4) THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE EARTH IN THOSE DAYS; AND ALSO AFTER THAT, WHEN THE SONS OF GOD CAME IN UNTO THE DAUGHTERS OF MEN, AND THEY BARE CHILDREN TO THEM, THE SAME BECAME MIGHTY MEN WHICH WERE OF OLD, MEN OF RENOWN. (5) AND GOD SAW THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MEN WAS GREAT IN THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY IMAGINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY. (6) AND IT REPENTED THE LORD THAT HE HAD MADE MAN ON THE EARTH, AND IT GRIEVED HIM AT HIS HEART. (7) AND THE LORD SAID, I WILL DESTROY MAN WHOM I HAD CREATED FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH; BOTH MAN, AND BEAST, AND THE CREEPING THING, AND THE FOWLS OF THE AIR, FOR IT REPENTETH ME THAT I HAVE MADE THEM.

This is the seen just before God instructed Noah to build the Ark. If you will notice in (verse3) he says this (for he is also flesh). Men allowed their flesh to begin to direct their walk instead of the Spirit of God. He says, (the sons of God) began to see the (daughters of men). This, in time weakened the very voice of the Spirit of God as each generation came and went. I got to the place that man didn’t pay any attention to the very voice of God and (every thought of his heart was evil continually).

So, we see Noah’s Ark. Now we’ve come to (what we might call) the second Ark. His name is Jesus Christ. He can become our (Ark of security) today if we allow him to by being born again. Ever since time began every person born has had a mother and father. Each person is created the very same way. It’s no different than Adam and Eve had their children. When God created Adam, the Bible say this:

Genesis 2:7

AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND, AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE; AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.

I know there are people that will argue with what I’m about to say but, to me it has meaning. God didn’t say that man had life. He said (he became a living soul). The fact that God breathed into man gave every man a (God Consciousness). We all, at birth have a (God Consciousness). When we see that in time every though of man became evil continually, each of those men in the beginning of their lives had a God Consciousness. What they each chose to do with it was a choice each of them made.

Teaching can become complicated, trying to touch every base. For instance: the period of time between Adam and Eve and Noah’s Ark can be called (the dispensation of Consciousness). We know that the very fact that Noah built, an Ark brought about an opportunity to share the purpose of that Ark. We also know that Adam and Eve had a son that was what we can call a spiritual son. (Seth). He followed God by faith. He trusted the blood sacrifice that Adam and Eve had shared with all their sons. (Cain) on the other hand rebelled against that very same sacrifice.

That’s where the (sons of God) and the (daughters of men) come in that we see before the flood. The men that were of God in Seth’s line began to marry the women that were in Cain’s line. After a while there was no more remembrance of God and the sacrifice at all. If you will notice in the scripture, we read it says this: (MY SPIRIT SHALL NOT ALWAYS STRIVE WITH MAN, FOR THAT HE IS ALSO FLESH). We’re going to keep that in mind as we move forward into the New Testament and see how some verses relates to what we see here.

But first, I’d like to simply give you something to think about. I often make this point as I study and teach about Adam and Eve in the Garden. When Adam and Eve sinned, and God placed them outside of the garden the only thing we see in scripture that we know for sure is that they began to have children. We know that they had to go to work by the sweat of the their brough. We know that the animals also were outside the garden because we see them placed on Noah’s Ark.

What I wonder is just how compatible were all the animals to man at that time? We see that Eve had a conversation with the Serpent. That fact seemed to be a normal thing at that time. We don’t see where very much changed from that point all the way up until Noah’s Ark settled by to dry land. At that time, if the Serpent could talk and communicate with man, could all the animals do the same thing?

From the time that man left the Garden of Eden until the Ark landed, every animal was tame. How do we know that? Look at this verse:

Genesis 9:2

AND THE FEAR OF YOU AND THE DREAD OF YOU SHALL BE UPON EVERY BEAST OF THE EARTH, AND UPON EVERY FOWL OF THE AIR, UPON ALL THAT MOVETH UPON THE EARTH, AND UPON ALL THE FISHES OF THE SEA; INTO YOUR HAND ARE THEY DELIVERED. (3) EVERY MOVING THING THAT LIVETH SHALL BE MEAT FOR YOU; EVEN AS THE GREEN HERBS HAVE I GIVEN YOU ALL THINGS.

My point being that as they left the Garden everything remained the same all the way to the Ark settled back to dry land. Is it possible that, at that time, men and beast were very compatible? If so, just how compatible were they? We know for instance that Eve had a conversation with the Serpent, that fact didn’t seem to bother her at all. Is it possible that all animals could talk like men at that time? Did men corrupt all living creatures in one way or another? If not, then why did God have to destroy all of those creatures? Why not just destroy man?

Some of these questions cannot be answered but, God’s desire was to have men that he might be able to fellowship with them. As we read, we see how man separated himself from God by being desirous of pleasing his flesh and forgetting about any part of God.

Do you realize that the word (human) is not found in the King James Bible? Normally we see the word flesh. The Latin word for earth or ground is (humus). In Latin the word (Humanus) means man. When we use the word (human) in the English language, what are we referring to? What would be the difference in a human and any other animal? What we call (human) is just this simple. It means that we are made up of body, soul and spirit. Some things have a body but no spirit, like a plant. Some have body and spirit only like a dog. We, being human are the only beings with body, soul and spirit.

The soul of man is his conscience. That conscience belongs to God the Father. However, every man also has a freewill. Man, himself gets to decide whether he will use his conscience to do good or evil. The Bible tells us that in the days of Noah, it had gotten so bad that only eight people walked onto the Ark. The rest of mankind had followed their flesh and their desire was to do evil continually. Had men begun to act more like animals than (men of Conscience)?

I’d like to teach something here that we need to consider. In the age we live in, being (the age of Grace) (the Chruch age) men are born no different than people have always been born. However, now God has sent his own Spirit to live within any person that will make the choice to allow him to live within them. That Spirit fell on the (Day of Pentecost) (Acts 2) on one hundred and twenty believers and quickly begun to spread to other people as each person believed.

That same Spirit has continued to live in each generation, even up until today. (Whosoever shall call upon the Lord shall be saved) (Romans 10:13). I make that point because it hasn’t always been that way. For instance: when God showed Adam and Eve his grace in the Garden of Eden and, they had to leave that Garden then it was up to them to share the grace that they had received of God to their Children. The definition of (conscience) is this, (an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior). Within each man’s consciousness, that individual had to decide who he desired to follow.

In the case of Noah, his three sons heard what he said and obeyed, following their conscience. As we look forward, God begins to use prophets to guide his people. In the gospels, he spoke to us by his son. Now, God will place himself within to flesh of every person that will allow him to do so. We call it the Holy Spirit.

Before we bring this to a conclusion and move to the New Testament, I’d like to show you this.

Genesis 9:24-27

AND NOAH AWOKE FROM HIS WINE, AND KNEW WHAT HIS YOUNGER SON HAD DONE UNTO HIM, (25) AND HE SAID, CURSED BE CANAAN, A SERVANT OF SERVANTS SHALL HE BE UNTO HIS BRETHREN. (26) AND HE SAID, BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD OF SHEM; AND CANAAN SHALL BE HIS SERVANT. (27) GOD SHALL ENLARGE JAPHETH, AND HE SHALL DWELL IN THE TENTS OF SHEM; AND CANAAN SHALL BE HIS SERVANT.

Here, God the Father is instructing the sons of Noah by speaking through Noah. It appears that his son Shem was already serving the Lord God. Here, we see Noah instructing his other two sons to follow that same Lord God as his son Shem followed. If you will continue to study through Genesis, the next couple of chapters you will see that both of them went their own way. Now, it might not sound like a big deal, not to have God’s Spirit living within you to direct you but, it is a tremendous blessing to always have him present.

Just consider this: as children grow into adulthood the conscience within them causes them to be conscious of right and wrong, as we get into this, we are moving into how things now work in the age we live in. Now, I want to show you a verse that I believe separates us from those that lived in the Old Testament.

John 16:13

HOWBEIT WHEN, HE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, IS COME, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH: FOR HE SHALL NOT SPEAK OF HIMSELF, BUT WHATSOEVER HE SAHLL HEAR, THAT SHALL HE SPEAK: AND HE WILL SHEW YOU THINGS TO COME.

The Church is the responsible body to share the spirit within them to a lost and dying world. That particular way of God dealing with man came about and the spirit that Jesus Christ is speaking of came about on the Day of Pentecost.

I’d like to asert this here; In the Old Testament, whether we are speaking of Adam, Noah, Abraham or, the prophets. When each of these people shared their faith in God and sought to instruct the people, their children in righteous then each individual made a choice. Do I walk righteously or, after my flesh? That as directed by their conscience only. In nother words, God’s Spirit didn’t move into their hearts to instruct them at that time. They only sought to do righteously or evil.

Now, ( the Church) is that voice that seeks to teach men righteously. (The Church) is not a building made of stone but, it is a body made up of every person that is born again. We don’t point people to a Church building, we point them to Jesus Christ and him crucified. The main difference today is that when any person is born again, God allows His Spirit, Himself to move into that person that he might be that person’s guide to righteousness.

When we speak of (Are all humans human)? The fact that nothing has change in the course of history as far as how people are born means that every man, even today are born with a (God consciousness). However, every man also has a sin nature. So, let’s say that the Church does its job spreading this truth. The preacher says that we are sinners with a sin nature meaning that it’s a common thing that we all naturally sin. That fact is there because we all came from the loins of Adam.

Although we gain the knowledge that we need salvation, the salvation offered by the blood of Jesus Christ, some reject that truth, choosing to remain as they are. Personally, I believe that God will often deal with a person many times. I know he did in my life. Look at this verse:

2 Peter 3:9

THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME MEN COUNT SLACKNESS; BUT IS LONGSUFFERING TO US-WARD, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.

God’s desire is for all to be saved and his Spirit will do his office work in every heart to try to cause that to come to pass. Now, let’s see what happens in the heart of many people.

Roman 1:28

AND EVEN AS THEY DID NOT LIKE TO RETAIN GOD IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE, GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO A REPROBATE MIND, TO DO THOSE THING WHICH ARE NOT CONVENIENT;

We often relate that verse to a homosexual lifestyle but, if you read this chapter, you will learn that it goes much deeper than just that one sin. For instance:

Verse 25

WHO CHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD INTO A LIE, AND WORSHIPPED AND SERVED THE CREATURE MORE THAN THE CREATOR, WHO IS BLESSED FOREVER, AMEN.

The world is overrun with this type of people. I’m going to tell you a true story about a young man that is actually my nephew. He’s dead now. he was shot. They were never able to understand whether he shot himself or someone else did. He and I had a family member to die. My half brother-in-law preached the funeral. I’ll have to say that he preached one of the most spirit filled messages at this funeral I have ever heard, very, very tough but, truth. As a matter of fact, the daughter of the woman that passed away told him she desires for him to preach a message to make people stop and consider where they stood spiritually. At this funeral, I believe two people asked Jesu Christ to be their savior. This pastor had an alter call. The people knelt at the coffin to pray.

The young man that I’m speaking of went to the preacher after the service and told him that when he died he wanted him to preach his funeral. However, he also said that who and what he was, he wasn’t changing. he’d die just like he was.

The preacher shared that story at his funeral! This young man was one of the vilest people I had ever met. To be honest, I ‘d even like being around him. He’d often share things he’d done in his life (details) that would cause people to walk off and leave him standing.

When is it or, can it be that humans stop being human, That means that they have crossed that line where God has (give them over to a rebrobate mind)! When we read things like we read just before the flood and, how the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were evil. We think very little of it. But, we are now living in the same type of world that those people lived in. Let’s look at a couple of scriptures here:

2 Peter 2:12-16

BUT THESE, AS NATURAL BRUTE BEAST, MADE TO BE TAKEN AND DESTROYED, SPEAK EVIL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY UNDERSTAND NOT; AND SHALL UTTERLY PERISH IN THEIR OWN CORRUPTION; (13) AND SHALL RECIEVE THE REWARD OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, AS THEY THAT COUNT IT PLEASURE TO RIOT IN THE DAY TIME, SPOTS THEY ARE AND BLEMISHES, SPORTING THEMSELVES WITH THEIR OWN DECIEVINGS WHILE THEY FEAST WITH YOU; (14) HAVING EYES FULL OF ADULTERY, AND THAT CANNOT CEASE FROM SIN; BEGUILING UNSTABLE SOULS; AN HEART THEY HAVE EXCERCISED WITH COVETOUS PRACTICES, CURSED CHILDREN: (15) WHICH HAVE FORSAKEN THE RIGHT WAY, AND ARE GONE ASTRAY, FOLLOWING THE WAY OF BALAAM THE SON OF BOSOR, WHO LOVED THE WAGES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS; (16) BUT WAS REBUKED FOR HIS INIQUITY: THE DUMB ASS SPEAKING WITH MAN’S VOICE FORBAD THE MADNESS OF THE PROPHET.

Jude 1:10

BUT THESE SPEAK EVIL OF THOSE WHICH THEY KNOW NOT: BUT WHAT THEY KNOW NATURALLY, AS BRUTE BEAST, IN THOSE THINGS THEY CORRUPT THEMSELVES.

If you will notice, in both of these scriptures we see the term (BRUTE BEASTS). These people are acting just life animals with no conscience at all! Look at this verse:

1 Timothy 4:1-2

NOW THE SPIRIT SPEAKETH EXPRESSLY, THAT IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS, AND DOCTRINES OF DEVILS; (2) SPEAKING LIES IN HYPOCRICY, HAVING THEIR CONSCIENCE SEARED WITH A HOT IRON;

In our lives, we make choices! Just as the men in the beginning did. Let’s just take Adam for example. We know that he desired to teach his children to live by faith. Seth recieved that faith. However, the weakness of our flesh is very overwhealming! As time moved forward, men allowed their flesh to be seen far above the will of God in their lives, That was what their children were seeing. At some point, there was no consciousness of God at all. It wasn’t even considered because (their conscience) had been seared with a hot iron!

In (2 Peter 2:14) we see this phrase (CURSED CHILDREN). We wonder why we see young people capable of doing very grievious things. It’s because as time moved forward in their families they have lost all consciousness of a God. Righteousness means nothing to them and they are not taught even the simpliest concept of any fear of dying in sin! Consider this: many might even be raised in what we call a Church!

Well, wasn’t every person up until the flood direct descentants of Adam and Eve? It’s no difference today. When we leave the very concepts of righteousness, the teaching of the art of being born-again then at some point people become (brute beasts). The fact that they look human is a moot point! They act, live and treat people like animals without any consciousness of God, period!

I read a story once about this woman that had two dogs. These two dogs just love her, very gentle, no threat al all to her. However, they got trapped, I think it was on a small yacht. Their food ran out. When they found this yacht, the two dags had eaten to woman! I know that is a terrible thing to tell but the point is that those dog were just dogs with a nature of survival!

Even in my lifetime; I’ve seen Churches that use to have very powerfuf, spirit filled pastors that the people became weary of the very power of God he preached with. They dismissed those men and found a man or woman that would preach a message more of their liking. Our own government reached a point where it forced God completely out of all it does! We see homes across our nation that has done the very same thing.

Our world is now basically controlled by (brute beast), Men and women that are filled with all unrighteousness and they have no concept of a loving savior such as the one I believe in (Jesus Christ).

God’s desire is to have people to turn to him, to be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and to be born-again. His Spirit is still in this world. He still calls out to the very souls of men seeking to guide each person to be filled with his Spirit. I can’t say who has become a (brute beast0 acting less than human. I can’t decide who hears God’s message of salvation and who doesn’t.

It doesn’t matter what sin you have committed, what your lifestyle is right at this moment. If you’re reading this and God is speaking to your heart then he desires to come and live within you! The qusetion: will you allow him to come in and guide you to the righteousness he desires for you to have?

If God’s Spirit is dealing with your heart that is one of the most special feelings and one of the greatest gifts of mankind. If he’s dealing, take heed to his call. One day, it might be closed forever! And, even beyond that, consider the younger people, your own children.

I was once introduced to a young man, The man that indroduced me was a friend of mine. When he indroduced me, he told ther young man I was a pastor. I shook hands with the young man and asked him, do you go to Church anywhere? He replied; no. I then asked him if he had any children? He said yes, I have a little boy and a little girl. I then said to him; Sir, you’re a grown man, If you choose to die and go to hell, that’s your choice, you have that right. However, for God’s sake, don’t take your children with you, at least give them a choice as their dad!

I’ve only seen that young man twice in my life. A few years after that, I was working at a house. A young man come up behind me and taped me on my shoulder. I turned around and looked at him. he said, do you remember me? I told him, no, I can’t say I do. He reminded me of that day, I replied, yeah, I remeber you. He said, I want you to know I have my children in Church, I appreciate your concern and what you told me!

Friends, we must as people consider God’s gift, his righteousness and our responsibility in carrying it to the next generation! God placed the responsiblility of sinners on the shoulders of sinners that have been born-again! Please help us not to stand before God not doing the responsibility he has laid on our shoulders!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Marshall Clayton

2 Timothy 1:7