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DWDP : Gen. 2; 11 -17 Adam's Probation · More Than Medicine

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country.
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  Speaker 1: Hosted by author and physician, Dr Robert Jackson.
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  Speaker 1: Papa, can you tell?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: me a story?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Do you really want me to tell you a story?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story.
• 0:24
  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story.
• 0:26
  Dr. Robert Jackson: Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Gather around, grab your Bibles and let's look into the written word, which reveals to us the living word, who is our Lord Jesus Christ.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, if you hear loud screeches in the background or bodies falling to the ground or furniture breaking, it's because we have eight grandchildren here in the house today and they insist on running up one flight of stairs across the upper part of the house and down the other stairwell like a racetrack.
• 1:07
  Dr. Robert Jackson: It's a little cold outside today and they don't want to go out into the yard, as my wife has insisted.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: I can't decide if my house is more like a racetrack or a bowling alley, but it's a delight to have six grandchildren from Pennsylvania and two from Roebuck and we are the babysitters today, and it's such a great delight.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So, anyway, we'll try to do something spiritual while there's bedlam in the background.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So we're still in the book of Genesis and we're still in chapter 2, and I'm having a wonderful time studying the Word and sharing with you the insights that I have been gathering.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So let me start with a couple of questions.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: First one is why was Adam on probation?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Why was he even given a moral choice?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Have you ever wondered about that?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Why was he created, given a moral choice?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Have you ever wondered about that?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Why was he created in the first place?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Was the triune God, who existed from eternity past, not content within himself that he needed to create man for fellowship in a divine experiment?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: No, no, no, it's not that simple.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: We cannot answer these questions.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Apart from divine revelation.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Anything else is human speculation.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: First thing, we are part of the creation and we are in no place to judge the creator.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Just because you are at the top of the food chain on planet earth does not mean that you are at the top of the food chain in the cosmos.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So my recommendation is that you and I get off of our high horse.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The scripture says shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: That's in Romans, chapter 9, in verse 20.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And that's an excellent question.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Shall the clay say to the potter why have you made me this way?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Of course not.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: You see, the Creator has a divine prerogative to make you and me in any way that he pleases.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Number two Holy Scriptures reveal that God is a God of love.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: First, john, chapter 4, is full of Scripture that explains to us that our God is love, that he is a God of love and that he loves all people.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: In Revelation, chapter 4 and verse 11, the Bible tells us that he is worthy to receive all glory and all power because it is by his will, his divine will, because it is by his will, his divine will, that he created all things, including mankind and wonder of wonders.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: He intends to demonstrate the exceeding riches of his grace on man's behalf through all the ages to come.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: We find that in Ephesians, chapter 2 and verse 7.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Number three so, just like parents who beget children for no other reason than that they can love them and care for them, all the while knowing that their child could grow up to become a rebel and reject their parents' love, god created man out of a heart of love on whom he could bestow his love and his care.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And number four but true love has to be reciprocated.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: It has to voluntarily go both ways.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Unrequited love is a great tragedy.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: You remember that one of Shakespeare's characters said how sharper than a serpent's tooth is a thankless daughter.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, he understood the pain of unrequited love To be genuine.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: God allows for mutual love and God demonstrated by to be demonstrated by obedience.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: In fact, many, many years after the creation, jesus said if you love me, you will obey me.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Now my wife and I said that to our children many times over.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: We would look at them and say if you love me, you will obey me, and we wanted them to get that into their little pea brains so they would understand that their obedience to their parents should ultimately flow out of a heart of love.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, jesus wants you and me to understand that our obedience to God should flow out of a heart of love and not out of fear.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Number five an involuntary love is a contradiction in terms.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: There's no such thing.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So Adam was given a choice.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: He was a free moral agent.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: He was free to love God, but he was also free not to love God.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: He was a free to obey God and he was also free not to obey God.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So you see, this probationary time in the garden was a risky move on God's part.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The angels, not being omniscient, held their breath, wondering what would this original man do, god knowing the end from the beginning?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, we're getting ahead of ourselves.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Now let's go to Genesis, chapter 2, verses 11 through 14, and let me read these scriptures to you Now.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: This is verse 10.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And from there it divided and became four rivers.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The name of the first is Pishon.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: It flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The gold of that land is good.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The Bdillium and the Onyx stone are there.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The name of the second river is Gihon.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: It flows around the whole land of Cush.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The name of the third river is Tigris.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: It flows east of Assyria.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Is the Euphrates Now?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Let's stop right there, and you see, the tropical garden probably required a lot of water, more than the daily mist supplied.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So God provided a river flowing through the garden that probably elevated the water table and supplied adequate water to this lush tropical paradise in which he would later place the man.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The river perhaps and this is mere speculation was supplied by an underground reservoir.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Now let me remind you that sometime later in Noah's day, the Bible tells us that the fountains of the deep burst forth and the windows of the heaven were opened in order to provide the water for the flood that overtook the entire world.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So there was a great deal of water trapped under the surface of the earth and so, like an artesian spring, this water fed this great river that flowed through the Garden of Eden.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So what happened to these four rivers?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, peter tells us in 2 Peter 3, in verse 6, that the world that then was being overflowed with water perished.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: You see, in the great flood, everything that existed back in that day was destroyed and these rivers were obliterated.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: They were destroyed and the topography and the geography of that day completely changed.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And that's why those who search for the Garden of Eden must realize that these antediluvian rivers and the antediluvian geography were completely obliterated by the great flood of Noah's day.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Now verses 15 to 17.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The Lord God commanded the man saying from any tree of the garden you may eat freely, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, now we enter that probationary period of which we spoke Verse 15, to cultivate it and keep it, even in the perfect world, god made work, was essential for the good of man.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The garden was not a place of idleness which, as you know, is the devil's workshop.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Didn't your mother and grandmother tell you that all of your life, that an idle mind was the devil's workshop?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: But you see, the garden was a place of meaningful activity and meaningful service to God.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Actually, it was a place of stewardship.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: You see, the Bible says that it is required of a steward that he be found faithful, and Adam was a steward over the garden.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Every garden needs pruning and raking and shaping and creating pathways, making orderly that which will grow wildly to bring greater beauty.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And again, I say to you, it is required of a steward that he be found faithful, and Adam was steward over this garden.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Even in the new heaven and earth.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Revelations 22 and verse 3 tells us that his servants will serve him.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Heaven will not be a place of idleness and frolic, but a place of serving and worshiping our great king verse 16 from any tree of the garden you may eat freely, not even the, he was not even restricted from the tree of life, which produced greater life, length of life, health of life.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: He could even partake of the tree of life, but verse 17, oh my goodness, there's that word but.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And you see, god told him in verse 17,.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: But from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.
• 12:54
  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, a single minor restraint was given to Adam, and this was the test of man's love for God, true love and true gratitude at the overwhelming abundance of provision that God had made for this man.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: You would think that that that would engender from him complete obedience forever, would it not?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Just like you and I gave our parents right, just like your children give to you because of the way that you provide for them right?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Well, that's not the way it works out, not between you and your parents and not between your children and you.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Even though our parents provided for us and even though you provide for your children, that gratitude does not always engender complete obedience.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: My wife used to tell our kids these guidelines, these restrictions, are there to protect you, not to restrict you, and placed there because we love you.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And if I heard her say it once, I heard her say it a thousand times.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And what's so funny is now I hear my children saying that to my grandchildren.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Adam would have naturally assumed that God placed that restriction out of love.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Would he not have assumed that?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And you would think that he would gladly obey the heavenly father because of the abundance of his provision.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: But Adam had every reason to obey and he had no reason to disobey.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: If he did disobey he would be without excuse.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Nevertheless, in this probationary period he was a free moral agent before God.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: He could choose to obey and he could choose to disobey.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: So here was the question that was hanging in the air.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: All the angels were watching to see what this first original man would choose to do.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Would he trust and obey out of love and gratitude, or would he doubt the sincerity of God's word when he said in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die?
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Now Adam already knew what was good.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: You see, the tree was the knowledge of good and evil.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: He already experienced good, the goodness of God, the goodness of God's provisions.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would give him real personal knowledge of evil, which is rejecting God's will, disobedience to God's will.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The literal translation of you will surely die is dying, you will die.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Remember that dying, you will die.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And what happened in that moment when Adam made the wrong choice is he experienced immediate spiritual death, which is separation from God, instantaneous separation from God.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: But he also experienced physical death.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: The principle of decay and death began to operate in his physical body.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Adam still lived, get this 900 years, but for those 900 years he slowly declined physically, just as you and I do, just as man slowly became, just as man slowly.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Just as man slowly, because things were different.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: You see, before the flood, man was protected, probably by some kind of water canopy that protected him from the sun's solar radiation, and he lived 900 years, slowly physically decaying.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Now things are different today and that water canopy is not there and so men live 80 to 100 years maximum.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: But Adam and Methuselah and Lamech and Noah and all of those men back then, they slowly died physically over 600 to 900 years.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: But the physical death occurred instantaneously and everybody after Adam was born, physically dead.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And then they, I'm sorry, spiritually dead, but then they began to die physically from the moment they were born.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: And today we are all born physically alive, but spiritually dead.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: In Ephesians, the Bible tells us that we are dead in our transgressions and sins.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: We are born spiritually dead.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: But here's the good news, brothers and sisters we can be made alive in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: Jesus purchased our redemption at the price of his own life.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: He gave his life's blood to purchase our redemption and he imparts to us physical life.
• 19:00
  Dr. Robert Jackson: When we are spiritually born again, we inherit spiritual life, and that's the good news of the gospel.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto everyone who believes.
• 19:16
  Dr. Robert Jackson: You see, don't be ashamed of the power of the gospel, the gospel message.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: It's the power of God unto everyone who believes, and that message brings new life to you, to me and to everyone else.
• 19:32
  Dr. Robert Jackson: And we should be willing to share that message aggressively, assertively, kindly, gently, because the people that are around you and me that don't know our Lord Jesus Christ, they are born spiritually dead and eventually they will die physically.
• 19:49
  Dr. Robert Jackson: And it's all because of the decision that Adam made.
• 19:52
  Dr. Robert Jackson: But the good news is that our Lord Jesus Christ made a different decision and he chose to give his life in order to impart new life to you and me.
• 20:02
  Dr. Robert Jackson: You need to think about that and you need to share that with everybody around you, because that is the good news.
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  Dr. Robert Jackson: All right, that's enough for today.
• 20:12
  Dr. Robert Jackson: We'll be back again next week and I pray that the Lord will bless you real good.
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine.
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, dr Jackson's books, or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or their webpage at jacksonfamilyministrycom.
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: This podcast is produced by Bob Slone Audio Production at bobslone.
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  Speaker 1: com.