 | Pastor Dave grew up in northern New Jersey in a very diverse cultural area. He attended Central College in Pella, Iowa received a BA in sociology and psychology. He was an offensive guard for their NCAA Div III National Championship team in 1974. In speaking for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he sensed a call to full time ministry. Meeting is future wife Sandy at Central, went to Michigan to finish her college while Dave started Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Dave married Sandy in 77 and completed his Masters of Divinity degree in 78. Pastor Dave’s first church was in Fort Lee, New Jersey, home of the George Washington Bridge. Their three children were born there and he also served as a Police and Fire Chaplain for the city. In February 1991, they came to Wichita to start Harvest Community Church. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in St Louis. During that year he gained a daughter-in-law with now 2 grandsons of 3 years and 6 months old. Besides Pastoring at HCC for the past 20 years, he has been Director of the SCSD & WPD Police Chaplains for 11.
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Religion
2010-09-01 13:38:00
Was there sin before the commandments?
Question: Since there were no Ten Commandments from the time of Adam and Eve, to the time that God gave them to Moses, were things like false idols, murder, adultery and stealing: sins for those living during that period?
Answer: Even though the 10 Commandments were not codified, or introduced, as a formal code until Moses, they were in existence since the beginning of time. It would be like mankind not knowing anything about the physical law of gravity. It did not take away from the law being active and keeping men and women on earth. So it is with the spiritual laws that govern our world that reflect the heart of almighty God the maker and sustainer of the earth. Even if man claims ignorance by not knowing, it still is a sin. Doing 67 MPH in a 45 mile zone and not realizing it because you didn’t see the sign, the officer who pulls you over with his radar gun clocking you at 67 has the right to ticket you because the fact of the matter is that you are guilty of breaking the law.
Now the scriptures show us there has always been a witness of God but man has rejected Him and given himself to unworthy pursuits and idols (Romans 1:18-23). That even the law is written on the heart of gentiles who know and keep the law by conscience more than even the Jews (Romans 2:14-15). With man being made in God’s image, we have the ability to choose, unlike animals that are instinctual. Adam and Eve’s experience in the garden is a prime example (Genesis 3:1-4).
Adam and Eve’s experience of freedom to make moral choices, caused them to disobey the commands that were spelled out to them in God’s instructions. In their disobedience they put their desires ahead of serving and obeying God (Exodus 20:3 command 1). The other god they listened to was Satan (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Eve coveted the fruit of the tree they were not to eat (vs 17 command 10). They took what was not theirs to have which is stealing (20:15 command 8) and they hid, lied and blamed (20:16 command 9).
Even further, every command was given pre-Moses as exhibited in the first five books of the Bible. Jacob did away with the idols in Genesis 35:2-4 which violated the 2nd command. In (Exodus 20:4-6) we see the vainly taking of the Lord’s name breaking the 3rd command which was violated in the first book of the Bible written when Job’s wife calls for him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). The fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) of Sabbath rest was already established in Genesis 2:2-3. The fifth command (20:12) to honor parents, we see broken when Noah’s son dishonored him (Genesis 9:24-25). The early incident of Cain murdering Abel (Genesis 4:10-11) violated the sixth commandment (Ex 20:13) and God had warned Cain earlier and called the act “Sin” (Genesis 4:7). The 7th command of adultery (Ex. 20:14) is already seen as sin with the episode with the Potifar’s wife who tries to seduce Joseph. His response to her shows the command was already known when he says, “…How could I violate his (Potifar’s) trust and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9b) With all of these we see the law was always there.
When God had Moses write them out and codify it for Israel, God showed them the beauty and function of the law. It was to help them live right with Him by understanding His heart and nature of Holiness. To live in practical ways that reflect His nature as they lived together in community to meet each others needs in a loving and responsible manner as He designed them to do. But most misunderstood it’s use and saw it as a means to their end and to earn God’s favor and protection. Keeping the law became the end in itself and not a relationship to God of love but of duty. But God’s intention for the Law was to expose people to their need for a relationship with Him of grace and mercy. In Galatians 3:24, Paul reminds us the law reveals our sinfulness and need for Jesus Christ who gives us that grace and mercy. For we don’t always do or keep the law perfectly. We can see that as we read Jesus’ practical elaboration on the Ten Commandments in His Sermon on the mount in Matthew Chapters 5-7.
Now, we know that living according to the Ten Commandments can’t save us, because we can never fulfill them perfectly to get into heaven, but they are still relevant guidelines in loving God and our fellow man. These laws resonate with what the heart of God desires for us and how we can live a healthy and fruitful life. They are Spiritual Laws still to be abided by because they give us practical instruction on how to love our God and our neighbor. Some have said they don’t need to follow the law because they just live in love with others. But they have quoted that to justify a breach of the law like committing adultery because they have said they had to be true to themselves and love the one they were with. But the scriptures say, if you are really a lover, love is committed to fulfilling the Law. Let’s see what God says about it in Romans 13:8-10 where it says: “Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting—and any other commandment—are all summed up in this one commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.” This kind of love is the extreme opposite to the superficial love that does whatever it wishes for its own selfish gratification the world presents to us today often through the media and the arts. That false image of love brings brokenness and a lot of hurt. The real love God calls us to goes the distance and is true to His commands.
May the Lord work in our hearts by faith to make us true lovers that respect and honor God’s wishes for our lives and others. Striving everyday to truly being a godly lover, Pastor Dave.
