Playlist:

playlist Go to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (topic) playlist

Human Nature: Good or Evil?

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Progressives tend to believe that human nature is perfectible and evolving. Conservatives tend to believe that human nature is evil and must be controlled.


Evil Desires

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

All the medieval 'seven deadly sins' could be categorized as a facet of lust. God designed us to have proper desires, just as His desires are always proper.


Eden, The Garden, and The Two Trees (Part Three)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus' crucifixion took place outside the camp of Israel, just outside the border of the Garden of Eden, the general area where the Miphkad Altar stood.


Eden, The Garden, and the Two Trees (Part One)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We we follow God's patterns, Jerusalem becomes the likely location of the Garden of Eden and the likely location for the future, heavenly Jerusalem.


Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Seven): Cultivating Goodness

Sermon by David F. Maas

God has provided strategies which will facilitate His people's cultivation of the spiritual fruit of goodness, working effectively as Christ's sharecroppers.


Evil Is Real (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We fight Satan by defending our ground, and we accomplish this by avoiding temptation, doing good as we are able, and overcoming the evils within.


The Reality of Evil

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The best weapon against the evil of our human nature is to develop the mind of Christ within us to displace our carnal nature.


Christ's Death and the Immortality of the Soul

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The dangerous false belief of inherent immortal life has led to an acceleration of sin and the danger of eternal oblivion. Only God can give eternal life.


Considered Rather Than Commanded - Choose Life

Sermon by Mark Schindler

As God calls His people, He enables them (through His Spirit) to make considered decisions concerning living His way of life by obeying His commandments.


Narrow Is the Way

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Paradoxically, becoming a slave of righteousness — maintaining the narrow way — leads to freedom, peace of mind, and ultimately, God's Kingdom.


Seeking God's Will (Part Six): Forethought

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Pilgrims were unprepared for the bitter New England winters. They had very little practical foresight, paying a heavy toll for not counting the cost.


The Ship Is Yours

Sermon by Mark Schindler

Just as the captain of a ship wants decision-makers, not just order takers, God expects us to make decisions in accordance with His will.


Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part Nine)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is universal and for all time, applying to each and every one of us.


Fear of Death

Sermonette by Ronny H. Graham

Fear of death originated with Adam and Eve's sin of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and, in response, they tried to hide from God.


Imagining The Garden of Eden (Part Six)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The rivers identified in the Garden of Eden were given in the context of pre-flood geography, making the use of modern topographical maps irrelevant.


Whatever Happened to Gnosticism? Part Three: Satan's Three Heresies

Article by David C. Grabbe

When Satan confronted Adam and Eve, he fed them three heresies that Gnosticism incorporated into its parasitic philosophy and way of life.


Genesis 3:17-19: Consequences for Adam

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Adam sinned, having abdicated his leadership position. His posterity has been cursed with overwhelming toil just to stay ahead. We are perfected by hardship.


The Spirit of Babylon (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

An ancient, Babylonian description of Eden and a goddess reveals an influential spirit that has endured the millennia to ensnare the present Western world.


The Law of Liberty

Sermonette by James Beaubelle

Protestant theologians have created an artificial divide between mercy and law-keeping, asserting that 'the law of liberty' does away with God's Law.


Romans 14, Judging, Food, and Sin

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

We need to be careful about what we consume, but we cannot be judgmental if a brother cannot afford organically grown food and must depend on inferior food.


Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part Eight)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Garden of Eden was the perfect place for mankind to get its start, a place where Adam and Eve could become acquainted with God and developed godliness.


Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part Seven)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Both Shabbat rest (ceasing from activity) and nuach rest (pleasantly creating) are necessary for the proper keeping of the Sabbath.


Poor Choices

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Human beings with carnal minds, when faced with a choice between God (or a God-fearing man) or Satan (or a scoundrel) will automatically choose the scoundrel.


The Big Lie (Part One)

Commentary by Mark Schindler

Though we are not to become involved in politics, we need to be aware that enslaving lies are everywhere, generated in the mind of the father of lies, Satan.