What is clean?

Here is Environmental Working Group's shoppers' guide to pesticides in produce.

This list is certainly helpful to make good choices on a tight grocery budget, but I find of great comfort the first words that eating fruits and vegs far outweigh the risks of exposure to pesticides. With that in mind, don't eat in doubt, meaning God has given us wisdom to make the best choices for our children, but He has also made ALL things clean. Therefore we are not to live in fear, but to live victoriously as those set free from the yoke of slavery to sin! Sin still rules this world, and we are therefore still subject to its effects, but our hearts can be set free. Let this be a reminder, as it is to me, that the hearts of our children are of utmost importance. Directing them in the ways of God must rule over the health of their bodies, their education, their activities, etc. Be blessed by the Truth that sets us free from ourselves!

Romans 14:14
14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

Matthew 15:11
11 “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

Mark 7:18,19b
Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,
19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.)

1 Timothy 4:4
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;

Creation

Right Thinking = Right Living!

A. It all started with God, Gen 1:1
1. God created the world AND time.
2. He is eternal= having no beginning or end.
3. The Hebrew name of God here is Elohim= plural form of El, means "Strong One." (plural is significant of the triune God-Father, Son, Holy Spirit)

B. God spoke all things into being, Gen 1:2-3
1. "Ex Nihilo" is Latin meaning "from nothing" referring to HOW God created the world.
2. Consider the complexity of the world around us, and the universe...Now consider the incredible design of the human eye which has over 2 million working parts.
**All creation points to the sovereignty of God, meaning He is in control of EVERYTHING**

C. God created all things, Gen 1:4-25
1. There is order in His creation
->disorder and chaos are not of God; these things come out of a world corrupted by sin.
2. In six days He created everything, and He rested on the seventh day.

Day 1: Heavens and earth, darkness and light
-> notice there was first darkness, and then God made light (without the sun!)

Day 2: Heaven/sky

Day 3: Dry land, oceans, plants

Day 4: Sun, moon, stars

Day 5: Air and water animals

Day 6: Land animals and people
-> Consider when and how God created mankind...
-> We were created last, yet most important to the purpose of God's plan for creation, and ultimately salvation!
-> We are the only part of creation made in the image of God.
-> God gave Adam dominion over the earth.
-> All of God's creation was made to bring Him glory; therefore we were made to glorify God.

Life Through Forgiveness

Why is there death in the world?
Sin and death came because of Adam's rebellion against God.

Picture of two Adams: (1 Corin. 15:21,22) 1st Adam=disobedience brought death, 2nd Adam (Christ)=obedience brought life

A. Our rebellion leads to death (Romans 5:12-14)
-Death entered the world through sin. God killed the first animals to cover Adam's sin!
-Sin was not there in the beginning; the beginning was God's perfect creation.
->Adam experienced this and shared an amazing relationship with God.
-Adam disobeyed God, and through his rebellion sin entered the world.
-Death entered because of sin and by our sinful nature we are separated from God.
**we inherited the sinful nature of Adam**

(Timeline...)
PERFECT CREATION--> REBELLION/SIN (mans choice)--> DEATH-->
SEPARATION FROM GOD

B. Our rejection of God's grace leads to death (Romans 5:15-21)
-free gift= God's grace
-trespass= Adam's first sin; a purposeful action
-grace of God= unmerited/undeserved favor
-judgment= negative end result
-condemnation= found guilty
-justification= declared righteous or innocent

The Mosaic law was established to bring sin to light. Without the law, there was nothing by which to compare sin.

**The law has been fulfilled in Christ so that we no longer live by it, but live by Christ**

-->THE LAW

C. Our selfish desires lead to sin which leads to death (Jas 1:13-15)
-James was the brother of Jesus who later became His disciple.
-God does not tempt us to sin; temptation stems from our own selfish desires.
-As sin becomes a lifestyle choice and is unconfessed, the unrepentant person is separating themselves from God!

-->NEED FOR SIN COVERING

D. Our forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ leads to life everlasting!
THE GOOD NEWS
(Romans 5:21, Philippians 2:8) Christ humbled himself by being obedient to the point of death...
-Christ took on death without sinning!
-We can deal with all our sin by confessing (speaking it to God) and repenting (turning from it).

-->THE CROSS-->REPENTANCE--> FORGIVENESS-->LIFE