Total goodness attached itself to the other extreme of Adam's sin. Adam sinned because of self-sacrifice, because of his love for his wife. He desired to be with her and protect her. But like all humans, Adam had no power to restore himself to righteousness again. For this reason, Adam became the figure of Him who was to come, the Savior who would be God and hold the power to love humanity enough to sacrifice Himself by paying the penalty for man's sin, and yet could emerge from death wholly clean and victorious over evil. Christ accomplished what Adam could not. Christ will cleanse all men of their sins of weakness, some by the blood and water that flowed from His riven side, and all others by the consuming fires of hell. Christ will also separate total evil from man and cast it into the lake of fire. Romans 5:12-21; II Corinthians 5:21; I Corinthians 15:22; I Corinthians 15:45-49; I Corinthians 3:12-15; I Timothy 4:10; Revelation 20:15.
Jesus' teaching in the parable of Matthew 7:15-20 reflects this same truth about God's final and complete division of all goodness from all evil. The "ravening wolves" that Jesus said exist within the false prophets symbolizes total evil. In verses 16-18, Jesus taught that the good tree and its fruit are totally righteous while the corrupt tree and its fruit are totally evil. Jesus' teaching reflects the fact that God will one day completely separate total goodness from total evil. Jesus' teaching in verse 19 symbolically prophesies that one day God will cast only total evil into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:8.
In verse 20, Jesus taught that a careful observer will be able to tell the difference between the total evil in man and his total goodness. An astute observer will also be able to tell the often subtle differences between the goodness and the evil within man's sins of weakness.
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