(Servias’ Note: the following part should be studied thoroughly, especially the referenced Scriptures. The reader should then reread this part after studying associated passages in the Bible before making any determination about accepting or rejecting Kemper’s discussion. We are providing his writing to provoke the reader to challenge his or her current doctrine for its validity as many have done in the past with the doctrine of eternal damnation. Each of us must test our own doctrine given to us by the teachers in our past to see if it truly lines up with FATHER’S Divine Intent. Each of us is responsible for seeking out the Truth and to reject doctrines of men.)
Kemper further wrote:
Adam’s disobedience to the commandment of God, invented a world of opposition to the will and purpose of God. Before man’s disobedience there was no opposition, but in God’s desire for man to become His image, man was given a sovereign will to be exercised in agreement with God. Man’s will is sovereign in the since of having the ability to embrace an intent upon one’s own choosing and therefore producing thoughts, words and deeds to manifest such an intent. Without a sovereign will neither agreement or rebellion would be possible. As a result, with his will being subject to his senses, man is attempting to establish an existence outside of God’s will and contrary to truth. In doing so, man has usurped God’s sovereignty replacing it with his own. God’s intent is for man to willfully embrace his relationship with Him as a son.
God is the source of all things, however when God gave the commandment to activate man’s will and to provide an avenue for their relationship, corruption was introduced through man’s disobedience to it. As Proverbs 16:4 states, “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” Another way to say this would be; “The LORD hath made all things for himself; yea, even the man with a free will.” By God’s sovereign will was man created upright and by man’s sovereign will he became wicked. In Isaiah 45:7 God declares, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” God created evil when He gave man a choice. By God giving man a sovereign will, a world of opposition was introduced through man’s exercising of it. Although it was not the good will of God, yet because of His love for man, He embraced it as His acceptable will until His grace could wrought His perfect will.
Wisdom of Sense Knowledge
Rather than submitting to the wisdom found in the revelation of God’s commandment, man conformed to the wisdom developed by his senses, located in his flesh. The woman, as proclaimed in Genesis 2:23, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, was initially confronted by this wisdom characterized as the seductive serpent. Adam, hearkening to the voice of his flesh (Genesis 3:17) became subject to this wisdom that had deceived her. Even as Romans 6:16 states, Know ye not, that to whom ye yield ourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Genesis 3:4-6, And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (Genesis 3:6). Upon eating from their senses, their eyes were opened to a perspective that subjected them to an existence in the flesh. Therein this wisdom became the foundation of this ungodly world. With his wisdom man originated a path of his own making being led by the knowledge gained through the senses of his flesh. Therefore Adam was removed from the garden of God and placed in the earth where his senses were applicable.
The Serpent
The Hebrew word used for serpent is the noun “nachash.” The verb form of “nachash,” is spelled the same as the noun. The definition of the verb “nachash,” according to Strong’s Concordance is; to practice divination, divine, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, practice fortunetelling, take as an omen. As an example, this verb was used in Geneses 30:27; And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience (nachash) that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. Laban had perceived by nachash (observing through his senses) his prosperity was due to his relationship with Jacob. This nachash was Laban’s wisdom also known as (nachash) the serpent. Nachash was also the wisdom of the Canaanites, causing God to warn Israel in Deuteronomy 18:13-14; Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
In contrast to this wisdom, the apostle Paul states that God’s wisdom is Christ (1 Corinthians 1:24). So there are two kinds of wisdom, God’s and man’s. Man’s wisdom is the “nachash,” the serpent which learns by experience and the observing of signs and times. This nachash utilizes the senses of man to analyze the information accumulated by the relationship the flesh has with this world. Wherefore Paul states in Romans 8:5-8, For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. To be carnally minded is to be influenced by nachash. Those who submit to this wisdom remain in the flesh and are at enmity with God.
The Origin of Satan
The serpent is introduced in Genesis 3:1 stating, Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. At first glance this scripture appears to make God responsible for the creating of the serpent, but on further investigation it merely states that the serpent was more subtle in comparison to any of the beasts that the Lord God had made. It is not incorporating the serpent with those beasts that God created. The serpent is affirmed to be the Devil and Satan as recorded in Revelation 12:9, who was a sinner and a murderer from the beginning with no truth in him, nor did he ever abode therein (1John 3:8, John 8:44).
Genesis 1:31 states that, God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. So then either God esteems this murderous lying serpent, this devil called Satan, as very good or God did not make the serpent. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:4). If Satan was a creation of God, according to this verse, he should be received with thanksgiving. Yet, in James 4:7 it is written; Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Therefore, It is surely evident that God did not make the serpent. For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth (Psalm 33:4).
So then if Satan didn’t come from God, where did he come from? In Job 1:7 even the Lord asked Satan “whence comest thou?” There must be more to Satan’s origin than what we’ve previously considered. The only other possible origin from which Satan could have come was from man. As stated before, this world of opposition was introduced through man’s pursuit of his own way, which is in subjection to a principality whom Jesus calls the prince of this world (John 12:31). Paul also declares in Ephesians 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” This prince, or principality, is man’s intent to establish his own way. It is man’s ego, pride or self consciousness, the spirit of self preservation.
Adam, the father of disobedience, invented a principle that was contrary to God’s good will. That principle or principality was Satan the serpent. The word “invented” is used, rather than created, for it is a better description of what Adam had done. An invention applies the use of material or resources already available to make something for a purpose other than its original intent and outside from its designated state. Those resources used to invent such a principle was God’s commandment and man’s will.
Ecclesiastes 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Psalms 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.