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HopeLives365

Mark Finley

What You Call “Grace” Is Actually Compromise

Well, 1 of the hot-button issues today in some Christian communities is this.

It deals with the issue of Christian standards.

Now there is 1 group of people that they want to criticize everything that 1 eats, 1 drinks, what 1 wears, what 1 watches, and they have become self-righteous critics.

But there's another group of people that say, throw out those standards altogether.

They are not related at all to Christianity.

Is an emphasis on Christian standards legalism or are Christian standards an expression of God's grace?

Does an emphasis on Christian standards lead us into bondage or does it deliver us from bondage?

Does an emphasis on Christian standards lead us into bondage, or does it deliver us from bondage?

Does an emphasis on Christian standards restrict our freedom, so we are less happy, or does it increase our freedom to enjoy greater happiness.

Are Christian standards a part of a 18th, 19th century mentality that is totally out of date today?

Or does God still have some standards in his Bible?

Here is the central truth that we want to study today.

All Christian standards should be factored into 2 things.

1, the devil wants to destroy the image of God in humanity and Christ wants to restore the image of God in humanity.

So whatever discussion we have about Christian standards, It has to be factored into that principle.

The devil wants to destroy the image of God in humanity, and Christ wants to restore the image of God in humanity.

The second is, the devil wants to keep us from being prepared for the coming of Christ, and Jesus wants to prepare us for the coming of Christ.

So all Christian standards have to be factored into those 2 things.

So let's explore answers to those questions about Christian standards from Scripture in the context of the restoration of the image of God in humanity and in the context of the preparation of a people for the coming of Jesus.

Now we need to journey back over the ages, over the centuries, to the first book of the Bible.

So if you have your Bibles, please take it and turn to Genesis chapter 1.

In Genesis chapter 1, we discover an eternal truth.

Genesis chapter 1, and we're looking there at verse 27.

When God created Adam and Eve, the scripture says in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27, so God created man in his own image.

And in the image of God, he created him male and female, he created them.

So God creates the human race in his own image.

Now what does the image of God actually include?

It includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wholeness.

Physically, Adam and Eve were in perfect health.

There was no sickness, no disease, no disability in the Garden of Eden.

Did they have any heart disease in the Garden of Eden before sin?

No, diseases like heart disease and cancer and diabetes were unknown.

So physically, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God.

They never experienced anything like brain fog.

So they never experienced that in the Garden of Eden.

You know, Adam must've been brilliant to name all those animals, right?

And to remember all those names, when you have trouble at times remembering the names of all your kids, you know?

So, I mean, Adam must have been brilliant.

He names every 1 and he remembers every 1.

And just think about Adam understanding the mysteries of nature.

Then emotionally they're filled with peace, joy, security in their garden home.

Love characterized their relationship with the creator.

It characterizes their relationship with 1 another.

They reflect the image of God before the whole universe, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Satan's goal is to deface the image of God.

Satan's goal is to destroy the image of God.

So what strategy does Satan use in the Garden of Eden?

He comes to Eve, we read about it in Genesis chapter 3.

Because in Genesis chapter 3 there is a dramatic change that takes place.

Now remember, it is God's goal to restore the image of God in humanity after sin.

It is Satan's goal in the garden and also now to deface that image.

So we look at Genesis, the third chapter, and there we read, now the serpent, starting with verse 1, was more cunning than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made.

And he said to the women, has God indeed said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman said to the servant, we may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God has said you shall not eat it nor shall you touch it lest you die.

Our passage goes on, then the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die for God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

So when the woman saw that the reed was good for food, that it was pleasant for the eyes and a tree desirable to make 1 wise, She took of its fruit and ate.

She also gave it to her husband with her and he ate.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Now, I don't wanna go over this too quickly.

His argument was that God is holding something back from you.

That God has said you can eat of every tree of the garden, but this tree you cannot eat.

Because Satan's argument was, God knows, if you eat of that tree, you are gonna be happier.

That if you live a life following your own will, rather than God's will, you'll be happier.

The tree of life representing everything that was good, positive, healthful, and beneficial in life.

The tree of knowledge of good and evil represented all that was negative, destructive, unhealthful, and evil.

The essence of sin is living a self-centered life, living by our own standards rather than God's commands.

It's believing that my way is better than God's way.

It's believing that I know what's best for my life, and it's believing like Eve did that day, that God wants to restrict our freedom in what he said in his commands.

What You Call “Grace” Is Actually Compromise

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