Original Sin and False Grace

Distinguishing between God's grace and Satan's false grace

What was the first sin of man and why is it still important today. God's first command to mankind is fairly early in the bible, in Genesis 2:16 “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” We all know the story, it doesn't say how long it took to break the command, but even though Adam had witnessed first hand the power of God, who had created for him Eve, out of his own flesh, Adam and Eve were easily deceived by Satan. In Genesis 3:4, Satan used his deception, a half truth. He probably knew that they would not die immediately, but would begin the process of death and seal their fate. He used that knowledge to his advantage “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Adam and Eve chose wrong, they chose to decide for themselves what is good and what is evil, they did not trust in God to make that decision for them.

God did not stop them from making that choice, because He gave humans free will. It was hundreds of years later during the Exodus from Egypt when God's law was finally codified. But the law was not given as a simple command, but as an agreement between God and his people. He was giving them a way to live, and just as we all give rules to our children to keep them safe, He was giving them rules to live by to protect them from evil and from becoming evil. The terms to this covenant came with blessings for keeping the agreement, and curses for breaking it.

Deuteronomy 11:26 says, “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.”

He instructed them not to take the knowledge of good and evil to themselves. Deuteronomy 12:8 “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes” Deuteronomy 30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Notice that it says to “choose life” since we are given free will, there is a choice to make. We should listen to God and choose his way instead of taking to ourselves the knowledge of good and evil. It also says to love God. When you love someone, you want to please them. In His law and covenant he told us how to do that, but it is up to us to choose.

Some would say that this law and this covenant were “done away with” under the grace of Christ. But what does the Bible say? Christ is our Savior and the ultimate authority. Mathew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Christ knew what would happen after his death and knew that Satan would distort the truth, so he tells us first hand that the law is in place until heaven and earth pass away. Anyone can see that those things have not happened.

In Hebrews 10:16 the new covenant is spoken about: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord.  I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds”  

If the law is done away with why is it part of the new covenant?

Hebrews 10:18 adds “And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary”

It does not say that the law is no longer necessary, but says that sacrifice is no longer necessary.

Hebrews 10:26 “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left”

To me the theme of these scriptures is that Christ's sacrifice did not do away with the law, but did save us from the penalty of the law which is death.  His forgiveness of our sins does not give us a license to continue sinning.  

Where in the bible does it say it is good or acceptable to sin?

John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” Here is an example of where it is said if we love Christ we will keep His commandments.

Does keeping the law earn salvation? No, of course not. We can not earn salvation by any human act, it is the freely given gift of God. Does this mean we should break the law, or that the law is done away with? No, if Christ says that if you break the commandments and teach others to do so you will be least the the kingdom of heaven, then He does not want us to break the commandments. They are a protection for us and a sign that connects us to God. It is easy to identify God's people, look for people that keep God's commandments.

Many falsely use the teachings of the Apostle Paul to try to justify law breaking, but they are twisting his words as Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:14. Paul does not teach that we should break the Law, but that salvation can not be achieved through keeping the law alone. There is a difference. Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”

If the law was “done away with” what would be our moral guide? Who would decide for us what is good and what is evil? If the law is not your guide, then you would have to decide for yourself the knowledge of good and evil and that was the original sin, and it is still the way that Satan deceives the world. The half truth. It is true that salvation can't be reached through the law alone, but that is only half of the story. If you love God you will be loyal to him by keeping his commandments, they are protection for you from a merciful and Heavenly Father, and a sign and symbol that you are His child. Let Him choose what is right and wrong, and you will choose life. The lie that we can decide for our selves what is right and wrong is the original deception of Satan, and he still tricks the whole world by that wrong teaching....false grace.
 

Hebrews 10:28
“Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much 

more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has

 treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

 False Grace = Insulting the Spirit of grace.