{"id":18558,"date":"2020-11-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sugar-land-bible-church.local\/sermon\/genesis-012-religion-versus-grace\/"},"modified":"2022-10-19T11:28:42","modified_gmt":"2022-10-19T16:28:42","slug":"genesis-012-religion-versus-grace","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/slbc.org\/es\/sermon\/genesis-012-religion-versus-grace\/","title":{"rendered":"Genesis 012 – Religion Versus Grace"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","book":[12],"series_event":[511],"sermon_service_type":[472],"speaker":[6],"class_list":["post-18558","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","book-genesis","series_event-genesis","sermon_service_type-main-service","speaker-dr-andy-woods","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"sermon_title":"Genesis 012 - Religion Versus Grace","sermon_date":"20201101","sermon_month":"11","sermon_year":"2020","sermon_notes":8538,"sermon_slides":8539,"sermon_mp3":8545,"sermon_id":"11120144827029","series_or_event":511,"service_type":[472],"speaker":6,"books_of_the_bible":12,"chapter_and_verse":"3:6-7","sermon_transcript":"

Genesis 012 - Grace versus Religion<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n

Genesis 3:6,7<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n

Dr. Andrew Woods <\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\u2026And where's the pastor? \u00a0Well, you better hope it's not the rapture if you're still here. \u00a0I got into a conversation with a wonderful person there in our foyer and lost track of time. \u00a0But anyway, let's take our Bibles, and open them to the Book of Genesis 3:6<\/strong>. \u00a0Let me say once more that one of the things you need for our study in Genesis 3<\/strong> is this handout. \u00a0Did you all see that in the back? \u00a0It's got an outline and a written summary of Genesis 3<\/strong>, and that will cover the ground that we're trying to cover. Online, folks, don't panic. You'll find it in our archives. \u00a0Go to this sermon, and go to sermon notes, and you should have the exact same handout.\r\n\r\nBut we are studying, as you know, the Book of Genesis<\/u><\/strong>. The first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis<\/u><\/strong> is the beginning of the human race. That big section has four parts of it, one of which we've completed: \u00a0Creation<\/strong>. \u00a0Genesis 1<\/strong> is an overview of the whole creation week. Genesis 2<\/strong> focuses on day six. \u00a0So everything is humming along just fine. \u00a0What could possibly go wrong? Well, Genesis 3<\/strong> went wrong. \u00a0And without an understanding of Genesis 3<\/strong>, you can't really understand why we need Jesus. \u00a0Genesis 3<\/strong> and the after effects of Genesis 3<\/strong> in chapter 4<\/strong>, the first murder, and chapter 5<\/strong>, the universal problem of death, is a description of how humanity strayed from the will of God and began to suffer consequences and repercussions.\r\n\r\nAs W.H. Griffith Thomas said in one of his commentaries concerning Genesis 3<\/strong>, \u201cThis chapter is the pivot<\/strong> on which the whole Bible turns.<\/em>\u201d \u00a0Jesus does not make sense to people. \u00a0And the reason He doesn't make sense to people is because they don't realize they're drowning. Reaching out for a life preserver doesn't make sense until you figure out you\u2019re drowning. In Genesis 3<\/strong>, we figure out we're drowning, and suddenly the provision that the Savior provides for us by way of a rescue operation falls into place. But that rescue operation doesn't make sense unless you understand the dire circumstances that we're in. \u00a0And that's why the Lord gave us Genesis 3<\/strong> in our Bibles.\r\n\r\nThis particular chapter [Genesis 3<\/strong>] has about five or so parts to it, the first of which we covered last week, the temptation by the Serpent. \u00a0And as we looked at that section, we saw Satan's tactics: \u00a0four of them. \u00a0And we also saw Adam and Eve's mistakes: \u00a0four of them<\/em>. \u00a0And now we see that the temptation has been offered and the mistakes have been made, we now move into Genesis<\/strong> 3:6,<\/strong> and after that, as time permits 3:7-13<\/strong>, where we will see the actual sin of Adam and Eve, 3:6<\/strong>, and then the results of that sin, 3:7-13<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThere are, in 3:6<\/strong>, two major things to think about:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. The three avenues of temptation, the first part of 3:6<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. The breakdown of God's authority structure, the second part of 3:6<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nSo notice, if you will, Genesis 3:6<\/strong>, \u201cWhen the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.\u201d <\/em>\r\n\r\nWhat the Bible indicates is that when we come under temptation, there are only three avenues through which temptation can come. Those are described very well for us in 1 John 2:16<\/strong>, which says \u201cFor all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh<\/em> (avenue number 1); the lust of the eye <\/em>(avenue number 2), and the boastful pride of life<\/em> (avenue 3) is not of the Father, but is of the world.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of life<\/strong>. \u00a0Every time we come under temptation, it's only coming through those three avenues. \u00a0Sometimes it's a combination; 2 of 3 sometimes 3 of 3, but those are the only ways temptation can come.\r\n\r\nLust of the flesh<\/strong>: what exactly is that? It's the temptation to use one's body in a way that's displeasing to the Lord. You can think of a lot of different things that would fit under that category: \u00a0the abuse of drugs, alcoholism, sexual immorality, and on and on we could go. \u00a0It's an appeal to the the body\u2014gluttony would be an example; lust of the flesh<\/strong>\u2014use your body in a way that's displeasing to the Lord.\r\n\r\nAnd then the second way temptation comes is through lust of the eyes<\/strong>. \u00a0It's an appeal to the eye gate: covetousness\u2014desiring something that really does not belong to you. Desiring someone else's popularity, someone else's prestige, someone else's wealth, someone else's spouse. \u00a0These would all fit under that category of the lust of the eye.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAnd then the third avenue is the pride of life<\/strong>, which is simply an invitation to live your life the way you want to live it independently of God. \u00a0You're the boss. You're in charge. You're the master of your own fate. \u00a0You're the master of your own destiny. \u00a0Go ahead and sing the Frank Sinatra song, \u201cI Did It My Way<\/em>.\u201d \u2018God doesn't know what's best. \u00a0I know what's best.<\/em>\u2019 Pride of life. <\/strong>\r\n\r\nLust of the flesh.\u00a0 Lust of the eye. \u00a0The pride of life<\/strong>. \u00a0What's very interesting is you see all three of those, not just described in 1 John 2:16<\/strong>, but you see them all there at the beginning of Genesis 3:6<\/strong>, \u201dWhen the woman saw that the tree was good for food,\u201d<\/em>... [lust to the flesh<\/strong>; lust of the body; use your tongue, use your body in a way that's displeasing to the Lord], \u201c...and that it was a delight to the eyes,<\/em>\u201d [lust of the eye<\/strong>].\u00a0 \u201c...and that it was desirable to make one wise<\/em>\u201d [pride of life<\/strong>].\r\n\r\nIt's interesting to me that Jesus Christ, in Matthew 4:1-11<\/strong> and in Luke 4:1-13<\/strong>, recording the same story, the same historical account, faced the exact same temptations. \u00a0And when you study Matthew\u2019s record of that, you'll see three temptations that Jesus experienced at the hands of Satan in the Judean wilderness. \u00a0And when you read the same account in Luke's gospel, you'll see the same temptations, but Luke does something very interesting. He takes temptations 2 and 3 and reverses the order. \u00a0I think Matthew gives you the proper order chronologically, but when Luke describes the exact same temptation, he'll take numbers 2 and 3 of the three temptations and reverse those. \u00a0Why would Luke do something like that? \u00a0Because he's trying to show that Jesus, the Son of Man, which is Luke's major theme, went through the exact same temptation the way Eve did. \u00a0Eve was tempted in this order, lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of life<\/strong>. \u00a0Jesus went through the exact same thing in that order.\r\n\r\nLust of the flesh<\/strong>: Satan says to Jesus after he was fasting for 40 days, \u201cCommand these stones to become bread.<\/em>\u201d That's an appeal to the body.\u00a0 You're hungry. \u00a0God wants you to fast. \u00a0\u2018Go ahead and break the fast and eat as you please; You are deity, after all, so use your miraculous powers to satisfy the needs of the body<\/em>.\u2019\u00a0 It's an appeal to the flesh. \u00a0Lust of the flesh.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nTemptation number 2, as Luke records it, is that Satan in an instant, showed him\u2014it was visual; it was an<\/strong> appeal to the eye gate.<\/strong> \u00a0He showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the earth. \u00a0And he essentially said to Christ, \u2018Bow down and worship me, and they could all be Yours.<\/em>\u2019 That's an appeal to the sight or to the eyes. \u00a0It's actually, when you look at that temptation, an appeal to get an end run around the cross. \u00a0Satan is saying to Jesus, \u2018Look, I know why You\u2019ve come into the world\u2014to redeem the world. \u00a0I know that the route for redemption is through the Cross. You don't have to go through the Cross. \u00a0Just give me,\u2019 [<\/em>Satan says to Christ], \u2018a moment of worship, and the kingdoms will be Yours.\u2019<\/em> \u00a0And it was a visual display. When you study Luke 4:5-7<\/strong>, Jesus saw<\/em> these things\u2014lust of the eye.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe third temptation is the pride of life<\/strong>, where Jesus was tested or tempted to throw Himself from the pinnacle of the temple\u2014to test, to see if God will break the fall through the provision of the angels.\u00a0 And \u2018If you pull this one off,<\/em>\u2019 [Satan is saying to Jesus], \u2018if you pull this one off, think of the immediate following You will have. Think of Your level of popularity. \u00a0Because no one has ever done anything like this in Jerusalem.<\/em>\u2019 And so it's a subtle appeal to the pride of life<\/strong>. \u00a0And the reason that Luke is reversing temptations 2 and 3 is [because] he is harmonizing what Jesus experienced with exactly what Eve experienced. \u00a0And what's interesting is where Eve failed, Jesus succeeded. \u00a0This is why the Scripture refers to Him not as the second Adam, but as the last<\/em> Adam.\r\n\r\nIn 1 Corinthians 15:45<\/strong> it says \u2018So also it is written. The first Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.<\/em>\u2019 \u00a0So Jesus succeeded in every single area where Eve failed.\r\n\r\nThat's why there has been nobody like Jesus. \u00a0Nobody has ever succeeded like that. \u00a0And Jesus must have been God in human flesh. \u00a0I mean, intertwined with His humanity, must have been connected to that deity, because any normal human being would collapse and fold under those circumstances. \u00a0And so what exactly do you have in this Man, Jesus Christ? \u00a0You have Somebody who has been pushed to the furthest degree a human being has ever been pushed in the only three areas that temptation comes: \u00a0lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThere's no other way to push Him further in those three areas than what Satan did to Him, or allowed him to experience in the Judean wilderness. \u00a0And yet Jesus succeeded because He wasn't just man. He was the Son of Man; intertwined with humanity was deity. The Book of Hebrews 4:15<\/strong> says this of Jesus Christ, \u201cHe has been tempted at all points as we are, yet without sin.\u201d<\/em> \u00a0And you say, \u2018Well, how could Jesus have been tempted at all points like I am? \u00a0I mean, I'm facing a specific temptation at work to embezzle money. \u00a0Jesus never faced anything like that. \u00a0Or, I face this temptation, or I face that temptation. \u00a0Jesus hasn't faced anything like that.\u2019 \u00a0<\/em>But on the other end of the stick, He has experienced that. \u00a0Because there are only three avenues through which temptation can come: lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, the pride of life<\/strong>. All temptations fit under those three categories. \u00a0And Jesus was pushed to the furthest degree a human being has ever been pushed in each area<\/em><\/strong>, and yet without sin. \u00a0He succeeded where Eve failed, He succeeded where we fail because He was not just man, but He was the God Man. And this explains to us why the Book of Hebrews 4:15-16<\/strong> refers to Him as our sympathetic High Priest. \u00a0How could He be sympathetic to me? \u00a0How could He be sympathetic to you? Because He stood in your shoes.\u00a0 And maybe He didn't face exactly what you face, but He faced that category, whether it's lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, or the pride of life<\/strong>. \u00a0And He was pushed much further than most of us will ever be pushed in those categories, yet without sin.\r\n\r\nAnd so when you pray to the Lord and ask Him to help you in the midst of temptation, He knows exactly what you're going through having stood in your shoes. \u00a0He knows exactly what you're experiencing. \u00a0And He knows how to provide mercy and grace in that time of need having experienced temptation to the ultimate degree in these three avenues, the only avenues through which temptation can come.\r\n\r\nSee, back in my basketball days, I played basketball from seventh grade all the way through my senior year in college, and I had all kinds of coaches during that time period. \u00a0I had coaches where it was evident that they had never played basketball in their youth. \u00a0And then I had other coaches that had actually played. \u00a0Some were very successful either at the high school level or the college level, having played the game of basketball, and when coaches are telling you to endure as they're making you run or lift weights or whatever, obviously, which coach has your respect? \u00a0Not the guy that's never stood in my shoes. \u00a0What would he know about the pain I was in trying to get in shape for basketball? \u00a0He wouldn't know anything about it because he's never experienced it.\r\n\r\nBut the coach that's lived it and gone through it\u2014when he's telling you to do X, Y and Z, that coach has your respect because he's experienced what it is to stand in your shoes. \u00a0You see that? \u00a0And it's this very thing that makes Jesus what He is, as our High Priest. You're not praying to some kind of neutral deity that doesn't know what it's like to suffer\u2014 when you pray to Christ. You're praying to Someone that has has been tested, has been tempted in all ways, yet without sin.\u00a0 He knows exactly how to minister to you and to me in our time of need.\r\n\r\nAnd so, Eve's failure here is sort of the beginning of the rescue operation that Jesus will employ because Eve folded, but Jesus did not, although He was pushed much further in Luke 4:1-13<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nHe indeed is the last Adam. \u00a0There hasn't been anything like Him before or anything like that to follow. \u00a0John, in his gospel, calls Jesus the monogen<\/em>\u0113<\/em>s<\/em>. When you see that word, \u2018begotten<\/em>,\u2019 \u201conly begotten Son,<\/em>\u201d it's a translation of the Greek word \u2018monogen<\/em>\u0113<\/em>s<\/em>. \u00a0Mono<\/em>. \u00a0You recognize that word as in monopoly, one or singular, and genes, you recognize as a species or a kind. \u00a0You have a similar word in biology to describe species and kinds.\u00a0 Monogen<\/em>\u0113<\/em>s<\/em> \u2014put those two together, and it simply means one of a kind. \u00a0The only begotten Son. \u00a0What does that mean? \u00a0It means one of a kind. \u00a0Jesus is one of a kind. \u00a0He could stand under temptation because He wasn't just man. \u00a0He was the God Man. \u00a0And as far as I can tell in the area of world religions, this is very unique to Christianity. \u00a0I don't know of any other religious system that teaches such a thing. \u00a0Whether it's Buddhism or Islam or any other system of thought you give yourself to, I'm not really sure when you pray to those alleged deities, [you are] praying to someone that suffered just like us. \u00a0But how different this Man, Jesus Christ, who is qualified<\/em> to be a sympathetic and merciful High Priest, having suffered as we do.\r\n\r\nWe continue on with Genesis 3:6<\/strong>, and what you start to see is the breakdown of an authority structure that God Himself had established in Genesis chapters 1 and 2<\/strong>, \u201cWhen the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that it was desirable to make one wise <\/em>[lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, the pride of life are all there<\/strong>] \u201cshe took from its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her and he ate.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Now, what you're witnessing here in 3:6<\/strong> is a breakdown in male headship that God has established within marriage, and we have spoken of this, have we not? \u00a0And it needs to be spoken of because there has arisen something in our culture that now comes into evangelical Christianity, a movement called evangelical feminism, which is a theological movement within the church that seeks to abolish all gender role distinctions within marriage in the church. \u00a0\u2018How dare you say that the man is the head of the home!\u2019 <\/em>\u00a0You say, \u2018Well, it's in the Bible.\u2019<\/em> The response from evangelical feminism is, \u2018but that was never the original design of God<\/em>. That is a consequence or a repercussion of the fall. \u00a0That's not what God originally intended. \u00a0So all of your passages saying that the man is the head of the home, and it outlines in Ephesians 5<\/strong> the man's responsibility in the home, the woman's responsibility in the home, those are all verses that are post-fall, not pre-fall.\u2019<\/em> \u00a0But I'm here to tell you that the structure that God had established is pre-fall<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0God established male authority within the home, within the family prior<\/em><\/strong> to the fall, contrary to what you hear from evangelical feminism.\u00a0 Why would I say that? \u00a0Well, as we have looked at when you look at the order of creation on day six in Genesis 2<\/strong>, what you discover is Adam is created first. \u00a0Eve was created second. \u00a0Eve is deceived first. \u00a0Adam falls into sin second.\r\n\r\nYou say, \u2019Well, is the order of creation really that big of a deal?\u2019<\/em> \u00a0You bet it is. \u00a0To God it is. \u00a0When Paul lays out actions telling women that there are certain offices within the church that are off limits to women, Paul says this, \u201cBut I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness.<\/em>\u201d \u2018Now, why would you say something like that, Paul<\/em>?\u2019 \u00a0Paul says, \u2018I'm glad<\/em> you asked,<\/em>\u2019 1 Timothy 2:13,<\/strong> \u201cFor Adam was formed first, then Eve.<\/em>\u201d \u00a0I mean, the order of creation is very significant here, and that's pre-fall.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nNumber 2, Eve did not name Adam; Adam named Eve. \u00a0You'll see Adam naming Eve as we have studied in Genesis 2:23<\/strong>. \u00a0It'll even happen again post-fall, Genesis 3:20<\/strong>, and that's an authority issue. \u00a0Because as you go through the Word of God, when somebody names something, they're exercising authority over what they just named. \u00a0Genesis 1:10<\/strong> says this \u201cAnd God called the dry land Earth<\/em>.\u201d \u00a0Why would God do that? \u00a0Because He has authority over the Earth. \u00a0So when Adam names Eve, it's demonstrating that Adam is in that place of authority. In fact, when you go into the Book of Daniel<\/u><\/strong>, and these [see slide on Biblical Significance of Naming<\/strong>] are all of the passages you could look at to show the biblical significance of naming, but you'll notice that Nebuchadnezzar renames the three Hebrew youths. \u00a0Their names are changed from Jewish names to Babylonian names to the names that we know today, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. \u00a0But those were not their original names. \u00a0It was Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah.\r\n\r\nWhen you study the Hebrew names, they reflected different parts of God's character. \u00a0When you study the Babylonian names, they reflected different aspects of the Babylonian captivity that Israel had just been taken into. \u00a0And when Nebuchadnezzar does that, you know what he's saying? \u2018I'm the boss.\u2019<\/em> That's what the renaming is. \u00a0\u2018I'm in charge; I have the authority.<\/em>\u2019 \u00a0And the rest of the Book of Daniel<\/u><\/strong> says, \u2018No, you don't<\/em>.\u2019 And the God of Heaven shows up numerous times to vindicate His authority over Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s Babylonian authority.\r\n\r\nSo the fact that Adam is naming Eve, and not the other way around, is a big deal, not only in terms of that, but also in terms of the order of their creation.\r\n\r\nAnd things are going to go south real quick. \u00a0Sin is going to enter the human race. \u00a0And what does God say there in Genesis 3:9<\/strong>?\u00a0 \u2018The Lord God called to the woman<\/em>\u2019\u2014 it doesn't say that, does it?\u00a0 \u201cThen the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, \u201cWhere are you?\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>So Eve sins first, Adam sins second, but God does not call out for Eve in terms of accountability. \u00a0He calls out for Adam. \u00a0Why in the world would God do that when Eve sinned first? \u00a0And it relates to the fact that Adam was in charge. \u00a0He was the boss. \u00a0He was the leader. \u00a0And when a company goes belly up, you don't go after the janitor, you go after the guy that's in charge. \u00a0And so from a simple reading of early Genesis<\/u><\/strong>, you can understand why this whole evangelical feminism is off\u2014the argument that male headship is something that originated after the fall. \u00a0It did not originate after the fall. \u00a0It was the design of God prior<\/em><\/strong> to the fall. \u00a0Now also Romans 5:12<\/strong>, New Testament, says this, \u201cTherefore, just as through one man sin entered the world.<\/em>...\u201d [Wait a minute. \u00a0I thought Eve sinned first. \u00a0Why doesn't Paul say \u2018through one woman sin entered the world.<\/em>\u2019 \u00a0Why does he say \u201cthrough one man sin entered the world?\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Because of the leadership of Adam and his failure in that regard.\r\n\r\nHowever, it's very tempting for male chauvinists to abuse passages like this, and to get out of balance because there's another side to this story. \u00a0When you go back to Genesis 1:26-28<\/strong>, God says, concerning authority, \u201cLet them...<\/strong><\/em>\u201d<\/strong> [That's plural. That's both of them]. \u201c...subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.<\/strong>\u201d<\/em> \u00a0God gave that authority to both of them.\u00a0 But the male was put in that place of headship in that authority structure.\r\n\r\nWe also have noted that when God formed Eve, he did not form Eve from Adam's foot, implying her inferiority. \u00a0He formed her from his side. \u00a0He did not form her from his head, implying her superiority. \u00a0He formed her from his side. \u00a0So, yes, men and women certainly have different roles to play in terms of God's authority. \u00a0But in terms of value, both are equal. \u00a0Both are absolutely equal. \u00a0In fact, 1 Peter 3:7<\/strong> calls the wife \u201c...a fellow heir<\/em><\/strong>...\u201d of salvation. \u00a0It says, \u201c\u2026[You] husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way<\/strong>, as with someone weaker<\/strong><\/em>,\u201d...Now, weaker<\/u><\/strong>, I don't think means she's less important. It's just stating a simple truth concerning the fact that she's more fragile than he is. She is more fragile than he is physically. \u00a0Now, I know some of you are watching WWF, and you have these Amazon women, and they put guys in headlocks and beat the daylights out of them. \u00a0That's like the exception to the rule. \u00a0He's not covering every single exception. \u00a0And generally speaking, a woman will be reduced to tears faster than a man. \u00a0It's not saying she's not smart, it's not saying she's not intelligent. \u00a0It's not saying she has nothing meaningful to do under God. \u00a0It's not saying she's inferior. \u00a0But quite clearly, she's the weaker<\/em> vessel.\r\n\r\nSo why should I, as a husband, dwell with wisdom with my wife? \u00a0\u2018Why shouldn't I just roughshod right over her?\u2019<\/em> \u00a0Because, number 1, she's weaker than you. \u00a0And number 2, \u201d...she is a woman; and show her honor as \u201ca<\/em> fellow heir<\/em><\/strong> of the grace of life\u201d<\/em>....\u201d Do you see that? \u00a0She's going to the exact same heaven I'm going to. \u00a0She is an image bearer of God, just like I am. \u00a0She is a co-ruler just like I am. \u00a0But God gave me as the man, God gave the man in the marriage the place of authority\u2014pre-fall.<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\nIt's a lot like the Trinity, the triunity of God, where God the Son submits to God the Father. Does that not happen over and over again in the Gospels? \u00a0Does not Jesus submit to the will of the Father? \u00a0Does not Jesus, over and over again, say, \u201cNot My will be done, [<\/em>but]Thy will be done.\u2019 <\/em>And yet when Jesus submits to the authority of the Father, He never yielded a millimeter of deity. \u00a0He's fully God. \u00a0So therefore, it must be a submission in terms of role<\/em><\/strong> and not value<\/em><\/strong>. That's the biblical position. \u00a0The female position is a submission of role<\/em><\/strong> and not value<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0It is a submission of function. Here's the fancy words\u2014paid a lot of tuition money to learn fancy words; got to use them on somebody. \u00a0It is a submission of function and not ontology.\u00a0 It is a submission of role<\/em><\/strong> and not value<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0When Jesus submits to the Father, He is submitting in terms of His function or role within the Godhead, not in terms of His ontology or value, or the fact that He is fully deity, just like the Father is fully deity. \u00a0The Son simply plays a different role. That is the authority structure of God\u2014pre-fall,<\/em><\/strong> contra-evangelical feminism, and that is the authority structure that Satan is unseating right here in Genesis 3:6.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nGenesis 3:6<\/strong> says \u201cShe took from its fruit<\/em> [the tree of knowledge, that is] and ate<\/em>. \u00a0She also gave to her husband with her\u201d<\/em>...notice that Adam is there. \u00a0He's not on vacation. \u00a0He's not in the Bahamas. \u00a0He's not reading the newspaper. \u00a0He's not out working on the garage. \u00a0He's right there when this whole thing happens. \u00a0The Hebrew grammar supports that, by the way. \u00a0And he knew fully what was happening and didn't bat an eye, didn't move an inch, he just did not exercise his leadership function within the home. \u00a0Adam is supposed to be leading his wife in spiritual things, and that is not what is happening. \u00a0He is actually following his wife into sin, and everything that God established early on, pre-fall<\/em><\/strong>, is now unraveled. \u00a0You have the breakdown in male headship. \u00a0You have that same breakdown today, by the way. \u00a0It's something that married couples constantly deal with.\u00a0 A lot more on that as we progress, particularly when we get to 3:16.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nSo we have the sin of Adam and Eve. \u00a0We have the description of the three avenues of sin. \u00a0We have the unseating of male headship. \u00a0And now what follows 3:7-13<\/strong> is the results of the sin. What happened? What are the consequences? Because night follows the day just as consequences follow sin. \u00a0You pick the sin, but you do not get to pick the consequences. \u00a0So what are the consequences? \u00a0There are actually four things that happened. There are four things that not only happened to Adam and Eve, but they happened to the whole human race, which are still dominating us and plaguing us to this very day. \u00a0[See slide on the Results of the Sin]<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe first thing that happened is that Adam and Eve got religious. \u00a0In fact, Genesis 3:7<\/strong> is the first act of religion found in the whole Bible. \u00a0Notice 3:7,<\/strong> \u201cThen the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 \u2018Oh, we blew it. \u00a0We've just committed an offense against a holy God because we've eaten from the forbidden tree, and we've got to get this situation fixed<\/em>.\u2019 Not a bad desire. \u00a0The problem is they tried to fix it themselves. \u00a0That's religion. \u00a0Because when you look at the rest of 3:7<\/strong>, it tells you exactly what they did. \u201c...they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 And there's religion. \u00a0You say, \u2018Well, what is religion?\u2019<\/em> \u00a0That's why I've titled this message, \u2018Religion versus Grace.<\/strong>\u2019 It's all explained right here in the opening pages of God's Word.\r\n\r\nReligion is man's attempt to solve his sin problem through his own efforts. That's religion. People sometimes refer to me, I remember growing up, and after I became a Christian, they say, \u2018Well, well, Andy, Andy is religious.\u2019<\/em>\u00a0 I am not religious. \u00a0I am, in fact, probably the least religious person you may ever run into in your whole life. \u00a0I hate religion. \u00a0The fact of the matter is [that] it was religion that killed Christ. \u00a0The Pharisees\u2014they\u2019re religious. \u00a0But religion has no place in Christianity because Christianity, rightly understood, is not religious; Christianity is not<\/em> \u2018man, fix yourself and earn your way into God's presence.\u2019 <\/em>\u00a0And humanity has been religious ever since. \u00a0In fact, archeologists tell us that you go all around the world. \u00a0And there are artifacts and remains of religion wherever you go. \u00a0Man is recognizing that something is wrong, and he's trying to do something to fix the problem. \u00a0Isaiah 64:6<\/strong> is very clear that God will not accept religion. \u00a0Isaiah 64:6<\/strong> says, \u201cFor all of us we have become like one who is unclean. \u00a0And all our righteous<\/strong> deeds.<\/em>..\u201d [Doesn't say unrighteous deeds] \u201cAnd all our righteous deeds,...\u201d<\/em> [All of the things that we think we can do to fix our problem in sin].\u00a0 \u201cAll our righteous deeds<\/em> [unto God] are like a filthy garment,<\/em>\u201d [a polluted garment].\r\n\r\nGod will never accept religion. \u00a0He will never accept my ambition and tactics to fix things, to earn my way back into His presence. \u00a0You know what God will accept?\u00a0 He will accept grace<\/strong>. You say, \u2018Well, where is that?\u2019<\/em> \u00a0It's in Genesis 3:21<\/strong>. This is what God will accept. \u201cThe Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife.<\/em>\u201d \u00a0Where do you think those garments came from?\u00a0 Well, obviously, an animal had to have been killed right there on the spot.\u00a0 What did the animal do wrong? \u00a0Nothing. \u00a0The animal is an innocent sacrifice. \u00a0That's the point\u20143:21<\/strong>, \u201cThe LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.\u201d<\/em> \u00a0The garments that Adam and Eve made for themselves had no, what I can tell, blood associated with them. \u00a0Didn't we just finish celebrating the Lord's Supper, looking back on His blood?\r\n\r\nGod says in\u00a0 Genesis 3:21<\/strong>, \u2018The way I'm going to fix this, it's going to get bloody. \u00a0Because what I'm going to do is I'm going to take an innocent animal, and I'm going to kill that animal on the spot, and I'm going to take the garments of skin from that animal, and I'm going to clothe you. You will not clothe yourself. \u00a0I will clothe you. \u00a0And if you won't receive that as a gift, you can't have a relationship with Me.\u2019<\/em>\r\n\r\nSo we get to the New Testament, and John the Baptist in John 1:29<\/strong> says, \u201cBehold<\/em>\u201d, [when he saw Jesus coming there on the Jordan]\u2026\u201cBehold the LAMB of God, which takes away the sins of the world.\u201d<\/em> \u00a0And you read that and you should just be shocked out of your mind because there you learn that the innocent animal is God's Son. \u2018You mean He\u2019s going to kill His own Son? \u00a0Yes, He is. Well, what did His Son do wrong? \u00a0Nothing. \u00a0Just like the animal, presumably killed with the garments of skin taken from that animal did nothing wrong<\/em>.\u2019 \u00a0And that's Christianity.\r\n\r\nGod Himself steps into the line of fire and absorbs the wrath in our place. \u00a0It's like committing a crime, and your father is the judge of the county. And you go before your own father for sentencing. \u00a0And your father issues the harshest penalty that can be issued under the law, and then your father takes off his judicial robes. \u00a0He steps down from behind the bench, and he says to the bailiff, \u2018Take me away in my son's place.<\/em>\u2019 \u00a0That's Christianity. \u00a0That's grace. \u00a0That's the basis on which humans enter or come into a relationship with God. \u00a0Paul the Apostle had to learn grace. \u00a0Because Paul, when he was Saul, was right there in verse 7<\/strong> trying to fix himself. \u00a0In fact, that's where the majority of people in the world are today, even as I speak.\u00a0 They're right there in verse 7<\/strong>, even people that go to church. \u00a0Even in the Bible Belt, churchgoers think this. \u2018I guess I've got to go to church to do my deed of the week, whatever that is, so God will like me more.\u2019<\/em>\r\n\r\nPaul the Apostle talks about the righteousness which he had or thought he had prior to salvation, and he calls himself blameless. \u00a0And did he get a wake up call! \u00a0If there was ever a need for a guy for a wake up call, it was Saul who became Paul. \u00a0And Paul writes about it later after his new insights. \u00a0And he says \u201c...and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.\u201c <\/em>\r\n\r\nAren't these animal skins coming from God to Adam and Eve per Genesis 3:21<\/strong>?\u00a0 Isn't it a picture of transferred righteousness? \u00a0It's all here. \u00a0And what a foreign idea this is to us. \u00a0I mean, why don't people embrace this? \u00a0Why don't people accept this? \u00a0Well, I'll tell you why they don't. \u00a0It's\u00a0 completely contrary to the way we operate. \u00a0It's completely contrary to the way we we work. \u00a0I mean, if you work hard at your job, you get you get rewards, right? \u00a0You work hard at school, you get rewarded for it by good grades.\r\n\r\nAnd here comes God saying \u2018You can work till the cows come home. \u00a0I won't accept any of it. \u00a0You come to me through the avenue that I have ordained through My Son, or you don't come.\u2019 \u00a0<\/em>And oh, my goodness, when you come to God through the avenue that He has ordained for it, what a shock to the system that is. \u00a0That is a total unlearning of everything we know to be right. \u00a0And the reason people don't like it is, \u2018Well, what is my role? \u00a0How can I be special? \u00a0What bragging rights do I have?\u2019<\/em>\r\n\r\nYou know, there's a reason why the Apostle Paul in the book of Galatians<\/u><\/strong> called the gospel an offense. What is so offensive about it? \u00a0Here's what's offensive about it. \u00a0It removes bragging rights. That's what's offensive. You can no longer look at your long list of what you accomplished and say, \u2018God, aren't you lucky that I'm on your side?<\/em>\u2019 \u00a0It's one of the most humbling things that could ever happen to a person\u2014to understand the gospel\u2014to receive the gospel. And many people don't like it for that reason. \u00a0They cling to their religion. \u00a0And beloved, as God is my witness, hell itself, right now, as I speak, is jam-packed with the most religious, sanctimonious people that have ever walked this planet, the Pharisees being part of that crowd.\r\n\r\nThis is a quote attributed to Luther.\u00a0 I haven't been able to track it down, but whether he said it or not, it's a wonderful quote. \u00a0He said, \u201cEvery week I preach justification by faith to my people because every week they forget it.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0Why do we have to keep hearing it over and over again? Because we forget it. \u00a0We just go back to normal operating procedure in the flesh in the world of religiosity; in the world of religion. \u00a0People say, \u2018Why do you go to conferences?<\/em>\u2019 \u00a0I've got to go places where I can hear grace again. \u00a0Because in my mind, I get so confused. \u00a0And I will so quickly go back into the flesh, start doing things, thinking that God is somehow obligated to shine on me because I did X, Y, and Z. \u00a0That's the spirit of religion. \u00a0That's the spirit of Adam and Eve. \u00a0It's the spirit of Cain, the spirit of the Pharisees that killed the Savior. \u00a0It's all the same. It's religion versus grace.\u00a0 And may God help us to to understand this.\r\n\r\nThe second thing that happened, by the way, and here's a nice chart that exemplifies the whole thing. [See slide on Religion Says<\/strong>]... What does religion say? \u00a0It's at the top of the screen. Religion will say Jesus did about 90%. \u00a0So there's a 10% gap that you need to make up. \u00a0\u2018Well, what do I need to do?\u2019 <\/em>\u00a0Well, my Roman Catholic friends have told me it's three words, \u201cPay, pray and obey.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nAnd if you don't \u201cpay, pray and obey<\/em>,\u201d how in the world are you going to make up for the deficit that Jesus left us on the cross?\u00a0 That's the way most people think about Christianity. That's their interpretation of it. That's their impression of it. They think it's Christian. It's not<\/em> Christian. They don't know any better. \u00a0And let me tell you something, beloved, if you believe that, at the top of the screen, you say, well, how can you be so sure on this? \u00a0Because that's what I believed. \u00a0I believed that for 16 years. \u00a0I was raised 16 years in that system on the top of the screen. \u00a0In fact, for 16 years of my life, before I heard the gospel, understood the gospel, I was right there in Genesis 3:7<\/strong>, \u2018sewing them fig leaves together<\/em>;\u2019 week after week, thinking that somehow I've earned my way into God's presence. \u00a0In fact, the man that shared the Gospel with me, asked a simple question, and you might use this as a question. \u00a0Because how people answer this question will show you whether they're in the world of religion, top of the screen, or in the realm of grace, bottom of the screen. \u00a0You just ask them, \u2018Well, if you're going to get into heaven, why should God let you in?<\/em>\u2019 And listen for the \u201cI\u2019s\u201d and \u201cmy\u2019s\u201d because they'll start coming. \u00a0That's what I said [at] 16 years old when I was confronted with grace.\r\n\r\nI have done this, and I had done some things. \u00a0I was an acolyte in the church. \u00a0I had a perfect Sunday school attendance record. \u00a0They actually gave me, the church we were in, a large metal cross for it. \u00a0I mean, how could God not want me? \u00a0I<\/em><\/strong> have done this, I<\/em><\/strong> have done that. \u201cMe<\/em><\/strong>, my<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d and we got a really bad case of the \u201cI\u2019s<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d That's the problem with religion. \u00a0It's a bad case of the \u201cI\u2019s.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> \u00a0And if you believe the top of the screen, you know what's always going to be bothering you your whole life? \u00a0Whether you're really going to make it. \u00a0Because \u201cpay, pray and obey.<\/em>\u201c \u00a0I mean, how do you quantify that? \u00a0Those to me, seem kind of subjective. \u00a0How do I know if I've done enough? \u00a0And there are people today who really have no assurance of salvation. \u00a0And the reason they don't have any assurance of salvation is because they're on the top of the screen; they\u2019re in verse 7<\/strong> still.\u00a0 Most of the religious world, most of humanity, is there. \u00a0By the way, the top of the screen is why people walk away from Jesus. \u00a0Look at how onerous Jesus is; look at what he requires, when in reality, they are rejecting a caricature created by Satan, of Jesus, but not the real Jesus. \u00a0Where do I find the real Jesus? \u00a0I don't find him in verse 7<\/strong>. \u00a0I find him in verse 21<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nI find him at the bottom of the screen where God says \u2018Jesus did 100%<\/em><\/strong>.\u2019 \u00a0Where did He say that? \u00a0That's exactly what he said in John 19<\/strong>, I believe it's verse 30<\/strong>. \u00a0His final words on the cross where \u201cIt is finished<\/em>?\u201c It's the translation of the Greek word \u2018tetelestai\u2019<\/em> which is a Greek term found all over the Greco-Roman world by way of archeology, and it's it's an accounting term. \u00a0It was what was used to describe someone who paid their bill. \u00a0Tetelestai<\/em>, which, by the way, is in the perfect tense\u2014one time action, ongoing results. \u00a0Tetelestai<\/em>, the accounting term, means paid in full. \u00a0Jesus did it all.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nDo we understand how badly Satan is challenging that today? \u00a0How people are confused over something as simple, as fundamental as this. And we have evangelical pastors, and it's an abomination when they say it. \u00a0They talk about final justification<\/strong>. \u00a0Final justification<\/strong> is out of the pit of hell. \u00a0What do they mean by final justification<\/strong>? \u00a0Did your good works outweigh your bad works to prove you're one of the elect at the final justification<\/strong>?\u00a0 I'll use the names of people that teach it. \u00a0John Piper teaches that. \u00a0Thomas Shriner, a scholar, teaches that. \u00a0It's right there inside the Bible-believing camp, and it is a stench in the nostrils of the Almighty. There is no such doctrine as final justification<\/strong>. \u00a0The Bible teaches that the moment you place your faith in Christ, justification is a done deal because it's not based on what you do to begin with. \u00a0And you may go from that, receiving that, and live the most holy life that can be imagined, and your justification didn't get altered one iota. \u00a0And you may go out from that and live like the devil for ten years or more. \u00a0And you're still justified because it comes to you by way of grace. \u00a0\u2018Well, gee, Pastor, you're really on thin ice now because now you're promoting unholy living; an unholy lifestyle. \u00a0And people are going to hear you, and they're going to say, well, I'm just going to go sin up a storm.<\/em>\u2019 Yeah, maybe people will. \u00a0But you know what I've discovered? \u00a0When people like myself\u2014others\u2014actually see what grace is, and you see what God has bequeathed to you at the point of faith, how could anybody look at that and say, \u2018Well, I'm just going to go do what I want?\u2019<\/em> \u00a0The natural reaction of understanding grace as it's revealed, is simply to say, \u2018I just can't believe what I have<\/em>.\u2019 And as Romans 12:1<\/strong> says, \u2018we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices, because that's what's reasonable.<\/em>\u2019 That's what's logical.\r\n\r\nGrace rightly understood, reasonably or logically leads to holy living. \u00a0Why is that? \u00a0Because there's something that wells up within the heart that says, \u2018I want to glorify God for what I have. I'm not trying to pay Him back. \u00a0I can't. \u00a0I'm trying to pay Him back. \u00a0I'm religious and maybe don't even understand grace to begin with. \u00a0I'm not trying to somehow add what was deficient in the cross. \u00a0I can't do that because Jesus says \u2018paid in full.\u2019 \u00a0But oh my goodness, receiving this free gift that I have, gosh, what's logical to do; what\u2019s reasonable to do is to offer to the Lord my body as a living sacrifice.\u2019<\/em>\r\n\r\nGrace, I'm convinced, does not lead to licentiousness. \u00a0It leads to a desire to live for God, maybe as never before. \u00a0Let me tell you something, folks. \u00a0Most churches around the world today, most churches in the United States, most churches in the Houston area will never even mumble a single syllable of what we just communicated. \u00a0You know why? \u00a0They want to keep you afraid. \u00a0Because, my goodness, if I tell them that they're complete in Christ, maybe the offering won't be as big. \u00a0Maybe people won't come. \u00a0Maybe they'll go to another church. Maybe they won't live right. \u00a0And so it's a torrential rain pour in the world of theology of pastors saying, \u2018I hope you're going to make it. \u00a0Because if I don't see some good works, then maybe you're not one of the elect<\/em>.\u2019 \u00a0Or on the Arminian side, maybe you're going to lose salvation. \u00a0And they want you in a state of fear of showing up before God at the judgment, and maybe your good works don't outweigh your bad works, and maybe you weren't one of the elect, and therefore, maybe you won't experience final justification.<\/strong> \u00a0That's a motivating tool. \u00a0That's the way to keep people in a state of enslavement. \u00a0It's a way to keep people in a state of bondage. \u00a0Yet why do that?\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. It's false.<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. The most productive people for God on planet earth are people who understand the<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\ngrace of God.\r\n\r\nAnd you see all that there just in Genesis 3:7<\/strong>.\u00a0 Look at that:\u00a0 we covered two verses today, only 47 chapters and a half left.\r\n\r\nBut if you're here today, and you have never received the grace of God, the exhortation is very simple based on what we've explained:\u00a0 Jesus did it all; receive what He has done for you as a free gift by way of faith. You can do that now, even as I am talking. \u00a0If it's something that you need more explanation on, I'm available after the service to talk.\r\n\r\nShall we pray? \u201cFather, we're grateful for this early historical record, and how it reveals truths that are New Testament and even 21st century truths that we desperately need to hear and need retaught over and over again. \u00a0Be with us as we continue our way through the Book of Genesis<\/strong>, we'll be careful to give You all the praise and the glory. We ask these things in Jesus name, and God's people said Amen!\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/em>","series_sermon_number":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t