The two rules

“From any tree of the garden you may freely eat.” Ge 2:16 NAS

Adam had the perfect job, perfect home, perfect marriage, and the perfect environment; all the things we strive for. So how did it come about? As a result of his relationship with God! God basically gave him two rules to live by: “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will certainly die” (vv. 16-17 NAS). So, the two rules are these: (1) With God, what you get back is always greater than what you give up. “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat.” But what we so often do—and what legalistic religion does—is look at that Scripture and similar Scriptures and focus on what we can’t do. The truth is, when our list of can’t do’s exceeds our list of what we’re free to do, we have gone far beyond what the Scriptures intended. The Christian life should be measured by what you’re free to enjoy, not by what you’re denied. (2) When you live your life according to God’s Word instead of your own impulses, you’re blessed. “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to…keep all my commands…so that it might go well with them” (Dt 5:29 NIV). The only thing God denies us is the right to determine for ourselves what’s “good or evil,” because He knows we’re not qualified to do it. We must live by divine revelation rather than human inclination. God in His love and wisdom set this limitation in place to protect and bless us.

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