7 results of breaking divine boundaries
When Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they separated themselves from God and became semi-autonomous (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-8). This sin opened up the proverbial “pandora’s box” since their actions created an innate propensity for humans to cross forbidden boundaries. To illustrate, one of the words for sin is “transgression,” which has to do with trespassing or crossing a boundary established by God’s command. In 1 John 3:4, John the Apostle defines sin as the transgression of the law for this reason.
Another word used in the Scriptures to depict sin is to “trespass” (Matthew 6:14; Ephesians 2:1). Trespass is to violate a boundary or a law. When we trespass on someone’s property, we violate the legal and physical borders which are in place. This classification of sin as a trespass indicates crossing a divine moral boundary when people break one of the 10 Commandments.
The sin of Adam caused every person to be born with ancestral sin or a propensity to break moral boundaries (Romans 5:12-19). Consequently, this “original sin” made the human heart in every person deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Each person was born a “boundary breaker” in this unregenerate state with the potential to break every one of the 10 Commandments, including those prohibiting murder, adultery and lying. This inherent sin and autonomy from God, present in the human DNA, underlies the feeling that some were born with certain sexual proclivities or intense desires to commit harmful acts.
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Truly, boundary-breaking and its cataclysmic effects have negatively impacted the human race!
The following are seven results of breaking divine boundaries:
1. Humans thought they knew better than their Creator God
When Adam and Eve sinned, they were saying that they knew better than God concerning which fruit was good for them to eat. Many think eating fruit from a forbidden tree should not have warranted such severe divine judgment (Genesis 3:13-24). However, they do not fully comprehend how the nature of humanity shifted after that rebellious act. That sin opened the door for humankind to doubt and disobey every divine precept, law, and principle stated in the sacred writings. All patterns of sin and rebellion manifest in human history from this root sin.
2. Murder and all types of violence were unleashed
To illustrate the horrific shift in the human heart caused by the original sin, we may look no further than the first son of Adam and Eve, Cain, who murdered his brother Abel (Genesis 4). We surmise then that if there is no value placed on divine instruction because of self-will, there will be no respect or value for the sanctity of human life.
3. Sexual promiscuity and deviation were released
When Satan gained control of the earth after he beguiled Eve (as the serpent), it opened a door for other fallen angels to cross boundaries. The result was that angels sinned and committed fornication with the daughters of humans (Genesis 6:1-6). After angel and human relational boundaries were transgressed, humans did not take long to break their own. These were illustrated in Leviticus 18, which forbids all sexual activity between humans except between married biological males and females.
4. Boundaries in marriage were broken
The first sin also opened up a door for violating what God blesses, including His definitions and distinctions regarding the sanctity of marriage. God personally joined Adam and Eve, made them one flesh, and commanded them (within that marital framework) to have children on the earth who would get married and have their own families (Genesis 1:28; 2:21-24). Later, Jesus reaffirmed the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-6).
Due to the propensities of fallen humanity, it is no surprise that marriage has been redefined to include two people of the same sex. Since Western civilization has ignored God’s set boundaries, the definition of marriage may be expanded shortly to include polygamy, polyandry, and other ungodly options (marriage to an animal, a non-living entity or doll, or even to an A.I.-powered humanoid).
5. Boundaries in gender have been ignored
Since sin is a transgression that violates divine boundaries and precepts, it was only a matter of time before Western civilization would celebrate non-binary humans as viable options for self-expression and identity. The Judeo/Christian worldview was jettisoned in the West, causing the return of ungodly ideologies to these nations. These ideologies include the embrace of transgenderism as seen historically in the Sumerian society when they worshiped the goddess of fertility, Inanna, and the goddess Cybele, who had transgender priests.
6. Boundaries in government have been violated
The Tower of Babel depicts human autonomy in the desire to create a unified people or sizable central government that would attempt to rival the rule of God on earth. This is why Yahweh divided their efforts to build the tower (Genesis 11). Marxism, Socialism, and other governments in contemporary cultures have tried to use progressive taxation and onerous regulations of businesses to seize individual and corporate wealth beyond the divine boundaries set by God (1 Samuel 8:10-18).
7. Boundaries that define a human may be broken
With the advent of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, the day may soon arrive when a humanoid equipped with artificial intelligence will develop pseudo-self-consciousness. Should this occur, debates may ensue on “personhood” as defined by society and whether these robotic creations should be granted rights equal to biologically born humans. The intent behind our God-given ability as “co-creators” to subdue the earth and have dominion over it was to create a God-aligned world (Genesis 1:28). Instead, our designs, inventions, and creations have become increasingly antithetical to God’s original creative purpose and plan because we continue to cross ancient divine boundaries (Deuteronomy 19:14; Proverbs 22:28).
Whatever the boundary-breaking might look like, it's all offensive to a holy God. It is our job to warn a sinful world of its rebellion and to call it to repentance through Christ's glorious Gospel. Nothing else will do.
Dr. Joseph Mattera is an internationally-known author, consultant, and theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence culture. He is the founding pastor of Resurrection Church, and leads several organizations, including The U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders and Christ Covenant Coalition.
To order his books or to join the many thousands who subscribe to his newsletter, go to josephmattera.org
