A Question of Standards

 

The world around us is full of manmade standards. We’ve got body standards, beauty standards, moral standards, and even food standards, all created by mankind. Depending on what country or even what part of the country you are in, these standards can be wildly different because they are invented by men. It can be pretty confusing to try to keep track of what the current standards or trends are, and they seem to be getting more ridiculous by the day. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a set of standards, especially moral ones, that didn’t change, and that wasn’t subjective based on people’s feelings? 

Good thing we were given just such a set of standards from the creator of our universe. Unfortunately, not everyone can see the value of these standards, and most people try to change them to fit their own idea of how the world should work. A lot of God’s standards are contrary to our human nature, and the standard we naturally go to is less than what God’s is. A great example of this is found in Genesis chapter three. This is the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and we are going to pick up the story right after they have sinned, beginning in verse seven. 

Genesis 3:7 YLT and the eyes of them both are opened, and they know that they [are] naked, and they sew fig-leaves, and make to themselves girdles.

There’s a common argument among the other believers I’ve discussed the topic of modesty with, so common, in fact, that my cousins and I have dubbed it the African tribe argument. The argument is that God told us to cover our nakedness but then left it up to culture and our own interpretations to decide what covering our nakedness involves. They then use African tribes who run around topless as exhibit numero uno and say, “See? They can run around topless without sexualizing it; so, therefore, modesty is a social construct dependent on your culture.” There’s a lot that could be said about this argument, but the point of my talk today is not modesty; it’s God’s standard versus the world’s. All of these tribes in other countries cover their groin and think that they’ve got modesty covered. That is their base instinct. This is hardly the first time that such a thought has happened, either. Let’s go back to verse seven again. Adam and Eve knew they were naked, so they made girdles or loincloths or skirts out of fig leaves and thought that they had their nakedness covered. Apparently, the knowledge that the tree gave them was incomplete, and mankind thinking that they know best has led them astray ever since.  

God comes on the scene next, and I imagine He was probably somewhat amused by their childish attempts and asks, "Who told you that you were naked?" Adam probably sheepishly stepped out of the bushes as he hurries to accuse Eve and so on. We are all familiar with the story, and there is no need to go through the entire thing today. 

Genesis 3:7, 21 YLT And Jehovah God doth make to the man and to his wife coats of skin, and doth clothe them.

Adam and Eve thought they had covered everything that they needed to, but God was like, "Uh uh. You aren't going out in that. Put some more clothes on." He then made for them knee-length tunics or coats out of animal skins. The Hebrew words here are interesting because they define the type of clothing used. The first Hebrew word used for the leafy clothes is Hagor, and it means a loin cloth, belt, apron, skirt, or girdle. Something covering the groin, in other words. The word used for the clothes God made for them is Kutonet, and it’s the same word used for Joseph’s coat of many colors and means a coat, tunic, or other knee-length garment coming from the shoulders. Their base standard, just as with the aboriginal tribes, was not up to God’s standard. They thought they were covered, but they were still wandering around with their shame hanging out. How many times has this happened to us? We are going along thinking that we’re doing what we are supposed to, and we’ve got it covered, and then God comes along and goes, “Haha, oh, child! What are you doing?” while shaking His head, and then He changes our standards to match His. God is a loving father, and He always gently corrects us as long as we listen. However, for some of us, it takes a two-by-four upside the head for us to pay attention to what He is saying. 

We see how easy it is to be led astray if we try to form our own standards that are not based on God’s standards. As humans, we tend to come up with our own standards for how things should be done, and they are quite often based on being better than the world around us as our base rather than the Bible. 

If we have our standard based on the Word, both Jesus and the written, then we have a solid foundation that can’t be moved. We are on the rock, and we have the stability to be able to reach out into the storm raging around us and pull others into safety. Because God doesn’t change, our standard doesn’t change. What happens if we have our house built on sand, though? What if our standard is based on being a little bit better than the world around us? Well, the world is volatile and changes constantly. When the world isn’t that bad and being a little better than the world puts us in line with God’s standard, then we are good! What happens when the world gets a little worse? We get worse along with it! The further the world falls, the further we fall, but at a slightly slower rate. We are a little bit better than the world, but as the world gets more evil and depraved, we begin to accept things that we would never have before, like gay marriage, abortion, transgender pronouns, and worse of all, when we look back, we cannot even see God’s standard for the weeds that we have wandered into. 

Our standard being based on the world is obviously a disastrous decision and leaves us in a very weak place. Unfortunately, this is human nature, and we can easily see it on full display in other churches, both churches of God and Protestants. It’s absolutely vital that we keep our standards on what the Bible says, what it actually says, and not just twisting it to fit what we have already come up with. We are all guilty of doing this at one time or another, and that is one of the reasons it says to meet together and to test all things from the Bible. The world around us is full of manmade standards that do not conform to God’s, whether thinking gay marriage is okay, lying and using pronouns that don't match the biological gender, or abortion is moral. The reason it is so tempting to base our standard on being a little better than the world around us is because it is easy. We want to fit in. If we are living according to God’s standards, then we are going to get a great deal of hate from the world because they hate Christ. No one wants to be hated, so we try to water down what we believe so it seems more inclusive and tolerant. Things that are different get attacked, and no one wants to be different, but in order to be good lights, we must be different than the darkness around us. 

The thing I would like you to take away from my post is that we need to make sure our standard is based on the Bible, on what God says, and not on our own human wisdom or the world around us. Let’s not think that we’ve “got it covered” as Adam and Eve did and still be walking around with our shame hanging out. If we base our standard on the world around us and our own wisdom, we will lose God’s standard, but if we base our standard on what the Bible actually says and strictly adhere to it with our whole heart, then we will be right where we need to be. I would like to leave you with one more scripture. Colossians 2:1-9

Colossians 2:1-8 YLT For I wish you to know how great a conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 

2 that their hearts may be comforted, being united in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the secret of the God and Father, and of the Christ, 

3 in whom are all the treasures of the wisdom and the knowledge hid, 

4 and this I say, that no one may beguile you in enticing words, 

5 for if even in the flesh I am absent -- yet in the spirit I am with you, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in regard to Christ; 

6 as, then, ye did receive Christ Jesus the Lord, in him walk ye, 

7 being rooted and built up in him, and confirmed in the faith, as ye were taught -- abounding in it in thanksgiving. 

8 See that no one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,

If our foundation is founded upon Christ, then there is nothing in this world that can shake us.