The Fall of Man
God created the perfect environment in the Garden of Eden to bless Adam and Eve. How did they fall from God’s grace? Genesis Chapter 3 is the story of the original sin. This is the greatest tragedy of man. A tragedy is an event marked by great loss, distress, and lasting misery. Jesus’ parable of the foolish man who built his house on the sand is an illustration of tragedy: The foolish man built his house upon the sand and when the wind came and the waves crashed, great was the fall of that house because it was built upon the sand.
According to Genesis 3, “NOW the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
The devil’s job is to question the truth of the word of God. In our culture, it’s considered foolishness to believe that the bible is the revealed word and will of God.
In verse 2 Eve answerred the devil’s question:
“And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
To entertain the devil’s question is the beginning of the fall of man. When you engage with the adversary then you’re in the devil’s ballpark and he’s in control of the game. Eve knew exactly what God had said, but she added the words “lest ye touch it”. Then she changed the words “thou shalt surely die” to “lest ye die.” When you add to the Word of God and then change the Word of God you no longer have the truth of the Word.
The devil replied in verse 4: “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
When she considered the devil’s lie, Eve doubted the word of God. Then the devil told her an outright lie: “Ye shall be as God knowing good from evil.” His message was, “God’s not God. You are. You can worship and serve yourself.”
According to verse 6: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Jesus said that loving the world is not of the father but is of the enemy. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. Lust is anything that we desire over our fellowship with God. Eve walked by sight and not by faith when she saw that it was good for food, saw that it was pleasant, and desired it to make one wise. According to James, the wisdom of this world is earthly, sensual, and devilish.
The devil always shows the bait but hides the hook. When Adam and Eve disobeyed and their eyes were open to evil, they were both ashamed according to verse 7: “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons”
Shame and guilt is the first consequence of sin. Shame is connected with nakedness according to scripture. Jeremiah wrote “you are unashamed of your sin. You don’t even know how to blush.” When the culture is no longer ashamed, the culture is doomed to fall. The word of God says, “abhor that which is evil, cleave unto that which is good.” When a man of God walks according to the spirit and not the flesh, sin becomes repulsive.
The scripture says, cursed are they who call good evil and evil good. However, blessed are they who look ahead and pursue the crown of righteousness. Paul said, I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; and there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Why do we attend church? We have been called to the church of the body of Christ to comfort, exhort, and edify…to build each other up. We’re most like the ones with whom we spend the most time. The question is, “Who are your twelve and who are your three?” We’ve been called to choke in the dust of other men who are chasing after their Lord Jesus Christ. The church is the “called out” of God. Why go to church? I’m here because you’re here… You make me want to be a better man.
Genesis 3:8 gives us the result of guilt and shame: “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” Sin separates us from God. Overcoming sin means to run TO God instead of FROM God. God will bring across our path Godly men when we need to be reproved. When David had sinned with Bathsheba, the prophet Nathan told David a story about a man in his kingdom who was an adulterer, a cheat, a thief and a murderer. When David told the prophet, “the man who did this thing must die,” Nathan replied, “You are the man.” There is no secret sin in heaven. Your sin will find you out. Thank God for godly men who will confront us about our sin. The word of God is profitable for doctrine, reproof, and correction. Correction means to restore to an upright position.
In Genesis 3:9, even though Adam and Eve hid from God, God in his mercy and grace pursued them: “And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” God knew exactly where they were. God asked Adam a diagnostic question: Where is your heart? Why is your heart separated from my heart?
Adam answered in verse 10: “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Sin, guilt and shame, and the fear of a holy God will separate our hearts from God.
According to verses 11- 13, “And he (God) said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12. And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
Adam blamed the woman and Eve blamed the serpent. Adam and Eve refused to own their own sin. There were plenty of excuses but there was no confession. According to 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Prior to the fall Adam and Eve only knew the love of God and they were innocent of sin and death. When they disobeyed God’s only command, they died spiritually and lost their innocence. Their eyes were opened and knew sin and separation from God.
Even though they were consumed by guilt and fear…although that very day they died spiritually, God pursued them and made a way of redemption. In order to be clothed in righteousness, an animal had to die, for there is no payment for sin without the shedding of blood. Jesus Christ is the ultimate sacrifice for our sin that we inherited from Adam. Romans says that Jesus Christ is the last Adam. We inherited our sin nature and spiritual death from Adam. However Jesus Christ came to reconcile us back to God. He came that we may be born again of the spirit of life in Christ.
Romans 5:16-21 explains our redemption through Jesus’ payment for sin on our behalf: “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17. For if by one man’s (Adam’s) offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18. Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “For Jesus Christ who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.” According to Galatians 2:20, “For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice for sin on our behalf, we have been reconciled to God: we have been restored into fellowship with our Heavenly Father. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. What amazing grace!
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael