Did God Really Say?

Genesis 3:1-10

The Temptation

v.1-5 Did God actually say?

Eve is failing to trust God, and what He has stated. It is unbelief.

When we place our trust in God. The outworking of that trust is obedience.

The minute that the serpent began to contradict God, the conversation should have ended. She should have walked away.

This is easy for us to agree with, but how often does the enemy whisper in our ears, “God is wrong.” and we listen.

We must hold firm to the truths that have been stated through the written word of God.

Adam Fails to Protect

Before we begin to look at the deviations that led to the fall and before we hang Eve as the scapegoat, we must see that man failed first.

v.6b

He was with her!

The husband is called to protect his bride.

The husband is to be the gatekeeper of doctrine.

Adam should have stepped in, rebuked the snake and escorted his wife away.

Instead we see Adam acting like, “let’s see what happens.”

Men; are you leading your families, are protecting your wives, are you sanctifying your wives?

If not, repent. Ask your wife and God for forgiveness. Then lead as God would have you.

The first sin, we see Eve taking some practical steps, reasoning herself into cosmic treason against almighty God.

Practical Values

We all need to eat. This is fruit. Therefore it has to have some nutritional value.

It must be good for sustenance.

Aesthetic Appreciation

It looks good, how can something that looks this good be bad?

Intellectual Gratification

It would give her wisdom.

She would be able to have the same understanding, the same discernment as God.

Eve is reasoning why she should sin. Convincing herself that it’s alright.

How often do we fall into the same trap?

You gossip, and justify it because “they need to know,” or “it’s a prayer request.”

Your struggling with alcohol, but you deceive yourself into believing God doesn’t care.

You struggle with lust, but you think “it’s in my head, it doesn’t matter.”

You have animosity and anger against brothers and sisters in Christ, and see no need to reconcile with them.

You deal with bitterness, but believe you can bury the emotions deep within.

You say that God is love, therefore he has to accept sin becasue He is love.

Do you see, we struggle with cosmic treason against an almighty God, while we proudly look down on thinking, I can’t believe Eve fell.

2 Timothy 2:22

2 Timothy 2:22 ESV

22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

We must flee from our desire to sin, our desire to stand against God. We must pursue righteousness.

He Ate

v.6b

You notice that their eyes weren’t opened until Adam ate.

Adam was the one who the covenant was made with.

He is known as the covenant head.

The head of who? All of his ancestors. That includes us.

After His transgression, all who would come are fallen.

Adam and Eve were created with true free will. They had the ability to choose not to sin, or to sin.

With the covenant that we are born under. We do not have that same ability. We will choose to sin.

We have a free will, but our free will, will lead us to do our deepest desires, and now our deepest desire is not to do the will of God.

Romans 5:12

Romans 5:12 ESV

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Death came into the world through Adam, and spread to all men.

But their is hope!

1 Corinthians 15:21-22

1 Corinthians 15:21–22 ESV

21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Just as death spread to all of us because of the sin that Adam committed.

When we place our faith in Jesus, He becomes our covenant head.

So just as the whole human race died in Adam, they shall all be alive through Jesus.

There is hope, a light at the end of the tunnel!

The Cover Up

v.7

Fig Leaves

They realize that they are naked!

They see the sin that they have committed.

So they try their best to cover it up.

Sure glad we don’t know what that’s like.

People who try to do good deeds to outweigh the bad deeds. That’s trying to cover it up!

They will say, “I’m a pretty good person.” “I haven’t done that many bad things.”

People will blame shift. It’s this other person’s fault.

I wouldn’t have sinned, if they would have done this.

No, your responsible for your sin.

This is people trying to hide behind the sins of others.

Meanwhile they remain in their seen, not realizing that the only reason they believe their sins aren’t seen, is because they themselves are blind.

v.8-10

They Hide

When they hear God, who before they had a close relationship with. Walking in the garden, they hide themselves.

They now flee from the only one who is the object of Mercy, Grace, and love.

They hide out of fear, rather than coming to the one who can heal.

How do we hide sin?

We downplay how extreme sin is.

It’s just a white lie.

They just made a small mistake.

We justify our sin.

I know that yelled at you, but you shouldn’t have said ..........

“you know them, that’s just the way they are.”

We disguise sin.

We don’t want to use the disgusting word like gossip. Rather than that we ask for prayer. With all the juicy details.

How often do we hold onto our anger, we let it fester within us and say that we need to remember so it doesn’t happen again. Meanwhile your prayers are putrid and disgusting to God.

We have pride, believing that the world would be better if people were more like us. You disguise it by saying “you just have a good self image.” You forget that Satan was cast from heaven for the same sin, and while desiring others to be like you, you are looking more like Satan.

Worst yet, is peoples reaction when their sin is pointed out.

People get angry, they yell, fight. They go behind your back and try to destroy you.

I’m speaking of believers.

Non-believers are even worse. Have you seen how people react outside abortion clinics, or pride rallies when a believer calls out their behavior for what it is, SIN!

DARKNESS HATES THE LIGHT!!

Stop hiding. You are loved by God. If your caught in sin, don’t hide it, repent and come to Jesus, the one who can heal you.

Adam and Eve had to come out of hiding to be clothed.

Healing from sin cannot begin while you are hiding, you must repent of sin, and be reconciled to God for healing to take place.

They Needed a Sacrifice

v.21

When Adam and Eve came out of hiding, they needed to be clothed.

There is beautiful imagery here.

Adam and Eve have tried in their own strength to cloth themselves.

With scandalous clothing by the way. They were wearing loin cloths.

God says no, that’s inappropriate, and made them tunics.

More than that. God see’s that their sin is exposed. Then God sacrifices a life (the animal had to die), and covers them with the life of this animal.

This is gospel centered.

When we were exposed from our sin. God provided a sacrifice through Jesus to cover our shame. Jesus has given us His righteousness as a garment to put on, so God doesn’t see our sin, but the righteousness of Christ.

Sin is a sneaky, deceptive, shameful thing. One that we are called to walk away from. Don’t hide from God, don’t cover your sin. Admit it, repent, and walk away from it.

Jesus died to set you free from sin. Live in that freedom.