The Sinfulness of Humans

Fall ‘23 Doctrinal Series: Identity

Message Four

Genesis 3:8-24; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12.

ETS: There were devastating consequences to the fall of humans.

ESS: Humans are all sinful as a result of the fall into sin.

OSS: [Doctrinal] {I want the hearers to understand and embrace the depth of sinfulness that came as a result of the fall of man.}

PQ:

What are the results of the fall of humans?

UW: Results

Intro.: [AGS]: It has been said, “Sin will take your farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” (unknown) [TS]: The text today reminds us that this is true. Sin has been devastating in the lives of humans from the time it first entered the lives of humans. The results of the fall of man are simply devastating. [RS]: You and I still experience the devastation of sin in our own lives and in the lives of those we know. It is important for us to understand how it impacts who we are as people and what we do.

TS: Let us examine the results of the fall of humans now.

There are the immediate results. [vv. 8-13]

“It was not Adam who sought God, but God that sought Adam. And this has been the order ever since. There is none that seekest after God (Rm. 3:11). It was Go who sought after and called Abram while yet and idolater. It was God who sought Jacob at Bethel when he was fleeing from the consequences of his wrongdoing. It was God who sought out Moses while a fugitive in Midian. It was Christ who sought out the apostles whilst they were engaged in fishing, so that He could say, ‘ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.’ It was Christ who, in His ineffable love, came to seek and to save that which was lost. It is the Shepherd who seeks the sheep, and not the sheep that seek the Shepherd. How true it is that “we love Him because He first loved us.” O, that we might appreciate more deeply the marvelous, condescension of Deity in stooping so low as to care for and seek out such poor worms of the dust.” [1]

Humans began hiding from God. [vv. 8-10]

Humans began blaming one another. [vv. 11-13]

There are the longterm results. [vv. 14-24]

God leaves no sin unaddressed.

He addressed each party involved in the fall of man:

Serpent: The cursing consisted of a degradation of position below the lowest of low hinted by the crawling upon its belly and eating dust of the ground.

Woman: The consequence of her actions pertained to her God-given roles as mother and wife. Intensified child-birthing; under the headship of man.

Man: The ground was cursed because of man’s lack of responsibility; man would now eat from the ground rather than the fruit from the trees as instructed initially (Gn. 1:29; Gen. 2:15) creating more intense labor for man.

The longterm results beyond the initial sentencing involved spiritual death in the separation of man’s soul from God because of sin as reflective in verses 22-24.

See also Rm. 3:23 “23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;” ; Rm. 5:12 “12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.”

CONCLUSION:

[1] Have you realized for your own life how the fall of humans impacts you?

[2] Have you confessed to God the impacts of sin in your life and relationship with Him?

Bibliography:

[1] Arthur Walkington Pink, Gleanings in Genesis (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2005), 41–42.

Consulted Resources:

[1] Allen Ross and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 50.

[2]Allen P. Ross, “Genesis,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 32.

[3] Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 1, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1967), 73.

[4] Robert D. Bergen, “Genesis,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017).

[5]James G. Murphy, Notes on the Old Testament: Genesis (Boston: Estes and Lauriate, 1873).

[6] Victor Harold Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).

[7] Gordon J. Wenham, “Genesis,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994).

[8] David Brown, A. R. Fausset, and Robert Jamieson, A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Genesis–Deuteronomy, vol. I (London; Glasgow: William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d.).