Then Came The Sin

Intro

The Doubt

Take a look at the end of verse 1.

Genesis 3:1 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

The serpant, whether empowered or embodied by the devil, came to the woman and inserted doubt into her mind. All it took was one little question of God’s Word. Notice how Satan came in, he didn’t come in all aggressive and force Eve to sin. He didn’t have to do anything extravagant at all.

He simply caused Eve to take her focus off of God for a second. And Eve started focusing on herself. That self focus is where disaster starts.

I reference this often, but think about when Peter was walking on water toward Jesus. What happened?

When he took his focus off of Jesus, he sank.

When we take our focus off of Jesus, we sink.

When we are faced with the doubt, how are we to respond? How can we avoid the doubting?

By knowing what the truth is.

When people start spreading rumors, I always love to hear them especially when I know the truth.

The Lie

Then came the blatant lie. Check out verse 4 and 5.

Genesis 3:4–5 ESV

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Satan didn’t add much to God’s command. He didn’t have to twist all kind of words or anything. He added one word!

Where God said “you will”, Satan said “you will not”.

When Satan comes in and adds only one word, disaster happens.

I heard pastor friend from Tennessee say this one time, how do you know if Satan is lying? If his lips are moving! He is the deceiver. All he knows how to do is LIE!

Here’s the deal though. How many of you would be able to recognize the devil’s lies?

You know the devil doesn’t come to you with horns and a pitchfork right?

Take this excerpt from The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis, which was a book with a “higherup” demon writing to his nephew and protege Wormwood:

“I do not think you will have much difficulty in keeping your patient in the dark. The fact that ‘devils’ are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that (it is an old textbook method of confusing them) he therefore cannot believe in you.”

Oftentimes we see sin and temptation and think about it in the same way. It can’t be bad because it didn’t come from a man with red tights and a pitchfork.

The Result

We see a multi faceted result from this too. First, what was the result that God said would happen? You will surely die. That is the wages of our sin. That is a direct result from our sin and the sin nature.

But another result is God’s grace. Check out verse 20 and following.

Genesis 3:20–24 ESV

The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

The Lord followed up the condemnation of all creation with his grace. He made clothes for them! He provided a covering for their shame. He provided something to help them in the meantime. And then he provided more protection by keeping them away from the tree of life too.

In the “sentencing” God also alludes to the greatest grace that is provided too. The enmity between the woman and the serpent where “he will bruise his heel and he will bruise his head.”

This is reflected in Romans 16:20

Romans 16:20 ESV

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Jesus our savior has bruised the head of Satan soon to finish him off.

All we have to do is place our faith in Jesus Christ!

Closing

When doubt enters, turn to the truth. When lies come in, turn to the truth.

Jesus came to save us.