Out of Eden: Sin’s Consequences

October 1, 2017

Las Vegas, Nevada

Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino

from rooms 32-134 and 32-135

man shot over 1,000 rounds into a large crowd at a concert

60 killed; 867 wounded

killer—millionaire w/no record

why???

September 4, 2024

Barrow County, Georgia

Apalachee High School in Winder, outside of Atlanta

14 year old kills 2 students and 2 teachers & wounds 9

with a gun his dad bought him AFTER FBI investigated son’s murderous threats

the 2 students and 2 teachers unknown by the shooter

why???

most people cannot wrap their minds around these kinds of tragedy (EVIL)

but Christians can—it’s called SIN

it all starts in the beginning

in Paradise

God created Adam and Eve

put them in His perfect world

to reflect His glory

He provided everything for them

work was meaningful, enjoyable, and satisfying

He gave them each other

He established rules over them

and placed 1 (only 1) limitation on their freed and authority

Genesis 2:16–17

then there was that 1 day

when Eve was tempted to do the one thing God told Adam not to

because she was tempted & gave in to suppressing the truth

3:1-7

the consequences were severe, but more gracious than deserved

serpent—3:14-15

3:15—protoevangelium (the first gospel)

woman—3:16

man—3:17-19

banished from Garden of Eden

more painful = banished from God’s presence

physical and spiritual death

world sees death as natural part of life

Christians see death as a consequence of sin

human history has not known any other world

remember humanity only made it to chapter 3

all we have ever known a world this side of Genesis 3

a world on this side of The Fall

The Fall didn’t happen,

and we just move on

The Fall continues to define our existence

even deepens as creation succumbs to death and decay

literally things Fall apart (& keep falling apart)

sin tainted what was perfect

children would be born into this new world

now corrupted and twisted because of sin

effects of the Fall didn’t stay in the Garden of Eden

born with a nature like Adam

Romans 5

5:12

5:18-19

extended parallel between the one man Adam’s sin and the one man Christ’s obedience

Paul considered Adam a historical person, not a fictional or mythological character

These verses also show that Adam had a leadership role with respect to the human race that Eve did not have,

for even though Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit before Adam did so (Gen. 3:6),

it was “one man’s trespass,” that is, Adam’s sin, through which “sin came into the world” (Rom. 5:12) and “many were made sinners” (v. 19)

FCC Beliefs

All humanity, Christ excluded, is sinful by both nature and action

The deserved penalty for sin is physical and spiritual death

this explains that we don’t become sinners when we sin

we sin because we are sinners

it is in our nature

thanks, Adam (if not Adam, then me)

may not have made it to Genesis 3

remodeling old house

all sorts of surprises

not really surprised with various ways people sin

because I have read Genesis 3

and I know my own heart

Jean

we are all 3 sins away from the front page of the newspaper

evidenced in our world

Romans 1

18-32

resident scholar

Greg Patterson