Come Alive: The Price of Freedom

Come Alive — Sermon 2

The Fall

Big Idea

God created a world that was “very good.” Humanity, endowed with real freedom, chose autonomy apart from God. That choice fractured reality—shame, hiding, separation, and death entered. But the story moves toward God’s restoration.

Genesis 3:1–6 NASB95

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Opening – “If God Made It Good…What Happened?”

Genesis 1–2 paints a world of perfect love, harmony, and relationships—no death, suffering, or pain. “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gen 1:31, ESV) But our world feels different: selfishness, discrimination, injustice, addiction, broken homes, and the final enemy—death. If God didn’t create it like this, what happened?

Transition: The answer unfolds in the very next scene—Genesis 3.

Movement 1 — Freedom at the Center of Love (Gen 2:16–17; 1 Jn 4:8)

Who God is: “God is love.” (1 Jn 4:8) Not sentimental feeling, but other-centered, self-giving love.

Freedom in Heaven

The first question that arises is Who is this snake? In verse 1 and throughout its dialogue with the

woman, that snake is the protagonist. Who is it? For Moses's primary readers the serpent was associated with the forces of evil that opposed the gods. That's what the Egyptians and Babylonians thought. The serpent, in the Bible, will be identified as the enemy of God. If you read with me in

Revelation 12:9 NASB95

9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Revelation 20:2 NASB95

2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Isaiah 14:12–15 NASB95

12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

Ezekiel 28:12–19 NASB95

12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. 16 “By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. 17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. 18 “By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. 19 “All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever.” ’ ”

In fact, Satan more than a name is a title that means ENEMY or ADVERSARY. If you read the prophets carefully, you will see that God create a perfect being named Lucifer. He was a cherub who inhabited the very throne of God. However, they were filled with pride and selfishness, wanted to be equal to God, and he became an enemy of God. Sadly, God had to drive him out of heaven. At some point he came to earth and wanted to share his discontent with God's creatures. The Bible tells us that he deceives the third part of the angels and convinced them to rebel against God

Revelation 12:3–4 NASB95

3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

Now his mission was to do the same with the human race.

What God gave: Real freedom. “You may surely eat of every tree… but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat… for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:16–17)

Why freedom matters: Without freedom, love is not love. Coercion would make humans less than persons. God’s government operates by love, not manipulation.

Humanity’s design (from Genesis 1–2):

Close fellowship with God (God walking with them; communion).

Total dependence on God (trusting His word and wisdom).

Life in God’s presence (to live before Him, with Him).

Transition: Into this freedom steps an adversary.

Movement 2 — The Tempter’s Two Aims

Genesis 3:1–5 NASB95

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The serpent appears

Aim #1: Distort God’s character

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (3:1)

He reframes God’s generosity (“every tree” to enjoy) as restriction (“any tree”), casting doubt on God’s goodness and integrity.

Aim #2: Awaken autonomy apart from God

“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.” (3:4–5)

The accusation implies God is withholding; it dangles immortality and god-likeness without God—an independence that dethrones the Creator in the human heart.

How the dialogue works (from your study notes and analysis):

The serpent cloaks himself as a “voice like God,” usurping the role of expositor.

Eve’s language shifts—God becomes distant “Elohim” rather than covenant “YHWH God”; her inner picture of God is already affected.

Evil is neutralized as “just one tree among others,” softening the absoluteness of God’s warning.

Transition: The temptation now crosses from thought to action.

Movement 3 — “Eve Started to Play God” (Gen 3:6–7)

The text deliberately parallels God’s prerogatives with Eve’s actions:

God (Gen 1–2)Eve (Gen 3)God defines what is good (“God saw… it was good,” Gen 1:31)Eve *“saw that the tree was good” Gen 3:6

Genesis 3:6 NASB95

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

God takes and places the human in the garden; God takes a rib to create the woman

Genesis 2:15 NASB95

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

Genesis 2:21 NASB95

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.

Eve takes the fruit

Genesis 3:6 “6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”

God gives food to humanity Gen 1:29

Genesis 1:29 NASB95

29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

Eve gives to her husband

Genesis 3:6 NASB95

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Eve believes the fantasy of being “like God.” She now does what belongs to God alone: determining good, taking, giving life’s provisions—autonomy in action. Adam follows her pattern (“and he ate”).

Immediate result (3:7):

Eyes opened → shame → makeshift coverings.

Nakedness moves from innocence to exposure. Your notes highlight a pre-Fall radiance/glory (cf. Ps 104 language and preserved traditions); with sin, that glory departs, and they attempt self-covering (fig leaves).

The first post-Fall scene is hiding from God (3:8–10). Relationship ruptured.

Definition of sin (from your summary):

A broken relationship with God.

Autonomy (autos + nomos): being a law to oneself, life without God’s authority or presence.

De-creation: the undoing of God’s order, reversing humanity’s original purposes (fellowship, dependence, presence).

Transition: But why would God allow any of this to proceed?

Movement 4 — Why Didn’t God Erase the Rebel?

Because love is the foundation of God’s government. Love seeks authentic, autonomous relationship—not fear-based compliance.

Destroying dissent on day one would teach the universe that power—not love—rules.

God is not surprised or helpless: He “declares the end from the beginning” (Isa 46:10), “all things… hold together” in Him (Col 1:16–17), and He has no equal (Ps 97:9).

From Genesis 3 onward, Scripture traces how God reverses separation and restores oneness.

Where the fracture leads now: Like fruit torn from the branch, life withers: fear, shame, exile from God’s presence; across history—war, famine, disease, injustice, oppression, disaster, violence—and ultimately, death (as warned in Gen 2:17).

Transition to response: If the fall was a step away, the first step home is turning back.

Response — From Autonomy to Trust

Reflection (your words condensed): God didn’t create sin. Love granted freedom. Our first parents sided with the Accuser and chose life apart from God. Separation produced the world’s suffering and ends in death. But God has already set in motion His plan to restore harmony.

Appeal (you lead; decision cards): Tonight, if you sense the distance—shame, hiding, life on your own terms—take the honest step back to God. Choose trust over autonomy. Mark your decision so we can walk with you in this series.

Prayer (brief, for your voice): “God of love, we confess our autonomy. Bring us out of hiding. Restore fellowship, dependence, and life in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”