Admit Your Sin Problem - Jan. 11th, 2026

Sesson 7: January 11th, 2026

Admit Your Sin Problem

Background Passage: Genesis 3:1–4:26

Lesson Passages: Genesis 3:1–13, 22–23

Introduction

As a boy I learned a valuable lesson about the biblical concept of confession. I borrowed my mother’s carving knife to make a bow and some arrows. After I had cut a few appropriate-sized limbs from a nearby bush, I returned the knife to the kitchen drawer. In my childish mind, it never occurred to me that the sap on the blade might reveal to my mother that the knife had been used to cut something other than Sunday’s roast.

However, the moment my mother saw the knife she reached a single conclusion. I had carved some shrub with her good cooking knife. She called me into the kitchen and calmly asked if I had used her knife. I quickly evaluated the situation and concluded I would be in serious trouble if I admitted to using the knife. So I hung my head, tried to avoid eye contact, and said, “No, ma’am.” And I stuck to my story. The more I told it the more convincing I thought it sounded.

When my father came home that afternoon, he too interrogated me. At first I was able to maintain my story. But eventually he persuaded me to admit my guilt. My admission revealed nothing new. I was the only possible suspect, so my parents knew I was guilty. But when I confessed, I came into agreement with their conclusion. God’s demand that we confess our sin is simply His call for us to come into agreement with Him on the issue of our guilt.

Unfortunately, as I did with my parents, we attempt to deny we sin. Part of being human is wanting to make a good impression on others. To do that, people tend to hide their faults, flaws, and failings from others. More to the point, people want to feel good about themselves. They therefore tend to minimize, excuse, or attempt to justify their faults, flaws, and failings. They may even blame others. They often find difficulty in admitting their own wrongdoing either to themselves or to God. The Bible reveals that all people struggle with temptations and often sin against God. God expects people to admit their moral and spiritual struggles to Him as well as to themselves and to confess their sins to Him. How difficult do you find confessing your sins to God?

This lesson is about the temptation and fall in the garden of Eden and its aftermath. The emphasis is on honestly admitting that we struggle with temptations and often sin. The lesson challenges adults to confess their sins to God. By coming into agreement with God on the issue, we receive His forgiveness and restoration. Pray that God will use this study of Genesis 3–4 to help you admit your struggle with temptation and to confess your sins.

Genesis 3:1–4:26

1.Sin’s Entrance (Gen. 3:1–6)

2.Sin’s Consequences (Gen. 3:7–24)

3.Sin’s Fruit (Gen. 4:1–24)

4.Significant Birth (Gen. 4:25–26)

The Background

Genesis records the story of human origins. In its first chapter, creation is outlined. While the narrative contains significant information about creation, its primary emphasis is on the Creator. God already existed before creation. He created the universe by speaking and whatever He spoke came into existence out of nothing. He simply said, “Let there be,” and there was. Such was and is God’s power and greatness. The crown of God’s creation is humanity. As its Creator, God is the sovereign Lord of the universe.

The second chapter of Genesis focuses specifically on the creation of humanity. God delegated certain authority and responsibility to humanity. But humanity was and is not God. The first man was created out of dust taken from the ground. Despite the fact that humanity had such humble beginnings, God provided for every human need, including human companionship. God also gave people the responsibility of obedience and warned them of the consequences of disobedience.

Genesis 3:1–4:26 describes what happens when that which was created from the earth’s dirt attempts to become equal with its Creator. The passage is so simple anyone can understand it, and it is also so complex and profound that it demands repeated study. It speaks to us about basic human need. It tells of our greatest need, to experience a restored relationship with God. Our disobedience is responsible for that separation.

Thus the passage clearly shows that sin is not a trivial matter. The account of Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience is in reality the story of every man and woman, every boy and girl. Sin is disobedience to God’s commands. It is attempting to be like God instead of submitting to His sovereign lordship. Everyone rebels against God and attempts to assert sovereignty over his or her life by disobeying God. We all sin (Rom. 3:23).

The Bible Passage

1. SIN’S ENTRANCE (Gen. 3:1–6)

Verse 1: Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:1 KJV

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

All people face temptations to sin against the Lord. The Hebrew word rendered serpent is a general term for snakes. However, here the Hebrew text demands a closer examination. First, the word order is unusual. Instead of the standard order prescribed by Hebrew grammar, the position of the word serpent in the sentence shows that it is emphasized. This emphasis reveals that the serpent has a prominent role in the narrative.

Second, the definite article with the word serpent indicates reference to one particular serpent. Although the text of Genesis never specifies the identity of this serpent, this devious creature does not remain hidden in obscurity. The New Testament plainly indicates that the serpent is Satan (2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 20:2). Whereas the serpent has a prominent role, the serpent’s involvement remains secondary to the choices made by the people. The man and woman cannot blame the serpent for their decision to disobey God. They must accept responsibility for their own actions.

So Satan was the key agent tempting Eve, just as Satan is involved in tempting us. And like Adam and Eve we cannot blame him for our sins. He may be the agent of temptation, but the choice to listen to him is ours. Each individual is responsible for his or her own attitudes and actions.

The serpent is described as the most cunning of all the wild animals. The context in Genesis indicates that the serpent has a higher intellect than the other animals. However, he uses that intelligence to deceive. He plays wily tricks with words that motivate others to take wrong actions.

Satan remains the enemy of Christians. He remains cunning and approaches us in a variety of guises. His attacks may come through other people, circumstances, demons, or his own person. He is a very real danger to every believer. However, he is not the equal of God. He is only another created being. As such his inferiority to God is evident. Although he is in rebellion, the Lord remains sovereign over Satan. Therefore the presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer means that God’s people can overcome any temptation as they rely on God.

Temptation usually comes in subtle ways. The serpent began by placing doubt about God’s word into the woman’s mind. Although the serpent asked a question, he was not seeking information. He was deliberately distorting what God had said. The question was absurd. A prohibition against eating from the fruit of any tree condemned the couple to starvation. As such it called into question the very nature of God.

Verses 2–3: And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Genesis 3:2–3 KJV

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Eve responded to the serpent’s question by affirming that God did permit the man and woman to eat from the fruit of the trees in the garden. Then the woman referred to God’s command against eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, she was not content to repeat what God had said. She apparently added the phrase or touch it. Her addition also called into question what God had said. God’s word was and is sufficient. Altering God’s words by additional stipulations or conditions reveals a lack of faith in God and sets one up for failure to resist temptation. The woman concluded by telling the serpent what God had said would happen if they disobeyed God and ate from the tree.

Verse 4: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Genesis 3:4 KJV

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

The serpent’s first attempt to coax the woman had been indirect. He merely planted the seeds of doubt by questioning what God had said. Next his effort was direct. He seized upon the woman’s final words and denied that God’s statement about the consequences of eating from the prohibited tree was true. The serpent boldly declared that the man and woman would not die if they ate the forbidden fruit.

The serpent’s refutation of God’s words revealed Satan to be both a liar and a murderer. Obviously the negation of the divine edict equated to lying. But additionally, his solicitation of an action that would result in the death of the woman was nothing less than an attempt to kill her! Despite what temptation may falsely promise, the consequences of sin are always harmful to humanity.

Verse 5: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:5 KJV

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Having accused God of lying to the man and woman, the serpent then attributed ignoble motivation to God for the prohibition. And in so doing, he sought to justify the woman’s being disobedient. The serpent claimed that eating from the forbidden tree would produce divinity rather than death. He proposed that eating the forbidden fruit would make the man and woman God’s equals. They would become just like God. The serpent deceived the woman into disobeying God by denying bad consequences would come from disobedience, by questioning the Lord’s reason for forbidding particular fruit, and by pointing out supposed benefits the fruit would provide.

The serpent’s deceit reveals a fundamental distinction between Satan and God. Satan’s words are intended to tempt people into actions that will destroy them. God’s words are spoken in order to protect people from harm. God is good and everything that God does is for our benefit. In James 1:12–17 the essential goodness of God’s nature is unmistakably clear. No connection can be made between temptation and God. Rather people succumb to temptation because of their own fallen nature and their wicked desires. Consequently their choices make them culpable and doom them to certain death.

Verse 6: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Genesis 3:6 KJV

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

The serpent’s devious lies caused the woman to take a new look at the fruit. Previously she evidently had accepted God’s statement at face value. But now her personal examination and evaluation of the fruit reveal the extent to which she has fallen to temptation. At the very least she has accepted that her own conclusions pertaining to the fruit in question were equal to, if not superior to, those of the Lord God!

Her conclusion was threefold. First, the fruit was good for food. Second, the fruit was delightful to look at. Third, the fruit was desirable for obtaining wisdom. These three qualities that she attributed to the fruit are descriptive of all temptation. John classified them as “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes,” and “the pride in one’s lifestyle” (1 John 2:16). In the first God’s providential care for human physical needs such as hunger are brought into question. In the second, the appeal to grasp items people desire but do not legitimately possess results in greed and materialism. In the third, individuals foolishly trust in their own limited power and ability.

These three areas of temptation paralleled the experience of Jesus (Luke 4:1–13). The appeal to turn stone into bread insinuated that God could not, or would, not provide His Son with the necessities for life. The offer to give those kingdoms seen from the mountaintop attempted to substitute the extravagance of an earthly monarch for the poverty and suffering of the Messiah. And the dare to jump from the heights of the temple mount challenged Jesus to attempt to manipulate God rather than to obey Him. Jesus’ example teaches us to escape temptation by trusting God’s providence, worshiping God alone, and obeying God’s Word.

After deciding the fruit was beneficial, the woman disobeyed God and ate the prohibited fruit. She also gave to her husband and he also ate. The notation that he was with her makes him equally guilty and without excuse. Men cannot blame women for the present human condition. His presence also reminds us that sometimes temptation comes through other people. These tempters may even be our closest friends and relatives.

For Further Study

Read the article entitled “Temptation” on pages 1568–1569 of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. What temptations do you find most difficult to resist?

2. SIN’S CONSEQUENCES (Gen. 3:7–24)

Verse 7: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:7 KJV

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

The statement then the eyes of both of them were opened implies their new awareness of their situation. It also plays on the woman’s previous conclusion, which she “saw” (3:6). The serpent had promised her that everything would be wonderful. She and her husband would be like God! Yet all they had learned was that they were naked. The woman had looked at the fruit and saw it was aesthetically pleasing. Now the couple saw their uncovered bodies and found them less than pleasing. Sin never provides what it promises! It only delivers disappointment.

The couple must have been disillusioned even more as they attempted to cover their sin. Their guilt led them to hide from one another by covering themselves. Their feeble effort to manufacture clothing from the trees of the garden could neither recapture their lost innocence nor satisfactorily meet their needs in their current circumstance. Only the leather garments that God supplied could provide appropriate protection (see 3:21).

Verse 8: And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:8 KJV

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Eve and Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, saw their nakedness as a cause of shame, and sought to hide from the Lord. The couple heard the sound of the Lord God. The phrase at the time of the evening breeze literally is “to the wind of the day.” The idea suggests a time of enjoyable fellowship and interaction between God and the people He created. This time was intended to be one of communion between God and humanity.

God had been in fellowship with the man and the woman. But now sin had interrupted that fellowship. Sin had erected a barrier between the two and God. They desired to separate themselves from God’s presence. God had given them the trees to provide food. Now they misused God’s provision in an attempt to hide from God. Sin causes people to pervert what God has given and thereby to sink deeper and deeper into sin.

Verse 9: And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Genesis 3:9 KJV

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

The Lord confronted Adam and Eve and called them into account for their sins. God took the initiative and called out to the hidden couple. Salvation always is the result of God’s initiative. The purpose of God’s question was to make Adam aware of his own location. This verse records the first great question from God. God initiates recovery by causing man to recognize his plight. Sin separates humanity from God. There are no exceptions, and everyone sins (Rom. 3:23). God’s desire is to reestablish the broken relationship.

Verse 10: And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Genesis 3:10 KJV

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Sin generates a naïve perception in the man that bordered on stupidity. Adam’s stress on the personal pronoun I conveys the fundamental self-centeredness of sin. His fear was a sign of something wrong in his relationship with God. In the Old Testament nakedness connotes a sense of humiliation. Adam’s confession reveals a sense of shame and guilt. But the idea that he could hide from God was ridiculous.

Verse 11: And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Genesis 3:11 KJV

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

By asking these two questions, God wanted the man to realize the source of his spiritual problem, disobedience. Adam could not hide from God, and he could not deceive God. God knew what caused Adam’s guilt. He had disobeyed God’s specific command not to eat from the tree. Disobeying God brings specific results (see Rom. 6:23)!

Verse 12: And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:12 KJV

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Confronted with his guilt, Adam sought to divert attention from himself to someone else. First he turned to Eve. The phrase the woman is emphasized. Adam blamed her. The moment she heard his excuse, the relationship between the man and the woman most certainly changed. Sin had driven a wedge between the two people. All people sin. And so they experience alienation from God and, to some degree, alienation from one another.

Separated from both God and his helpmate, Adam only aggravated the situation by denying personal responsibility for his behavior. He moved from accusing Eve to blaming God since God had given him the woman! Sin distorts human perspective. It causes people to label God’s loving provisions as the cause of human failure.

Verse 13: And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:13 KJV

13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

God’s next question confronted the woman with the horrible truth about her sin. People must accept responsibility for their actions. Because God holds all people accountable for their sins, they need to admit their sins and confess them honestly to Him.

Sin always has negative consequences. Having confronted the man and woman, God spelled out the consequences of the actions for each party involved. God addressed the serpent first. The serpent was arrogant and sought to elevate himself to God’s equal. The serpent’s punishment laid him low and confined his existence to trails through the dust of the ground.

God’s punishment of the serpent was mixed with a glimmer of hope for humanity. That hope is veiled to be certain, but nonetheless it is there. Most people who have been bitten by snakes recover and return to a normal life. However, statistics are undeniable about snakes that have crushed skulls; 100 percent of snakes sustaining such injuries die. None survive. Hence, verse 15 indicates that humanity will somehow experience victory over its sin problem. While there is punishment, God also points to redemption for the man and the woman. While there is judgment, there is mercy. Jesus eventually fulfilled this promise of hope. He has overcome sin.

Nevertheless, humanity does not escape the consequences of the man and woman’s sin. Life became more difficult. The pain associated with pregnancy and childbirth intensified. But God also said to Eve: “Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will dominate you” (3:16b). Bible scholars have proposed three different interpretations of this passage. (1) A woman’s desire would be subject to her husband’s desire because her husband would rule over her. (2) In spite of the pain involved in bearing children, a woman would develop a longing for her husband so that she would enter into relationships with him that would result in children. (3) A woman would desire to dominate the relationship with her husband, but the Lord declared the man would rule as head.

The man’s punishment was the painful toil that was added to his labor. Man had worked prior to his sin, so work was not man’s curse. God cursed the ground, not Adam. However, now the ground would produce thorns and thistles that hindered and interfered with his work. The punishment was not such that man could never overcome it. But overcoming it required strenuous toil. The man and woman experienced spiritual death (a breach of their relationship with God) at the moment they sinned. And eventually the couple died physically, just as God had predicted.

Verse 22: And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Genesis 3:22 KJV

22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

God knows good and evil apart from experience. Humanity knows good and evil by experience. Only death could limit humanity’s capacity to sin. The verse seems incomplete. No conclusion is given. It is as if the repercussions of sinful people living forever were too horrible to mention!

Verse 23: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Genesis 3:23 KJV

23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Man’s responsibility did not change because of his sin. He still had to cultivate the soil for food. But after the fall he must do it in a different environment, a far more hostile one than Eden. The paradise the man and woman once shared with God was taken from them, the consequences of their foolish disobedience. God stationed angelic guards to prevent Adam and Eve or their descendants from ever returning to the garden.

For Further Study

Read the articles entitled “Eden” (p. 458) and “Sin” (pp. 1505–1507) in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

3. SIN’S FRUIT (Gen. 4:1–24)

Following their expulsion from Eden, Adam and Eve became parents. The birth of their first child demonstrated once more the validity of God’s word. The fact that conception occurred bears witness to the strength of Eve’s desire for her husband (3:16). Eve’s explanation of the child’s name affirmed that both her desire and her capacity to endure childbirth came from God. It was a statement of her faith in God after the events in the previous chapter. Whereas sin separates us from God, the divine forgiveness that comes as a result of confession restores the relationship. Eve had experienced this restoration and learned from her failure. She acquired valuable insight into God’s character. We should emulate Eve. When God confronts us with our sin, we should accept God’s point of view and take the occasion as an opportunity to draw closer to God.

A second child, Abel, followed the birth of Cain. The two boys grew up and followed different life vocations. Cain became a farmer. Abel became a shepherd. Both pastoral and agricultural professions were and are honorable occupations. However, the fundamental difference between the two brothers was their spiritual conditions. There is within humanity an instinctive need to worship God. So the two brothers brought sacrifices to the Lord. Abel’s offering pleased God, but Cain’s did not. Many conservative Bible scholars attribute God’s rejection of the offering to Cain’s failure to present a blood sacrifice. This failure was symptomatic of an underlying problem within Cain. He had a sin problem and he refused to acknowledge it.

Cain’s reaction to God’s rejection divulges the impact sin had made in humanity. When his parents sinned, they tried to hide from God. A generation later sin had deteriorated human values to the point that Cain was “furious” (4:5) his gift was not accepted. Adam and Eve had recognized their relationship with God had been altered by their behavior and sought to hide from God. Cain does not seem to comprehend that sin has separated him from God.

When Adam and Eve sinned, God confronted them and called them to repent. Likewise, God confronted Cain and called him to confess his sin. Cain did not confess his sin. Instead he apparently thought eliminating the one who gave an acceptable offering would change things. His brother Abel had a personal relationship with God that grew out of his faith in God (Heb. 11:4). In contrast Cain’s enslavement to sin reflected an absence of this relationship. Cain’s loyalty belonged to Satan (1 John 3:12). And he behaved like Satan. In a deliberate, calculated fashion Cain invited Abel out to the field. Therein Cain attacked and murdered his unsuspecting brother.

This event was the third recorded time humanity sinned against God. And as on the previous two occasions, God confronted the sinner and called for confession. As He had done previously, God employed a question: “Where is your brother Abel?” (4:9). Cain attempted to shift the focus of God’s inquiry by answering with a question. Someone has suggested the answer to Cain’s question was, “No, you are not Abel’s keeper. You are his older brother.” As such Cain had a responsibility to love and care for Abel. But sin divides and separates even the closest human relationship.

God’s next question (4:10) reveals that Cain could not evade God. Nor could he escape God’s judgment. The punishment reflects the progression of sin. Sin’s effect has moved from shame to anger to violence. Whereas Cain’s previous sin had separated the sinner from God and from other people, here it also separated the sinner from the ground, the source of his food and the place where he was to find fulfillment in work. Rather than a successful farmer, Cain became a nomad, always searching for the necessities to sustain life. Yet the punishment revealed God’s grace. God allowed Cain to live. Furthermore, a distinguishing mark was placed on Cain to indicate he experienced God’s protection. In this life God’s judgment always is tempered with God’s mercy. It is intended to bring the guilty into agreement with God. However, people do not always confess their sin. Too often they cling to evil habits and behavior. Such was the case of Cain. Despite receiving mercy, the text sadly states, “Cain went out from the Lord’s presence” (4:16).

Civilization was growing. New technologies were discovered. Culture was developing. Humanity was progressing in every way but one. There was no spiritual growth. Fallen humanity was moving farther from God. Lamech took two wives. He arrogantly disregarded God’s design. He had no regard for human life. Instead he boasted of killing other people at the slightest provocation.

4. SIGNIFICANT BIRTH (Gen. 4:25–26)

Just when it seemed the separation between God and humanity was complete, a significant birth occurred. Eve gave birth to Seth, meaning “He appointed.” She believed God had appointed him to be Abel’s replacement. Seth fathered Enosh, a name emphasizing human mortality. Whereas the line that rejected God had become arrogant and self-reliant, this line of the family tree maintained an awareness of humanity’s true frailty and need for God. Despite the proliferation of human sin, it was—and is—still possible for an individual to have an intimate personal, relationship with God. Each person needs only to confess his or her sin, and God will restore the broken relationship.

For Further Study

Compile a list of sins you find prevalent in society. Beside each sin, write a brief description of the sin’s popular identification. For example, people frequently call adultery an affair. How many sins on your list are applicable to your life? What have you done about these sins? If you did not have any sins on your list, why not? Before you answer, read Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:8–10. What actions do you need to take?