Genesis Series (5)

Genesis 3:1–6 NIV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Church, one of the enemy’s oldest strategies is to make people chase what God already wanted to give them in the right way. He does not always tempt us with something that looks evil at first. Sometimes he tempts us with something that sounds close to what God created us for. He tempts us with identity. He tempts us with wisdom. He tempts us with freedom. He tempts us with fulfillment. He tempts us with the idea that life would be better if we stepped outside of God’s will.

That is what makes Genesis 3 so dangerous. The serpent does not begin by telling Eve, “Destroy your life.” He does not say, “Separate yourself from God.” He does not say, “Bring sin and shame into the world.” He comes with a promise. He comes with a suggestion. He comes with a lie wrapped in something that sounds desirable: “You will be like God.”

But here is the tragedy: Adam and Eve were already made in the image of God. They already had dignity. They already had purpose. They already had fellowship. They already had identity. The enemy tempted them to reach apart from God for something they already had by grace.

And that is still how sin works. Sin promises freedom, but it brings bondage. Sin promises identity, but it leaves shame. Sin promises open eyes, but it shows you nakedness, guilt, and separation. Sin promises life, but it always carries death beneath the surface.

So today, as we look at Genesis 3, I want us to see that temptation is not just about breaking a rule. It is about trusting the wrong voice. It is about letting desire become lord over obedience. It is about believing the lie that God is withholding something from us when, in truth, God is the only One who can give us what our soul is really looking for.

BODY

But here is the tragedy: the serpent said, “You will be like God,” but Adam and Eve were already made in the image of God. They already had God-given dignity. They already had identity. They already had purpose. They already had fellowship with God. The serpent tempted them to grasp apart from God what they already had by grace.

That is one of the most powerful identity truths in this passage. Sin promises to give you what only God can give you. Sin says, “I will make you free,” but it enslaves. Sin says, “I will give you identity,” but it leaves you ashamed. Sin says, “I will open your eyes,” but when Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, the first thing they saw was their nakedness and shame.

A Wesleyan-Holiness understanding of this passage sees the fall as more than a rule being broken. It is the corruption of love, desire, trust, and obedience. Sin bends the heart away from God. That is why salvation must be more than forgiveness on paper. God’s grace must cleanse the heart, reorder our desires, and restore holy love.

A Reformed or Calvinist view would often use Genesis 3 to emphasize total depravity, meaning every part of human nature is affected by sin and humanity is unable to come to God without divine grace. Wesleyan-Holiness believers agree that sin deeply damages humanity, but we emphasize prevenient grace: the grace of God that goes before, awakens, convicts, enables, and draws sinners so they can respond to Christ.

When we talk about total depravity, we are talking about the truth that sin has affected every part of human nature. Sin has damaged our mind, our will, our desires, our emotions, our relationships, and our ability to rightly respond to God on our own. Wesleyan-Holiness believers agree that sin has deeply broken humanity. We do not believe people are basically fine and just need a little improvement. We believe sin has turned the human heart away from God.

But where Wesleyan-Holiness theology emphasizes something beautiful is in prevenient grace. Prevenient means the grace that comes before. It is the grace of God that goes ahead of salvation, awakening the sinner, convicting the heart, drawing the person toward Christ, and enabling them to respond to the gospel. It does not mean we save ourselves. It means God is already at work before we ever take a step toward Him.

John 6:44 NIV

44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

This is one of the clearest verses. Jesus says we do not come to Him apart from the Father drawing us.

John 12:32 NIV

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Jesus is speaking of His death on the cross. The cross is not only where sin is paid for; it is where Christ draws people to Himself.

That makes a difference in everyday life because it means no one is too far gone for God to reach. The addict is not beyond grace. The rebellious child is not beyond grace. The angry person is not beyond grace. The person confused about their identity is not beyond grace. The person sitting in church with a hard heart is not beyond grace. God’s Spirit is already working, already drawing, already convicting, already calling.

And for the believer, prevenient grace reminds us that God was pursuing us before we knew how to pursue Him. He was reaching for us before we reached back. He was awakening us before we understood what was happening. That keeps us humble, because salvation is still all grace. But it also keeps us hopeful, because the same God who drew me can draw the person I am praying for.

So when we come to Genesis 3, we see how deeply sin corrupts the heart. But we also know the rest of the story: God does not abandon fallen humanity. Even after sin enters the garden, God comes looking. Grace comes before Adam and Eve ever know how to come back.

Now that brings us to the third point: temptation wins when desire becomes lord over obedience.

Genesis 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and

Before we move into verse 6, let me pause and explain why this difference matters. When we talk about total depravity, we are talking about the truth that sin has affected every part of human nature. Sin has damaged our mind, our will, our desires, our emotions, our relationships, and our ability to rightly respond to God on our own. Wesleyan-Holiness believers agree that sin has deeply broken humanity. We do not believe people are basically fine and just need a little improvement. We believe sin has bent the human heart away from God.