The Fall of Man

TEXT: Genesis 3:1-24

INTRODUCTION:

Not Eatin', Just Holdin'

Johnny asked Mother, "Can I have some cookies, Mom?" Looking at the clock, she replied, "Not now! It is too close to dinner!"

About ten minutes later, Mother entered the kitchen. There was Johnny up on the counter with his arm in the cookie jar clear up to his elbow. "I thought I just told you, 'No cookies till dinner!'" Johnny's mother fumed. "Well, Mom, I'm not eaten' no cookies! I'm just holdin' some!"

          As humorous as this story may be, it provides an accurate picture of sin present in our being.  Johnny was not completely disobeying, but he wasn’t necessarily obeying either.  He knew he was doing something wrong and tried to cover it up the best he could.  It is interesting that you don’t have to teach a child to sin.  They will naturally lie, cheat, steal, etc. without having to be instructed in these matters.  Why is this?  The answer is that we are natural sinners.  We are natural sinners because of what took place in the garden of Eden after Satan tempted our first parents to sin.

I.                Temptation and Disobedience (vv. 1-6)

A.      The woman listened to Satan’s arguments (vv. 1-5)

1.                 Satan questions God’s Word (v. 1)

2.                 Satan contradicted God’s Word (v. 4)

3.                 Satan twisted God’s Word – half-truth (v. 5)

B.      The woman meditated on Satan’s arguments (v. 6a)

I John 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1.                 She saw it was good for food – Lust of the flesh

2.                 She saw it was pleasant to the eyes – Lust of the eyes

3.                 She saw that it could make her wise – Pride of Life

C.     The man and the woman disobeyed God’s Word (v. 6b)

1.                 She yielded to temptation and disobeyed God’s command

James 1:14 But every man is  tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

James 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

2.                 She gave some fruit to her husband with her and he disobeyed God’s command

* Perhaps this indicates why we are considered sinners in Adam.  Eve probably did not receive the command not to eat of the forbidden tree from God, but from Adam.  Adam ate having received the command directly from God.

Both Adam and Eve gave in to the deception of Satan.  Before we become too judgmental of our first parents, perhaps you should consider how you give in to the “wiles of the devil.”

Licking the Blade

Paul Harvey tells how an Eskimo kills a wolf. He coats his knife blade with blood and lets it freeze. Then he adds another coat of blood and then another. As each coat freezes he adds another smear of blood until the blade is hidden deep within a substantial thickness of frozen blood.

Then he buries the knife-blade up-in the frozen tundra. The wolf catches the scent of fresh blood and begins to lick it. He licks it more and more feverishly until the blade is bare. Then he keeps on licking harder and harder. Because of the cold he never notices the pain of the blade on his tongue. His craving for the taste of blood is so great that he does not realize his thirst is being satisfied by his own blood. He licks the blade till he bleeds to death, swallowing his own life.

That is the way the devil works on us. He gives us a taste of sin, knowing we will crave more. We go deeper and deeper in satisfying our desires. We never notice the blade inside till it is too late. Only when we are dying do we realize we have swallowed our own life in sin.

II.            Consequences of the disobedience (vv. 7-24)

* There are many consequences we can see from this passage.  We can see that:

A.      There was an immediate sense of guilt and shame (v. 7)

1.                 They saw they were naked

a.                 Their eyes were immediately opened (spiritually)

b.                 This indicates that they immediately realized sin

2.                 They tried to cover themselves

a.                 This indicates an attempt at self-righteousness

b.                 It was not sufficient to cover them

* Oh how this plays out even today.  There is so much self-righteousness today within the heart of man, that man fails to realize the truth of his own condition before a holy God.

Layers of Self

"Man is like an onion," said A. T. Pierson, "layer after layer, and each a layer of self in some form. Strip off self-righteousness and you will come to self-trust. Get beneath this and you will come to self-seeking and self-pleasing. Even when we think these are abandoned, self-will betrays its presence. When this is stripped off, we come to self-defense, just as the Corinthians did-the word of the puffed up-and last of all, self-glory. When this seems to be abandoned, the heart of the human onion discloses pride that boasts of being truly humble."

B.      There was an immediate desire and effort to hid themselves from the face of God (vv. 8-11)

1.                 They tried to hide from the presence of God in the Garden, but failed.

2.                 They tried to pass the blame from themselves, but failed.

a.                 The man blamed the woman

b.                 The woman blamed the serpent

c.                  The serpent could not blame anyone

Passing the Buck

Almost everyone is aware of the statement attributed to President Harry Truman that "The Buck Stops Here," but does it? There are people who will not accept responsibility for their actions. Included in this group are criminals and sociopaths. The war trials at Nuremberg brought out this idea. The Nazi war criminals claimed they were just following orders. "We really did not want to exterminate the Jews. Hitler made us do it." The criminal says, "I am a product of society. They are to blame, not me." The wife and child abuser says, "I was raised by abusive parents, so do not blame me; blame them." The denial of guilt does not remove or negate the responsibility of it.

In our society today we are just as sick as they were then. No one wants to accept responsibility for anything. Everything is relative, so do what you want to. It is O.K. Well, friends and neighbors, that is plain junk. It just ain't so. Of course, anyone can play the game of denial. It all started a long time ago right here in Genesis 3.

C.     There was God’s immediate judgment (vv. 14-20)

1.                 Upon the serpent (vv. 14-15)

2.                 Upon the woman (v. 16)

3.                 Upon creation itself (vv. 17-18)

4.                 Upon the man (v. 19)

* Thus, all mankind hereafter was plunged into sin, including you and me.

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 5:13  (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Romans 5:14  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Romans 5:15  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Romans 5:16  And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Romans 5:17  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

D.     There was a display of God’s mercy (v. 21)

1.                 Adam and Eve were covered by the skin of an animal

2.                 The animal had to die in order for this to take place

a.                 This pictured the future atonement of Christ

b.                 This indicated that only the covering that God provides is sufficient to cover man’s guilt– through Jesus Christ.

E.      There was man’s expulsion from the garden and restriction of access to the tree of life.

1.                 The paradise for which man was intended was gone.

2.                 The paradise for which man was intended can be obtained through Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION:

A Worm in an Apple

How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from the inside. But, how does he get in there? Simple. An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out.

Sin, like the worm, begins in the heart and works out through the person's thoughts, word and actions.

          That is how it is with sin in us.  We are born with it and cannot rid ourselves of it through our own feeble efforts.  Only what God the Father has provided through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ can provide a sufficient covering for our sin.  Have you accepted Jesus’ payment for your sins today?  Are you playing around with your own self-righteousness?  Are you counting on some misconceived notion that if your good outweighs your bad, then you will enter heaven?  Only Jesus can blood can cleanse you from your sin.  Will you come and accept Him as your savior and repent of your sin today?

          Christian, how grateful are you for Christ’s shed blood?  Are you grateful enough to live your life the way you want, or the way Jesus wants?  Have you taken Christ’s atoning sacrifice for granted in you life?  Is it important enough to share with those around you daily who are spiritually dead?  Perhaps this morning you want to praise God for His mercy.  Perhaps you need to confess some selfishness.  Perhaps you need to get some things straight with the Lord this morning at this altar.  Will you obey Him this morning?