Read Genesis 3.1-14
The garden went from paradise to chaos in a very short period of time. The transition was seamless and almost predictable when we look at it from our point of view. Yet, in the original setting it was anything but preordained. We have the appearance of a completely new set of characters interacting with each other.UNANSWERED QUESTION
First there is the man and woman. They are innocent to the dangers that are real and which they have never faced before. They are like small children who are being watched over by their parents who know the danger and want to protect them as long as possible. Then there is the serpent who we later learn is also known as Satan and the Devil. This evil being will remain the protagonist of humanity and God for eternity. Now I want to start with a fact that the Bible DOES NOT tell us. This may seem to be a contradiction of terms to speak of a fact and then say we do not have the information. The popular belief or fact is that the serpent was once a beautiful angel in heaven who rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven with his followers. This is not true. Wait, let me explain. It is the common belief held by many based in most part not on scripture but on the work of John Milton called Paradise Lost. In this epic poem Milton mixes scripture, conjuncture and pure imagination to create a story that is no more Biblical true than an Archie comic book. Here is what you need to know. There never has been sin in heaven. There never will be sin in heaven. Heaven is a perfect place. It there had been sin in heaven it would not be a perfect place and it would be a place where sin could invade again. That is just not the case. So where does the serpent come from? The Bible does not tell us. The only way you get what Milton wrote about is to glue verses from Isaiah, Ezekiel, Matthew, Thessalonians and Revelation together that have nothing to do with each other. The Bible does not tell us everything but it does tell us what God wants us to know so there are some things that we just don't have the answer to.
THE 'S' WORD
Questions that have answers are easier to deal with. Like the question, what is the definition of SIN? Now here is a question the Bible DOES give us the answer to. In fact even before Eve sinned she knew the answer to this question. When the serpent first approached Eve to eat she said, "but God did say." She had directions from God.
First we learn that SIN IS WHAT GOD SAYS SIN IS!
Eve knew what God had said she now had to choose whether she would obey or disobey. God is the creator, the beginning and the end. We may see ourselves as someplace in the middle but we all will get to the end and then we have to face God. God is the adult in the room. (more on this in a moment)
Second we learn that SIN IS LAWLESSNESS. 1 John 3.4
That means it is breaking the rules. Now let me illustrate this using my grandson. When he comes over to our house he knows the rules. He has always had rules. When he was one and a half he would come over to play. He loved to go into grandma's kitchen and get into the pots and pans cabinet. He would drag them all out on the floor and beat on them, smack them together and when he was done he would crawl into the cabinet and play in there. There is a second half to this. When in the kitchen he was not allowed to get into the drawer that has the sharp knives. He was not to even touch the handle of that drawer. He did not understand the danger but he knew that was a NO TOUCH item. Grandpa, Grandma, mommy and daddy could touch it but not the little grandson. It came with a repeated DANGER warning. Now the tree in the garden came with a NO TOUCH warning. It could hurt them, they would die, whatever that meant. It was for God only because he was the adult in the room or in this case the garden. Why was the tree in the garden where Adam and Eve could touch it? Well why are there knives in a kitchen. They belong there and though we do not understand it the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil belonged in the Garden. It was supposed to be there and we will just have to accept it as so. Let’s go back to my grandson for a second. There were more items in the kitchen he could touch than those he was not to touch. Eve and Adam had more positive choices than negative choices but when they touched and ate they learned the third truth about sin.
Third we learn that SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES.
Fewer and fewer people today believe in sin and that they will pay for the wrong choices. They are denying the creator and his rules for the Garden and the world we live in. The truth of the matter is that sinning leads to death. Death is temporary as long as we are alive and can still change our course but it becomes permanent when we die and have not changed course.
WELL EXCUSE ME!
There are plenty of people who want to say that sin is excusable or that they are not responsible for their actions.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE THEN?
Was it the woman who touched first? Was it the serpent who put her up to it? Was it the man who just stood there and watched not saying anything? Was it God's fault for putting the tree there in the first place? God held Eve and Adam responsible for their actions and he holds us responsible for our actions. I read about a study done on twins. One set was raised in a home where both parents were alcoholics. The one twin was an alcoholic. When they asked him why he was one he blamed his parents. They had been his example. The other twin was a teetotaler. That means he did not drink any alcoholic beverages under any circumstances. When ask why he cited his parents drinking. Here we have two identical twins in the same environment and exactly the opposite results. They made their choice and they would each have to live with the results. The garden was the perfect environment and both of the first two children of God sinned while living there and God held them responsible for their actions. "The soul who sins is the one who will die" Ezekiel 18.4 That was true in the garden, it was true for Ezekiel, it is still true today. You are responsible for your choices.
IS IT SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE?
Today we are being told that standards have changed and that what was a sin in times gone by is no longer a sin. People have progressed and everyone is doing it. Well everyone in the garden had progress to the point of eating from the tree. Literally, everyone was doing it. That did not change the results that God had said would happen if they touched or ate. We need to remember who sets the standards of what is and is not sin. In the kitchen at our house the grandchildren do not set the standards and in the garden and in the world we do not get to set the standards. Remember, God is the adult here when it comes to what is right and wrong.
IS IT A PRIVATE MATTER?
What happens in a person’s home or between consenting adults is different according to the new standards. That means if we hid it then it is ok. Well not according to God. Adam and Eve were hiding and they were consenting adults and they had to pay the price for disobeying God. That has not changed. Everyone who sins in public or private has to deal with it before God.
TEMPTATION EYES 1 John 2.16
Here is the woman and when she looked at the fruit of the tree she saw "that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom." Genesis 3.6 Now she had her excuses lined up for eating. It was all beneficial and for her good. The truth is "everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world."1 John 2.16 We have to choose between the physical world or the spiritual world. We choose between listening to God and listening to the serpent who still whispers into people’s hearts what they need to touch and eat.
Eve saw it was GOOD FOR FOOD.
These are the CRAVINGS of sinful man justified as needs. This is calling gluttony, eating. This is calling the lust of the flesh, natural desires that should not be denied. This is giving in to the base desires and saying they are necessary and proper.
Eve saw it was PLEASING TO THE EYE.
Greed is the need to own and to control to have more than anyone else. The lust of the eyes is to be controlled by the amount of things you own or the amount of money you have in the bank. This is about power and control. It makes the person important by what they have. Often the opposite is true, it not the person who has the possessions but the person who is possessed by everything they have.
Eve saw it was DESIRABLE FOR GAINING WISDOM.
People with worldly wisdom have the ability to think on a higher plane, to be smarter than other people, even being smarter than God. This is boasting that comes through knowledge. This is the modern man who knows so much about creation that he or she denies the creator. The person who is so smart that they refute the wisdom of thousands of years because they have progressed so far in learning they can change God's rules and directions.
Eve was the first one to say this but she was far from the last. Every generation has those who say exactly the same things as they deny God's word and authority as creator to set the rules for his garden, world and kitchen. God is the adult in the room but so few are listening to him.
THREE QUESTIONS?
There are three questions we need to be able to answer. They were first asked to Eve and Adam in the garden but they are just as relevant today as they were then.
Question ONE - WHERE ARE YOU?
God came looking for Eve and Adam. He is looking for everyone and is calling to each person to respond. Are you hiding from God? Living in the trees where you feel safe? Hoping that he does not notice you are not around? You might want to make a personal evaluation of your life. Take stock of where you are in your spiritual relationship with God. Do you have a spiritual life plan or are you just hoping you make it through without being noticed by the creator? He cares and is looking for you.
Question TWO - WHO ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
God ask them, who told you were naked? Who have you been talking to? We are either listening on the Lower Story level where we do not take into account the final outcome of our actions or we are listening on the Upper Story level where we know God knows and sees all and where we trust his judgment. The lower level is about feelings and the upper level is about faith. The lower level is where the serpent operates, the upper level is where God guides and protects.
Question THREE - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
We will all give an accounting for our lives someday. Getting ready for that moment the believer needs to first acknowledge some things that they need to stop doing. Actions or attitudes that need to be corrected should be corrected. The believer should also look at the things in life that need to be repeated. Things that need to become life habits. These actions and attitudes are the way a person should live their life. There are things you need to stop doing and things you need to start doing.
Here is the challenge. You need to answer these three questions honestly. You need to know that excuses or hiding out will not get you past God. You have choices to make and if you are reading this it is not too late.
Where are you? God wants to know.
Who are you listening to? God wants it to be him.
What have you done? God will ask you that question face to face sooner than you think and you better be ready.
