We continue a series of messages entitled Creed: 9 Essentials to the Christian Faith. We are exploring the beliefs that form the theological center of Christianity. It is a series devoted to the discovery of what you believe and why it matters. Each of these beliefs serves as lynchpins to the Christian faith, so that if you were to remove one of them you would see the Christian faith crumble. And today we come to answer the question, “What is wrong with the world?” and “What is wrong with us?”
My deceased father was a Penn State graduate and so I was disturbed by the news coming out of State College, PA this week. If you missed it, a 267-page report by Louis Freeh, the former FBI director, where the longtime head football coach, Joe Paterno misled a grand jury about his knowledge of Jerry Sandusky’s actions involving the sexual assault of children. Further, evidence suggests that the iconic coach was instrumental in concealing the evidence against his friend and assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky was found guilty on 45 counts of sexual abuse with minors. According to the report, had Coach Paterno acted on the evidence at hand as early as 1998, then numerous young boys would have been protected against the vicious and vile acts of Sandusky. The question that comes to our minds is “Why?” Why would Paterno do this? Why would the iconic coach, whose reputation was revered by everyone, lie? Why would the most powerful leaders at the university cover up these crimes for thirteen years? Certainly, there was an internal desire to protect the reputation of the school. Certainly, there was a desire to protect the program from the financial fallout of this scandal.
Yet, these are ultimately unsatisfactory answers to this deep stain. There has to be a deeper and more satisfying explanation to what’s is wrong here. The Bible says that each one of us is hard wired to sin. We are hard wired to do the wrong. It’s a story that shows that sin is deeper than our behavior. Indeed, sin is a power.
Today, I want to unpack the meaning of the Bible’s teaching on sin. And I want you to see the explosive power of this story and its practical impact it can make on you.
Today’s Scripture
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So 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 to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:1-24).
I want to act as your tour guide for Genesis 3 for the next few moments. This story falls into three acts:
1. The Temptation to Sin
The story of the Adam and Eve’s temptation is told with subtle simplicity. And I want to make you aware at the outset, that this is not just the story of the wrongdoings of two people. No, it’s the story of how the first two people’s wrongdoing affects you and me. If you are reading through the book of Genesis straight through, the appearance of a crafty, talking serpent catches you unaware. Look at verse one where the Bible does takes time to tell us that the serpent is one of God’s creatures (Genesis 2:19) and had a beginning (Genesis 1:1). “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made” (Genesis 3:1). To be clear, the “crafty” serpent is none other than Satan. The snake is more than a snake; it’s they very presence of Satan Himself in the Garden. Notice Satan’s question at the end of verse one: “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 1:1b) Notice also Eve’s reply to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” (Genesis 1:2b-3) Even though Eve did not have the malicious intent of the serpent, we see that even she doesn’t accurately reflect all of God’s words. Compare Satan’s statement and Eve’s reflection to the actual command given a chapter earlier: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 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’” (Genesis 2:16-17).
Yet, here in God’s actual words, we see three elements to God’s command:
(1) God gives permission to eat from every tree in the garden;
(2) God prohibits Adam from one tree;
(3) God states there will be a penalty for disobedience.
How does Satan seek to undercut God at each of these points? It is done in two ways. First, we immediately see how Satan seeks to raise questions about God’s goodness. He is subtle at first but then he drops his subtlety after Eve’s reply where he directly disputes God: “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die’” (Genesis 3:4). Here Eve begins to ponder that God is not good; God is not gracious. Satan argues that God is selfish and deceptive because God prevents Adam & Eve from achieving the same position as God Himself: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). So we see God’s good character questioned.
Second, Satan encourages Eve to be independent from God Himself. This story is presented to explain the power of evil itself. The Bible presents this story to explain what is fundamentally wrong with us. And you’ll see one of the first clues of this in verses four and five: “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4b-5). That is, Satan implies to Eve, “You and you alone, can decide for yourself what will help you or hinder you.” So Satan claims God is holding Eve back and that if she eats of the fruit she will do three things:
1) She will not die (Genesis 3:4);
2) “Her eyes will be opened” (Genesis 3:5);
3) Eve will be like God as she can know good and evil (Genesis 3:5).
Eve has bought into the lie. And it’s a lie that is addicting. Sin is addiction. Every sinful action is addicting. Whether it is laziness, envy, bitterness, drug addiction, or alcohol addiction. Every sinful action begins with the promise of freedom and liberation but in the end, you’re addicted.
Eve’s sin promises a sense of being in control. Yet, in the end she is being controlled by the very thing that promised freedom. The very thing that promised freedom, removed any hope of freedom. Notice verse six where the Bible records simply the first sin: “So 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 to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6).
This verse is action-packed as it moves at a rapid pace. “the woman saw,” “she took,” “she … gave,” “and he ate.” Yet, you’ll miss the intent of the story if you simply focus on the act itself. For the act of eating fruit from the forbidden tree is much bigger than eating fruit. Eve’s taking the fruit was an act of independence from God. And it’s here that we see the addicting power of sin itself.
Jonathan Edwards says sin turns the heart into a fire. Just as there has never been a fire that said, “Enough fuel, I’m fine now,” so there has never been a sinful heart that said, “I have had enough success, I’ve had enough love, I've had enough approval, and I've had enough comfort…” The more fuel you put into the fire, the hotter it burns, and the hotter it burns, the more it needs, the more oxygen it is sucking and the more fuel it requires. Beware the addicting power of sin.
1. The Temptation to Sin (verses 1-6)
2. God’s Interrogation of Sinners (verses 7-13)
Before God comes asking questions, we are already aware of several immediate implications of their sin. Notice carefully verse seven: “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7) First, their “eyes of both were opened…”. Second, “they knew that they were naked …”. Third, “they sewed fig leaves together …”. And fourth, “made themselves loincloths …” Something was fundamentally altered in their relationship and in how they viewed the world around them before God even takes an opportunity to question them. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8).
Whereas Adam and Eve’s time with God in the past had been enjoyable, they now hide in fear of Him. Where moments ago the two wanted to be like God, now they are afraid to even talk with Him. In just a few short questions, the two will soon be witnesses against themselves. And while Eve first committed the sin, God directs His questions at Adam: But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you” (Genesis 3:9)? The very next chapter in the book of Genesis records the first murder in history where Adam and Eve’s son Cain murders his brother Abel. Just as here, God asks questions to illicit a confession when he asks, “…the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother” (Genesis 4:9)? In each case, God phrases questions in order for both Adam and Cain to admit his guilt. And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). While there was once no shame, Adam now feels demoralizing shame.
Two follow-up questions sharpen the facts of the crime: He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat” (Genesis 3:11)? Adam offers a flimsy excuse in an attempt to exonerate himself at the end of verse twelve: “…she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12b). As if blaming his wife were not enough, he has the audacity to blame God Himself at the beginning of verse twelve: “The woman whom you gave to be with me…” (Genesis 3:12a).
Adam now joins the serpent in claiming that God is selfish and deceitful. “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13). Sin is deliberately Adam’s choice and sin is always deliberately your choice. And to show that you that the man is not more sinful than the woman, God asks Eve a similar question.
Not to be outdone, Eve joins the blame-shifting party in verse thirteen. When God asks her, “What is this that you have done” (Genesis 3:13a)? She replies, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13b).
Will you note for a moment the effects of sin? When Adam says, “She made me do it,” and Eve says, “The serpent made me do it,” you begin to see the effects of sin on our relationships. Sin is the willingness to throw anyone under the bus to justify yourself. Sin is exploiting other people. Sin says, “Your life to enhance mine,” and not my life to enhance yours. I will suck you dry in order to make myself feel good.
Before I move on, please note that God doesn’t ask one question of the serpent. The serpent has nothing to learn but faces a future only of misery. God’s questions are acts of grace as His questions were designed to teach us as much as implicate us.
Again, Genesis 3 in three acts:
1. The Temptation to Sin (verses 1-6)
2. God’s Interrogation of Sinners (verses 7-13)
3. The Implications for Us (verses 14-24)
The consequences of sin go in three directions – Adam, Eve, and the serpent. God first addresses Satan, Eve, and then lastly, Adam. We don’t have time to examine this in the detail I would like. But as your tour guide I want to point out two highlights. By speaking words of punishment to Adam and Eve, we know that Satan does not compel people to sin. And we know that God holds each of us responsible for our own actions. Again, the Bible’s explanation of “What’s wrong with us,” is that we are each hard wired to the power of sin.
Again, sin is more than a behavior. Sin is a power in each of us. We steal not because we act out of our poverty. We sin not because of our lack of education. In essence, each one of us across the genders, across the races, and across the economic strata each one of us sins. Sin is everywhere and sin is in all of us equally.
The second highlight I want you to see is in verse fifteen. God is speaking to the serpent but it’s obvious that the serpent is more than a snake. God is speaking to Satan: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).
God is predicting the eventual defeat of Satan: “her offspring” points forward to the act of Christ’s death on the cross. Although, “you shall bruise his heel,” meaning you will crucify Him. But, “he shall bruise your head.”
It’s of interest to you to see how the New Testament presents Jesus Christ. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (Romans 15:20). Luke shows in his version of Jesus’ family tree (Luke 3:23-38), that Jesus is truly human as he connects Jesus to the original man, Adam. Luke goes all the way back to the first man, Adam, is Jesus’ family tree. Luke’s arrangement is worth noting for he wants communicate something about Jesus’ unique relationship to the Father. Adam was God’s special creation; he was God’s son, unlike you and me. Although Adam was God’s son, he failed when it came to his time to face Satan (Genesis 3). When Adam failed the test, he doomed not only himself but also every human being along with him (Romans 5:12). Jesus also had a greater relationship with the Father as He was the virgin-born Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus is 100% God and He is 100% Human.
Now God has presented another special Son to the world. And unlike Adam, Jesus fends off every punch that comes from Satan. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (Romans 15:20). Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. Where you have failed, Jesus succeeds. By His faithful obedience, Jesus received much more than the earthly powers that were offered to him in the desert. Jesus is the new Adam. Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded. Had Jesus failed, like Adam, every one would have be in the same class as we were when the first Adam failed. Jesus achieves victory not only for Himself but for those who trust in Him. And this is the Gospel – Jesus does for you what you cannot do for yourself. Jesus accomplishes the victory over sin through the cross for others who cannot.
