Three Root Sins

There are many sins, but they all come from three “root sins”…three heart problems.

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. 1John 2:16

Three Root Sins

—the lust of the flesh

—the lust of the eyes

—the pride of life

Every sin is a symptom/result of these three root sins.

Eve Tempted

The temptation of Eve is recorded in Genesis 3. Satan threw everything he had at Eve. He used all the tools in his toolbox.

Vs 1-3

The serpent (“that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” - Rev 12:9) to Eve: Has God said shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Eve:We are allowed to eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, but God has said, Don’t eat the fruit from the tree that’s in the middle of the garden or you will die. Don’t even touch it.

So we know two things from the introduction of the temptation scene.

1) Satan is questioning God’s Word.

Eve has never thought to question God’s Word.

The temptation scene hasn’t started yet but Satan is prepping Eve for the scene.

2) Eve knew the rule.

One rule, one command given from God. The Bible records God giving Adam this command.

The LORD God put Adam into the garden of Eden to care for it. The LORD God commanded the man, You may freely eat from every tree in the garden, except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not allowed to eat from it. On the day that you eat from it, you will certainly die.

Did Eve even know? Yes, yes she did.

God told Adam not to eat from the tree. Eve said she was not allowed to eat from it or even touch it.

Was that Adam’s added clause as a way to protect her?

Maybe he said, “God said, We can’t eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. Don’t even touch it.”

Vs 4

The serpent: You won’t “certainly die.”

THE FIRST LIE. Satan is the father of lies because he told the first one. Satan is not only expressing doubt of God‘s word, he is contradicting God‘s word.

He (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning, and did not remain in the truth, because there is no truth in him… He is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44

The temptation scene proper STILL hasn’t started, yet but Satan is still prepping Eve for the scene. Eve has never known anything but truth. She is innocent of sin and any knowledge of it. She has the innocence of a child.

Would God lie? She had never had that thought. But now the question was in her mind.

The stage is set, the scene has been prepared.

Eve (enter stage right)

Vs 5

Serpent: You won’t “certainly die,” because God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.

It is said that the best lie has a little bit of truth. It is true that by eating the the forbidden fruit, they (like God) would know good (they have only known good) and evil (they have never known evil). But Satan deceived Eve (as he deceives us) into thinking the results of sin are positive, desirable, good.

Vs 6

When Eve 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 the fruit from the forbidden tree, and ate it. She also gave some to Adam her husband with her; and he ate it also.

Let’s take a closer look: Eve saw that:

1) The tree was good for food - Lust of the flesh

2) The tree was pleasant to the eyes.- Lust of the eyes

3)) It was a tree to be desired to make one wise - Pride of life

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Jesus Tempted (Matthew 4, Luke 4)

The Bible tells us that Jesus can understand what we are going through, because he has been tempted like we have been tempted. It must be true since the Bible tells us this. But how could he be tempted like us, when the things we face today weren’t even around back then?

We don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

1 John 2:16 explains that. Jesus was tempted with the three root sins, just as we are.