Introduction

Welcome, dear friends. It's always a joy to gather with you, in this sacred space where we connect with our Creator, and delve into the wisdom of His Word. We are here to seek understanding, to find comfort, and to be challenged. We are here to grow, to be transformed, and to be equipped for the good works that God has prepared for us.

In this gathering, we are going to turn our attention to the early pages of Genesis, the book of beginnings. It's in these ancient narratives that we find the foundation of our faith and the origins of our condition. We will be considering Genesis 3:3-9, a passage that tells the story of humanity's first disobedience, the first sin.

But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

Sin's Start

The serpent, a creature of cunning and deceit, approached Eve with a question that seemed innocent enough, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The serpent was not seeking clarification. He was sowing doubt. He was undermining the Word of God, twisting it to suit his own purposes. This was the start of sin - a distortion of God's truth, a questioning of His goodness, a desire to be independent of Him.

The serpent's words were a temptation, a lure to disobey God's command. He promised Eve that if she ate the fruit, she would not die, but instead, her eyes would be opened, and she would be like God, knowing good and evil. This was the second aspect of sin's start - the promise of autonomy, the allure of self-sufficiency, the desire to be like God.

Eve, swayed by the serpent's words, looked at the tree and saw that its fruit was good for food and pleasing to the eye. She took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. This was the third aspect of sin's start - the act of disobedience, the choice to reject God's command, the decision to follow one's own desires.

The consequences of this act were immediate and profound. The eyes of both Adam and Eve were opened, and they realized they were naked. They felt shame for the first time and tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. They also hid from God when they heard Him walking in the garden. This was the fourth aspect of sin's start - the experience of guilt, the feeling of shame, the fear of God's presence.

Sin's Spread

The first instance of this spread is seen in the interaction between Eve and Adam ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO