Man’s Ruin – It Began And It Continues – The Fall Of Adam And Eve - Genesis 3 Series

MAN’S RUIN – IT BEGAN AND IT CONTINUES – THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE - GENESIS CHAPTER 3

PART 1 – INNOCENCE DESTROYED

This account of the Fall is not a myth or fairy tale as liberal theologians like to say. It was testified to by the Lord Himself, and by Paul. I covered that in the talks on Liberal Theology. [https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-series/liberal-theology-in-the-churches-sermon-series-from-ron-ferguson-22953?_gl=1*u4e22g*_ga*MTk0MzIxOTEzMy4xNjU2OTg5MTYz*_ga_TRT0ERDR3P*MTY2NjcyOTM2Mi4yODUuMS4xNjY2NzI5Mzc1LjQ3LjAuMA..]

(A) THE FIRST STEP - THE INVASIVE SEED

{{Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made, and he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”}}

The crafty enquiry. The devil comes with a question. Satan did not come with a blanket denial of God’s word or of his standards. He did not brandish the sword immediately, just came to sow a little doubt. All it was, was a question; no more than a question that on face value might have looked innocent.

How should have Eve handled this? Her response should have been direct, precise and conclusive. It wasn’t. Why was the word of God not emblazoned in her heart so it overcame the devil’s advances? Surely God did not leave them defenceless? I do not know why Eve listened.

I feel something needs to be said about the snake. This story is held up to ridicule but there are things we do not know. It seemed before this the snake moved in an upright position and was only brought low afterwards. We do not know how animals were and behaved before the fall because they too suffered under the curse and look forward to their own restoration – Romans 8:19-21 “The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God, Rom 8:20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it - in hope Rom 8:21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption, into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”}} However what is clear is that the snake became Satan’s agent, and that was possible.

{{Genesis 3:2-3 And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, Gen. 3:3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.’”}}

The woman allowed the devil’s question to enter her heart – she took it on board. She engaged the devil in communication. He did not come along and say he was the devil, the enemy of God. His devices are crafty and evil. She had admitted into her heart the serpent’s enquiry and it was taking root. The seeds are small but they are poisonous seeds indeed. We consider things and departures, and flirting with sin, as being only little things but small acorns develop into large oaks. Discernment and wisdom and closeness to the Lord, MUST prevail.

Not only had Eve admitted the question to take hold, but she went one step further. She added to the word of God. To live fully in the word of God is to meet the challenge of the devil’s temptation with the word directly and effectively. This is what Eve did not do. She added to God’s word. God had said nothing about touching that tree. The command was not to eat from it. ?> {{Genesis 2:17 “but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”}}

“If a man is finding his enjoyment in obedience; if it is his meat and drink; if he is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, then he will be fully acquainted with, and alive to the Word of God.”

A COMPARISON FROM LUKE’S GOSPEL

Contrast the Lord Jesus here in his battle with Satan.

Luke 4:4 “And Jesus answered him, “IT IS WRITTEN, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “IT IS WRITTEN, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

Luke 4:12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “IT IS SAID, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”}}

The word of God was His stay. He could not be indifferent to it. The Lord Jesus in His conflict with Satan, accurately applied the Word because He lived upon it and esteemed it more than His necessary food. He could not misquote nor misapply the word, neither could He be indifferent to it. The word of God dwelt fully with the Word of God, and maybe Eve did not have that for some reason.