Genesis 3 - The Fall

 

Before the events of this chapter the world was perfect, because there was no sin.  God had created a perfect world and had given Adam and Eve a garden filled with good food to eat.  He gave them everything that anyone could want, but He gave them one rule – DO NOT eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Satan told Adam and Eve to not trust God’s words and encouraged them to disobey Him.  But did they listen and obey?  Read on.

There were two trees in the Garden of Eden: 

1.  The tree of knowledge of good and evil – This tree represented good and evil together.  Its purpose was to provide man with a choice – to love and serve God willingly or to rebel and reject the one rule He had given them.  God instructed Adam that he could to eat of any tree in the garden, except this tree.  The tree didn’t contribute to man’s sinfulness except to provide him with an opportunity to obey or disobey.  The fruit was not poisonous and was not the problem; man was the problem.

2.  The tree of life – God allowed them to eat from this tree.  It represented eternal life.  It represented the perfect state where Adam and Eve were placed.  If they obeyed God, they would live forever without sin, pain or death.  There would be no sin and death in the world.

The serpent isn’t described here as Satan, but the rest of the Bible makes it clear this is Satan appearing as a serpent.  Ezekiel 28 tells us about Satan - he was in Eden, he was an angel of the highest rank, and something of a leader of worship in heaven.  In Rev. 12:9; 20:2 the serpent is called the devil and the great dragon. 

The serpent was more crafty than any of the other wild animals God had made.  He met Eve in the garden.  She wasn’t startled by him or his appearance.  The enemy will not always appear scary.  He preaches a counterfeit gospel.  He stirs up doubt.  He is deceitful.  He tempts people to doubt God and specializes in half-truths.  He is very effective in causing people to sin.  We can’t outsmart him, but we can overcome him with the power of Jesus.

Adam told Eve what God had said about not eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  If they ate from this tree, they would die.  The crafty serpent caused Eve to question God by asking, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” – Gen. 3:1.  He enticed her to be independent from God causing her to think these instructions were unfair.  He convinced her she needed what God had forbidden.

Eve told the serpent what God had said – or at least what God told Adam, but she added that they were not even to touch it.  The serpent told her they would not die.  He told her what she wanted to hear and this caused her to doubt God.  Eve was greedy because she desired the fruit and she wanted to be like God.  “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” – Gen. 3:6 “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked” – Gen 3:7. 

They focused on the serpent’s words and their desires and lost sight of God.  Eve was deceived and sinned.  Many blame Eve for the fall of the human race, but it was Adam who willfully chose to sin.  He even stood by and didn’t try to stop her.  He sinned with his eyes wide open. 

Notice that it didn’t take much convincing for Adam to follow along with Eve’s sin.  He is just like us today.  We blindly follow along with what the crowd when we know it’s wrong.  We tell ourselves if everyone else is doing it, it must be ok.

When we compare this scripture with Jesus’ response in Matt. 4:1-11, both quoted what God said and both Eve and Jesus were tempted:  Eve with wisdom; Jesus with power.  Eve gave in, but Jesus did not.  Temptation is not a sin.  It is only sin, when you give in to it and your evil desires that it becomes a sin.

Characteristics of Satan:

Gen. 3:1 – he is crafty.

Matt. 13:19 – he snatches away what is sown in your heart.

Matt. 13:25, 39 – he sows seeds

John 8:44 – he is a murderer from the beginning, a liar and the father of lies.

John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11 – he is the prince of the world.

2 Cor. 4:4 – he is the god of this age.

Eph. 2:2 – he is the ruler of the kingdom of the air.

Because of sin we have constant problems in this life.  These problems make us fight against each other and against God.  We are always in opposition to the world in some kind of way.  We’re never satisfied.  We long for something, but we’re not really sure just what it is.  We see this longing in various ways and in various people.  We long of happiness.  We move from one to another in relationships looking for happiness.  We long for heaven even if we don’t know it.

Satan has a strong influence in the world, because it is so easy to follow him – just do what you want to do.  It’s hard work being a Christian and obeying God.  We really have to work at it.  Remember the devil has limitations.  He can only do what we let him.  He can only do what God allows him to do.  He has to ask God’s permission.  One day he will be stopped and bound for a 1,000 years.  Then he will be released for a short time to deceive the world again, and then he will be destroyed and thrown into the lake fire and be there forever.  See Job 1:6-12; Luke 4:1-13; Rev. 20:2, 7-10

What temptations are you facing?

Do you give in, because it’s easier than obeying God?

Do you try to justify your desire because everyone else is doing it?

When we are tempted, we do have defenses against the schemes of the devil:

1 Thess. 5:17, James 6:16 – we have prayer.

Matt. 4:1-2; Luke 4:1-2 – we have the Spirit within us

Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12 – we have the Word of God

James 4:7 – if we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, he will flee from us.

People who want to be in control and don’t want to be under God’s rule usually question Him and His Word.  God knows what we need and what is best for us.  After all He is the one who created us.

Do you have moments when you think God doesn’t know what you need?

Do you doubt God and His goodness?

We struggle when we don’t get what we desire.  Man’s wrong choices are not God’s wrong doing.  Adam remained silent when Eve was being tempted by the serpent.  A lot of times we remain silent, when we see others being tempted, struggling, or doing wrong.  There are things we can do.  We can speak up, pray about the situation, or share the gospel; but many times we remain silent.

When have you been silent when you should have spoken up?

Both Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed God in their own way.  Eve gave in to the lust of the flesh when she saw the food of the tree was pleasant to look at.  She gave in to the pride of life by desiring to be wise.  She was tempted, but the taking of the fruit was all her doing.  She could have simply run from Satan and the tree, but she didn’t.  She became an agent of Satan by giving it to Adam.  When Adam ate, he was as deceived as Eve.  He knew firsthand what God had said.  It was an open rebellion against God.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened.  They saw their nakedness and the entire world was now different.  They heard God walking in the garden.  They were in fear of God and like many of us they hid from Him, but God sees all and knows all.  He gave them a chance to confess and repent.

Eve blamed the serpent and Adam blamed God saying “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”- Gen. 3:12.  They were just like us today, always making excuses and blaming others for our mistakes.  True confession accepts full responsibility for actions instead of trying to justify self and blame others.

Are you convinced God is mad at you?

Do you blame others for your mistakes?

As a result of their sin God punished the serpent by cursing him above all livestock and animals.  He made him crawl on his belly and made him enemies with the woman. – Gen. 3:14-15.  God punished Eve by increasing her pain in childrearing and her husband would rule over her. – Gen. 3:16.  God punished Adam by cursing the ground and making his work painful and hard. – Gen 3:17-19.

As a result of Adam and Eve’s sin there is now sin in the world with physical and spiritual death that comes to all men.  Satan thought he had won, but he failed.  God’s judgment on Satan is for him to always know defeat.  Satan will continue to temp and cause sin.  He will always reach for victory, but in the end will always fall short.

God’s remedy is forgiveness of sin.  His remedy of fear is His Son, Jesus Christ.  He wants to forgive you and restore you.  God provided a way to restore our relationship with Him.  He reconciled us through the blood of Christ.  He provided Jesus as a sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of the world.  John 1:29 – “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  John 14:6 – “Jesus said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one come to the Father except through me.’”  Rom. 3:25 – “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”  2 Cor. 5:17-19 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”  THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

Have you allowed Jesus to reconcile you to God?

Do you still feel guilty and afraid? 

What do you do now?  Choose to believe.  Adam believed God and demonstrated his faith by giving Eve her name in Gen. 3:20.  Her name, Eve reflects life.

The first shed of blood in the Bible was when God made garments from the animals for Adam and Eve’s nakedness.  Their life was perfect, but they chose to believe otherwise.  Satan hates you and he wants you to be absolutely certain you can’t be certain of God’s grace.  God is the only solution to sin in your life.

Because of their Adam and Eve’s sin, they would know good and evil.  God had protected them from having to live as sinners when He told them to only eat from the tree of life.  God banished them from the garden and placed cherubim to guard them from entering.  There would be no more easy life for them.  Adam would have to work the ground for food.

Principles: 

Sin takes hold when we doubt God’s Word and God’s goodness.

Sin leads to shame, fear and hiding.

Sin results are pain, conflict and death. 

The Lord Jesus Christ is man’s only solution to the power and penalty of sin.

Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Genesis 1:26 – 2:25 – Details of Creation

 

Genesis 1:26-31

On the sixth day God said “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” – Gen 1:26. All three persons of God worked in unity in creating.  God created male and female.  He blessed them and told them to be fruitful and increase in number to fill the earth.  He provided them with food and everything they could ever want.

Here God explains His provision for earth with the giving of plants to provide food for the animals and the people.  He is not only our Creator, but our Provider and Sustainer.  His purposes for mankind is to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and rule over it.

Principle:  God’s image in us gives every person worth and purpose.

Genesis 2:1-3

Creation was now complete.  God had finished His work in six days.  He rested on the seventh day.  He didn’t rest because He was tired, but because He had finished His work.  “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” – Gen. 2:3.

Exodus 20:8-11 makes a clear connection between the Sabbath day and the seventh day on which God rested.  It is a day of rest and worship given as a gift to the Israelites to rest from working in slavery.  It is a gift and we are to remember this day, meaning not forget to take a day off and thank and worship our Creator.  Again God provided for us with a day of rest that is needed for all humankind.  Our bodies need rest and so do our spirits.  It should be a special day different from all other days of the week.  It should be a God-centered rest where we focus on our holy God.  It should be a day of worship and thanksgiving.

The Sabbath is not a day of dos and don’ts and we shouldn’t be legalistic about it.  The Sabbath command is a command to experience joy, worship, and thanksgiving for what God has done.  God’s wants us to have a joyful experience. 

Matthew 12 tells us what Jesus thought about this day.  He used it as a day for showing mercy and for doing good.  It’s a day to focus on the Lord.  Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Every day is a day of rest in the finished work of Jesus.  As a Christian every day should be set apart to God.  Rest is more that resting our tired bodies with sleep and recreation.  True rest comes from Jesus when we are reconciled to God and experience His peace.

Have you experienced God’s true rest?

Do you take time to intentionally focus on God?

Principle:  Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Genesis 2:4-25

The previous chapter gives the overview of creation while Genesis 2 gives the details of creation.  The theme is centered around the personal relationship between man and God.  It describes the way life was intended to be.

God had not sent rain to the earth yet so no plants had sprung up yet, but there were streams that came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.   There was no one to work the ground so God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.  Man became a living being. (Gen 2:5-7).

The Hebrew word for man is a term for mankind and becomes the proper name Adam.  God blessed the Adam and put him in the garden where He provided plenty good food to eat. 

God planted a garden called the Garden of Eden giving man living green plants to eat.  (Eden is presently known as Iraq).  In the beginning people and animals didn’t eat meat, only vegetation.  The plants and trees would have seeds so more plants and trees would grow for food.  He told him to work and care of the garden.  There was a river that continued to water the garden.  In the middle of the garden were two trees – 1. The tree of life and 2. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He told man to eat of any tree there except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or they would die. (Gen. 2:8-17).

The tree of life symbolized the eternal life God gives to humans.  Why did God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden?  It was probably a test to their faithfulness to Him.  God tested His people throughout the Bible as He tests people today.  He wants to see how we react to Him and His commandments.  He tests us to bring out the best in us, not the worst.

God said it wasn’t good for man to be alone and so He would make him a helper (Gen. 2:18).  God brought all the living creatures He had created to the man to give them names.  There was no suitable helper for the man so God took a rib from the man and made a woman.  The man named the helper God had given him ‘woman’.  He said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman for she was taken out of man.” – Gen. 2:23  God said “for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” – Gen. 2:24-25.  Later in Genesis 3:20 we will see that Adam named the woman Eve. 

God made the man and woman in His likeness and image, but He made them very different.  Each one had strengths and purposes.   They were made to complement each other.  This was the first marriage. 

Marriage is God’s plan for a man and a woman and should last a life time.  They are to live and work together under God’s rules.  Marriage was designed to meet our need for companionship and is an illustration of our relationship with God.  He made the man out of dust, but the woman from the man’s rib.  She was made equal with him and he is to cherish her as his own flesh.

Principle:  Marriage is a divine institution given by our Creator God and is a union between a man and a woman.

Everything God had made was perfect and wonderful.  He gave man a beautiful place to live, food to eat and everything they could ever want.  It was man’s sin that messed everything up.

Why did God create the earth?

Scripture teaches us that God created the world and all that is in it for His own glory.  He desired to share His love with others.  The creation of all these things demonstrates His love, His glory, grace, mercy, wisdom, power, goodness, etc.  See Psalm 19:1, 8:1; 50:6; 89:5.  If God created all things, then He alone is the source of the meaning in life.  He defined right and wrong and absolute standards that do not change.

Why did God create us?

He wasn’t lonely or bored and certainly didn’t need us.  He had His Son and the Holy Spirit with Him, which is referred to in Gen. 1:26 – “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness ….’”.  I think He created us out of His great love.  “I have loved you with an everlasting love” – Jer. 31:3.  He loved us even before we were created.  “God is love” – 1 John 4:8.  He has great and wonderful creativity and made us to enjoy all that He is and all that He’s done.  We were also created to fulfill His eternal plan.  He didn’t need us, but we sure need Him.

“Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” – Psalm 100:3.

What does it mean to be made in God’s image?

Humanity is different from the animals.  We were made in God’s likeness and image and we are the ones to rule over all the animals.  We are not like God physically, but spiritually.  We are like God because we can love, think, know right from wrong, have personality, will, and morality.  We can make judgments, we have a conscience, and we can speak reason and relate.

Genesis teaches us the characteristic traits of God:

God is eternal

All knowing

Preeminent

Purposeful

Self-sufficient

The First

Creator

Highest Authority

Transcendent

Sovereign

A Planner

Incomprehensible

Incomparable

Can be known

No other like Him

One person, yet 3 persons

A God of order

A God of great wisdom

Questions to think about

What do you learn about work and rest?

What responsibilities has God given you?

What encourages you from Genesis?

How do you acknowledge that God is your creator?

How has creation taught you about God that someone else needs to know?

What are you holding back because it doesn’t make sense?  Ask God to help you in your unbelief and to help you to respect His creation.

God provided for Adam and Eve so how has He provided for you?

God provided order as He made creation so where do you need to bring order into your life?

Have you received Christ into your life?

Are you sure God has put His Spirit into your heart?

Are you willing to make changes in your life and follow Him?

Join me here next week as we continue our study of Genesis -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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I Don’t Feel Saved

 

Some people say they don’t “feel” saved.  I received an email from a lady named Grace.  This is what she wrote.

Hi
I am writing to see if you have any advice for me.
I was saved a very long time ago.
But I didn't realize that shortly after I rejected Him.
I didn't realize it until 9 yrs ago.
I have tried everything for Him to take me back, but nothing.
I have gone through a few crazy traumas
Now when I listen or read the Bible it condemns me
It’s as if I have an antichrist spirit
It's scary and crazy
I have reached out for help numerous times to no avail.
I have very little hope.
No matter how much I pray and repent, I am still in this hell on earth.
I hate to say this but my salvation has become like a disease.
I hate what has happened to me.
I don't have Jesus and I don't have peace.
I am in darkness and I have no love.
I really don’t have much of a life.
I am so scared that since I rejected him, he's rejecting me.
Thank you
Grace
Regards

If you ever feel this way, I’m here to hopefully give you some encouragement.  Your salvation began by faith not feelings.  Salvation is not a feeling.  Feelings vary from one moment to the next depending on the day we’re having.  Don’t trust your feelings.  Trust God is who He says He is and in His promises.  God never changes.  Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  Jesus’ death and resurrection is the basis for our salvation and that never changes. 

The Bible never teaches that we will feel saved.  As Christians we will encounter persecution physically and mentally which will include a full range of emotions.  It may be joy, discouragement or even doubt, even Jesus experience deep emotion during His ministry.  He wept over the death of Lazarus and sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane.

We all reject Jesus in many ways, but He still forgives us.  Remember Peter rejected Jesus 3 times, yet he was forgiven.  You need to remember that none of us are perfect.  Just because you were saved years ago doesn’t mean you stop sinning or that you should be now be perfect and never do anything wrong again.  Christians sin every day, but sin no longer controls our lives.  Satan never gives up on trying to destroy our faith.  Don’t listen to Him.  Instead stay on your knees and keep asking God to make you strong to resist the temptations of doubt. 

Satan wants you to “feel” unsaved so you will feel guilty and so you will be ineffective for the Gospel.  We will never reach perfection until we reach heaven.  When you mess up and you feel unsaved, you are trusting in your works instead of the works of Christ.  Remember we all mess up daily not because we are not saved, but because we are only human and not perfect.  Satan loves it when you feel the ways Grace described.  Don’t let him win.

One thing I do when I feel depressed or doubt is to say out loud, “Satan leave me alone and leave this house in the name of Jesus!”  Try saying this daily.  Also really pour yourself into praising God.  You’ve heard it said, “Fake it till you make it”.  Do just that. 

Another thing you can do is to listen to Contemporary Christian music.  I like KLOVE.  It’s very encouraging to sing along and lift my hands in praise to Him.   I do this every time I’m driving.  I know people that pass me think I’m nuts.

Satan puts these doubts in our heads.  As long as you recognize sin in your life, repent, and submit to the truth of Scripture that says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” – Acts 16:31, and “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” – Joel 2:32.  The magic word is TRUST.

The evidence of genuine saving experience is bearing Godly love and Godly fruit.  If you are praying, reading and studying you Bible and truly seeking God, you’re on the right path.  There are many Bible studies going on in churches and online.  I do BSF, Bible Study Fellowship.  It is all over the world and is non denominational.  Right now we do it via zoom.  You can have little or a lot of Bible knowledge.  Everyone fits in.  It’s the best Bible study I’ve ever done.  Go online to  www.bsfinternational.org to get plugged in.

After all this if you still think you are not saved.  Acknowledge Him public again in your church and be re-baptized.  There’s nothing wrong with that.

Grace, I will be praying for you. 

“Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5; Joshua 1:5

Test yourself by asking yourself these questions.  Do I love God and seek to obey His Word?  When I sin, do I feel sorry and turn away from my sin?  Am I growing to be more like Jesus with love, joy, patience, kindness, and self-control? 

If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you’re showing signs that God has made you a Christian and will never let you go.  “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” – John 10:28.  “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord.” – Rom. 8:38-39.  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – Rom. 8:1.

If you answered ‘no’ to these questions, you can find out how to become a Christian by believing in the Lord Jesus.  Steps for doing that are found at the bottom of this page, “How to be saved”.

If you’re a true believer, you’ll keep turning from sin and trusting Jesus to help you overcome sin.  You will want to obey Him and His Word.  You will still sin, but sin no longer has to control you.

Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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