Text: Genesis 3:1-15

Basic Proposition:

Sin is a disaster that has plagued mankind since the fall.  It is divisive, destructive and deadly.  When man sins he is separated from the holiness of God.

An Executive Decision -

The devil in the form of a serpent came to Eve in order to convince her to make a decision to disobey the commands of God. There are three specific things the devil used in getting Eve to make an executive decision.

1. Approach – The serpent approaches with the idea of inserting doubt into the mind by negatively stating God’s commands. The devil’s goal is to convince man that what God has commanded is unfair and not worth obeying.  Whenever something contradicts God or His Word we can be sure it is of the devil no matter how small!
2. Animosity – Second, we see the devil tries to turn God’s creation against Him.  This is seen in her response to the serpent’s question. She quickly adds the part “neither shall ye touch it” to the word of God indicating her despising of God’s command.
3. Appeal – Second the devil uses his appeals for the flesh.  There are three types of appeals to the flush and they are found in 1 John 2:15-17:
• Lust of the flesh (How much you will enjoy it!)
• Lust of the eyes (Look how good it is!)
• Pride of Life (You will benefit others!)

An Epidemic Disaster –

The bite of fruit which they took infected a perfect creation with an epidemic that would pollute and poison everything.

1. The Multiplicity – The decision to take part in sin does not just affect one person. Eve deceived by the devil ate of the fruit and gave it also to her husband.  Then by this action sin entered into the world and God knew that they had rebelled against his authority.
2. The Manifestation – The end result of sin is a disaster.  Sin is a divider because of God’s holiness and hatred for sin He has to judge sinners.  By eating of the fruit, Adam and Eve became aware of sin and from that moment through their disobedience they would never be capable of not sinning all together.

An Ending Design –

Through Adam and Eve sin entered into the world.  Though God never wanted His creation to sin, He had a design from the beginning.  God’s purpose for creation has always been to bring greater glory to Himself.  By design we see the justice, mercy and love of God in the judgment of mankind for their rebellion.

1. The Punishment - Since the fall of man there has been an insurmountable gap between God and man. God’s decree in Genesis 3:14-19 is a just punishment that will forever change the dynamics of creation.  God’s punishment is not only just but also merciful as seen in Genesis 3:22.  In what seems like a cruel banishment God actually protects His creation by keeping man from an eternal life of suffering and hardships.
2. The Promise – Yet God does not leave man in total despair. The design of God for His greater glory is His unfolding drama of redemption.  The end design was that God would sacrifice His own son and He indicates it through the promise made in His judgment to Eve and the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
3. The Picture – In Genesis 3:21 is the first illustration of God’s redemptive work.  It served for Adam and Eve as an illustration of God’s means of salvation.  It serves us with a picture of how committed God is to His work of redeeming the souls of man from their desperate conditions. 

Personal Application

                It was a childlike innocence that allowed man to be with God.  Man was unaware of what was right and what was wrong therefore he only did what God told him.  God did not tell Adam to do wrong, but when Adam was made aware of how to sin he could not prevent it.  I need to strive for having a childlike conscience in obeying God without asking why or thinking about it, but doing it because I love God.