Genesis 3
Toxic sin and the detoxification from sin.
Wesley’s progression of thought on the events of “the Fall:”
1.) Unbelief begot pride 2.) Pride begot self-will 3.) Self-will begot foolish
desires.
When Adam sinned, “the life of God was extinguished in his
soul.” The human moral image is lost,
rendering humankind no longer “capable of God” (able to know love and obey God
as we were designed to do). Thus we become
dead to God. Our refusal to return God’s
love is at the heart of Wesley’s description of the fall of humanity into sin.
I. The Temptation:
A. Satan questions the Word of God
(“Did God really say…?”) [v 1]
1.
Notice that Satan MISQUOTES God.
2.
This misquote is an EXAGERATION.
3.
This exaggeration REFRAMES God’s intention from
freedom to restriction.
4.
Casting God as someone who wishes to restrict,
Satan claims God is UNREASONABLE.
*****The power of doubt is the destruction of
belief. ***** [me]
B. Satan
contradicts the Word of God.
1.
LIE: No you will not die. [v 4] (Challenge to
God’s authority to do what is said.)
2.
LIE: God is keeping something good from you. [v
5] (Challenge to God’s character as wanting the best for us.)
C. Mistakes
in dealing with temptation.
1. Eve
talked to Satan. (Notice Adam did not…
becomes a passive player in the story.)
2. Eve misquotes the Word of God.
(Notice Adam did not correct her.)
3. They believed Satan. (Unbelief is not believing God… believing
Satan.)
II. The desires:
A. [v 6] The eyes: Eve saw the tree and fruit was beautiful.)
1. The eyes are a problem because what
you see is not always what it is…
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” [2
Corinthians 5:7 KJV, ESV, etc.]
2. This got Eve’s imagination and
feelings going…
3. Doubt of God’s Word leads to a
disregard.
*****The power of disregarding belief is the
destruction of trust. *****
(The
lack of trust creates false sense independence.
This false independence is PRIDE.)
B. [v 6] The flesh: Eve thought the fruit would taste
delicious.
1. Once
the eyes touched the imagination then the passions of the body were set in
motion.
2. Interesting
that sin started with eating… God’s response was also in eating (The Lord’s
Supper).
C. [v 6]
The desire: Eve’s self-will kicked into gear.
1. We see this foolish desire moved her
to action.
“Carefully guard your thoughts because they
are the source of true life.” [Proverbs 4:23 CEV]
·
“Thoughts”… typically translated “heart” meaning
what is the kernel, the center, the substance of the person.
·
Not the physical heart… it is the ethical,
moral, emotional, intellect place were decisions are made.
2. Our desires measure the heart: Want to know what’s in the heart? Check the DESIRES.
***** The power
of desire is the destruction of reality. ***** (me)
III. The
Consequences:
A. Self-determination
to find happiness in our hands.
1. Notice there is a direct correlation
between becoming unholy and unhappy.
2. Degradation, slavery, and ruin of
the soul in sin.
3. General discontent… (e.g.
complaining)
B. Separation
from God (“spiritual death”) and from each other.
1. [v 7] Shame from being naked.
2. [v 7] Attempted to cover themselves…
unsuccessfully.
3. [v 8] They hid from God.
4. [v 10] They became afraid of God.
C. Straight-
out refused responsibility by blaming someone else.
1. [v 12] Adam blames the woman (who
was a gift of God… blaming God).
2. [v 13] Eve blames the woman
(“tricked me”)
D. Sin’s
curse is pronounced.
1. To Satan: crawl and eat dust [v 14],
contempt and total failure [v 15]
2. To Eve: painful pregnancy [v 16],
ruled by men [v 16]
3. To Adam: struggle to survive [v 17], physical death [v
19]
***** The power
of a reality broken by sin is the destroying pain of every kind. ***** (me)
IV. Salvation
is offered.
A. Satan
would be crushed by the “seed of the woman.” [v 15]
1. “Proto-evangelical”
2. Jesus, born of a virgin… crucified
(heal) but resurrected and returning (head).
B. God clothed them in leather [v
21].
1. The first death they had seen.
2. This became the foundation for the
“blood sacrifice” to atone [meaning “cover”] for sin.)
3. BECAUCE the consequence of sin is
death (spiritual and physical) then the redemption of sin would also be death
(the blood of Jesus).
“…without the shedding
of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” [Hebrews 9:22b ESV]
C. God
drove them out of Eden [v 24].
1. The irreversible loss of Eden puts
in us the feeling this world is broken and unnatural. (It’s why we ask “why?” when something bad
happens.)
2. The desire is to find or make Eden
on earth… which is not possible since only God could create Eden.
3. So we live with this uneasy discord
between the unlimited potential of what we were created to be and the reality
of the grip and slavery to sin. (Death
is a mercy in dealing with that life-long frustration.)
4. This should motivate us to seek
salvation from sin (consequences and power) in Jesus (who happens to be “the
Word.”).
5. It’s here we discover that our
potential is fulfilled in being loved by God and loving God back (no matter how
imperfect our love may be).
***** The power of God’s love, demonstrated on the cross, is the destroying
of sin’s control of our daily lives, our eternal destiny, our current potential.
***** (me)