The Fall of Man

“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. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Gen 3:6-7 (NIV)

Sin has consequences. When Eve chose to doubt God’s Word and to succumb to the temptation presented by the serpent, she fell from her position of being right with God. For a moment, Eve was in her fallen state and Adam was not. Yet, when Eve gave Adam the fruit of the tree to eat, he ate it without reservation. Adam knew better. God had already communicated with Adam personally about the forbidden fruit (Gen. 2:16-17). Adam failed to protect himself and Eve from the devastation produced by their disobedience. It makes you wonder if Adam made God’s revelation clear to Eve.

Adam and Eve recognized their nakedness and sought to cover up their shame. Their relationship with God and their relationship with each other shifted into the reality of their fallen state. Their sin had immediate and direct consequences that affected not only them, but also every generation since their fall.

You can trace the root of your sin throughout your family tree all the way back to Adam and Eve. The sin nature you combat today is a direct result of the sin nature you inherited from Adam and Eve. Their struggle is now your struggle. Their battle is now your battle.

Attempting to cover your own shame and sin would be considered futile. In and of yourself, you do not have the capacity to provide the covering and cleansing necessary to be in right standing with God. Praise God that He was willing to come to our rescue!

Pursuing God,

Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell