THE DOCTRINE OF MAN--PART 2 – THE FALL--GENESIS 3:1-24

THE DOCTRINE OF MAN

PART 2 – THE FALL--GENESIS 3:1-24

Introduction:

The story of the fall of man begins in the garden when God gave Adam and Eve a law to regulate their lives. They were free to eat of all of the trees of the garden except one, Genesis 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”Satan, in the form of a serpent, began his work of deception on Eve.

I. TEMPTATION, 3:1-6.

A. The Tempter

1. God is not the author of sin, James 1:13, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”

2. Satan fell into sin before his work in Genesis 3, Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-18.

3. Satan came to Eve as a deceiver, 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

4. In Genesis 4, he is the liar that murders, John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

B. The Target

1. Satan aims at Eve’s mind, 2 Corinthians 11:1-3, “Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. 2-For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3-But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” See also 1 Timothy 2:9-15.

2. Man’s mind is a part of his being created in God’s image, Colossians 3:9-10, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10-And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

3. Satan lied to Eve being the father of lies, John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

C. The Tactic

“As long as the mind holds to God’s truth, Satan cannot win; but once the mind doubts God’s Word, there is room for the devil’s lies to move in.” -- Warren W. Wiersbe

1. Satan questioned God’s Word, v. 1.

2. He denied God’s Word, v. 4.

3. He substituted his own lies, v. 5.

a. Satan suggested that God was “holding out on them,” v. 5.

b. When we question God’s goodness and love we are playing right into Satan’s hands.

c. Satan makes an offer, “ye shall be as gods…” Satan greatest desire, v. 5; Isaiah 14:14, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Matthew 4:8, “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;”

D. The Tragedy

1. Eve gave place to the devil, Ephesians 4:27, “Neither give place to the devil.”

2. Eve took away from God’s Word by omitting “freely,” v. 2.

3. She added to God’s Word -- “touch it,” v. 3.

4. She changed God’s Word by adding, “lest ye die” instead of “you shall surely die,” v. 3.

5. Here we see the tragic operation lust:

a. The lust of the eyes, “pleasant to the eyes.”

b. The pride of life, “desirable to make one wise.”

“It is difficult to sin alone. Something in us makes us want to share the sin with others. Adam deliberately sinned and plunged the world into judgment,” 1 Timothy 2:14, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

II. THE CONDEMNATION, 3:7-19.

A. Internal, vs. 7-13.

1. The loss of innocence, v. 7, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

2. The sense of guilt became known, James 2:10, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

a. God had given only one law, Genesis 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

b. Adam and Eve were guilty before God.

3. Loss of a desire for fellowship with God, v. 8.

a. They hid from God for fear of Him, vs. 9-10.

b. Fear had taken the place of fellowship.

B. External, vs. 14-19.

1. The woman’s judgment involved difficulty in childbearing.

2. The man’s judgment had to do with his work:

a. Paradise would be replaced with wilderness.

b. The joy work in the garden was replaced with sweat and toil.

c. God’s penalty was not work because work is not sinful, Genesis 2:15, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”

C. Eternal, v. 15.

1. The woman’s seed (Christ) would ultimately defeat Satan, Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5-To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

2. Satan and his seed would oppose God and His family. God Himself put enmity (hostility) between them.

3. God will climax the war when He cast Satan into hell, Revelation 20:10, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

III. SALVATION, 3:20-24.

A. Adam heard and believed the gospel preached in Genesis 3:15 and was saved.

1. Although Adam trusted the Lord and was saved, God did not change the physical aspects of sin. Adam did die when he was 930 years old.

2. However, because Adam believed God, the Lord did remit the eternal consequences of sin – hell.

a. God killed an animal or two – typical of the shed blood of Christ, v. 21.

b. He made coats of skin to cover their nakedness, Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” See also Zechariah 3 about garments as a picture of salvation.

B. Adam called his wife Eve, i.e., “lifegiver” proving that He had believed what God said, Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1:23, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”