Genesis 3 is foundational to understanding the Gospel. If you can understand the fall of man, you will be able to grasp God’s eternal plans of redemption. Consequently, if you have misconceptions of Genesis 3, it will leave you with more questions than answers about God. What I love about the story of Adam and Eve’s sin is how it reveals the attributes of God. In it we see the wrath of God, the mercy of God, the justice of God, and the love of God all together upholding the glory of God.
It is important to understand the contrast between Eve’s sin and Adam’s. According to 1 Timothy 2:14, Eve was deceived into sinning, whereas Adam rebelled with full knowledge of what he was doing. Scripture calls this transgression, or in other words, sinning with a high hand. Transgression is when we cross boundaries knowingly. So why would you suppose that Adam would cross the boundary, knowing that God said sin would bring death? God clearly told Adam, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Perhaps Adam failed to communicate this to Eve, for Eve was not created until after this command was given. Many husbands fail to lead their families spiritually. It may be that Adam was not the spiritual leader he should have been.
However, there may be another reason Adam chose to willfully sin against God. I believe everything in the Scriptures point to Jesus, even Adam’s rebellion. Because Adam understood that Eve was going to die now that she partook of the fruit, could it be that he was not willing to live for eternity without her? Could it be that he loved her so much that he was willing to become sin for her?
As Adam became sin for Eve, Christ became sin for us. Just as Adam did not want to consider an eternity without Eve, Christ did not want to consider an eternity without the Church. So, what did Christ do? “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). To grow your appreciation for the love of Christ, consider reading Genesis 3:1-24, and then read Romans 5:12-21. After reading these two passages together, then exalt the Lord with 1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.”
Sign Up For Pastor Chad’s Weekly Newsletter by clicking here!
You must be logged in to post a comment.