Lesson 3 THE PROBLEM OF SIN Basic Bible Teaching Lesson 3 THE PROBLEM OF SIN

Introduction Review: The reason why God created the Serpent The creation of Adam and Eve God’s First law The reason why God created the Serpent The Serpents reasoning and the first lie Why Eve listened to the Serpent and disobeyed God The source of temptation and sin The result of sin – we all deserve to die Hope

Review: Adam and Eve Created in the image of God (Gen 1:27, 9:6) Formed of the dust of the ground and the breath of life (Gen 2:7) Naked and unashamed (Gen 2:25) Given dominion over other creatures (Gen 1:28) Placed in the Garden to tend and keep it (Gen 2:15) They did not know good and evil (Gen 3:22)

Review: The First Law And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. Gen 2:16-17 God did not create Adam and Eve as robots. They had freewill. To test their obedience, God gave Adam and Eve one law to keep Just like us today, Adam and Eve had the choice to obey or disobey God When we obey God we honor him, and He is pleased with us, and He then can reward us with life

What was in the garden? God's 1st commandment Everything that was needed, as well as; The tree of Life The tree of the knowledge of good and evil God's 1st commandment

Where did the Serpent come From? An animal made by God: 'Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made.” Genesis 3:1 It was part of God’s “very good” creation “ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31 It is likely that God created the serpent especially to test Adam & Eve’s obedience to him “more crafty” = cunning & deceitful Could talk and reason with man

The Serpent A beast of the field (Gen 3:1) The Most cunning/subtle/crafty (Gen 3:1) Had the power of speech (Gen 3:1) Could reason (Gen 3:1-5) Knew of God’s command (Gen 3:1)

The Serpent’s Reasoning Genesis 3:1-5 The Serpent said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'you must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.  "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' The original Hebrew word for “God” used here is the plural word “Elohim” which can refer to God’s Angels who act as His representatives. The Serpent knew of God’s command and probably overheard several conversations between Adam/Eve and the Angels The Serpent observed two major differences between Adam/Eve and the Angels: The Angels were Strong & incapable of dying; and The Angels know (or have experience of) “good and evil” However, the serpent came to the wrong conclusion regarding the reason for these differences.

The Serpent’s Reasoning Knowledge of Good & Evil Serpent’s Logic BODY EAT? Difference = Angels or “Elohim” Strong Anything Yes 1. Eat the Fruit Adam & Eve Anything EXCEPT the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil 2. Obtain the Knowledge of Good & Evil “your eyes will be opened” Weak No 3. Become Like God (Elohim or the Angels) “You will not surely die”

What the Serpent Missed 1) God’s law that obtaining a Knowledge of good and evil (by eating the fruit) will result in death “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:17 Therefore, the serpent’s logic “you will not surely die” was the first lie 2) That a Knowledge of Good & Evil = to know or experience sin “For the wages of sin is death” Rom 6:23 “the sting of death is sin” 1 Cor 15:56 “sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:15 Therefore: Eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil = Sin SIN SIN

What the Serpent Missed (2) 3) That the Angels were once Sinners After Adam and eve sinned, the Angels expressed their understanding of what it was like to sin: “And the LORD God [Elohim – Angels] said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:22 4) That God rewarded the Angels with eternal life after a period of trial. 2 Major Reasons: 1) God alone (the Father of all) has immortality and has always existed: “… God who gives life to all things…. alone has immortality” 1 Tim 6:13-16 “…from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (El – singular) Psalm 90:2 2) God’s principle is trial before salvation: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Rev 3:21 “… exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.“ Act 14:22 Therefore, at some stage prior to the creation record in Genesis 1, it is likely that God rewarded the Angels with immortality after a period of trial (when they were once like us, mortal sinners)

Where the Serpent went wrong: Knowledge of Good & Evil Serpent’s Logic BODY EAT? Difference = Angels or “Elohim” Strong Anything Yes 1. Eat the Fruit Adam & Eve ½ P Anything EXCEPT the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil 2. Obtain the Knowledge of Good & Evil “your eyes will be opened” Weak No O 3. Become Like God (Elohim or the Angels) “You will not surely die” Correct, but it didn’t understand the background of Angels, and how they were once sinners It’s conclusion was a lie, in direct opposition to God’s word. OP

Why did Eve listen to the serpent?

She was deceived! HOW WAS SHE DECEIVED? Listening to the serpent 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. HOW WAS SHE DECEIVED? Listening to the serpent Listening to her own lusts

“It was pleasant to the eyes” “It was good for food” “It was pleasant to the eyes” “It was a tree to be desired to make one wise” Gen. 3:6

The Source of Temptation 1st John 2:15,16 Lust of the flesh Lust of the eyes Pride of life Genesis 3:6 Good for food Pleasant to the eyes Desired to make one wise

The Consequences The arrival of sin & death Removal from the Garden of Eden Removal from the presence of GOD Sin & death is passed on to all humankind

What is sin? “Sin is the transgression of the law” 1 John 3:4 Disobedience toward God The desire to serve our own lusts and passions

Why do we Sin? When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. James 1:13-15 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. James 1:13-15

Punishment "And the LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly shall you go, And dust shall you eat All the days of your life” Genesis 3:14: NASB To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall bring forth children; Yet your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you. Genesis 3:16: NASB Then to Adam He said …Cursed is the ground because of you … By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:17,19: NASB

The Downfall of Adam & Eve A Mental Change: "The eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked ” (Gen. 3:7) They were now aware of what sin was, and the Bible teaches that from that time forward, human nature has had a bias toward sin. This mental change caused . . . A Moral Change: They were no longer “Very Good” , but because of their actions from their now sinful nature they became estranged from God. Finally, the punishment that God had clearly stated became a reality, the result being . . . A Physical Change: They began to die, as God had had said they would – “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Gen. 2:17)

We inherit Adam and Eve’s fallen nature “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned“ Romans 5:12 'As it is written: "There is no-one righteous, not even one; there is no-one who understands, no-one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no-one who does good, not even one.“ Romans 3:10-12

Consequence of Sin Genesis 2:17 & 3:19  Death Romans 5:12 “Sin entered into the world” “and death through sin” “and so death passed upon all men” “for all have sinned”

Rom. 5:12 - 4 Important Points: “ Sin Entered Into The World . . . ” From then on, sin reigned like a king over mankind. “ Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:12) “ And Death By Sin . . . ” Death was a penalty imposed by God once sin had become a fact. “ Death Passed Upon All Men . . . ” What was a penalty to Adam, became to all others a law of their nature. “ For That All Have Sinned . . . ” Adam's descendants inherited not only mortality, but also a proneness towards sin. All men, left to themselves, will inevitably sin. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? ” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Death: A State of Hopelessness Cessation of life, thought, action Psalm 6:5; 30:9; 88:10-12; Ecclesiastes 9:5-10; Isaiah 38:18,19 A state of silence Psalm 115:17 A condition of corruption Acts 13:36 Life & immortality promised not possessed 2 Timothy 1:10 Apart from resurrection, the dead have perished 1 Corinthians 15:1-19

HOPE Remember John 3:16? ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'

Review Questions How did God punish Adam and Eve? Why did Eve eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?   What is sin?    Where does it come from?    Who took away the great problem of sin?   

Next lesson The Promises of God Further results of Adam and Eve’s disobedience The promise in Eden: deliverance from sin & death The promises of God to Abraham and David: to inherit the whole world forever. How we can share in these promises