LESSONS FROM GENESIS – PART III

Lesson 3- The Consequences of Sin

By Oluwole Josiah

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 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.”

~Genesis 3:6-7

SIN IS THE transgression of the law of God. It is the breaking of God’s commandment or living contrary to the will of God. Whichever way you define it, sin is evil and remains the single most destructive force in the life of man.

AS ALREADY OBSERVED in Genesis 3 man made a very costly choice when he chose to disobey God’s command. In the earlier chapter, God placed man in the Garden of Eden and commanded him to keep and dress it. He was also to eat of every tree in the garden, (including the fruit of the tree of life which was also in the garden.)

GOD’S COMMANDMENT went thus (Gen. 2:16-17):

“…Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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.”

THE INSTRUCTION was simple; they were to eat of all but one. To eat of the evil tree would bring death as the ultimate penalty. But the devil came tempting, as always the case. Satan tempts us to sin; he tempted Jesus and sought to take advantage of his fleshly form. He is still in the tempting business, and whoever allows him would fall into sin and be condemned.

SO SATAN FIRST came to Eve, the woman, and lured her into reviewing God’s law, (as many are wont to do today) he lied to her and got her to eat of the fruit of the tree that they were forbidden to eat. Then she got her husband, Adam, to do the same.

LIKE A VIRUS the sin of disobedience spread from Eve to Adam and when they ate, they were both immediately condemned.

TODAY, SATAN is making light of sin and selling it as “freedom” to people, nay, professors of the faith of Jesus Christ. He would tell you it does not matter, and as he told Eve:

“…ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5.

SIN HAS BECOME the source of pride to many today, thinking that they are wise, they make themselves the children of hell. God meant every of His word, when you break it, you die. “The soul that sinneth it shall die,” and again the Bible said “the wages of sin is death.” Death is the penalty of sin and no amount of Satan’s sweet talk and deceit through his false preachers going around today or through the deceit of the mind can change the fact of it

SATAN’S WAY always appears easier and faster, offering some specks of pleasure: for Eve observed that the tree appeared to be “good for food,” “pleasant to the eyes,” “to be desired to make one wise.” These were Satan’s offers for breaking God’s law.

IF EVE HAD CONSIDERED the consequences, or weighed the momentary pleasure of the pleasant fruit and worldly wisdom to be derived or still the feeding of the belly against the gravity of God’s law, she might have had a good defense.

THIS IS STILL the moving force behind many sinners of our day – the devaluation of eternal things for an elevation of the fleshly. “What shall we eat and drink and wherewithal shall we be clothed,” but no one considers that these will come to an end, but the word of God will last forever.

IT IS SHORTSIGHTED to run after sinful pleasures only to damn your souls. Jesus Christ had asked what a man would give in exchange for his soul.

ADAM AND HIS WIFE paid for this misplacement and suffered terribly. First they lost their fellowship with their God, for verse 8 records that for fear Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of God, who hitherto came down to fellowship them.

SIN BREAKS our relationship with God, for He is too holy to behold sin.

Psalm 24:5 -

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in holy place: he that hath clean hands and a pure heart…”

EVERY TIME we break God’s commandment, we grieve His heart and are drawn farther away from Him. Remember what he said to the Children of Israel?

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2.

AGAIN, THE SEPARATION brought fear to their hearts, for Adam said, “I was afraid.” The Bible tells us that the wicked man runneth when no pursues him, but the righteous is bold as a lion. Sin drove him to hide himself from the face of God.

THEY ALSO KNEW that they were naked, they were clothed with God’s righteousness and holiness so that they did not need clothes, but sin entered, they became naked. By this they lost their innocence and so they do not only have the knowledge of evil, but the knowledge to do evil.

ADAM’S FALL brought sin to the generation of mankind. If they knew that one singular action would result to a sinning world, perhaps they would have put up some rebuke against Satan. But now the consequences are with us.

TOO OFTEN, men would not see what the outcome their actions would be, so they plunge into sin, only to regret at last. How many young ladies have died and lost their womb in attempts of abortion? How many men and women have been infected with HIV/AIDS and other kinds of diseases just on exploration of the world of pleasure? How many homes have been broken and children rendered homeless as a result of adultery?

WE CAN’T COUNT them all, but the consequences remain and many more are driving themselves on the path of sin, the end of cause brings regret and shame.

DEAR ONES, don’t be deceived by sin; its pleasures are so temporary, but its consequences are long lasting and could end us in an eternal damnation. Be wise and reject the life of sin now. Breath that prayer to the Lord and renounce all the works of sin and God will receive you now, He is waiting. God bless you as you make up your mind.