"The Fall"
Genesis 3
Chapter 1 of Genesis describes the creation of the universe and ends with God looking over all that He had made and calling it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Chapter 2 then focuses on the creation of the first man and the first woman and gives details about the beautiful garden in which they lived. Chapter 2 ends by stating that “the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25).
At this point, Adam and Eve lived in complete innocence in a perfect world without sin, a world without evil. They had everything they needed in the garden and lived in unbroken communion with God. There was one simple command that God placed on them in Genesis 2:16,17 – And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” In Genesis chapter 3, Adam and Eve broke that one rule and life on earth would never be the same.
The story of “the Fall” in Genesis 3 may very well be the most defining chapter in the entire Bible. It is here that sin first entered the world and human nature was changed forever. The desire to sin has been passed on to every person born since … “just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). It is impossible to overestimate the effect that this sinful nature has on every aspect of our lives. As Charles Spurgeon put it, “As the salt flavors every drop in the Atlantic, so does sin affect every atom of our nature. It is so sadly there, so abundantly there, that if you cannot detect it, you are deceived.”
While this concept of man’s depravity may be depressing to think about, there are some wonderful things that happen once it becomes real to you and you fully grasp it.
First of all, it really does keep you humble!
Secondly, it helps you to understand the entire message of the Bible as you see this sin problem on display throughout and you hear what God has to say about it.
Lastly, and most importantly, it is not until you truly understand your own depravity that you can fully appreciate what God has done for you by sending his son Jesus to die for you … “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Now that’s AMAZING LOVE!
written by Joe Hust