The first few chapters of Genesis gives us the creation account and the creation of Man.  Adam was created on the 6th day of creation and was made in the image and likeness of God.  When God breathed into Adam he became a living being. (Genesis 2:7).  On that 6th day God brought all of the animals to Adam fo him to name.  This was an exercise by God to show Adam that he was alone because as Adam named the animals he saw that there was a male and female of each one.  (Genesis 2:19-20).  After this God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam. God removed one of Adam’s ribs and created woman to be a helper and companion to Adam. (Genesis 2:21-25).

God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden where they could tend it and eat of any tree that was in it except for one.  God did this because he is a loving God and wants to be loved.  Love is a choice.  We cannot be forced into loving someone and God will not force us into loving Him.  Therefore God gave man a choice.  God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden and commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of it or they would die. (Genesis 2:15-17)

While Adam and Eve were in the garden, God would visit them every day and fellowship with them.  They were created perfectly and had a perfect relationship with God.  However, after some time, Satan entered the garden disguised as a serpent and when Eve was separated from Adam, Satan began to tempt her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He took what God has said and twisted the words causing doubt.  “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1). Then Satan directly contradicted the punishment God had said would happen if she did eat of the tree. “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4)

We see here that Satan is a liar and the father of lies.  (John 8:44) He will always take some truth and twist it in order to cause us to sin.  He is deceptive and his sole purpose is to destroy us.  (1 Peter 5:8) Satan is bound for hell and he wishes to take as many people with him as he can. 

Unfortunately, Satan was successful in tempting Eve.  She ate the fruit when she “saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.” (Genesis 3:6). We see 3 things that will always lead us to sin.  The lust of the flesh… “saw the tree was good for food”; the lust of the eyes… “that it was pleasant to the eyes”; and the pride of life… ”it was desirable to make one wise.” (1 John 2:16)

Now we see Eve was tempted and ate but after she gave the fruit to Adam and he ate of it also.  Adam was not tempted.  Much worse, he made a very conscious choice.  Should he follow God or his wife, Eve?  In that moment Adam chose to rebel against God and follow Eve.  Adam had no one to blame.  Not even Satan. (Genesis 3:6-7)

The consequences of rebelling against God are severe.  God said that disobedience would result in death.  Since Adam and Eve didn’t die right away, death refers to both physical death and spiritual death.  Spiritual death happened right away and resulted in a lost relationship with God.  Physical death came later.  Also because Adam sinned and we are all descendants of Adam, that sin nature is passed down to each of us.  We sin because it is our nature and we are born spiritually dead.  We also sin because we choose to.

But God is rich in mercy and love so despite the consequences of Adam’s sin for him and all of the human race, God provided a way of redemption.  A way for us to have fellowship with God again and to have eternal life.  Again, this is also a choice each person must make because God doesn’t force Himself on anyone. 

In Genesis 3:15 God proclaimed that the woman’s Seed (Jesus Christ) would bruise the head of the serpent (Satan) but His heel would be bruised (Jesus’s death and suffering on the cross).  Because we are spiritually dead in our sin, there is nothing we can do to restore our relationship with God.  Only God could provide a way, so He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be born of a virgin (the Women’s Seed) to live the perfect life that Adam failed to do and to take on God’s punishment meant for us onto Himself.  Jesus Christ died for us but then He also conquered death by rising from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.  All that is required of us is to agree with God that we are sinners and to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16)

For more on the good news of salvation please visit the Good News page.