11-6-2021 Seventh Day BAPTIST Edgewater FL Pastor Keith “Guard Against Sin” Genesis 3;1-6, Genesis 2;16-17, I John 2;15-17, Genesis 39;6-12

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11-6-2021 Seventh Day BAPTIST Edgewater FL Pastor Keith “Guard Against Sin” Genesis 3;1-6, Genesis 2;16-17, I John 2;15-17, Genesis 39;6-12

 

There was a supposedly healthy tree that after a violent storm was found lying down across the pathway in a park. No one could have predicted its great fall. Anyone would have argued that this was a healthy tree because they saw its long mighty branches reaching well up into the sky. But now there was nothing left but a splintered stump. Closer examination revealed that this once majestic tree was actually rotten at its core. Thousands of tiny insects had been eating away at its heart for many years and decades. The weakness of the tree was not brought on by the storm but began the very moment the first insect nested in its bark.

And so it is with Sin. When we allow the smallest of sin into our lives, it can grow, multiply and eat away at our insides. Sin slowly changes the way we think, the way we behave, the way we relate to God and the way we relate to one another. But we don’t really notice it. The smallest of un-repented sin can bring down the greatest of men. When the storms of life come and they will come, let us be found as a people with Godly integrity. With God’s guidance and help, let us be very careful to guard our purity.

I sometimes wonder what it would be like if we never knew sin, if we never knew what it was like. What if we never experienced sin in the first place? If we were not even aware of what it is. That is how it was in the Garden of Eden. Imagine what it was like in the Garden of Eden before the fall. Walking and talking with God in a close relationship unhindered by the guilt and shame that comes with sin. In our text Adam and Ever ate of the forbidden fruit. Later in the text after Adam made this bad choice to disobey God, they hid themselves. Why did they hide themselves? Have any of you ever said to yourself that you don’t feel like talking to God right now? Don’t want to be around God. This is often because we are in the middle of something that He would not like or because we feel guilty for something we did or didn’t do. We tell ourselves that we just don’t want to be in the presence of God right now. Hiding from God usually comes from guilt or shame. I think we all have experienced this at some time

In our passage today, Satan’s first goal was to disarm Eve by robbing her of the only weapon that she had; the Word of God. The sword of the spirit-the Word of God. The Bible that Eve had was small, it was just two brief verses but it was enough to keep her out of trouble if she had only obeyed. In Genesis 2;16-17 God told Adam he could eat of all trees except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God said if they ate of this tree then they would die. These instructions seem simple enough and how wonderful it would be if we never knew what sin was. If we just had one thing to live by, that one rule. But sadly Eve misquoted her little Bible three times. Twice she subtracted from what God said and once she added to it. After this, Eve found herself in Satan’s power. Satan based his attack on three things: a doubt, a denial and a delusion.

1)    A Doubt- verse 3

Satan says has God said you can’t eat of every tree? That was the doubt. How do you know what God said? Were you there when God said it? You only know that because Adam told you. You got it second hand so you don’t know. How can you prove that this is the actual Word of God? How do you know that is it true? Satan raised a doubt and this is how the enemy gets his foot in the door. Those first tiny little insects are working their way in. He starts with a doubt. 

2)    A Denial- verse 4

Satan tells Eve that she will not die. This is the denial. How ridiculous. Death for eating fruit from a tree? That’s nonsense. Besides I thought God was supposed to be a loving God. Do you really believe God is going to put you to death for taking a bite from a piece of fruit that He created for you? A loving God would not harm you for such a small thing as that. This is denial. 

3)    A Delusion- verse 5

God knows that when you eat of the forbidden fruit, your eyes will be opened and you will be as gods knowing good and evil. You are going to be like God. This is the delusion. A promise of freedom with no restrictions on your behavior. The promise of having access to a wonderful, glorious world of knowledge. Life in a new dimension where you can experience things you never imagined. God just doesn’t want you to have any fun. You are oppressed because God doesn’t want you to have any fun. The Bible is there to just control people. You won’t surely die. The devil said that it is only when Eve eats the fruit, gets this knowledge then she will truly begin to live. Satan knew he had her right where he wanted her.

The temptation was threefold. It was an appeal to the Lust of the Eyes because the tree was pleasant to the eye. There was an appeal to the Lust of the Flesh because the tree was good for food. And there was an appeal to the Pride of Life because it was desirable to make one wise. This threefold appeal promised access to mysterious and marvellous hidden secrets. Adam and Eve would become like God Himself, have greater understanding and not be restricted by the rules of an oppressive God. No longer confined to this silly little Garden of Eden. So the serpent was successful.

The serpent, the devil really has not changed his approach throughout all human history. All temptations begin with these three appeals: eyes, flesh, and pride of life. You can find them again in I John 2;15-17. Do not love world. All that’s in the world is lust of flesh, lust of eyes and pride of life. These are not of God the Father. Once Eve accepted the devil’s lie and rejected God’s truth, the rest followed a matter of course. Satan led Eve from one foolish act to another and each downward step prepares the way for the next the next downward step. The first step was she saw. The serpent fastened Eve’s gaze upon the desired object and soon she couldn’t take her eyes off of it. Much temptation comes to us through our eyes. We see something that appeals to us. Satan’s plan was to turn the look into a lust and a deep desire.

What could Eve have done differently? What could we do when we are initially faced with temptation? Follow the example of Joseph in Genesis 39;6-12. He refused to lie with his boss’s wife and then he fled, ran away from her. When confronted with temptation, do what Joseph did and RUN!! Run away from that temptation and run toward Jesus Christ. First Eve saw but she did not run but instead she took. Satan’s plan was to turn the desire into a deed. That was a decision that Eve had to make. While Satan can persuade us, be a bad influence, a whisper in our ear, he cannot push us. For example, when Jesus was tempted of the devil to throw Himself off the temple, the devil could only suggest Jesus jump. He could not push Jesus down. All he could do was to try to persuade Him to jump.

We all heard the saying “the devil made me do it”. That’s just an excuse because the devil cannot make you anything. So Eve saw, Eve took and then she ate. And Satan won the day but he wasn’t finished yet. He had one more thing to do. Now the plan was to turn the choice into a chain. Jesus said whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. Habits grow even when they are flimsy at first. Each time we repeat the deed, the power of that habit is increased. Until the habit itself takes over the will and we find ourselves in chains. In Romans 7;19-25 Paul wrote that the good he wants to do, he doesn’t do. But the evil that he doesn’t want to do, that’s what he does. It’s the sin that dwells inside of him that is doing these things. Even Paul faced this constant battle with the flesh. Even the apostle Paul felt the struggle but he still said we should not live in sin.

Eve saw, Eve took and finally Eve gave of the forbidden fruit. This was Satan’s ultimate goal for the sinner to become the seducer. Satan wants us all to become a tool in his hand. Not only did Eve sin but she helped the enemy to trap her husband Adam. It is significant that Satan didn’t try to tempt Adam himself. Eve did that for him. Satan tempted Eve and used her to tempt Adam. Thus sin entered the world and death by and through sin spread to all mankind. The fall of man was successful and Satan worn the day. For so many people this is the end of the story. For many of us Satan is allowed to be victorious.

Satan had the victory but then Jesus showed up! For the child of God, for the one who places his or her trust in Jesus Christ, the victory is in Christ. Jesus is the chain breaker! Jesus came and the serpent was no match for Jesus! The devil’s little bag of tricks were of no use to him. In Matthew chapter 4 we can read all about the temptations of Christ in the wilderness. Jesus answered every temptation with a scripture. When Satan tried to appeal to the lust of eye or lust of flesh or pride of life, Jesus responded with “It is written”. He went to the Word. Jesus quoted scriptures and Satan lost. Now we human beings cannot face temptations alone. We need Jesus Christ to face it with us. If we want to be free from the chains of sin, we have to know the chain breaker Jesus. We should study God’s word which is the answer to temptations. We need to seek Him daily and walk with Him daily. Even when we feel guilty or ashamed, God knows our heart and He is faithful and ready to forgive us no matter what. Who will deliver us from the death of Sin? Jesus Christ, the one who overcame temptation, the one who conquered death and the one who came to set us free from sin. Jesus Christ.

AMEN