Bible Text: Genesis 2:25-3:13 | Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Genesis, God’s Design for Marriage

1.  Someone has well said that in Genesis chapters one and two, God speaks and bring life.  But in Genesis chapter three, Satan speaks and brings chaos and death.

2.  “Adam and Eve’s choice [to disobey God and eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] changed everything.  Gone was the harmonious relationship they had enjoyed with God.  Gone was the satisfying relationship with each other.  Their relationships were shattered.  And as a result we have been struggling with shattered relationships ever since.” (Gary Smalley)

3.  The essence of the Fall in Genesis 3 was separation.  That is what death is, and the Fall brought death into the world.  There is now separation and alienation where there was once harmony.  Mankind is separated from God and from each other.  The Fall brought about estrangement in our relationships, especially that of marriage.

4.  As a result of their disobedience, for Adam and Eve and for all mankind (Romans 5:12), shame and guilt replaced innocence (3:7); companionship with God and with each other was lost (3:8), fear was now a part of their world (3:10); and they refused to accept responsibility for their actions, blaming God, the serpent, and each other (3:11-13).

5.  Genesis 3 also contains the first act of manmade religion when Adam and Eve sought to cover their sin by using fig leaves.  They thought they could cover their sin by their own works.  In an act of grace God provided animal skins for their covering thus demonstrating their inability to cover their own sin by human effort.  It is the consistent teaching of Scripture that humans cannot atone for their own sin (Isaiah 64:6), but must accept God’s provision for them by faith (Ephesians 2:8-10).