Foundations of The Christian Faith Inter Varsity Press

Let me propose a question to the reader
What is sin?

Is it doing something wrong without understanding that it is wrong? Or is it doing something wrong knowingly? Or is sin going your own way and ignoring God all together? Sin is all of the above.  Sin is simply going against God and doing what you want.  But what kinds of sins are wrong? For example, is lying worse than murder? Or is stealing worse than borrowing without asking? In God's eyes it's all the same. Sin is sin.  There is not a yardstick that measures sin. What is not bad or bad. Why? Because God judges everyone the same. No special treatment. For example, A celebrity is no different than you and me in God's eyes. Every person  that sins must answer for it. Every person must be held accountable for their actions even sins. For example, when Adam and Eve sinned they were punished for it too.  God had to seek justice for the sin and as a result this affected human history today. This is the Fall of Man. The apple, the snake, and the consequences. When God created Adam and Eve he wanted them to be blessed and he wanted them to worship him. But this isn't the way it turned out.
The snake came along and ruined everything. Adam and Eve , were in The Garden of Eden and the snake comes along and uses his lying ways to trick them. He tells Eve, "Indeed has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden."? The woman (Eve) said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees we may eat, But from the fruit of the middle of the garden God said, "You may not eat from it, touch it, or you will die." (Gen. 3:3)
The serpent replied "Surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4-5) So Eve took the fruit and ate it and she gave also to her husband with her and he ate it. The eyes of both of them were opened and they knew they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings." (Gen. 3:4-19). God asked them Where they were, God heard them in the garden and Adam said He and Eve hid themselves when they realized they were naked. Then God asked the question that a Dad asks a child or children when he suspects he or she did something wrong and I know you did it, so fess up Who told you that you were naked? God then asked them Did you eat from the tree which I commanded you not to? Eve's defense is the snake tricked them into eating the apple. God then told the snake he would be cursed and will crawl on his belly and eat dust forever. The punishment for Adam and Eve is far worse, He told them "I will put friction between Adam and Eve and his seed and hers." The woman will have pain in childbirth and her desire will be for her husband  and he will rule over her." (Gen.3:15-16)
The man will work long hours. The matter of life and death from dust it you came and to dust you will return."  God told them there would be consequences for their actions if they sinned and they sinned. So, as a result they were given what  they deserved as harsh as that is to say.  It is interesting to note, that Eve's curse has to do with the pain of childbirth, and she only had the desire for her husband. While, Adam's curse had to do with working and providing for Eve and their future generations, also Adam will have domain over Eve. He will rule over her. As a result of this, curse there is a friction between Adam and Eve, and future husbands and wives of modern times. For example, a man who works all day and comes home and expects his wife to tend to his needs, but the wife is tired from caring for the children and keeping up with the household chores. Friction between the sexes occurs. Point, if Adam and Eve had not sinned then, the ramifications  of today's society and relationships would look very different. One decision that Eve made, to be tempted by the snake and take a bite of the apple affected people thousands of years later. She had no clue. The point is, the fall is a result of one decision  that affects her life and the lives of others forever. The fall is a result of that.   Why did she do it?  Why did she sin? Well, According to Rev. Deffinbaugh, "Eve determined the benefits were too great and the consequences were unlikely." Eve sinned because she had come to believe the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make her wise and she wanted that for herself and Adam." Eve sinned in error, Adam sinned in rebellion." Adam rebelled because he blamed Eve his attempt to shift the blame away from himself to her." Adam is trying to blame God." "If God had been so mistaken in providing him with Eve the fall would not have taken place."
(Boice, 193.) "Eve also shifts the blame to the snake This is an example of the sin nature and the broken connection with God." (Boice p. 200). When the connection with God is broken  moral and psychological decay occurs." (Boice p. 200).  "When Adam sinned the spirit died instantly which all men and women are born with dead spirits."  "Death spread to all men because all have sinned."(Rom. 5:12) (Boice, p.200)  Did Adam and Eve learn anything after all of this? For a while. Soon after, The world then became wicked and God and it grieved God's heart(Gen. 6:11-17, so he decided to blot man out because the earth was filled with violence and corruption and behold I am about to destroy the earth.  So, God told Noah Make for yourself a ark, of copher wood. "You shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it with pitch. This is shall you make it the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits and you shall make a window for the ark, and finish it from a cubit from the top and set the door of the ark in the side of it; You shall make it lower, second and third decks. I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breadth of life." everything that is on the earth will perish. "God establishes a covenant will Noah and tells him to enter the ark, with his wives and his sons. And every living thing of all flesh bring two of every kind male and female, of the birds and very creeping thing of the ground two of every kind will come with you to keep them alive."(Gen. 6:20-21). As for you take some for yourself all food which is edible; and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for the food for you and them." Thus, Noah did according to what God had commanded him." "Noah entered the ark, with the animals, male and female, and birds of the sky, by sevens to keep the offspring alive.  So, God sent rain for 40 days and nights, I will blot out everything on the earth." (Gen.7:5-7, "Noah was 600 years old when the flood came upon the earth."  Gen. 12-"Noah and his wives entered the ark and The rain fell for 40 days and nights(1 month).  Gen. 7:24, The water prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days (6 months)  Gen.8:2 "At the end of 150 days(6 months) the water decreased." Gen.9:14 God sent the rainbow after the flood as a symbol of his covenant with  God and Noah and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall water become a flood to destroy all flesh." Gen. 9:17 "And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me (God) and all flesh that is on the earth."  Noah lived to be 950 years old and he died. The people of Noah's time, did learn from their sins, yes for a while humans repented and everything was fine. But fast forward many thousands of years later and here we are again. The earth and the people living in it are living sinful lives and not trying to redeem themselves until it's too late. I suppose that is why humans are so flawed. So, the question is will humans take this time during this virus to repent or will history repeat itself?
And sin continue to reign?  Time will tell.







F.T.C. Disclaimer-"I received a complementary copy of this book from Inter Varsity Press, I am only required to post a review though not necessarily positive, or negative. "All opinions are solely therein my own."  "I am disclosing this in accordance with The F.T.C. Title 16, Part 255, "Guides Concerning The use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."














M.L.A. Works Cited Page

1. Holy Bible

New American Standard Translation

Genesis Chapter 3:4-19, 15-16.
Genesis Chapter 6:11-20,

Chapter 7:5, 24,

Chapter 8:12
Chapter 9:13
Chapter 9:17.

Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI 2000.


2.Dr.  Boice, M. James

"The Foundations of The Christian Faith": Revised and Expanded

Book 2 "God The Redeemer: The Fall: The Bible's analysis of The Fall of Humanity"

p. 189-193.

Book 2 Part 1

Chapter 2 "The Results of The Fall"
"The Death of Spirit, Soul, and Body"
p. 197, 199, 200.

Inter Varsity Press,

Dowers, IL

2019.



3.  Rev. Deffinbaugh Robert

"The Fall of Man"
Genesis 3:1-24
From the series: Genesis From Paradise to Patriarchs
p. 5,6, of 16.

Bible.org/series page/4-fall-of-man-genesis 3:1-24.