Walking With Christ

Genesis 3:6-7 (6)So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (7)Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.(ESV)

What was the first sin mentioned in the bible? Most people automatically say “the fall”, “eating the fruit/apple”, or something along those lines. I would challenge that perception. Be more specific. Study and understand the actual process that took place.

In Romans 6:23 we read “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(ESV) This is one of many personifications of sin that makes sin seem almost like an entity who’s only purpose is to seek the spiritual death of man. The sin comes before the payment. Looking back at Genesis 2:16-17, [(16)And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, (17)but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”(ESV)], we see God clearly identifying eating the apple as a sin. It would be an act of disobedience. Taking the action of eating the apple is the point of no return, but it is not the beginning of the process. The sin occurs before the action in many cases.

The serpent, often interpreted as Satan or Lucifer, deceived Eve. Yes, that was a sin. It was not a human sin so we can’t count that as the first sin. When the serpent challenged Eve, how did she respond? Genesis 3:3 says, “but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”(ESV). That’s not what God told Adam. Where did the no touching rule come from? That was most likely Adam where he essentially created the first human law. This tells me that Eve never went back to God for clarification when Adam told her about the rule of living in the garden. She got a second-hand revelation from God through Adam.

Eve did not just randomly, blindly, or even accidentally grab an apple to eat because she was hungry. No, there was a process that led to eating the apple. Before she ate the apple, she had to desire the apple. That’s coveting. Wanting what isn’t yours is a sin, but that wasn’t the first sin. The desire was simply the seed planted by the serpent in the fertile soil of naïveté. The soil had to be prepared for that seed to grow. It was her doubt that allowed that seed to be planted. If Eve had simply asked God to clarify what the serpent was saying or stuck with what she believed the commandment to have been then that seed could not have sprouted roots.

Doubting God, especially when you have direct access to ask Him anything, is the same thing as calling God a liar. We know that God cannot lie so to call Him one would be a sin.

Let’s wrap this up. God told Adam not to eat the fruit because doing so would cause death. We know that meant spiritual death, but Adam and Eve obviously didn’t understand that there was more than just the physical world. Adam told Eve to not even touch the fruit. He added something to the command of God. While this isn’t exactly a sin, it can lead to misunderstanding what God actually said. It can add unintended limitations on our lives that prevent us from seeing the fullness of His plans for us. It isn’t a sin though. Eve, who had full access to God and could have asked for clarification, allowed for doubt. She did not verify what Adam told her with God, so she was living based on the second-hand revelation. The commandment to Eve did not come directly from God. She had direct access to Him and could have fixed that. This lack of clarification helped prepare the soil. When she had the thoughts of doubt she could have turned to ask questions. She didn’t. The thought led to desire. The desire led to action. The action led to the fall. This is the process of sin. The actual sin began before the action. It began with the thought that she did not take control of by seeking God. It wasn’t just that she doubted God. It was that she doubted God and failed to seek Him for clarification.

2 Corinthians 5-6 (5)We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (6)being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.(ESV)

Not every uncontrolled thought will lead to sin receiving it’s wage, but every uncontrolled thought does prepare the soil for the seeds that eventually will lead to the fulfilled sin. Sinful actions are nearly always preceded by sinful thoughts or desires. At the day of judgement, God will weigh our thoughts as well as our actions. The thoughts we let linger can do far more harm than we will ever know.

Father,
Thank You for preparing a way. Thank You for showing us the pattens that You built into this world. You are good and holy. Your works and ways are so far above ours, yet You still find a way to help us to know You. Help us search our thoughts and take control of those that are not pleasing to You. Let our thoughts be clean and pure to be a sweet savor to You on the day of judgement. Create in us clean hearts that are filled with Your love and a supernatural joy that is overwhelming to the senses. Help us to block out the screams of the enemy and to hear only Your voice. Lead us by still waters, Lord. Let faith grow into a profound boldness that lights not only our path but the path for those around us. Let Your light shine on us and reflect into the darkness of this world. May it lead the lost to You and Your saving grace. For Yours is the kingdom, and power, and glory. Forever and ever, in Jesus Christ name we pray, amen.