Introduction To Evil

Sin Lives Within
Genesis 2 & 3

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day

God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day (Sabbath)

from all His work which He had made.” —Genesis 2:1.

Evil and sin includes their effect also on food - plants and herbs of the field, as well as our character.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”—Genesis 2:7.   Eve also must have been made from the dust of the earth including a rib from Adam so they would be one flesh; needing each other for support and companionship.  Living alone is no fun.

So we have Adam and Eve together in the Garden of Eden getting acquainted with life as one person, and with their Father, God, the one person to look up to and to trust for all the answers to their needs.

We aren’t told how long this bliss lasted, until another element was introduced into their domain. A wonderful awesome being was found by Eve in that tree of the knowledge of good and evil of which she and Adam were not to eat, as their test of obedience to God.

This tree of the knowledge of good and evil in our understanding must be symbolic rather than physical, but whatever it was, they were not to eat of that tree, because when they did they would “surely die (or begin dying).”  Eventually they died.

Did you notice that the word ‘devil’ uses the four letters of ‘evil’.

In Genesis chapter 3 an evil serpent comes upon the scene.  From other Bible texts we understand this serpent to be the devil, a dragon, a deceiver, the father of lies, Satan and Lucifer. To Eve he was more subtle and deceptive than any beast of the field.  Thus his character and purpose was not easy to understand. So he was a different beautiful creation to her or them.

He then proceeds to deceive Eve by telling her God will not allow her to ”surely die,” and if she eats of this tree she will be as a god knowing good and evil.  She looks again and the fruit seems beautiful, good for food, and something desirable to make one wise.

Now do you think God would supply everything and then withhold something from His most perfect Creation?  She evidently thought so for she thought “to be wise” was important for her and them.  She knew the command not to eat of that tree. But wanting more self gratification than God allowed at that time, she disobeyed God and ate that delicious fruit.

Eating the fruit was alright.  But her disobedience was not. Feeling she needed someone to join in her disobedience she turned to Adam who took some too, because he loved her too much to let her die alone.

“For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived. but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”—1 Tim 2:13, 14. She already sinned, but Adam did not trust God to work out a solution to the situation.

Thus through Satan (our author of death), we have the same problem from the Garden of Eden today.  SIN begins in disobedience to God, and, then a lack of trust for Him to solve our problems without Him.

It is interesting to note that SIN (pronounced ‘seen’) in Spanish means without. Making this easy for our understanding, we might conclude that sin is the same as doing anything apart and without God’s intervention or help.  We choose to be our own god (“I’ll do it my way”) just as Adam and Eve did in that paradise garden. 

When we find we have no solutions to our dying through selfishness, greed, hate, “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life” (1 John 2 15-17), we SIN and are worthy of death (for the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life throught Jesus Christ, our Lord—Rom 6:23), because we could not live in God’s holy atmosphere of love, trust and with obedience to Him. 

One last thought for today, God did not give us SIN.  He gave us the fruit of His Spirit: “. . love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22,23).  The only laws that were ever given were against SIN, and not against God’s love, peace and grace.

Find your salvation in Jesus for yourself and LIVE forever.  It’s a promise you can trust.

“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God, abideth forever.”—1 John 2:17.

God bless.

Emery Thompson

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A Mystery Question:
For fun and spruce-up your Bible knowledge, and understand Jesus’ purpose for His Father’s will in your life.
Please leave your thoughts, and ideas in the comments section below
Question for this week:

Was Satan/Lucifer a son of God?

God Bless your search for truth.

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