Paradise Lost – Genesis 3

Satan’s Origins

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.” (Genesis 3:1)

The serpent is Satan.

“that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” (Rev.12:9, 20:2)

“I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God;…I will make myself like the Most High”
(Isaiah 14:13-14).

Satan’s basic sin is his pride. He has too much self-esteem.

1) Satan’s Tactics

a) Satan twists the truth.

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen.3:1)

“the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Gen.2:16-17)

Three things to do spot Satan twisting the truth:

 

b) Satan wants us to believe a loving God doesn’t punish evil.

“You will not surely die.” (Gen.3:4)

 Don’t get complacent about sin. Jesus said, “If your eye leads you into sin, pluck it out.” (Mk.9:47).

c) Satan wants us to think we’re God.

 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen.3:5)

SIN

d) Satan seduces us with beautiful things

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)

e) Satan uses our bodily urges to trick us into sin

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye… she took some and ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)

f) Satan longs for us to draw others into sin

Eve “took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)

2) Sin’s Consequences:

a) Sin wrecks the relationship between people and people

“The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:25)

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7)

Human community is fractured.

Church community is part of the solution. How are you part of the solution?

b) Sin wrecks the relationship between people and God.

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden” so they hide, and God calls out to Adam, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”” (Genesis 3:8)

 

So who is responsible? This is when the blaming starts. You are not responsible is one of Satan’s biggest lies.

 

3) God’s solution to the problem.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

The serpent crusher is the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ.

“man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

“Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

 

A response in 3 parts.

1) Sorry for the things I’ve done wrong.

2) Thank-you Jesus for dying on the cross for my sin.

3) Please come into my life and by my King, my Boss, My leader.

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I want to know more:

The Fall

• To watch/listen/read: “The Fall of Satan and the Victory of Christ” John Piper, www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-fall-of-satan-and-the-victory-of-christ
• To read: CS Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (a great book about Satan’s attempts to trap us in sin).
• Classic Puritan Text, Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, http://gracegems.org/Brooks/precious_remedies_against_satan.htm
• To Read: Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We Made Up, by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle
• To Read: The Message of Genesis, Atkinson, Bible Speaks Today commentary