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Eve sinned. Adam sinned. From that standpoint, they were equally guilty before God, their Creator. The way they sinned was significantly different. Eve sinned due to deception (see 1 Timothy 2.14). Adam sinned because his affection for other things or people exceeded his devotion to God. Our study today will explore these two paths of sin to determine what, if any difference, the path makes as regards the penalty for sin.

Eve could have pled, “I really, really thought that the serpent was telling the truth!” In all likelihood, she could have made that plea “with a straight face.” Adam, on the other hand, did not have a “leg to stand on.” What defense could he have possibly offered? Maybe he would have just repeated his statement that he made when he was first confronted with his sin. “Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he [Adam] said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ And He [God] said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?’ Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’” (Genesis 3.12-13). Adam’s excuse was not a legitimate defense then and it never will be! God is not responsible for our sins – whether we be male or female!

But, what of the guilt of sin? Was it lessened due to its method of origin? Did God see deception on the part of Eve as a mitigating circumstance? Or, did He simply see her guilty of sin? Did God look upon Adam as extraordinarily wicked because he acted out of pure rebellion against God’s commands and with no deception involved? Did God see Adam’s sin as “more severe” than Eve’s? A reading of the immediate context in Genesis three does not reveal any distinction in the way God viewed their respective sins. In fact, a reading of the entire Bible and all that it has to say about the sad day in which the first pair fell from God’s grace reveals nothing that even hints of such a distinction in God’s view or treatment of their sins.

When the facts are considered, the sin of Adam and Eve has one significant similarity. In fact, this similarity is at the “tap root” of every sin of every accountable person. That common cause is the failure to love the truth supremely! That is why God described this lack of love for truth as the reason many would not be saved (2 Thessalonians 2.10). God’s design for man included the ability to search out facts, reason upon them, and arrive at responsible and prudent courses of action based upon these facts. God made man a reasoning creature whose reasoning ability included the ability to identify causes and effects as well as consequences of actions. In short, God made man a moral being capable of processing truth and acting in harmony with truth. This is one major distinction between the animal kingdom and humankind!

With these facts in view, the inspired writer charged us, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” (Proverbs 23.23). God knows our capabilities and will hold us accountable for them. That being the case, our flimsy excuses will no more stand up to His scrutiny than did Adam’s when he said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

Questions:

1. What is the fundamental difference between a sin that originates from deception and one that originates out of rebellion? How does God view these two “types” of sin?

2. What is meant by “…buy the truth and do not sell it…”?

3. How can we avoid deception? What is the first requisite? (see 2 Thessalonians 2.9-12)

4. What will be an adequate excuse for sin in the last day (Ignorance, Deception, or Rebellion; there are no others!)?

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

Longing For God