The First Sin & Free Will

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them freedom. Freedom to do whatever they wanted.

They were born into Life = Blameless existence, and God intended to keep it that way. They were naked but not ashamed because there was no sin in them. Adam and Eve only knew good. All they had to do was to be happy and make babies.

There were no restrictions, only one command given to ADAM.

Genesis 2:15-25

"The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.

• God put Adam in charge of Guarding the Garden before He created Eve.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame."

Genesis 3:1-13

"The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

• Adam failed to Guard the Garden; as a result:

• The devil installed DOUBT in Eve’s mind

“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

• The devil lied that they would not die; the exact OPPOSITE to God told them

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

• Both turned away from God’s instruction; Adam disobeyed by not protecting the Garden and his wife

• She prioritized the devil over God

• Adam passively joined her in sin

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

• Their sin put them to shame; they knew they betrayed God and God confronted Adam first

“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

• Adam blamed God AND Eve; even though He failed to protect her

Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

• Eve blamed the devil

Their Actions Had Consequences:

Genesis 3:14-24

"Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are CURSED more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”

And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is CURSED because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

• Did Adam and Eve die physically? No. They died Spiritually because they both sinned. The wage of the Sin is Death, which is what God meant when He said they would die.

Paradise Lost: God’s Judgment

Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”

• God promised them they would live forever if they returned to Life = blameless existence. To turn back to Life is to turn back to God and away from Sin by Repentance.

So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

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The “flaming sword” is a boundary between Sin and Paradise, between Death and Life.

• It means that re-entry requires a fight against Sin (the devil and Death) Only the Blameless are allowed to re-enter.

The Garden of Eden is not a physical place but Spiritual.

Sinful and shameful will never be able to experience it unless they Repent and turn from Spiritual Death ➡️ to Spiritual Life.

Adam and Eve gave up the authority of God (Life) to the power of the devil (Death).

• It was their Free Will.

• God did not tempt them; the devil did.

Due to their choice, everyone born after them is automatically born into Sin, Spiritual Death. However, everyone is responsible for their own sin, not for Adam and Eve's.

Life and Death are the only two choices people have.

God desires that everyone chooses Him over Satan. Therefore, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save sinners by Faith.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Joshua 24:15

"But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 10:23

"You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial."

1 Corinthians 10:13

"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

Galatians 5:16-17

"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions."

Mark 8:34

"Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me."

Psalm 37:23-24

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand."

Ezekiel 18:30-32

"Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!"

Do not mistake Free Will with every day “Preferences.”