FREEDOM AND OUR ACCOUNTABILITY

Genesis 3:1-13

  1. Intro.
    1. our text is the only answer for the question, "why do we die?"
    2. our study today has to do with how and why sin came into the world
      1. since the first act of sin, all manner of evil has come upon the world
      2. when God created the world it was "very good", but all that has changed
      3. why didn’t God prevent this from happening? Could He have prevented it?
    3. God gave Adam only one command - Gen. 2:16-17 (why was it given)
      1. it allowed Adam to exercise his moral nature (a test of moral character)
      2. the test gave man the opportunity of choice (to obey or disobey)
      3. this is the basis of our fellowship with God
    4. God has created man with the freedom to will
      1. God provided man with an opportunity to exercise that will
      2. being free, means that our relationship with God must be freely desired and freely chosen
  2. with a free will, man is free to be tempted - Gen. 3:1-5
    1. the tempter approaches the woman - 1
      1. he was "subtle" which means sly, crafty, cunning (well equipped to practice deceit)
      2. God could not stop the temptation because He had given us a free will
    2. the seed of doubt is sown - `1
      1. first he acts surprised at a prohibition he says God had placed on them (is it really true)
      2. the purpose was to plant doubt, and to question the goodness of God
      3. he purposely misquotes God - "every tree" (suggesting that God was to restrictive)
    3. the beginning of resentment - 2-3
      1. Eve corrected the serpent on what they could or could not eat
      2. Satan now had her attention focused on the one
      3. Satan wanted her to believe that any limitation on her freedom was intolerable
      4. Eve added to the words of God - "neither shall ye touch it"
      5. she was making the command seem even more unreasonable than the serpent had suggested
    4. from doubt to unbelief - 4-5
      1. now the serpent makes a bold face lie- 4 (contradicts the Word of God)
      2. the serpent even suggest that God had selfish motives for the command - 5
      3. this is a lie about God’s goodness, and a denial of God’s desire for man to be happy
      4. the truth: because God loves us, He warns us of things that are harmful
    5. the devil is a liar, and when he speaks it is allays a lie
  3. with a free will, we can chose to disobey God (sin)
    1. she disobeyed because of a false security
      1. she believed the devils lie that she could get away with it (not die, and be as gods)
      2. is not this the underlying attitude of most sin
    2. sin was made attractive to Eve
      1. "good for food" - physical hunger (lust of the flesh)
      2. "pleasant to the eyes" - appreciation of beauty (lust of the eyes)
      3. "desired to make one wise" - desire for wisdom (pride of life)
      4. God wants these appetites to be fulfilled, but they are not to be our master
    3. the sinful act - "and did eat" (faith leads to obedience, and doubt leads to disobedience)
    4. she (the sinner) entices her husband
      1. Eve did what sinners often do; entice others to join in their sin
      2. man by himself is miserable, we all need someone
  4. consequences of the wrong choice - Gen. 3:7-8
    1. the loss of innocence - 7
      1. instead of being elevated to the position of God; the became conscious of their sinful state
      2. their nakedness was now a matter of shame
      3. they didn’t experience the joy, wisdom, or power that Satan promised
    2. separation from God - 8
      1. "the voice" - a familiar voice, they recognized it, they had talked to God before
      2. because of sin they now hid from God
  5. called to give an account - Gen. 3:9-13
    1. it was a call from God - 9
      1. not a call of ignorance
      2. a call to give an account and make a confession
      3. a call to mercy
    2. "I was afraid" - 10
      1. sin brings an awful change in attitude toward God
      2. were there was love and companionship; there is now fear and separation
    3. God’s plea for a confession - 11
    4. man’s excuses - 12-13
      1. man blames the woman - 12
        1. before sin, Adam spoke of Eve with great joy - Gen. 2:23
        2. now he speak of her with resentment
      2. man blames God - 12
      3. woman blames the serpent - 13
    5. Satan is always seeking to deceive us
      1. temptations do not excuse us from personal responsibility
      2. temptations give us an opportunity to exercise responsibility
  6. conclusion of the whole matter
    1. God could have made us without a will (not a human, not made in the image of God)
    2. God has made us for fellowship with Himself
    3. true fellowship cannot be forced; it must be voluntary (free will)
    4. we are free to choose evil, but we cannot escape the consequence