Based on Genesis 3:7-19 and Romans 5:12, what were the main consequences of sin?
Captivated by the persuasive speech of the serpent, Eve did not anticipate the far-reaching consequences of the road that she was following. In itself, the act of eating from the forbidden fruit was not as significant as what it actually represented. By such an act of disobedience, Eve broke her loyalty to God and assumed a new allegiance to Satan.
Image © Kevin Carden at Goodsalt.com
Genesis chapter 3 describes the fall of Adam and Eve and some of its most tragic consequences. From a theological perspective, both were overtaken by theophobia (being afraid of God) and hid themselves from Him (Genesis 3:8). From a psycho-social assessment, they were ashamed of themselves and began to accuse each other (Genesis 3:7, Genesis 3:9-13). From a physical standpoint, they would sweat, feel pain, and eventually die (Genesis 3:16-19). And from an ecological perspective, the natural world had degenerated (Genesis 3:17-18).
The Garden of Eden was no longer the beautiful and pleasant place it used to be. “As they witnessed in drooping flower and falling leaf the first signs of decay, Adam and his companion mourned more deeply than men now mourn over their dead. The death of the frail, delicate flowers was indeed a cause of sorrow; but when the goodly trees cast off their leaves, the scene brought vividly to mind the stern fact that death is the portion of every living thing.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 62.
Adam and Eve did not die immediately, in the sense of ceasing to live, but on that very same day they received their death sentence. The Lord told Adam, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19, NKJV). The Fall brought tragic consequences indeed to all humanity. The apostle Paul explains that “just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned” (Romans 5:12, NRSV).
The sad and painful fact is that just as humanity has done through all ages, we today suffer the consequences of what happened in Eden. How thankful, we can be, though, that because of Jesus and the cross we have the hope of eternal life in a world where sin will never rise again.
| As we reflect on Eve’s tragic experience, what lessons can we learn from it about the consequences of our own sinful acts? |
(0)The post Wednesday: Consequences of Sin first appeared on Sabbath School Net.
The post Wednesday: Consequences of Sin appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/wednesday-consequences-of-sin/
