God said to Adam in Genesis 2: 16-17 “you may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Adam however disobeyed God by the temptation of Satan through Eve the wife, Genesis 3: 1-8. Rather than accepting his guilt, he gave excuses blaming God for it, Genesis 3: 12. Consequently, they fell from God’s favour with respective curses and fate, Genesis 3: 13-24.
Nature of Adam’s sin
Adam’s sin may be described as the mother of all sins. Romans 5: 19 says for just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. All sins are thus traceable to the original sin of Adam and Eve. Accordingly, our sinful nature is an inheritance from our fore-parents Adam and Eve. David said in Psalms 51: 5 indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
The bible sets out clearly the tentacles of sin. Exodus 20:5 says for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me. The results or repercussions of our fore-parents’ sins naturally extend to us. Therefore 1 John 1: 10 says if we say that we have not sinned, we make him (God) a liar, and the word is not in us.
Although Adam’s sin appeared as a single sin yet it was an aggregate of sins. James 2: 10-11 says for whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. Adam’s sin offended all God’s laws. A single sin makes us guilty of all God’s commandments.
Placating Adam’s sin
Adam’s sin and its effect could not be placated ordinarily. Therefore Jesus came to placate our inherited sin and its repercussions. 1 John 1: 8 says if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
To the extent that sin is spiritual in nature, our spiritual DNA embodies sin comprising the sin of Adam and Eve through birth, and the sins we have committed personally either directly or by association, commission or omission. The general facets of Adam’s sin which we also continue to indulge in today include the following, among many which no data can capture except God;
Sin of disobedience
Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s instructions in the garden and their dwelling. We also disobey God’s instructions to live in righteousness through Christ Jesus. 1 Samuel 15: 22 says to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. Disobedience is a grievous sin before God. The fall of man started with disobedience. Whoever disobeys God will fall out of his favour.
Sin of rejection
Adam and Eve rejected God when they ate the forbidden fruit. When we reject God, he will reject us. Samuel told King Saul in 1 Samuel 15: 23… Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king. God punishes the offspring of parents who reject him in iniquity, Exodus 20: 5; Jeremiah 31: 37. God said in Hosea 4: 6… because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. Any rejection of God’s word is a rejection of God himself, Luke 10: 16. God’s rejected word will be our judge on the last day, John 12: 48. Let us not reject what will be our cornerstone in future.
Sin of pride
Adam and Eve failed to humble themselves from that elevated position by grace. Proverbs 16: 18 says pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before fall. When God elevates us by grace, we must show humility not pride. Philippians 2: 6 says though he (Jesus) was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited. Adam and Eve sought to exploit their elevated position which they regarded as equality with God. Are we humbled when God elevates us by his grace?
Sin of ingratitude
Rather than being grateful to God for their privileged position, Adam and Eve were dissatisfied and bought into the deceit of evil intending to enhance their status. When only one out of the ten Jesus healed of leprosy returned to him, he asked in Luke 17: 17 “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Paul expressed gratitude to God for how far he has brought him in 1 Timothy 1: 12; 2 Timothy 1: 3. How do we show gratitude to God for his mercies towards us in Christ Jesus?
Sin of greed
Dissatisfied with what God gave them, Adam and Eve were not content but were greedy for more. On the contrary, in Paul’s weakness he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12: 10 therefore I am content with weaknesses… for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. Jesus said in Luke 9: 25, for what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? Hebrews 13: 5 says… be content with what you have.
We must focus into eternity, not now. Psalms 37: 16 says better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked. Proverbs 15: 16 says better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. Proverbs 16: 8 better is a little with righteousness than a large income with injustice. One of the greatest evil today is greed and leads to shameless opportunism. We must be content with what God has graciously given to us and may ask for more subject to his will.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you for reminding us that a single sin offends all your commandments. For this reason we have fallen short of your glory in sin therefore please wash our sins away in your blood by your grace and make us whole in you again. Humble us to still obey your word when we are tempted so we may be friends of your Holy Spirit. We pray in your holy name, Amen!!
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