Adam Walked Away From God In Shame

Temple Baptist Church - 11-5-2017

Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-10

Introduction:

A.  I will not be-labor the series on “Walking Away From God” because there are so many things that keep God’s children from walking with Him.  I do want to reiterate that, if you are not walking toward God, you are walking away from God.  “There is no benign state of neutrality with God.” But I do want to touch on two more important subjects.

B.  To set up this message, I need to go back to the First Mention Principle of Bible interpretation so, you guessed it, the Book of Genesis.  This Book of Beginnings is so rich that we could preach here for years.  It is in the Garden of Eden that we find the first man and woman who walked away from God in shame.

C.  Adam and Eve lived in an almost perfect environment in the Garden of Eden. 

1.  I use the word “almost” because there was: 1)  A commandant to be broken  2)  A devil to tempt. I leave “God’s toys” to God. 

2.  The question is often asked, “Why did God allow these two things to enter the Garden?”  I believe that the answer is simple: 1) because God wanted to do so  2) because God wanted man to want and to love Him; not to be “robots” with no will.

D.  In our text, we find:

1.  The First Man.  Genesis 2:25  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.  (Man was created in innocence and purity.  How long that state lasted, we do not know.  Knowing mankind, not for long.)

2.  The First Command.  The command was both direct and simple.  Genesis 2:16-17  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  (17)  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.  (Adam and Eve could enjoy everything in the Garden except for the fruit of one tree.

1 John 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (Sound simple enough?)

3.  The First Temptation.  The first temptation was both fleshly and satanic. Genesis 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  (Why and how often did Eve stand and look at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.) 

James 1:14-16  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  (15)  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.  (16)  Do not err, my beloved brethren.

4.  The First Lie. Genesis 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 

Galatians 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

5.  The First Sin. Genesis 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.  (Innocence lost!  Now they knew both good and evil for the first time.)

Romans 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

6.  The First Shame.  To the child of God, sinfulness brings shame.  Genesis 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Romans 6:21-23  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  (22)  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.  (23)  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isaiah 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

7.  The First Restoration. Genesis 3:9-12  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?  (God initiated it when He called Adam and Adam was restored when he answered the call.)

8.  When we sin, we often hide in sin instead of running to God for forgiveness. 

a.  God wants us reconciled and calls but we MUST answer that call.  Too many have a tough time forgiving themselves and remain hidden in their shame never to be used again when reconciliation is available. 

b.  Yes, there is often a recompense for sin but restoration, peace, and usefulness will follow.

Philippians 3:13-14  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  (14)  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

c.  We must learn to confess and forsake our sin and put it behind us.