Fornication

 Temple Baptist Church - 10-15-2025

1 Corinthians 6:13-20

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Tonight, I will deal with a subject that I do not like to preach on but is vital to the church.  We understand that fornication is a vile sin, but there are many vile sins mentioned in the Bible. 

 

B.  So, the question may be asked, “Why the emphasis upon fornication?”  God emphasizes the sin of fornication, not this pastor. For me to skip preaching on fornication would be a dereliction of duty! 

 

C.  The Bible has much to say about this particular sin, and we need to both understand the devastation of fornication and how to stay away from it and its effects. 

 

D.  Fornication has become one of America’s most significant problems.  Many things have changed over the past millennia that have led us to where we are tonight.

 

1.  The breakup of America’s homes.  I heard a young man say that “marriage would die with the older generation.”  In many ways, he was right.  Within the bounds of marriage, God approved of the physical relationship of husband and wife.

 

2.  A lack of biblical teaching on the subject and parents “farming out” their children to wicked public schools that revel in unbiblical sexual principles such as free sex, transgender, etc.

 

3.  Immodesty in dress portraying women and men as sex symbols.

 

4.  Advertising using sensuality and nudity.

 

5.  What was once hidden became openly displayed.

 

E.  The First Mention of the physical union of a man and woman tells us all that we need to know on the subject, though there are many others found across the Bible’s pages.

 

Genesis 2:24-25  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.  (25)  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

 

Genesis 4:25  And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

 

1.  I will give two complementary passages found in the New Testament.

 

Matthew 1:24-25  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:  (25)  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.  (There is much false doctrine taught about the “Virgin Mary’ that the Bible clearly dispels.  She did not remain a virgin until after the birth of Christ. Joseph “knew” his wife and multiple children were born to this natural union of husband and wife.

 

2. The Bible explains God’s mind on the union of husband and wife in the Book of Hebrews.

 

Hebrews 13:4  Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

 

F.  Fornication defined: porneia - por-ni'-ah, a root word for pornography.  This includes adultery, harlotry, incest, and sex outside of marriage.  The incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman; the gratification of sexual appetites without respect to marriage or the necessity of God's approval."

 

1.  The Single Man With A Single Woman – Proverbs 2:1-22

        

2.  The Married Adult With A Single Woman – Proverbs 5:1-23

 

3.  The Single Adult With A Married Woman – Proverbs 6:20-35

 

4.  The Young Man With An Older Married Woman – Proverbs 7:1-27

 

G.  Morality has dropped to an all-time low.

 

1.  Purity is almost a thing of the past.

 

2.  Our society has been bombarded by:

 

                              a)  T.V. and Hollywood

 

                              b)  Magazines and newspapers

 

                              c)  Department Stores (ladies' departments with their pornography)

 

                              d)  Schools (sex education by ungodly teachers and textbooks)

 

3.  Fornication proceeds from an evil heart!

 

Matthew 15:18-19  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

 

H.  Fornication – why the emphasis?

 

1. The Problem of Fornication.

 

          a.  Fornication is a sin against the body – 1 Corinthians 6:18

 

                    1)  The body has been bought – 1 Corinthians 6:20

 

2)  The body will be delivered – 1 Corinthians 6:13-14  (It will be changed, but it is still your body) - Philippians 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.  (Change it, not do away with it)

 

1 Corinthians 15:42-44  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

 

          b.  Fornication is a breach of love and trust – 1 Corinthians 7:2-4

 

1)  We are espoused to Christ - 2 Corinthians 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

 

2)  Our body is the property of Christ – 1 Corinthians 7:3-4

 

Romans 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 

          c.  Fornication brings about a wound and disgrace – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

Proverbs 6:33  A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.   

 

Romans 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

                   

2.  The Prevention of Fornication

 

a.  Spiritual Wisdom From God’s Word - Proverbs 6:22-24  When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.  For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:  To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

 

Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

 

1 Corinthians 6:18  Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

 

b.  Spiritual Discernment – 1 Corinthians 7:1-2  Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 

 

c.  Spiritual Eyes - Matthew 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

 

d.  Spiritual Minds - 2 Corinthians 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

 

Isaiah 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

 

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Hamartiology: The Doctrine of Sin” - Part 3 - Sin’s Destruction

Temple Baptist Church - 9-14-2025

Genesis 3:6-24

 

A.  We saw sin’s Origin in Heaven when Lucifer, because of pride in his wisdom, beauty, and position, chose to exalt himself above God.  That didn’t work out very well for him!  He will spend his eternity in the Lake of Fire.

 

Ezekiel 28:17-19  Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.  (18)  Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.  (19)  All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

 

B.  We saw sin’s Origin on Earth as Eve was deceived but Adam was not! 

 

1 Timothy 2:14  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

 

C.  This morning, I will conclude this brief study of Hamartiology, the Doctrine of Sin, with “Sin’s Destruction.”  We will never attempt to separate from sinfulness until we see sin’s ultimate end, temporal destruction and eternal destruction.

 

1.  I want to begin by looking at what Adam and Eve had before sin came into their world.

 

2.  A perfect world with no curse.

 

Genesis 1:4  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

 

Genesis 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

 

Genesis 1:12  And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

 

Genesis 1:18  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

 

Genesis 1:21  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

 

Genesis 1:25  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

 

Genesis 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 

3.  God said that everything was good and the whole of creation was very good!  Everything God made was perfect and perfectly good for man to live a perfect live!  No problems, no sickness, no wants or desires unfulfilled, no growing old with its painfulness, no disappointments or discouragements, just completely happy all the time.

 

4.  God made Eve from the rib of Adam to keep him from being lonely.  A perfect woman in every aspect to be a helpmeet for life.  Made to complete what Adam was not and to do so perfectly.

 

5.  God made a Garden in Eden especially for Adam and Eve to live in.  What a wonderful, beautiful, perfect Garden.

 

6.  The Voice of the Lord came to walk with them in the cool of each day.  Perfect conversation and fellowhip with the Creator.

 

D.  Then a sinful Cherub, who thought he was more beautiful and intelligent than a thrice-holy God, converted a proxy in a serpent, who chose the devil over the creator, to entice Eve, who ate and gave to Adam with her and he did eat.  Now EVERYTHING has changed for Adam and Eve.

 

Genesis 3:23-24  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  (24)  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

 

E.  Because of one sin, Adam and Eve lost it all.  May we realize the devastation of sin!  As humans, we often try to classify sin into different categories. 

 

1.  At this point, let me say that in the practical sense, God classifies sinfulness.  There are sins unto death and sins not unto death.  There are things that God hates more than others, as mentioned in the Book of Proverbs. 

 

2.  Some sins warrant Church Discipline, one of which we dealt with in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, and most sins do not warrant Church Discipline. 

 

3.  There are little, inconsequential sins that we are sure that both God and mankind will overlook.  Two great examples of these are “little white lies” and “sins of omission.”

 

F.  In Genesis chapter 3, we see what God thinks of sin!  Adam took one bite of a beautiful fruit, and mankind died both physically and spiritually!  

 

1.  God said, “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.”  (Genesis 2:17)

 

2.  Satan and the world that he owns says, “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:”  (Genesis 3:4) 

 

3.  And die they did!  Spiritually and physically.  Thus, in Adam, we face death and in choice, eternal death in the Lake of Fire.  Than is what God thinks of sin!  One bite was all that it took to launch mankind into a sinful state and send God’s only begotten Soon to the old rugged cross,

 

G.  In original sin, we find:

 

1.  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.

 

a.  Guilt – they knew!  Their spiritual eyes were opened, and they saw what they had done, which brought guilt. 

 

1)  Notice the words “They knew.”  Eve was deceived and not in the actual transgression.  She tasted it, liked it, and gave some to her husband.  Adam was not deceived! 

 

2)  He knew before he partook of the fruit, but, the moment Adam tasted and sinned, they both knew!  This goes back to Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” 

 

3)  When Adam sinned, his sin immediately affected Eve and she knew also.

 

b.  Shame – they were naked!  They had always been naked, but in innocence and purity, but now nakedly exposed to shame.

 

Genesis 2:25  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

 

c.  Embarrassment – they sewed fig leaves to cover their nakedness.  Good people do not have to be told that they are naked to some degree.  When exposed, it automatically brings forth shame.

 

2.  Genesis 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 

 

a. Fear.  They heard.  That wonderful voice they had walked and talked with became a Voice that brought fear!

 

b.  Separation.  They hid.  Fellowship with God became fear of God.  Not fear in a right manner, but fear of exposure.

 

1)  Separation from Jehovah God, the Creator who made them.

 

2)  Separation from the Word of God.  That wonderful, gracious Voice that had brought both comfort and oneness became a Voice to be avoided and feared.

 

3)  Separation from each other.  Later in the day, we find Adam putting the blame for his sin on Eve. 

 

Genesis 3:12  And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

 

3.  Genesis 3:9-11  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?  (10)  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.  (11)  And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

 

a.  Confrontation – instead of visitation.

 

b.  Confession – instead of comfort.

 

4.  Genesis 3:12-15  And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.  (13)  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.  (14)  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:  (15)  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 

a.  Excuses that did not work.  Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and neither worked.

 

b.  Atonement that does work.  Now the innocent must die for the guilty!

 

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 

Genesis 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

 

5.  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.

 

a.  Spiritual death that day. 

 

1 Corinthians 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

 

b.  Physical death that day. 

 

Genesis 5:5  And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

 

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 

6.  Genesis 3:16-24  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.  (17)  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;  (18)  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;  (19)  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.  (20)  And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.  (21)  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.  (22)  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:  (23)  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  (24)  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

 

a.  Adam and Eve’s lives changed in a moment.  Adam and Eve lost it all!  Now, the earth is cursed, man’s walk with God has changed, and Adam and Eve were banished from that wonderful Garden of Eden.

 

b.  “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you will want to pay.”  Sin can cost you your spouse, your children, your home, your job, your church, your fellowship with God’s people, your health, and your life!  This list could have gone longer but I believe that everyone here got the message.

 

c.  The Destruction of Sin is immeasurable!  Hurricane Helene taught us a valuable lesson on how our lives can change in a moment.  We still see the devastation of that storm.  From the modern era to the dark ages, in one fell swoop.  Sin is even more devastating, and one moment can change our lives beyond repair.  Adam and Eve gave up everything that had ever brought life and joy to them.  One fell moment that changed their lives for  their lifetime.

Sin In The Camp

Temple Baptist Church - 9-10-2025

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  The Book of 1 Corinthians serves as an open rebuke to a carnal church. The Apostle Paul addresses many issues across these 16 chapters. Chapter 5 focuses on disciplined sin. Churches often contain individuals with personal shortcomings who need to be admonished, reproved, and rebuked.

 

B.  However, some sins in the church require a direct and strict response. In chapter 5, Paul confronts a believer who is openly living in sin without either remorse or a positive response from the church congregation.

 

C.  Sin in the camp!  As the Corinthian Church continued to grow in both numbers and spirituality, the Apostle Paul introduced them to something new: Church Discipline.

 

D.  Church discipline is vital for the health of the local church, and although it is unpleasant, it is necessary for both the church’s outward testimony and internal spiritual growth. Such discipline was also practiced in the Old Testament when sin was brought into the camp of Israel through Achan.

 

E.  Church discipline is a biblical command that is often ignored in today’s churches.

 

1.  In today’s “numbers-oriented churches.” Church discipline cannot be implemented because so many in their congregations are of the world, and discipline would run them off.  Today, it is all about numbers!  However, the world is not to be in the local church, as it is a called-out assembly of believers to worship God, not a “fishing hole for sinners.”

 

2.  We are to be in the world but not of the world.  We are not to love the world, and we are not to be conformed to the world, but to be a holy, separate people.  Not all sinfulness comes under the heading of Church Discipline.  That is what the “reproving and rebuking” from the pulpit is for, but there are sins that must be dealt with. 

 

3.  In Church discipline, either reconciliation or dismissal is involved. Here, the Corinthian church faced a case of fornication that required discipline. Church discipline is essential to keep the local church pure and as separate from the world as possible. 

 

F.  Now, let us look at the context.

 

1.  The Problem - vs. 1-2 

 

a.  The Description Of Sin In The Church

 

                    1)  The Sin – Everybody knew what was going on as it was “commonly reported.” 

 

a)  The First Sin – Fornication– 1 Thessalonians 4:3  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

 

1 Corinthians 6:18  Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

 

b)  The Second Sin – Pride (they were puffed up) - Proverbs 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

 

Proverbs 29:23  A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

 

2)  The Shame – The openness of the sin became the “Elephant in the Living Room.”  Everyone knew it was there, but only turned their heads, so they didn't have to look at it.

 

a)  The Sin Was Uncovered - Ephesians 5:3  But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

 

b)  The Sin Was Unrebuked - 1 Timothy 5:20  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

 

Galatians 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

 

b.  The Deception Of Sin In The Church

 

1)  They Failed To See The Seriousness Of The Sin - 1 Corinthians 5:6  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

 

2)  They Failed To See The Subtlety Of The Sin - Luke 13:21  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

 

2.  The Proceeding - vs. 3-5

 

a.  A Desire To Restore - Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

 

1)  Restoration By The Right People – “spiritual” - 1 Corinthians 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

 

1 Corinthians 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

 

2)  Restoration By The Right Procedure – “meekness” - James 3:13  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

 

1 Corinthians 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

 

          b.  A Directive To Reprimand

 

1)  It Was To Be Done Promptly - 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

 

2)  It Was To Be Done Publicly - 1 Timothy 5:20  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

 

3)  Private sin is dealt with privately.  Public sin is dealt with publicly. 

 

3.  The Power - vs. vs. 5

 

a.  The Power Of Deliverance - 1 Corinthians 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

 

b.  The Power Of Destruction - 1 Timothy 1:20  Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

 

4.  The Purpose - vs. 5-8

 

a.  The Chastening Of The Culprit - Hebrews 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

 

Hebrews 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

 

b.  The Cleansing Of The Church - 2 Corinthians 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

 

Purging differs from pruning. Pruning involves cutting back or removing dead branches to help a plant thrive and produce fruit. Purging, which means to cleanse, means removing a plant that harms the health of the garden or orchard. Purging is done to allow other plants to flourish by controlling the environment.

 

In John chapter 15, we find that “purging” is done by the washing of the water of God’s Word, and its intended result is that the plant to be purged is revitalized and bears the right kind of fruit.  When the plant does not respond by restoration and fruit bearing, it is broken off, cast forth to be destroyed outside of the church.

 

John 15:2, 6  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit … (John 15:6)  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

 

Ephesians 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

 

c.  The Corruption Of The Congregation – Matthew 13:33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

 

5.  The Partitioning - vs. 9-13

 

a.  We Are Not To Company With Them - Psalms 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

 

Proverbs 9:6  Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

 

b.  We Are Not To Eat With Them - 2 Corinthians 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

 

1 Corinthians 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

Hamartiology: The Doctrine of Sin - Part 2 - Sin’s Origin on Earth: Adam

Temple Baptist Church - 9-7-2025

Genesis 3:1-7

 

A.  Last week, we explored the origins of Sin and its Originator. Lucifer, known as the Angel of Light, the Light Bearer, the Son of the Morning, and the Anointed Cherub that Covers, sinned because of Pride.

 

1.  He roamed in the Garden of Eden as a defender of God’s holiness. The primary aspect of God's holiness that needed protection was related to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as nothing else was off limits. Eating from that tree was a direct offense against God's commandment, which was solely to refrain from eating its fruit.

 

2.  This suggests that Lucifer’s role in Eden, the Garden of God, was to deter Adam and Eve from consuming the forbidden fruit of the tree, just as the cherubim with the flaming sword protected the Tree of Life after Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden.  However, after his fall, he betrayed that trust by enlisting the Serpent as a proxy to lead Adam and Eve astray.

 

3.  Now, the defender of the holiness of God is no longer willing to defend God’s holiness and the Serpent recruited for the act of tempting to sin.

 

4.  Speculating about why Eve was standing with the serpent, looking at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, is unnecessary, so we will simply note that they were there together. Now, I would like to examine the original sin that occurred that day.

 

B.  Lucifer’s sin was pride in his beauty and wisdom.  Lucifer, now Satan, carried his sin to heaven and convinced countless angels to follow him. If Satan can persuade these angels, who live a perfect life in a perfect place with a wonderful God, he can also persuade humans.

 

C.  We will not spend time on the serpent, as we do not know all the particulars concerning his confederacy with Satan, but the serpent’s life was forever changed with his transgression.  Both then, now, and the future.

 

Genesis 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

 

Isaiah 65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

 

D.  The introduction of the origin of sin.  In Eve, we find her curiosity in looking at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

 

1. The Subtle Approach of Satan’s Attack.  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?

 

a.  “Now the serpent”  The Serpent was Satan’s proxy—standing in place of or for another.  Very few times in the Bible does Satan himself directly attack men.  (Job – Joshua the High Priest – Christ)  He uses proxies.  Satan comes in disguise, using craftiness, never showing his true nature.  Today, Satan uses wicked people to tempt and sway God’s people.  Advertisements, music (so often about a triangle of love with a man and his wife and another woman or man), Hollywood, stores with the almost naked pictures of both men and women displayed, etc.

 

b.  “was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” Satan’s attack was Subtle.  He chooses the serpent — cunning, appealing, not frightening.

 

2 Corinthians 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

 

c.  When tempted, we rarely see the end and consequences of sin, but sin begins “one inch at a time” in our lives. Sin may provide pleasure for a season, but seasons change, and the result is always death.

 

Hebrews 11:24-25  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;  (25)  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

 

Romans 6:23a  For the wages of sin is death …

 

d.   “And he said unto the woman”   Satan always targets the weakest first, and here we see a weakness in the serpent. Satan and the serpent became acquainted, and the serpent will eat dust all the days of his life for his part in sin.

 

1 Peter 3:7  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

 

2.  The Brazen Attack upon God’s Word. Verse 1.  “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”  Satan questioned God’s Word by quoting it verbatim while creating a subtle doubt in the mind of Eve.  (The serpent questioned a clear command given by God.  Satan continues to this day questioning the Bible, and we should not be ignorant of his devices.)

 

a.  In our day, there is such a blatant attack upon the King James Bible.  In days gone by, the attack was subtle but now it is blatant.  Beware of people who question the Word of God!  Satan will sow doubt about the veracity of God’s Word, the purity of God’s Word, and the authority of God’s Word.  Psalm 119:89 says that God’s Word is forever settled, but Satan casts doubt.

 

b.  Every sin begins when we either question or reject God’s Word, which is God’s authority.  If anyone questions the Bible, you find another person to hang around with.  You do not have to say a word or defend God’s Word, just turn and walk away.

 

3.  The Distortion of God’s Word.  Verses 2-3.  Genesis 3:2-3  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  (3)  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

 

a.  Notice the changing of God’s Word was not done at first by Satan!  Eve replied to the serpent, saying, “Neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”

 

b.  God never said that they could not touch the tree.  God’s Word was changed through human reasoning: if you cannot eat of the fruit of the tree, then you cannot touch it either.  Human reason is not God’s truth, but a distortion of it.

 

c.  Adding to or taking away from God’s Word is error.  There are three “sentinels” in the Bible concerning adding to or taking away from God’s Word.  One in the beginning, one in the middle, and one at the end of the Bible.

 

Deuteronomy 4:2  Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

 

Proverbs 30:5-6  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.  (6)  Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

 

Revelation 22:18-19  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  (19)  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 

4.  The Denial of God’s Word. Genesis 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

 

a.  Subtle deception turns into absolute denial!  Satan contradicts a clear command of God with the change of just one word, “Not!”

 

b.  Satan is “Not” only a liar, he is the “FATHER” of the lie!  People do not “understand” God’s Word because they listen the the Lies of Satan.

 

John 8:43-45  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.  (44)  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  (45)  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

 

c.  People are deceived through personal choice. Doubt leads to denial and denial to open rebellion.  “Why do ye not understand … I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”

 

5.  The Defamation of God’s Character.  Genesis 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

 

a.  Satan’s lie that our wonderful Lord withholds good from us because He can.

 

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 

b.  God gave to Adam and Eve EVERY good thing in the Garden of Eden and only withheld that one thing that was harmful to them.  Knowing both “good and evil.”  God did not want them to “know” evil.  The word “know” in the Bible speaks of the intamicy between a man and his wife.

 

c.  God never intended for His children to be intimate with evil!  “then your eyes shall be opened … knowing good and evil.”  Our children are born in innocence, and I wish that they would never know evil, but, unfortunately, their innocence will one day turn into guilt and shame.

 

d.  The defamation of God’s character is an evil thing as God does not sin or do evil to His children! 

 

Psalms 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 

6.  The Desire for Self-Exaltation.  Genesis 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

 

a.  “and ye shall be as gods.”  Satan wanted to be as God and, therefore above God.  Today, humanism is taught to our children by the world in both public schools and the outside world.  Humanism is “the god of self.”

 

b.  Humanism is when we want to be like God and become independent jof God.

 

c.  The root of Humanism is pride, and the end of Humanism is destruction!  Self-interest leads to self-rule, which leads to self-destruction!  Always!

 

7.  The Damnation of Fleshly Desire.  Genesis 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

 

a.  The Lust of the Flesh.  “good for food.”

 

b.  The Lust of the Eye.  “pleasant to the eyes.”

 

c.  The Pride of Life.  “a tree to be desired to make one wise.”

 

1 John 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16)  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17)  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

8.  The Destruction of Mankind.  Genesis 3:6-7  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.  (7)  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked …”

 

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.

 

a.  Brought about Spiritual Death.  “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” 

 

1.  That 24-hour period when Adam knowingly, deliberately, disobeyed God, Adam and Eve entered into spiritual death.

 

2.  Thank God that He shed the blood of atonement that very 24-hour day in which Adam and Eve spiritually died and reconciled them once again back to fellowship with God through the promised Seed of the Woman, our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Genesis 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

 

Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

b.  Brought about Physical Death.  “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” 

 

Genesis 3:22-24  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:  (23)  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  (24)  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

 

2 Peter 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

 

Genesis 5:5  And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

 

The oldest man who ever lived remained on this earth for 969 years.  The year that he was born, in God’s economy, he died!

 

Conclusion:

 

1 Timothy 2:13-15  For Adam was first formed, then Eve.  (14)  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.  (15)  Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

 

a.  Eve, being the weaker vessel, was caught up in the deception.

 

b.  Adam was not!  A beautiful type of Christ who tasted death that we might live.  Adam knew what his wife had done and chose to die (Ye shall surely die) in order that both he and Eve could live again one day forever!

 

c.  Eve’s salvation would come through childbearing that brought forth the “seed of the woman,” our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!