Corruption: The Entrance of Sin

On the sixth day of creation, God made the first human, Adam, who lived in the perfect world that God created (Genesis 2:7). God also made Eve, a companion for Adam (Genesis 2:18–22). God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and have dominion over all of the creatures of earth (Genesis 1:28), but he also told them one thing that they were not supposed to do. That one thing was not to eat from a specific tree in the garden—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16–17). Adam and Eve both knew this, but one day a serpent began speaking to Eve, questioning what God really said. Here is how their conversation went (Genesis 3:1–5):

• The serpent asked if God told them they could eat from any tree.
• Eve replied that they were told they could eat from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and that if they did, they would die.
• The serpent replied that they wouldn’t die, but they would be like God, knowing good and evil.

Eve was persuaded to look at the fruit, and then she determined it would be good to eat. She ate the fruit and shared it with Adam, who also knew God’s instructions against eating the fruit.

Sin is doing something that God has said not to do.

This account tells us about the first sin and is known as “the fall of man.” Sin is doing something that God has said not to do. Adam and Eve decided to do something God clearly told them not to do, and they knew it. They determined that they knew what they needed better than God knew, and instead of choosing to be obedient to God and be satisfied with what he had given, they chose to attempt to satisfy themselves in their own way.

Once Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they became aware that they were naked, so they made clothes for themselves out of leaves and hid from God among the trees (Genesis 3:7–8). But God still came looking and calling out for Adam and Eve. When they heard God asking where they were, they answered and told him that they were afraid. After God questioned them, Adam and Eve admitted what they had done (Genesis 3:9–13). The result is that all of creation was cursed because of the sin of Adam and Eve. Sin had brought death, disease, and suffering to God’s once-perfect creation. But thankfully, God wasn’t finished with us yet!

For More Information:

• Are You a Child of God?
• Good News
• If all God Created was Good, How Could Satan be Bad?
• In the Beginning
• Sin and the Curse
• Why Did God Create Sin?