“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 NIV
The story of Resurrection Sunday does not begin in the garden where the stone was rolled away, but in the garden of Eden in the Book of Genesis. I don’t know how many sermons will be preached out of the first book in the Bible this Easter weekend, but it certainly would be on target. Chapter 3 is the launch pad of Resurrection Sunday. In the midst of the worst news that would change the world forever, we see good news that will one day see Jesus walk away from the grave victorious over death and sin. The sin in the garden did not win!
Before sin is given its deadly power to kill, steal and destroy, man enjoyed a perfect relationship with God. Peace, joy, provision! Fear was not in existence because there was no need for safety since there was nothing to be safe from. Sin, rebellion, oppression, and anything else you can think of was not experienced by Adam and Eve. They were not navigating around these heart issues and trying to avoid temptation. They didn’t know what temptation was. Man walked with God in perfect harmony. Nothing to fear, no need to worry and nothing to be ashamed of. So, what in the world happened? Most of us reading this are wondering why anyone would exchange this perfect relationship for the shame, fear and punishment that came after the fall. Now before you pick up the stones and start throwing them towards Adam and Eve, keep reading. I believe you will see we are not any different.
So, the question before us is why did man exchange relationship with God for a bite of forbidden fruit? I learned something in my studies that gave me an enlightened perspective of what happened in the garden. Eve and her husband Adam were not hungry when they took the bite that changed God’s relationship with people. They were not in need of anything. They had absolutely everything they would ever need with God. Grab ahold of this. They had everything they needed to be happy, to be nourished, to live a productive life in their walking, talking in the cool of the garden relationship. God had them covered, that is why they didn’t know they were naked. They walked in the covering of God Himself. He was their source and identity.
Now enter stage left a snake who is Satan himself. The craftiness of the serpent knew that the fruit was not the temptation. They had an abundance of fruit trees to eat from. But Satan knew he only needed a small crack to slither through to make Eve and Adam do what they did. It wasn’t the fruit, but instead, he just needed them to forget who God was to them. He only needed them to put their mind on what they thought they did not have instead of everything they did have. Isn’t that how sin works? Marital unfaithfulness happens by being convinced that you are missing something in your life. You believe you deserve to be happy in the forbidden relationship. You feel there is a lack so you go and get what you think you are missing. Apply that to greed, offense, unforgiveness and so on. The root is you have been convinced that you are missing something, so you go and get it. Adam and Eve were not hungry, but they did believe the lie that convinced them that they were missing out. They forgot that they had everything in their relationship with their Creator. That is why just a few verses later, God preaches the good news. God is going to restore what the enemy stole or what man willingly gave away. Sin would not win!
Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil. He came to deal with the sin that has been robbing man of everything man needs to live – a pure, intimate and life-giving relationship with God. Now fast forward to the garden and the empty tomb. Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin. Jesus arose from the dead to defeat the power of sin and death. Jesus made the way for us to experience the life-giving relationship with God again. Freedom from sin is about finding the delight and peace in the relationship you and I were designed for. We through Christ can walk in the covering once again from God. Adam and Eve forgot where they found delight and peace. Once they exchanged the truth for a lie, all of the sudden they experienced something they were never designed for – shame, fear, oppression and deception. Sin entered the world and is used time after time to keep people away from God. But sin does not need to win in your life. You can exchange sin for the life you were designed to live with God. John 10:10 declares that even though the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, Jesus has come to give life and life to the full. You can walk with God and the blessings that come with Him.
What are you experiencing today? Is sin being used against you to keep you from the life you were created to live in? Are you making decisions based on what you do not have and want instead of surrendering your life to the One who created you to be with Him? Quit believing the lie from the enemy. You have everything you need in Jesus. Turn back to Him, believe upon Him and put your faith and trust in Him. Allow Jesus to manifest the win against sin.
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