The First Family (Part 1): Adam and Eve’s Relevance in 2013

*Part 1 of 3: An in-depth look at the first five chapters of the Book of Genesis*

Can you count how many times you hear someone tell you how irrelevant the Bible is? Have you been insulted by others because of this ancient book that doesn’t evolve with society? That’s right – the Bible doesn’t evolve. The Bible is the Word of an unchanging God; a God who was the same in the beginning and is the same today in 2013. God doesn’t change to accept sin, He doesn’t change to make humans feel better about themselves, and God expects the same from us just as He expected from Adam and Eve.

We all know the beginning of creation and Christians cite the Book of Genesis for the story of creation. But do you know the importance and relevance of Adam and Eve today? The first family: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, and Seth. Just as dysfunctional as any family in today’s time: deception, lying, lack of accountability, murder, people putting themselves before God – and so on. But let’s take a look at how this dysfunction plays a very important role in society in 2013.

Starting in the second chapter of Genesis, we are introduced to Adam and Eve. Genesis 2:7 “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” So there was Adam. Just Adam. There he was surrounded by God’s creation – food, animals, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God commanded Adam to not eat from that tree of knowledge of good and evil and Adam obeyed. Genesis 2:18 “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

God found that there was no suitable helper already created and so, God created Eve. “The man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame.” Genesis 2:25

Now Chapter 3 of Genesis is where things get real interesting – thanks all to temptation of sin. The first lie in all of creation was uttered in Genesis 3:4 “‘You will surely not die,’ the serpent said to the woman.” And because this first lie worked – all of humanity has been listening to the lies of the serpent ever since. We’re so used to believing that we will not die – because each sin is coated in gratification and instant physical reward…you will surely not die. You surely will die. If Satan had a tombstone, it would read “You will surely not die.” Very fitting, don’t you think?

What happened in the story of Adam and Eve is incredibly crucial in today’s world: we can lead others to sin. If we are not mindful of God’s word, if we allow temptation and sin to enter into our lives – not only does it lead us on a path of self-destruction, it will have a ripple effect and lead others on that same path. Think of what happened after Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; not only did they feel shame and attempt to hide from God, but they didn’t own up to their actions. Adam blamed God for putting Eve there. Eve blamed the serpent. No one bothered to blame themselves. Eve was created to be Adam’s helper; she helped him straight to the path of sin. Therefore, if we do not lead a life that resists temptation and sin, we will fall victim to sinful self-destruction, we will lead others to sinful behaviors and self-destruction. 

Chapter 3 of Genesis is a powerful message, as we read of the first sin attack God’s creation. The first lust is located in Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.” That passage is filled with lust that humans must wrestle with everyday. Adam and Eve never repented, they felt shame, they hid, they blamed.

And all the way back in chapter 3 of Genesis – God makes mention of the new covenant. Yes, Jesus was present in the Old Testament. Jesus was present at the time of the creation. More importantly, Jesus was part of the plan from day one. Genesis 3:15 “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;” that is none other than Christ’s victory over Satan.

Despite the sin that Adam and Eve participated in, despite the lack of repentance – God never abandoned them. This is evident because their story continues. In fact, God continued to care for them; He provided them coverings to hide their nakedness. He didn’t make their lives easy – He did make note that there were consequences for their sin. Isn’t that how sin works? When we sin, we struggle in life. When we sin, we become idolaters and we distance ourselves from God. God never leads us to sin, God never leads us to spiritual death; sin leads us to struggles, sin leads us to death. Just like Adam and Eve – they struggled and could not just eat from the tree of life. They were separated from the Garden of Eden and were not permitted to eat from the tree of life. What is the tree of life? Jesus.

Genesis 2:9 “And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.””
1 John 5:12 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Adam and Eve were forbidden and cast out of Eden so they could not just take from the tree of life; they had to serve out the consequence of their sin – yet God did not abandon them. God did not forget about them; regardless of what they did, God was still their father, their creator. God still cared for them.

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth: We Gotta Talk About It

Matthew 13:42 “They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

We gotta talk about this. When we witness to others, when we attempt to disciple in the name of Jesus, we talk about salvation. But do we talk about the alternative?

Frequently, Christians come in contact with people who are Atheists or have an alternative vision of God that has evolved with society, and “modernized.” Some may say, “well, I don’t think that Hell exists because there’s too much suffering in the world and God is about love and salvation.” Sometimes as Christians, we face much more harsh language that often insults our intellectual quotient. And when a discussion begins to digress, offer up this: “What if you are wrong?” 

Think of it – let’s just entertain the idea for a moment that Christians have it all wrong. We give praises to God, we seek salvation from Jesus, we grow in our walk with Christ – and in the end, the Atheists were right. So what? The worst thing that can happen is that you, the dead Christian, will lose your credibility on Earth. Who cares? You’re dead. But – what if they are wrong.

We all know people we love who refuse to believe or accept Christ. We all know people who we are painfully praying for to turn away from their sins, seek salvation and drown in a sea of God’s grace. But ask yourself this: are you in sorrow for them because they will not inherit the kingdom or because they may go to the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Gnashing of teeth” – what an uncomfortable statement. Anyone who visits the dentist regularly and has their teeth scraped could cringe at the thought of gnashing your teeth for all eternity. Weeping and gnashing of teeth for all eternity. 

So – let’s talk about it. The alternative to inheriting the kingdom is going to the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. To love others as Christ loves us is to be honest, even with the stuff Christians don’t want to talk about: Hell. We have to tell people the alternative. We have to. Jesus didn’t hide it from us; “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is mentioned seven times in the New Testament. Jesus told us about it. It’s real. And we must tell others about it too.

We have to speak out. There are two options; only two options. Option one: accept the salvation Jesus offers, turn away from sin, and walk a life of discipleship. Option two: weeping and gnashing of teeth. That’s it. Those are the options. There is no middle ground and as Christians, we have to address the less glamorous side of the truth. 

There is no denying that option one leads to the greatest reward – eternity with Christ. However, to not inform people of the second option is doing an injustice to those we love who struggle with their Earthly desires to sin and denounce God. We must recognize that discussion of Hell is as much of the truth as the discussion of Heaven.

How do we describe the alternative to people? Jesus explains it: weeping and gnashing of teeth. Revelation 21:8 describes even more detail, “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magical arts, the idolaters and all liars — they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Weeping and gnashing of teeth and a fiery lake of burning sulfur.

And Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). If Hell is the weeping, the gnashing of teeth, and the lake of burning sulfur; Jesus is the way, the truth, and the LIFE. Hell is the second death. Jesus is the life; the eternal life. 

Are You A Peter: Denying Jesus In Daily Life

Matthew 26:75 “Then Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

People love to say, “I’m a good person. I’m sure I’ll go to Heaven.” By whose standards have you stamped your one-way ticket to salvation and everlasting peace? Your standards? The standards of your friends? The standards of your family? But what about the standards of Jesus? What does Jesus have to say about you? Does Jesus even know who you are?

Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!'”

“I never knew you.” Denying Jesus prevents Him from knowing you; being a Peter will leave you outside and weeping bitterly.

And now you say, “I don’t deny Jesus. I read my Bible, I go to church, I tell people I’m a Christian.” That’s fine – but do you know Jesus? Do you interact with Him in your life every single day? It’s not enough to tell people you’re a Christian, it’s not enough to go to church or read your Bible; those are great endeavors to enhance your path towards discipleship. However, whether you notice it or not, if you’re denying Jesus, He isn’t getting to know you.

How do you deny Jesus everyday? Here are some examples: If you ever get upset and act impulsively towards another person – you’re denying Jesus. If you give into lustful temptations that cause you to use your body to bring dishonor – you’re denying Jesus. If you let your distractions consume your time, and you sit idle wasting time – you’re denying Jesus. If you speak with pride and arrogance seeking praise for a job well done – you’re denying Jesus. If you go along with society’s pressures to support, endorse, promote, or perpetuate sin – you’re denying Jesus. Basically, any activity or words that you do or use everyday that does NOT give Jesus an opportunity to shine through you is a denial of Him.  We are not called saints and we are not set apart to deny Jesus – we are set apart to become involved in a deep, interactive relationship with Christ. A relationship in which Christ knows us, we know Him, and He literally uses our thoughts, words, and actions to bring glory to God.

Jesus does not want part of us, part of the time, when it’s convenient or when we decide to pencil Him into our busy schedules. Jesus wants us all the time to be all-in, full-blown, sell-outs for Christ…that means all the time. 

As Christians, it is time to cut the excuses. When we sin and when we allow our bodies to fall victim to impulsive temptations, we are denying Jesus. To consciously sin is to love the world and flesh and deny Christ: 1 John 2:15-17 ” Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pas away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

It’s time to stop denying Jesus at our convenience and call on Him at our convenience. Jesus is with us always – even when we deny Him. He never leaves us, and He waits patiently trying to get our attention to turn away from those worldly temptations that cause us to deny Him. If you are with your sin, you deny Jesus. Do not deny Jesus – do not prevent Him from getting to know you, do not let your relationship with Jesus become one that is filled with avoidance and drama – keep it pure. Jesus wants a pure and innocent relationship with you; a relationship that requires you to depend on Him and one where you do not deny Him. Matthew 18:2-3 “He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.”

Quit being a Peter, everyday. Build upon your relationship with Jesus as you would anyone who you value and love; He’s there, He really is. And He is persistent – when you deny Him, He comes right back for more.