a)      [God appears in the Old Testament as the Shekinnah of glory] 

b)     [Jesus, when he was transfigured, his countenance became glistening bright, as bright as the sun.] 

[Mark 9:2-3 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 3And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. ] 

c)      [When God created man He crowned him with glory, thus implying a shroud of light.] 

[Psalm 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. ] 

b.      [A glorious frame of reference – Adam and Eve lived in eternity before their fall in sin.  They were not bound to time, time was everlasting to them.  Creation rotated in time, but to Adam and Eve, 

[2 Peter 3:8 ⁸ . . . one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.]

[To Adam and Eve a moment was eternal bliss in reality.] 

2.      A Perfect Provision (vs 9-10, 16) [- And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. ¹⁰ And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.] 

[Genesis 2:16 ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: ]

[There was no lack for Adam and Eve in this glorious Garden of Paradise.  The trees and grains were bountiful and satisfying.]

[J Vernon Magee wrote, I cannot tell you where the Garden of Eden is. I am sure it is somewhere in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley; in fact it may be the entire valley. Originally, that valley was a very fertile place, and it still is, for that matter. It is part of "the fertile crescent." At one time, the peoples inhabiting that region did not even plant grain there; they simply harvested it, for it grew by itself. It is probable that this area will someday become the very center of the earth again.[5]] 

[God also placed in this glorious Garden the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of  Good  and Evil.] 

[God’s greatest love gift – Someone might ask, “Why did God have to place that Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in that garden?”  That forbidden tree was God’s greatest love gift given to Adam and Eve in that garden.  You see God placed that tree there because He loved Adam and Eve and God wanted Adam and Eve to love Him back.  But forced love is no love at all.  So God gave Adam and Eve the freedom to choose.  That tree was choice for them.  They could choose to stay in this glorious place, loving a God who clearly loved them with a great love, or they could rebel, disobey God and choose not to be in that place with Him.] 

3.      A Perfect Presence (Gen 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. -  In this Garden of Paradise Adam and Eve walked in the perfect presence of God.  There was no sin to separate Adam and Eve from God.  They could walk with God, talk with God, laugh with God, and just be with God.  What a glory it must have been for Adam and Eve to walk in the very presence of God.] 

[New Testament Christians  have some sense of this reality in that when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior the Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell within us, but no one has truly known what it is like to really walk with God since the fall of mankind with Adam’s sin.  But one day soon we will.  The Bible reveals,]  

[Revelation 21:3-5 ³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.]

4.      A Perfect Passion (vs 18, 21-24) [– And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.]

[Genesis 2:21-24 ²¹ And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; ²² And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. ²³ And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. ²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ]

[In this Garden of Paradise Adam and Eve had, for a time, the perfect relationship.  Wouldn’t you ladies like to have a perfect relationship with your husband?  Husbands wouldn’t you like to say you have the perfect wife?  You had better say that you do!  Well, Adam and Even walked in a perfect passion in that glorious place and state.] 

B.     The Deception (Genesis 3) [– Genesis Chapter three introduces us to the beginning of sin, suffering, death and corruption.  We discover the lost state of mankind and why every man, woman and child needs to be saved.  We also discover that force behind our rebellion and sinfulness as we discover the deceiver we know as Lucifer or the Devil. ] Notice in our text that, 

1.      Te Devil’s Form Was Unexpected (Gen 3.1; 2 Cor 11.14-15; Rev 12.9; 20.2) [ - 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? - There is much to learn from the unexpected form used by the Devil.  When the Devil comes to deceive he will purposefully take on a form that will disarm us.  The New Testament warns,] 

[2 Cor. 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. ] 

[The Serpent -  We don’t know much about this serpent.  We merely are told it was a serpent, which is the Hebrew word for snake.  We know the creature was very subtil and again there is nothing remarkable about this Hebrew word it merely means crafty.  It seems remarkable that a serpent could approach Eve and her not be shocked to have a discussion with a serpent.  Clearly, all of creation was remarkable in this Garden of Paradise.] 

[C.I. Scofield  wrote, "The creature which lent itself to Satan may well have been the most beautiful as it was the most 'subtle' of creatures less than man.”[6]]  

[Was this serpent the devil?  There are other Bible references that refer to the devil as a serpent,] 

[Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. ] 

[Rev. 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,]  

[Learn my Christian friends that when our enemy, the devil, comes to trip you up through temptation.  He will come in a form that you do not expect.] 

2.      The Devil’s Place Was Unusual (Gen 3.1; Job 1.6; Zech 3.1; Rev 12.9-11) [-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?- The first place Satan appears in the Bible is in Paradise, A perfect place prepared by God.] 

[Christians need to be aware that Satan appears in unusual places.  He is seen:] 

a.       [Among the Sons of God in Job,] 

[Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. ] 

b.      [Standing at the right hand of the High Priest in Zechariah.] 

[Zech. 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. ] 

c.       [Accusing the Saints before God (Rev 12.9-11)] 

[Rev. 12:9-11 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.]  

[Expect your adversary to be present at every turn and in every decision.] 

3.      The Devil’s Time Was Undesirable (1 Tim 2.13-15; Eccl 4.9-12; 1 Pet 5.8) [- 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? – Eve was all-alone.  I  have heard some argue that Adam was standing right there next to Eve when she took and ate that forbidden fruit.  I find that a ridiculous idea.  Adam was not present when Eve was tempted by the serpent the Bible states,] 

[1 Timothy 2:13-15 ¹³ 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. ]

[Adam knew full well what he was doing when he sinned and ate that forbidden fruit.  The important point is that our adversary will come to tempt us at our weakest moment.  We are at our weakest when we do not have the strength of our godly companions to help us stand against our adversary.] 

[Synergy - Two are better than one, add Christ and the three are extra strong] 

[Eccles. 4:9-12 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.]  

[Your adversary knows when you are the weakest, and he will attack when He knows He is most likely to succeed.] 

[1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ] 

C.    The Temptation (vs 1-5) [- A Dialogue That's Dangerous – From our text we learn a lot about temptation and its allurement.] 

1.      A Dialogue is Started (vs 1; 2 Tim 2.22-23) [ -  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, . . .  - A Dialogue is two-way.  You cannot have a dialogue with only one.  Eve made a grave error when she entered into a discussion with the Devil.  The Devil will always have the upper hand in a debate.] 

[The best policy is don't deal with the devil.  Don't talk with him, don't trade with him, and don’t have anything to do with him. Don't think your going to out smart the devil; he's been at this deception thing for along time.  Over six thousand years. Satan starts by talking to Eve and then she responds to him.] 

[What should you do when you are tempted?] 

[2 Timothy 2:22-23 ²² Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.]

[I think of the example of young Joseph when he was snared by Potipher’s wife in the house.  But Joseph fled from the house (Gen 39.11-12).  Christian flee when temptation comes your way, get away from its evil enticement.  Its trap and cost are far to great. Do not enter into a wrestling match with the Devil.] 

2.      A Doubt is Suggested (vs 1; 2 Tim 3.16; Psalm 119.89; Isa 40.8; Matt 5.18; 1 Pet 1.25;) [ - 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, . . . -  Satan's strategy has remained the same since the beginning.  Get mankind to doubt God's Word and mankind will fall.] 

[Satan’s attacks on God Word are the same even today.  Satan attacks the Accuracy and Authority of God's Word.  Today Satan asks each of us How do you know that the Bible is God's Word?  It's just a book written at the hands of fallible men.] 

[But God has said,]  

[2 Tim. 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ] 

[Psalm 119:89 For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. ] 

[Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. ] 

[Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.]  

[1 Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.]  

[Don’t allow the Devil to get you to doubt the authoritative, perfectly preserved, written Word of God.  God has spoken and you will do well to hear and heed the Word of God.  The Devil will try to get you to doubt the Word of God, but don’t you do it.] 

3.      A Denial is Stated (Gen 3.1-5; 2.17) [- 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? ² 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. ⁴ And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 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. – It is as if the Devil said to Eve, you are being Deprived.  God is robbing you of the goodness of that tree.] 

[Exaggeration is the hallmark of depravity.  Satan accuses God of depriving Eve of something.] 

[Notice Eve's twofold mistake, (vs 3)] 

a.       [Eve Added to God's Word - ". . . neither shall ye touch it . . . "] 

b.      [Eve Changes God's Word - " . . . lest ye die . . . "] 

[The actual command was,] 

[Genesis 2:17 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. ] 

[Whenever you add to or change God’s Word you open yourself up for a direct challenge from you adversary and you destroy your only real foundation in life’s storms, the Word of God.  The Word of God is your only real anchor in this life.] 

[The Devils response to Eve, He says,]  

a.        [You are being Deceived by God! (vs 4) - And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: - It is as if the Devil says, “Oh, be reasonable Eve.  You’re smarter than that.  Come on, you won't die from a piece of fruit!”  The devil says to people in our world everyday, “Oh, come on, be reasonable, you won’t die from that sin.”  But the price tag on sin never changes and the wages for sin will always be death (Rom 6.23).] 

b.      [You are being Denied by God  (vs 5) "For God doth know . . . ye shall be as gods" - The plight of America today, we are gods unto ourselves.  The devil convinced Eve that she would be a god unto herself.  I wonder how she felt when Cain murdered Able.  I’ll bet she didn’t feel much like a god then.  Don’t be deceived, you will never be a god.] 

D.    The Transgression (vs 6) [- A Decision That's Disastrous – Now we see in our text the steps that lead to sin and the destruction that follows.  Sin doesn’t just happen.  There are revealed steps that lead us into sin and they are revealed in our text.] 

1.      The Look that leads to Lust (vs 6; 1 John 2.15-17; Matt 6.22-23) - And when the woman saw . . . – It all starts with a mere look, but this is a look of reconsideration.  Eve looks and begins to question, “Why do I feel the way I feel about this tree?  After all its just another tree.”  Many ask similar questions about the sins they face and the choices they must make in their life.] 

[The Apostle John wrote about Three elements that lead to a fall:] 

[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. 16For 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. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ] 

a.       [The lust of the flesh (vs 6) -  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food . . . ] 

b.      [The lust of the eye (vs 6) - . . . It was pleasant to look upon . . . ] 

c.       [The pride of life (vs 6 ) - . . . Desired top make one wise . . .  - To be as gods.] 

[The eye and the body - When we start looking at and lusting after the things of the world we are in danger of falling to temptation and sin.  Jesus said,] 

[Matthew 6:22-23 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! ] 

[Christians be sure your eye is upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness.  Sin is sin because God said its sin, don’t let the things of this word catch our eye in a godless way.] 

2.      The Desire that leads to a Decision (vs 6; Prov 4.23; Col 3.2) [- 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, . . . -  Notice that she took the fruit!  If you’re involved in sin:] 

a.       [It's not the devils fault]

b.      [It's not your parents fault]

c.       [It's not the governments fault]

d.      [Its your fault - You choose to sin.] 

[Protect your desires (Prov 4.23; Col 3.2)] 

[Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. ] 

[Col. 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ] 

3.      The Choice that leads to a Chain (vs 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, . . . - You can't commit just one sin - One sin leads to another.] 

[Illustration - I once heard a man tell the story about how he had met his wife.  While on their first date she started asking him how old he was.  He said guess.  So she started guessing.  Because she was much older than he, she started out high and started coming down.  Because he didn't want her to stop dating him he lied and led her to believe he was much older.  After all what's the harm, they'll only see each other on this one date.  But they continued to go out and then she wanted to cook him a birthday cake and put candles on the cake.  The cake then ended up at his parent's house.  His mother counted the candles, whose mother counts candles on a cake?  His mother then asked, "does she think your this old?"  He said, "No, her niece put the candles on the cake and she can't count."  He lied to his girlfriend, now his wife; to his mother and to God.[7]] 

["Sin will always take you farther then you want to go,
keep you longer than you want to stay,
and cost you more then you want to pay."] 

4.      The Sin that leads to Seduction (vs  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. - Sinners never like to go down alone.  Misery always likes company.  She seduced her own husband with her sin.  When you start hanging around with sinners, they are going try to get you into their deadly club.] 

[Seduction probably isn’t the best word to use here because Adam was not deceived into sin by Eve.  But Eve felt no remorse about giving that forbidden fruit to her husband.  I ask myself, is that love?  To draw your own family into sins deathly grip!  This is not love to me.] 

5.      The Death that leads to Destruction (Gen 2.17; Isa 59.2; Rom 6.23) - 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. - At the very moment of their sinful act Adam and Eve were separated from their fellowship with God.  They had died spiritually.] 

[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. ] 

[The price tag on sin is death.] 

[Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ] 

[Adam and Eve soon learned the cost of their rebellion and sin.  They were cast from that Garden of Paradise, cursed by God, destine to die mortally, and unless redeemed by God to die for all eternity.  Death, destruction, and despair would now mark their lives and they were now separated from their fellowship with Almighty God.  Surely they no longer felt as though they were god’s and never would.] 

[Four things mark the high cost of sin in their lives,] 

a.       [Their Countenance was changed (vs 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. - The shroud of glory that had clothed them was cast away by their sin.  The glorious magnificence of God can only rest upon the pure, and Adam and Eve were all but pure, they willfully rebelled against God and His holiness was no longer theirs.  All who willfully endorse sin and wickedness in their lives, though they ask for forgiveness, are not pure nor worthy of the manifested glory of God.  Too many in our day smirk at sin and as a result cannot know the brilliance of God’s holiness because of their folly.] 

b.      [Their Conscience was changed (vs 8-13) – 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. – Adam and Eve, who had once walked and talked with Almighty God as though He were their best friend now sensed their unworthiness and hid themselves for the sweet fellowship they once enjoyed.  Adam and Eve were ashamed. The cost of their sin was not only outward but it was deeply inward striking at the vary core of their being.  Hence, when struggling with temptation and considering sin in your life, don’t fail to understand that sin will not only affect your outward surroundings, but more importantly it will impact you deeply, striking a mortal blow on your conscience.  Consider how sin impacted their conscience,] 

[Genesis 3:9-13 ⁹ 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? ¹² 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.]

[They were now Ashamed – They were naked.]

[They were now Afraid – They were fearful.]

[They were now Alone – They were selfish and defensive]

[When God asked what they had done Adam blamed God and the women, the women blamed the serpent, and the serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on.  Self preservation had become a large part of who they now were in their minds.]

c.       [Their Conditions were changed (vs 14-22) - 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. ¹⁶ 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: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. – The consequences of sin are high, very high.  Their conditions had changed and changed dramatically.  The comforts of paradise, the security of paradise, the provision of paradise were all gone.  They had made their choice and now they had to live with the consequences that they had brought upon themselves.] 

[In another unfathomable act of unconditional love God protected Adam and Eve form the tree of life, lest they should live forever in this fallen, corrupt state.  Therefore, even in these tragic conditions hope was offered, their mortal lives would be temporary and restoration was provided and promised by God if they wanted it.] 

[People tend to look lightly upon sin and its consequences, but they fail to realize the undeniable affect that sin has upon them and their lives.  Sin affects everything in your life, sin affect your countenance or appearance, sin affects your conscience or the way you think, sin affects you conditions or the circumstances in which you live.  Sin costs you far more than you probably realize, but take a step back in your mind, think about what sin has cost you in your life and you will realize that your choices to sin and continuance in sin has cost you dearly.  So why will you continue in your sin?  Repentance (turning away from sin) and restoration are available for you.  Isn’t it time to turn whole heartedly to the Lord Jesus Christ?] 

CrossRoads Baptist Church, June 28, 2009, Sunday Evening