THE ANATOMY OF SIN

OBJECTIVE: To make people aware of Satan’s strategy to tempt them to sin.

How God looks at sin:

1. One sin is enough to condemn you

2. All men have sinned and are dammed without Jesus Christ

3. Our condition is humanly incurable

Read James 2:10 - According to this verse, how does God look at sin?

1. One sin is enough to condemn you.

2. Break one commandment and you have broken all.

Read Rom. 3:23 - How does God look at man, according to this verse?

All men have sinned, all fall short of His standards.

Read Jer. 17:9 - What is the condition of the human heart?

1. Deceitful

2. Desperately sick

LESSON:

This passage in Genesis 3 is rich in theological truth and practical lessons. This account reveals Satan’s basic strategy

and methods to get people, including believers, to sin against God.

In Adam and Eve’s failure, we see how vulnerable we are to the schemes of Satan and that when we sin, our

instinctive reaction is shame and guilt.

By looking at how God dealt with the first sin, we see how He looks at sin and how deals with our own sin today.

Read Genesis 3:1-13

I. SATAN’S STRATEGY

1. In Verse 1, we immediately see the methods which the Devil uses to lure us into his

trap. He used this on Eve by asking her a simple question. What was the question?

“Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’”

2. What was the purpose of Satan in raising that question? To make her question God’s

Word.

3. Was Eve’s reply in Verses 2-3 accurate? No

4. What did God really say in Gen.2:16-17? Eat freely from any tree but from the tree of

knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.

Notice that God never said that if you touch it, you will die. Adding to God’s explicit word is

dangerous. We need to know God’s revealed word so we will not be misled or confused by the devil.

10

5. Sensing that Eve did not accurately understand God’s command, what was Satan’s

next step in Verse 4? To deny the word of God (To deny the consequences of

disobedience).

6. This was immediately followed by the devil’s third step in Verse 5. What was it? To

cast DOUBT on God’s character.

Satan made Eve believe that God was not good and that He did not want them to eat the

fruit because of His pride. This was in direct contradiction to what God told Adam in

Gen. 2:17 when He said, “You shall surely die.”

Satan would like people to minimize the consequence of sin and blindly believe in the benefit of sin.

Our best defense against this tactic is to know God’s Word.

7. In Verse 6, what makes us vulnerable to temptation?

- The tree was good for food, it was a delight to the eyes.

- A subtle attack on pride, a weakness that lurks inside every man.

It was desirable to make one wise.

Take note of how this strategy is echoed in 1 John 2:16:

- Lust of the flesh

- Lust of the eyes

- Pride of life

8. According to verse 6, what is sin?

- Sin is willful disobedience to God’s Word.

II. SIN FROM MAN’S POINT OF VIEW

1. What can we learn about the consequences of sin? There is immediate gratification

after we sin, as indicated in Verse 5.

• It is pleasurable.

· They lost their innocence.

· Their eyes were opened.

• Some would have others believe that there is no pleasure in sin. This is not true.

2. What is the second principle stated in Gen. 3:7-8?

• There are consequences.

· An almost immediate sense of guilt and shame

3. How do we instinctively react when we sin, according to Verses 7-13?

• We try to solve our problem our own way (v.7) (sewed fig leaves)

• We are ashamed.

• We blame everyone but ourselves. We don’t assume responsibility for our sins

(vv. 11-13)

11

Note: The fig leaves were not a permanent solution. They merely illustrated how we try to hide from

the presence of God and cover up sin.

Recall Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5

4. What human frailty did Satan choose to appeal to in Gen. 3:4-5? Vanity & human

pride (Apparently, these are our biggest weaknesses!)

Note: How many religions have man becoming a god?

What is the biggest stumbling block between God and man? Pride

One cannot be saved unless he sets aside all pride and humbles himself before God.

5. Let’s go back to Gen. 3:6-7. What was the sin that Adam and Eve committed?

Disobedience

- This was a small sin by today’s standards.

Recall: James 2:10

III. SIN FROM GOD’S POINT OF VIEW

1. God hates sin.

According to Gen. 3:16-17, what is God’s view of sin?

• Review Gen. 2:16-17

• One sin cuts us off from fellowship with God.

• A Perfect and Holy God cannot tolerate even one sin.

2. God still loves the sinner

In Gen. 3: 9-13, how does He deal with the sinner?

• Seeks him out (Luke 19:10)

• God makes the first move. He offers reconciliation.

In Verses 9 and 11 - He knows the answers but why does He still ask?

• God offers us a chance to confess & to acknowledge our sins.

3. God Himself provides the solution.

• In Gen. 3:21 God demonstrates that He knows that man is incapable of solving

his sin problem.

• He provided the garments of animal skin. In so doing, He gives the first preview

of His redemptive plan in Christ ... blood had to be shed to provide the

solution. (Heb. 9:22)

12

APPLICATION:

1. What lesson can you draw from Eve’s sin?

Gen. 3:3

• The command in Gen. 2:16-17, did not include “not to touch”.

• Adding to God’s explicit Word leads to wrong doctrine.

• You must know God’s revealed Word. The devil will do everything to confuse you or

stop you from studying the Bible.

2. How do you react to temptation?

Gen. 3:2-3 - Eve’s response was to go near the forbidden tree. Wrong!

Gen. 39:12-18- What is God’s solution? Flee!

3. When you have fallen into sin, what do you do?

•Do you rationalize your sin? Do you argue that it isn’t really sin?

•See: 1 John 1:8 - What is the one thing we mustn’t do? Deceive ourselves

•1 John 1:9 - What must we do? Confess our sin to God.

4. Do you catch yourself blaming others and not assuming responsibility for your sin, as Adam

blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the snake?

• How proud are you?

5. How can we have victory over sin?

• 1 Cor. 10:13

· Are your temptations unique? NO

· What does God promise to the believer under temptation? A way out

· Say no to sin and take God’s way out.

MEMORY VERSE:

1 Cor. 10:13

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will

not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way

of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”