When "Genesis Chapter Three" Strikes Your Relationship (Part 2)

A while ago, I began to look at the concept of "Genesis Chapter Three" and how it can affect your relationship. In today's post, I want to pursue this further by looking at how it all began with the first man and his relationship and how this concerns us. 

You see, when God created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, God graciously gave him the permission to eat of every tree in the Garden except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Man broke this command, and that gave him and all humanity afterwards the ability to knowingly disobey God. But by obeying this command, humans would have been able to enjoy all the blessings God gives and to live forever with God. Man was created in the image of God to have friendship and fellowship with God.

Please, understand that the difference between good and evil was not concealed from man prior to the fall; though man’s experiential knowledge was only of the good. I perceive that man was to receive instruction concerning the nature of the distinction between good and evil, and the consequences of eating or not eating ONLY from God, and that is in the place of fellowship. As he had received life in the beginning from God Who created him, so now he was to live in obedience to every word that proceeded from the mouth of God.

This seems to be the picture of things before the devil came and distorted everything.

The reason why Satan tempted man was to urge independence from God. The reason man fell for it was because he was ignorant of how dangerous this was. Satan called into question the truth of God and challenged His authority. He deceived man into thinking that he could determine for himself the disparity between good and evil, and that he could control the consequences to his own merit. It was a temptation for man, who is already a god, to be a god to himself.

Many times, we often catch ourselves in this web. We want to be in charge, in control of our lives – and even those of others sometimes – and not have to be dictated to by anybody. But little do we know that we are actually in control of everything. What we are clamouring for is available to us in God. God has given us everything when He said “All things are yours” (1st Corinthians 3:21-22) through Paul.

It is the reason why young people of today would rebel and leave the house when their parents try to speak words of correction to them when they err.

It is the reason why the Prodigal Son of the Book of Luke 15 left home in the first place. He felt he was already a man and man enough to pilot the affairs of his own life alone the way he wanted, without any form of parental compass.

It is the reason why a man would not be satisfied with his wife at home and would not only consider keeping a mistress outside, but would actually do so on the pretext that every man is naturally a polygamist.

It is the reason why a woman would leave her husband after years of marriage claiming that she has never loved him, and that she was forced into the marriage in the first place, as though she didn’t know she has the right to say no to whatever she doesn’t want.

However, to survive the world system of today, you need an authority figure over you. It doesn’t matter how old or experienced you think you are in any matter; if not parental authority, then pastoral and, by all means, divine authority, as this will only fine-tune your life and propel you on the right path to follow. Then imagine bringing this into your relationship!

By rebelling against God, Adam and Eve not only disappointed God, they showed disloyalty, faithlessness and unbelief, all in that one singular act. In this way, undivided obedience to God gave way to total rebellion and complete revolt.

With its entire soul, humanity, in Adam and Eve, rejected God’s authority when they accepted the mace and mantle of self-rule the devil offered them.

Humanity, in Adam and Eve, doubted God’s goodness when they believed that God hid ‘vital truth’ about themselves from them.

Humanity, in Adam and Eve, argued with God’s wisdom when they greedily pursued after sensual wisdom the devil presented to them.

Humanity, in Adam and Eve, spoke against God’s truth when they accepted and believed the lie of the devil.

Alas! A new way of thinking, feeling and reacting to things took over the heart and mind of man – a new, bad way.

When I come your way again next week, by His grace, we shall explore this yet further by looking at God's original design which the devil has so distorted. God bless you richly!