The Nature of Adam and Eve

Text: Genesis 3:1-24

It is clear from the account in Genesis that man was created without sin (Genesis 1:31), and that by his own choice sin and death entered the world (Romans 5:12). Since holiness is necessary for man to fellowship with God (Hebrews 12:10, 14), and Adam and Eve had a beautiful, personal relationship with God (Genesis 2), it follows that Adam and Eve were created holy and pure.

A question, therefore, cries out to be answered: How an unholy impulse arose in the heart of the first holy and sinless couple?

The Nature of Love

God created man to be in a “loving relationship” with Him. That’s why the first commandment is “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Mt. 22:37-38).

Love, however, is not love if it is not “freely given and freely received.” Thus, God had to give His beloved creation “free will”—the ability to choose to love Him or choose to reject Him. God granted that free choice by placing within the Garden of Eden a special tree—“In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:9).

The Nature of The Fall

The Fall occurred when man chose poorly. He chose to trust the serpent instead of his faithful Creator. He chose to follow his own will instead of the will of his Friend. He chose to be his own god instead of humbly submitting to the one real God. In the end, he chose death instead of life— “for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). The Fall was man’s choice. Fortunately, God gives us a second chance/choice.

The Deception of Eve

Paul argues that Eve, not Adam, was the one “deceived” by Satan. “And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner” (1 Tim. 2:14). Instead, Adam appears to have sinned “willfully” and in “full knowledge” of the consequences. Therefore, sin is said to have entered the world through Adam, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12).

It is clear in Genesis 3 that Adam is present when Eve is tempted. And he readily accepts the forbidden fruit when Eve offers it to him.

Why, then, did Adam fall? Simply put— The woman fell by deception; the man by affection (Genesis 3:13, 17; 1 Timothy 2:14).

The Nature of Temptations

In the deception of Eve several tactics by the serpent are significant to the nature of temptation:

1.         The truthfulness of the Word of God is questioned (Genesis 3:1).

2.         The Word of God is flatly denied (Genesis 3:4).

3.         The goodness of God is questioned – He is portrayed as though He were withholding something good (Genesis 3:5).

In addition, temptation touches upon three aspects of human need, Eve saw that:

1.         “…the tree was good for food,” satisfying physical need;

2.         “…it was a delight to the eyes,” satisfying the desires of the eye;

3.         “…the tree was desirable to make one wise,” satisfying the need for purpose and direction (compare the threefold temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4 for parallels).

The apostle John described the nature of temptation with a familiar phrase, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 Jn. 2:16).