Soon after Adam and Eve were given explicit instructions regarding their conduct while in the Garden of Eden each was confronted with a monumental test of faith and obedience to God. The Genesis account records that the serpent first came to tempt Eve by trying to cast doubt in her mind of God’s truthfulness. "He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'" (Gen 3:1)? Here, we see the craftiness of the serpent by calling into question God’s command and his attempt to beguile Eve. However, it is apparent that the woman knew precisely God’s command. She responded: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die" (v. 2-3). But the serpent reassured her that she would not die (v. 4). "God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God" (v. 6). Eve’s desire at that moment was to be wise like God. So, she looked at the food, delighted in its appearance, and ate, and then she gave some to Adam.
This encounter in the Garden crystallizes the power of sin and its seduction. Eve’s willingness to engage the serpent in conversation was her first mistake, and it is one that so many of us make daily. We are often inclined to remain in an environment where the possibility of sinning against God exists. We delude ourselves into thinking that we are spiritually mature enough to handle certain situations, but that sort of mindset often leads to failure. Just imagine the transgressions we could thwart if we followed the example of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife—flee at the first sign of danger (Gen 39:12). Instead, we remain in the harmful environment, much like Eve did, and think we have the power within ourselves to overcome the temptation, but in the final analysis, it is sin’s seduction that overpowers us.
The great lie of sin is that it will bring lasting happiness. Eve bought into this great deception when she believed that she could become like God if she disobeyed his command. The reality, however, is always something far different. Granted, there is joy in sin for a season, but it is never without a price. Pain, sadness, and misery always accompanies wickedness, regardless of whether or not we immediately see the harmful results. Disappointment is inevitable—to which Eve would well attest. I am confident that she would readily admit that there is a great seduction to sin, and an even greater lie in believing that sin—no matter how small—will bring happiness.
But beyond the practical ramifications of transgressing the law, the Bible does not take sin lightly, so neither should we:
"And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell" (Mark 9:43-47).
Scripture tells us to deal radically with sin, but that is not to say it intends for us to mutilate our bodies. Rather, we are to recognize the power of sin and its seductive nature and discern that it will ultimately lead only to one place.
