The sin of Adam and Eve is the topic of the third “All In” rally. Joe Rigney leads us through the responses that we have to sin, the stages of Adam and Eve’s sin, and then the response that God has to it.
The ways we respond to sin include hiding and blame. We run away to cover up what we have done, or else we deflect the blame to somebody else. You see this latter response, in particular, in the stages of Adam and Eve’s sin:
Stage 1: Passivity. Joe forces us to admit that Adam and Eve’s “fall into sin” was not an accident, but many smaller choices made by a defiant attitude toward God that led them to eat of the tree.
Stage 2: Choosing the Lesser Things. When Adam was given the choice of following the command that God had given him before Eve was made, he chooses to follow along with what his wife is offering. He loves the gift of woman that God has given him (the creature), and therefore puts the created above the Creator.
Stage 3: Abuse. When Adam blames Eve, he knows the consequence of the sin, which is death. On one hand, we see him saying, “God, she is such a good gift; I choose her over you, and on the other hand, he’s basically saying, “Don’t kill me, kill her!” You can see the distinct wickedness in this blame game that Adam plays.
The response that God has to their sin is curses and mercy. God’s curses include all three parties involved -- Adam, Eve, and the Serpent. Each curse points at the the thing that is most important to them. For Adam, it is working, building, and creating. For Eve, it is relationships. For the Serpent, one of Eve’s offspring will finally and forever bruise the Serpent’s head.
The mercy of God’s response to Adam and Eve’s sin is seen through his blessing of kids for them, the clothing of animal skins, and that one special offspring, who will bring ultimate redemption. Joe ends the message by pointing to that offspring as the atonement and giver of mercy and redemption from sin, by his blood.