The Consequences of Sin Genesis 3:14-19

The Consequences of Sin
Genesis 3:14-19

There are some people who think there is no consequence for sin. They are in gross error. Then there are believers who tend
to categorize sins, rating some as small and inconsequential (big and little sins), but others as huge and far-reaching in the damage they cause. In reality, no one sins in isolation. Each disobedience to God affects not only the sinner but also countless others in both the present and the future. There is no big sin or little sin. Sin is sin no matter how small a sin you think it is.

Whenever we sin, there are consequences that come as a result of the sin. Some of those consequences are spiritual and some are physical. When Adam and Eve sinned they experienced both physical and spiritual consequences (Genesis 3).

If we were to separate Adam and Eve's sin from its context, few of us would convict them of great transgression. All they did was swallow some fruit from a tree with a "do not eat" sign. Today people think nothing of ignoring commands—even biblical ones.
But God has a totally different view of our sins. Each one is followed by negative consequences. Adam and Eve's disobedience led to pain and frustration in two basic areas of fulfillment—relation ships and meaningful work. The whole earth fell under sin's curse, and every person born since then has entered the world with a sin nature that alienates each one from the Lord.

That first rebellion plunged humanity into a terrible condition. Civilization is now plagued by countless ramifications of the innumerable sins committed by human beings throughout the ages. Is it any wonder the world is in such sad shape? Sin not only causes suffering; it robs us of God's best. The Garden of Eden is closed and locked to sinful mankind.

God understands we make mistakes, but he wants us to admit our faults (I John 1:8-10). We cannot correct a wrong until we are able to admit that we made a mistake.

Notice that death is another consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve. Until this time, there was no death. All creatures ate plants (see Genesis 1:30). Adam and Eve had access to the Tree of Life and therefore could live forever (see Genesis 3:22). By their sin, they introduced physical death into the world, giving Satan a mighty weapon to use against them and their descendants. God said they would surely die on the day they ate of the forbidden fruit.

The Hebrew word for death in Genesis 2:17 literally means "dying you shall die." Adam and Eve did die a spiritual death immediately when they ate the fruit. Their sin separated them from God (Isaiah 59:2). But in their spiritual death, they also began to die physically. It wasn't just them. Their sin brought death to the whole creation (Romans 8:18-23).

The woman too received punishment for her sin. Just like the serpent, the punishment did not just effect her, but also all those who came after her. The first punishment was that childbirth would no longer be easy. It will be filled with sorrow and pain. Bearing children is not easy: from the morning sickness when the woman is first pregnant, to the discomfort of carrying a child, to the extreme pain of the actual birth, to the depression that follows as the woman's body returns to normal function. The second punishment was that the woman would no longer be emotionally independent. She would become emotionally bonded to her husband, becoming the follower, with the husband being the head of the family. Some women fight against this natural law, but it is a fact that this law exists.
The man also was punished for his sin. Like the serpent and the woman, the man's punishment did not effect Adam only. It applies to all men who descended from him. Until this time, Adam only had to do light work to care for the Garden. From this point on, man would have to labor hard for a living. The world would no longer cooperate and make it easy to earn a living. Even to this day, it is the man's responsibility to earn a living for his family. That work rarely comes easily, even if some of us do not do manual labor. The second half of the punishment is the affirmation of Adam, and all mankind's, eventual death.

The last consequence of Adam and Eve's sin was banishment from the Garden. The purpose of the banishment was to remove Adam and Eve's access to the Tree of Life. An angel (sometimes called a cherubim) was placed in the garden to ensure that no one could enter the garden. Their banishment also put a physical distance between them and their God who would walk at times in the garden. This is a physical representation of their spiritual separation.

As a gesture of kindness, God replaced their inadequate fig leaf garments with tunics made of animal skins. This may have been the first death after their sin, when an animal was killed to produce the skins for Adam and Eve's clothing. A tunic is a long shirt that goes from shoulder to the knees; it is similar to long tee-shirts used for nightshirts. The tunic became the basic garment for mankind for thousands of years.

The physical consequence to sin will vary with the sin that is committed. However, the spiritual consequence remains the same; "for the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). The solution to the spiritual consequence of sin is also the same, no matter what the sin, "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Salvation from our sins does not remove the physical consequences of sin. If you drank too much and developed hardening of the liver, it won't go away. If you committed sexual sins and picked up an disease or became pregnant, those problems will remain. However, the long term problem, our separation from God and eternal life can be cured. In addition, learning to live life God's way will give us the tools to handle the results of our past mistakes.

You grow in spirit when you say no to sin and yes to God. When you are tempted, it is an opportunity to grow in the Spirit. It’s exciting to see the power of God working in your life as you say "yes" to God and "no" to sin.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death.." (separation from God) but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The good news of Christ's grace and forgiveness is our only real hope in this fallen world. Though unpleasant, focusing on sin's consequences is necessary at times to remind us of the greatness of our salvation and to move us to obey God, even in the small things. Each obedience is huge to Him.
Thresa Quinto Pavone,A.TH, B.TH