Meanwhile back in the Garden. Before God created Eve, He warned Adam not to eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” because “If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (God speaking, Genesis 2:17, NLT). Eve, however, listened to the serpent and “took some of the fruit and ate it” (Genesis 3:6b).
Where was Adam? “With her” (Genesis 3:6b). This is what that passage says: “She wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her…”
But Adam, having firsthand knowledge of God’s warning, wouldn’t touch it, right? Wrong. Genesis 3:6 goes on to tell us that “he ate it, too.”
What initiated the downfall of Adam and Eve? The serpent, Satan. And it began by injecting a tiny hint of doubt. He asked Eve, “Did God really say…” (Genesis 3:1b).
And Eve quickly responded with: “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die’” (Genesis 3:3).
But instead of standing firm on what Eve undoubtedly knew was the truth about what God had said, she received the doubt Satan offered and let it sink in. Which opened her up for his second blow:
“‘You won’t die!’ the serpent replied to the woman. ‘God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil’” (Genesis 3:4-5).
And next comes one of the scariest phrases in the Bible: “The woman was convinced” (Genesis 3:6a).
How often have you talked to someone whom you knew was dead wrong yet who thought he was totally in the right? Eve took the word of a serpent over the Living Word! And just as amazingly, Adam stood beside her and agreed.
Nowadays there are a zillion teachings out there that Satan would have us to believe. “We’re very spiritual people,” one lady told me of herself and her husband. Being able to call herself “spiritual” seemed to have been of great importance to this lady who embraced everything from crystal-gazing to Buddhism. But God doesn’t call us to be spiritual. He calls us to be HIS – a “people for Himself” (II Samuel 7:23 and Acts 15:14).
Titus 2:14a says it like this: “He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people.” That’s what Jesus Christ did for us. The second of half of that verse shows us what we’re to do for Him: we’re to live “totally committed to doing good deeds.”
Stop wasting time on worry; anger; seeking revenge; gossip; whining; or anything else that isn’t constructive. “Doing good deeds” isn’t a sideline – it’s your vocation. Be “totally committed.”
No comments:
Post a Comment