Sin is against God
Q15 What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
Ans: The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.
There was no evil in the fruit itself. The evil lay in man’s eating it against the clear command of God. By this command God was testing Adam and Eve’s obedience. Would they consciously choose to obey when faced with an alternative choice?
And let’s face it, it was not only a clear command it was not a hard command. They had all the other fruit in the garden to eat. They had no reason in any way, shape or form to doubt God’s goodness and love to them – even in keeping this fruit from them. In fact not only did they have positive encouragements to obey, they also had a heart unaffected by sin, a heart tuned to obey. Add to this that they were forewarned of what will happen if they disobey.
All this makes their sin unexpected and harder to accept. And that is the nature of sin. It is unreasonable. It is defiant rebellion against love, against the God who has blessed.
There is never any justification in sin, least of all finding it in the way God treats us.
So how did it come about? We read the record in Genesis 3. William Robinson summarises:
‘Adam began by doubting God’s Word. In disbelief of God the first pair listened to Satan. Finding God’s Word and Satan’s word directly contradictory, they decided to be the judge. They rejected God’s interpretation, and accepted their own interpretation. Man’s reason presumed to judge God’s Word. His pride led Adam to put his opinion above God’s declared will. Proud man disobeyed the will of his Creator.’
And so it always is. Sin is unbelief, rebellion and lawlessness. Sin is declaring ‘I know better than God’ ‘I am free from God.’
As unbelief was the root of the fall, so faith alone unites us to God. (Augustine).
“…they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as