church@paravista – God’s Story: The Fall

1. The Pre Fall.

Read Genesis 1:26-2:25.

As you read try to imagine how life was for Adam and Eve before sin came and affected everything. Keep in mind Genesis 1:31, 2:8-10.

What were the surroundings they lived in?

What was their relationship with each other like? Genesis 2:23-25.

What was their relationship with God like? Was it normal for God to come and walk in the garden to spend time with them? eg: Genesis 3:8.

What else can you imagine life would have been like for them?

Did they talk with the animals? eg Genesis 3:1-4.

2. The Fall.

Genesis 3:1-19. Write down in a sentence or two a summary of what happened. Share and discuss in your group.

Consider the following questions….

Adam and Eve were aware of God’s warning not to eat the fruit from ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. Genesis 2:17. So they had heard about ‘evil’. Do you think they knew about Satan the source of all evil and his tempting strategies and who he might work through eg: ‘the serpent’ to tempt them to disobey God and sin?
What are some other ways the devil disguises himself to tempt people? Eg: 2 Corinthians 11:14.
What was the lure(s) that enticed Eve?
What was the thing that caused Adam to choose to take some fruit from Eve and eat it? What if he had said ‘no’ to Eve.
Could the areas of vulnerability vary with male and female? Give reasons and examples for your answer.
Are there things we can learn from this as warnings to be careful not to be ‘lured and enticed’ (James 1:14. RSV) ourselves to sin?
Imagine how they would have felt as Genesis 3:7 became a reality, ‘At that moment there eyes were opened and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness….’
Why were they afraid of God? Genesis 3:7-11. Was it just physical nakedness or did it go deeper?

Share and discuss your answers in your group.

3. Sin’s Consequences.

Read again Genesis 3:16-19

Why do you think the consequences God mentioned were different for Adam and for Eve?

Discuss Adam and Eve’s responses (excuses) when God asked them why they disobeyed Him. Can you relate? What does God want us to do when we sin? See 1 John 1:8-10.

What else did God do? Genesis 3:23-24. Discuss the difference this would have made.

How did their actions affect the rest of mankind and you personally?

See Romans 5:12, 8:20-23.

Consider George’s words….

“ In “The Fall” – man lost his dominion, his dignity, his innocence, his purity, his peace, his blessing & his fellowship with his Creator!”

“Because of the historic event called the Fall,we live in a fallen world. Fallenness characterizes human existence & explains human existence. We are dealing with fallenness every day in ourselves, in others, in the social and physical environment in which we live. Fallenness is accompanied by and responsible for the brokenness, pain, dysfunction, heartache, disappointment, suffering, hatred, anger, greed, immorality and corruption that characterizes human existence.”

What hope did God give for the future? Genesis 3:15.

4. Personal Application.

Read again Genesis 3:6 and compare with 1 John 2:15-16.

Discuss George’s words…

“Adam and Eve’s reasoning was based on:

Human appetites & self-satisfaction – lust of the flesh

Human greed & covetousness – lust of the eyes

Human pride – pride of life.

“The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil was where Adam & Eve would make a positive choice to obey God by refusing its fruit. This Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil has its counterpart in your life as that thing or place where you make a positive choice to refuse its fruit so you can obey God. When you encounter something that God has forbidden, this is where you declare your allegiance to God, your decision to honour Him. In this way you turn places of temptation & defeat into opportunities for testimony & development.”“The essence of SIN is the choice of something God has said is not good. When you sin you place your assessment ahead of God’s command.”

Are there areas in your life you are most vulnerable to giving into temptation?

Do you have safeguards in place to help you resist and have victory? Eg: 2 Timothy 2:22, Matthew 26:41. Can you think of others?

Next Week we look at “Redemption”, God’s solution to man’s problem.

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Bible Study God's Story Sin Temptation