Jeff Shelnutt Sermons

What was God's original intention for man? Sometimes the answer is obscured by the events of Genesis 3. Because of the Fall, God's plan for each person begins with rescuing us from the consequences of our sins. But it doesn't end there. The original intention of God was never rescinded. We are still called to rule and subdue. What does this look like? The answer lies in three images: the image of God, the image of Adam, and the image of Christ.

The descendants of Cain gave us the earliest benefits of civilization. How do we reconcile the contributions they made versus the self-sufficient and self-absorbed spirit in which they accomplished them? We look to the descendants of Seth. Though they did not introduce us to metal tools, music, or cities, they did preserve the knowledge of the LORD. When we are calling on the Lord, we are able to benefit from human advancement without being shaped by its humanistic influences.

Like He did with Cain's parent's, the Lord confronts Cain about what he has done. Unlike his parents, Cain refuses to confess his sin. Though given the opportunity to turn around, Cain instead becomes a perpetual exile, cursed through the earth upon which he spilled his brother's blood. Even in his rebellion, however, the Lord protects Cain. The blood of Abel cries out for vengeance, but the blood of Jesus satisfies God's wrath.

Adam and Eve had such high hopes for their firstborn, Cain. They couldn't imagine at his birth that he would one day murder his own brother. There are two ways of worship described in this passage. One offering is approved by God and the other rejected. It is in the way we worship that reveals who we serve.

After the Lord finishes speaking the consequences of their sin to the first man and woman, things move quickly. There is an immediacy to Adam giving the woman a name, an immediacy to God providing sufficient covering, and an immediacy to Adam and Eve's expulsion from the garden. The entrance to the garden is guarded to keep them from returning. So begins a plan whereby God will provide a way for man to return to His presence.

Life in this world can be difficult and discouraging. This passage tells us why. The Lord speaks forth penalties and their consequences on account of the first man and woman's disobedience. The serpent is forever humiliated, the woman will experience specific and enduring pain, and the man will struggle with a cursed and uncooperative earth. But even in the midst of such negative impacts upon each of our lives, the Lord gives us glimpses of His grace.

Though Adam and Eve are hiding from His presence, the Lord is compassionately seeking them out. The questions God asks are designed to bring the first man and woman to the point of confession. It is only by agreeing with God about the true state of affairs that there can be movement toward the reconciliation He freely offers.

The serpent's temptations begin to work in Eve's mind. The appeal of the fruit to her physical senses, her heart, and her pride converge. Deceived, Eve eats. This is followed by Adam's open rebellion as he also eats. Feeling exposed, they sew fig leaves together in a futile attempt to cover their guilt and shame. Where the first man fails the test in the garden, the Son of Man succeeds in the wilderness.

If Genesis 1-2 explain God's intention for the creation of man, then chapter 3 describes what went wrong. In the dialogue between the serpent and Eve, the identity of this malevolent presence in the garden becomes apparent. We see from the passage the two temptations Eve faced: the temptation to doubt God's Word and the temptation to deny God's Word. Beneath his lies, the serpent calls into question the goodness of God.

The first time Scripture records the words of Adam, they are in reference to the first woman. With poetic phrasing, Adam expresses the togetherness of marriage. This is followed by the model for marriage. And finally, this passage reveals the priorities of marriage.