As we have constantly addressed in the church, the decision to sin or not has always been man's and not Satan's, as many believe.

MAN SIN BECAUSE HE SIMPLY DECIDES TO SIN, in order to satisfy his personal desires, regardless of the snares, lies, deceptions that satan puts in front of him.

It was like this from the beginning, in the original sin of Adam and Eve, as both sinned because they did not listen to God's orders, but listened to Satan's motivating action.

God said to man:

Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Despite God's orders, Adam and Eve preferred to listen to the serpent and let the desires and influences launched by satan enter their hearts:

• Eat because it was pleasing to the eyes.
• Eat because it would give wisdom.
• Eat because they would become like God.

Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Eve clearly knew what God's orders were and the consequences of disobedience, so much so that she herself declared them to the serpent.

Genesis 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

Despite knowing God's commands and the consequences of disobedience, they chose to disobey and consequently sinned.

After the sin, when God appeared to Adam and Eve asking what they had done, they presented their justifications or excuses:

ADAM BLAMED GOD for the sin, saying that the woman that God had given him made him sin.

Genesis 3:12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

EVE BLAMED THE SERPENT for sin, saying that she was deceived by the serpent.

Genesis 3:13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

These justifications or excuses were already a great evidence that MAN HAD LOST HIS INNOCENCE, because despite clearly knowing God's judgment on sin, which would be separation and death, they sought to cover up their mistakes, imputing them to others.

The result of all this you already know what it was, it was the curse and death, through the sentences given by God to all mankind, for the judgments of God are perfect and GOD WILL NEVER ACCEPT EXCUSES FOR THE SIN:

Genesis 3:17 To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, You must not eat from it, Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

Jesus died on the cross so that we could be free from the curse and death generated by sin.

Jesus died to place us before God again, free from sin, therefore death no longer has authority over us.

1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

But, for the sacrifice of Jesus to have an effect on every life, GOD REQUIRES THE OBEDIENCE that Adam and Eve did not have and that WE DEFEAT THE TEMPTER (satan), because satan continues to act in the same way in our days, that is, he lies and tries influence Christians to practice sin.

DON'T BE CORRUPTED, OVERCOME SIN, then you will receive from God the rewards for your faithfulness: His presence in your life, keeping you, protecting you, taking care of you, talking to you and GIVING YOU ETERNAL LIFE VERY SOON!

The Lord bless you and keep you.

Pastor Val Martins