Text: Genesis 3:11
By: Idogar, Daniel
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INTRODUCTION
Someone once said that “You can’t understand the world if you don’t understand Genesis 3.”
Genesis 3 is one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible. It is the foundation of everything that comes after it. It tells us about the origin of sin and explains why humanity has so many problems.
When God completed His perfect creation, there was no disorder, no death, no conflict, no struggle, no pain, and no discord. Then the tempter came and the temptation followed.
While there was no reason for Adam and Eve to sin, the fact is they did. Eve did not have to listen to the serpent’s subtle and deceptive words. But she did. Adam did not have to listen to Eve. But he did. And the rest is history.
Prior to Eve’s deception and sin, she and Adam enjoyed an intimate fellowship and daily communion with God. But when they sinned, a dramatic change in the attitude of Adam and Eve toward God has taken place.
When they “heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” they immediately sensed the guilt of their disobedience and sin and wanted nothing to do with God. Things have now drastically changed.
Before the fall, Adam and Eve “were both naked…and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25). Now they sensed the shame of their nakedness and had attempted to cover themselves with “fig leaves”(Genesis 3:7).
In the midst of the awful scene of failure and disobedience, “the LORD God called unto Adam, and said, where art thou?” but Adam is “afraid” to be in God’s presence because he was naked and in verse 11 God said “Who told you that you were naked?”
God wanted to know “Who told” him that he was “naked.” Someone had told Adam he was “naked” and God wanted to know because God made them naked. They were fine naked. But through their bad decisions, their eyes were opened, and with that came shame.
Now they were embarrassed of how God made them. Do you know that listening to the wrong voices can make you ashamed of what you already are?
They were naked the whole time, why is all the sudden being naked a bad thing?
The truth is that, God knew that someone had whispered in their ears. God knew that the serpent had twisted the truth for them. Adam and Eve had listened to a very convincing counsellor and suddenly, they became ashamed. We are like them too.
We have received the wrong visitors and advisers, and have tempered with the truth of God’s mandate for us.z
WHO TOLD YOU THAT LIFESTYLE DOES NOT MATTER? 2 Pet. 1:3, 1 Tim. 4:8
We must have heard the saying that Christianity is in the heart.
Some may even tell you that even though they don’t attend church services, yet they are more holier than you. They say “do not judge a book by its cover.”
They use statements like these to justify immoral lifestyles and sadly Christians have joined in. But Timothy tells us that godliness is profitable for all things, yes, even for lifestyle.
Our lifestyle must be guided by the principles of godliness. Who told you that lifestyle does not matter?
This is the reason some have accepted toxicity as normality.
They preach the gospel of I was made this way, don’t try to change me.
God never created you toxic. God never created you insultive. God never created you with that bad image you have claimed and are proud of, Psalm 139:14.
Like Eve, you have been fed bunch of lies in the name of Gen Z and self-love.
The media has fed you poison in the name of “no gree for anybody.”
WHO TOLD YOU THAT TIME IS RUNNING AGAINST YOU? Gal. 4:4
If the devil wants to push you, he gives you a clock. It is true that naturally we should have or achieve certain things at certain times but do not mistake the status quo for God’s divine order.
Somebody has put statements in your head that it’s too late for you. And these mind-sets have a way of determining our faith.
Hey, God is never late! Judges 11:4.
In the process of time, God exalted Jephthah. You must nurture your waiting period. You must appreciate your waiting period.
It is when you listen to the voices that tell you time is running against you, you then seek for quick fixes. Never you rush the clock, let it count.
In the fullness of time, He will grant us our heart desires. He is a timely God. He is precise. He is not too early nor late. He arrives as at when due. The ever present God. He is the controller of time. He is time himself. So, who told you that time is running against you?
WHO TOLD YOU IT SHOULDN’T BE YOU? 2 Cor. 1:4
We often ask the wrong questions during difficult situations.
We are fond of asking “why me”? Instead we should ask God what he wants us to learn from this.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
James 1:2-4 says “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
If it came your way, then it must be for a reason. And it may shock you to know that it even benefits others more than you.
You can only help someone on something you have an understanding of. God is in the business of building helpers through the process of pain.
The problem is many of us don’t want to become helpers, we want to be helped.
Entitlement is the enemy within. So, when the pain comes, we run away from it, find another anchor or cry and complain.
God wants us to receive the comfort HE gives us because we in turn will one day comfort others.
CONCLUSION
We have often been fed with wrong information because we kept the wrong company.
We listened to the wrong people. We took counsel from the serpent and now we have missed our direction.
The word of God is our only standard and instructional material.
Take heed only to what the Bible says. If the word of God didn’t say so, then who told you?
God bless us all in Jesus name. Amen.
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