Day 2 - Genesis 3:1-24 - Sin & Grace

Connecting to the Larger Story

God had created all the world and had given Adam and Eve - the first people - one rule to follow. They were not to take the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Despite this one limit, they lived in bliss in the Garden of Eden with everything they needed to survive. 

---

Important to Note

1) Adam and Eve had all they needed but they were tempted to take the one thing they were denied. This is the first act of sin - an act of going against what God wants.
2) When they had sinned and then heard God coming, Adam and Eve became frightened of what might happen, so they hid. This is the state of sin - turning away from God. When we speak of sin, we really mean two different things - the sins we commit and the state of sin in which we are separated from God.
3) God lets Adam and Eve (and the serpent) live out the consequences of their sin. They are expelled from Eden and will have to endure work, pain, and strife. Yet God does not merely punish them for their sin. God also shows them grace by making clothes for them. Even in the midst of the consequence of that first sin, God is already giving grace to us. 

Thoughts for Reflection

1) Do you ever feel tempted to go against expectations or limitations placed on you? Why is it so hard to live with such bounds?
2) How do the things we do to other people - good or bad - affect the relationships we have with them?
3) How have you experienced grace even while you had to live with the consequences of your actions?