Family Tree – Pt. 2

We have inherited the consequences of Adam’s sin, resulting in separation from our Father and death. But thanks to our Father in Heaven, He pardons our sin when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Similar to Adam, God’s creation faces the same two choices––obedience or disobedience. As Adam’s descendants, we bear some of the consequences of his disobedience. We miss out on the benefits of working and living in a perfect garden with our families. Worst of all, sin has brought turmoil and death into our lives.

Genesis 3:17-19 

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. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 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.’

While Adam enjoyed unprecedented access to God in the garden, today we have direct access through prayer and His Word. This special revelation empowers us to make choices that preserve our lives and permanently eliminate both death and separation from God. Reflecting on my father’s life, I watched his life unravel as he continually chose to reject God. His life resembled a cautionary tale, akin to being in a scared straight movie. When we opt to disobey God and heed Satan’s lies, we are choosing our slow demise and destruction! No man dabbles in sin and escapes unscathed. Satan, who denied God along with a third of God’s angels, got expelled from Heaven. The first man, Adam and every man since, has been tempted by Satan. Our adversary is in the business of seeking to derail God’s plan for our lives. He never disclosed to Adam and Eve the ugliness of sin’s consequences; but instead made sin appear attractive and has been lying to humanity since the beginning. Like Adam, we can choose obedience or disobedience. Victory God’s way, or destruction our way. A friend once said, “All sin has consequences; it’s always delayed and it’s always worse than you think.” In my dad’s case, what began as functional alcoholism in college, ended as a wasted life—no job, no teeth, no money, no legacy.  Anger and bitterness filled his later years. What started out with a few guys having some beers in college, ended as a wasted life. Men, all sin has consequences! No man dabbles in sin and escapes. We either trust and follow a faithful Father, or we follow suit with Adam and disobey God. Thanks to Adam, we each require Jesus to save us and wash away our sins.  Embracing the Savior does not grant permission for disobedience or give us free rein to sin. We cannot enjoy the benefits of the tree of life, yet live in accordance with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil!

Galatians 6:7 
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Romans 6:6
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

Choosing Heaven as our eternal destination, but yet rejecting God on earth doesn’t work! So as we consider our family tree, consider this – we ALL inherited the penalty of Adam’s sin. None of us live in the Garden; we are all destined to die at some point, and our sin nature serves as a first-class ticket to spend an eternity separated from God. Simply put, on our own we were hell-bound. 

However, there is good news!  God, in His goodness, takes away the penalty of death, the penalty of separation, and the penalty of being kicked out of Heaven. But it’s still our choice whether we accept Jesus as our Savior and abide with God for all eternity, or like Adam, choose to believe Satan’s lies! We have a flawed family tree but God gave us the power to change it! We all have a choice: to face the consequences of rejection like Adam or enjoy the benefits of obedience. You choose!

S.L. Thomas, RTM