The Fall

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. [Genesis 3:6-8]

No other story in the Bible explains more about the condition of humankind that the story of the Fall. When Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be "wise" and to choose for themselves what they wanted to do, they separated themselves and all of their descendants from having a relationship with God. The result of the Fall was for them to "hide" themselves from the presence of the Lord God. Mankind has been hiding from God ever since. The knowledge of "good and evil" opened their eyes and they knew they were "naked". Prior to that Genesis 2:25 states: "And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. " The discovery of one's self creates shame which is embodied by "nakedness". The response is to seek "cover" for one's nakedness. Today, we spend much time worrying about what we will wear to cover our bodies. All of this seems so unfair. Because of Adam and Eve's sin, everyone who has ever been born is condemned to sin and death. It is a theological condition from which we cannot free ourselves. And, it explains the world in which we live.

It is also the backdrop to explain the good news! God came down from heaven, in the form of a man just like Adam. Except this time, the Son of Man chose to do the will of the Father. By laying down his life as a ransom for many, the Messiah rescued us from the consequences of sin and death and offers restoration of the fellowship with the Creator. We are to no longer worry about what we eat or drink or wear, but we are instead to seek the kingdom of God first in our lives. The reward is to "walk" by faith with the God who made us. As unfair as sin and death were as consequences of the Fall, in the same manner acceptance of a simple faith in Jesus as the Messiah can unleash grace and mercy to the masses because of the righteousness of this one man. The Bible is a story of Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.