The man said,
“The woman you put here with me—
she gave me some fruit from the tree,
and I ate it.”
Genesis 3:12
Death entered the world when Eve took that first bite – just as God had said it would. Physical death would come.
But there was also death to perfection.
Death to innocence.
Death to life without shame.
Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves, but sin could not be kept hidden. And, like our Father Adam and our Mother Eve, our sin, too, will be found it.
God, of course, knows what has happened when He comes to confront Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:8. Their response shows us the “blame game” — so alive and well in our society today– was played first in the Garden of Eden.
When confronted, Adam not only blamed Eve but had the audacity to infer that God was partly culpable: “The woman you put here with me…” (emphasis added) When it was her turn to answer, Eve blamed the serpent.
When convicted by the Holy Spirit, our response should be “Yes, Sir” – no blaming, shirking, rationalizing, or denying.
I John 1:10 warns, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
Alternatively, confession brings blessing: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
Denial or confession? Which do we choose when the Holy Spirit nails us?
Lord, when you convict me, give me the courage to respond with confession. Thank you for the cleanness in my spirit that the sweet blessing of forgiveness brings.
