May 24
11
Baptist Catechism 18
Q. 18. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6,12,13)
*****
Over the past few weeks, we have learned a lot of very important truths about man in his original condition. We have learned that God “created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.” We have learned that “When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.”
We then heard some bad news. “Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God”, sin being “any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”
The question that is before us today is, What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created? The answer is really simple: they ate of the forbidden fruit.
The story of the temptation of Adam and Eve and their fall into sin is found in Genesis 3. There we read, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ 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 who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked…” (Genesis 3:1–7, ESV).
So, our catechism is correct. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.
There are a few questions that come to mind as we consider this truth.
One, why was it a sin for Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? In other words, what was wrong with it? We do not typically say that eating fruit is sinful. Why was it a sin for Adam and Eve to do so? Answer: Because God clearly and specifically told them not to do so.
True, ordinary the act of eating fruit is not a moral action. The act itself is neither good nor evil. But it was a sin for Adam and Eve to eat fruit from that tree because God told them not to. If you remember, we call this kind of law “positive law”. Moral laws are those laws of God that are binding upon men and women in all times and places. Do not murder is a moral law. Murder is always sinful. Do not commit adultery, lie, and steal. These are all moral laws. They are binding on all people, in all times and places. But God has also added other laws too. We call them positive laws because God has added them to the moral law. These are laws that God’s creatures are obligated to keep in addition to the moral law. These positive laws are filled with symbolism. These positive laws are associated with the covenants that God has made with man.
Remember, we have defined sin as “any [lack] of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” Notice, we do not say that sin is any lack of conformity unto or transgression of, the moral law of God. That would be a true statement, but it would be incomplete, for we do not only sin against God when we violate his moral law. No, we also sin against him when we violate his positive laws.
For example, God commanded that all of the male children of Abraham be circumcised on the eighth day. Circumcision is not a moral thing when considered by itself. But it was made to be a moral thing for Abraham and all his descendants when God gave that law to them. The descendants of Abraham sinned when they failed to apply the sign of circumcision. Other examples of positive laws are the seventh-day Sabbath from creation to the resurrection of Christ, and the first-day Sabbath from the resurrection of Christ until the end of the world. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are also positive laws. They are laws that are added to the moral law in connection with particular covenants.
When Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he broke a positive law, and it is right that we call this sin.
A second question comes to mind. Some may wonder, what was so bad about Adam eating from that tree? How could this simple act bring about the curse that came upon Adam, and upon the whole human race that descended from him? In other words, is there more to the story? Was there more going on in Adam’s heart that led to his eating the forbidden fruit which made his disobedience truly vile?
The answer is, yes, there is more to the story. Granted, the act of eating a piece of fruit is innocent enough when considered by itself. But we should not forget that God commanded Adam not to eat of that tree. Also, consider the narrative of Genesis three and the fact that another competing voice spoke to Adam – the voice of the serpent through Eve. You can see, then, that this was no innocent eating, but an act of rebellion. Adam rebelled against his Maker in his heart when he listened to the voice of the serpent instead of the word of God.
All sin is like this. The sins themselves might take only a moment. They may seem small to some. In fact, the thing that motivates all sin is rebellion against God in the heart.
And there is another aspect of Adam’s sin that must also be considered. When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit he did not only sin a sin of commission, he sinned a sin of omission. What was Adam’s sin of commission? What sin did he actively commit? He listened to the voice of the serpent and ate of the tree that God said, do not eat of it. And what was the sin of omission? He failed (or omitted) to obey God’s voice, to fill the earth with his offspring, to expand and keep the garden temple, and to eat of the tree of life. Not only did Adam do what God forbade, he also failed to do what God commanded when he rebelled against his Maker.
Thirdly, and lastly, what difference does this make? Why does this matter? Well, it matters because we cannot understand the present condition of mankind apart from this doctrine. Also, it matters because we will not fully appreciate what Christ has accomplished for us apart from this doctrine. In short, where Adam failed Christ succeeded. And he succeeded, not for himself only, but for all who are united to him by faith.
Q. 18. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6,12,13)
