Title: Original Sin (Gen. 03:1-6)
In a word, original sin means the original sin of man. In other words, it refers to the sin of the relationship between God the Creator and man as a creature.
2. Satan's Temptation and Man's Fall
God created human beings in His image in order to meet and be glorified, and according to His Word, He made them free people with the power to rule over all things. God placed that man, Adam and Eve, who was descended from Adam, in the Garden of Eden and provided everything they needed. The couple had a truly blessed life under the God who matched them. But a snake intervened between them. Actually, Satan was trying to corrupt people through the serpent.
The serpent asked a question to a woman who, based on her personality or temperament, would be more likely to succumb to her schemes. “Did God really tell you not to eat from every tree in the garden?” He didn't ask because he didn't know, but to sow the seeds of doubt and curiosity in the woman's heart. Even after that, many seducers who are Satan's servants have preferred to use questioning rather than invitations or orders to tempt people.
Without mentioning a word about God's grace, which can be said to be almost limitless, the woman stopped being involved in the question of tempting by highlighting a single prohibition. Considering that he was created in the image of God, that he has the power to rule over all things, that he is an autonomous being who has been given the duty to rule and keep the Garden of Eden, and that he enjoys the great blessings and grace of God, the temptation of the serpent is a temptation. There is nothing to say. However, rather than thanking the woman for all the grace, the woman is one original sin that God forbids.
I had dissatisfied doubts and curiosity about eggplant. In fact, in the case of temptation, the bigger issue is the tempter's heart, not the tempter or the content of the temptation.
This fact is evident from the woman's answer. “We may eat from the tree of the garden, but the fruit of the tree in the center of the garden, saith God, You must neither eat nor touch, lest you die.” It is not a literal translation of the words of God said, “From every tree of the garden you may eat freely.” The woman weakened the meaning of the unconditional and unconstrained word of grace to mean simple permission by saying, “We may eat.” . Also, God said, "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that is, from the tree in the middle of the garden." is. Also, God said, “In the day that you eat of it you will surely die.” The woman questioned the decisive declaration of death by saying, “Are you afraid you will die?”
The important thing is that the woman, a creature who should obey the word of God the Creator, is not obeying the word, but is distorting or changing the word or the meaning of the word. This is original sin. In other words, it destroys the relationship between God and creation, and between the commander and the obedient. Regarding original sin, many people say, “Why did God create the tree of knowledge, and if he hadn’t made it, he wouldn’t have committed the sin of eating the fruit”. However, the sin of eating the tree of knowledge is a secondary sin, and the tree of knowledge was created according to God's need. The problem is that we disobeyed the Word of God, which we should obey, rather, we followed the serpent and the voice of his temptations that we should rule.
The Bible classifies all human beings as those who belong to God and those who belong to a world ruled by Satan. And in John 8:47, it is stated, “He that is of God hears the word of God, and you do not hear, because you are not of God.” Even today, millions of people are living a life of slavery, following the voice of the devil who seduces money, power, fame, and the pleasures of all kinds of sins as baits instead of the blessed word of the Lord, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Only those who abide in the Lord and follow the Lord's words can enjoy freedom and can overcome the tricks of the devil. What about you? The story of original sin is not just about Adam and Eve. It's you and me, our own story.
Sin is difficult to begin with, but once you take one step, it becomes so easy to sin from then on. When the serpent heard the answer of the woman who added, subtracted, or altered God's Word, it was delighted. “You will never die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” First and foremost, it resolutely reassures us about human concerns that we might get eaten and die. Then, it dazzles as if the human eye were in a dark state. Then, human pride is evoked at its highest. If you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will become like the omnipotent gods (Elohim), knowing good and evil. That is why God forbids us to eat the forbidden fruit because of jealousy. Now, without being under such a God, we can live independently by judging good and evil.
The woman who has already turned to the sound of the serpent instead of the word of God begins to fall out of control. Now, the tree of knowledge is no longer the same as it used to be. When we were fellowshipping with God and living according to the Word, the tree of knowledge was not a big deal, but when we got swept away by temptation, it really turned out to be a different thing. When a woman sees it, it is good for food, pleasing to the eye, and desirable enough to make one wise. Without hesitation, I ate the fruit, and it was so good that I gave it to my beloved husband. You have to choose your love well, what in the world is it? Do you eat it anyway? Because my beloved sexie gives it to me, I’m just happy to take it…. What is good about a husband? When his wife makes a mistake, he powerfully says, “No! I was tempted to die!” Shouldn't the wife hold her wrist tightly and block it? Similarly, if the husband makes a mistake, the wife advises her in a charming voice, but what should she do if she doesn't hear it?
Anyway, Adam, who watched from the beginning to the end and ate of the forbidden fruit, was no better than Eve. Original sin is Eve's sin, Adam's sin, and all of us who do not follow God's Word.
3. Conclusion
So, in a nutshell, what is original sin? The traditional view is that it is the will to be like God, that is, pride. Some theologians call it negligence, citing that they failed to properly fulfill their duty to govern the Garden of Eden. However, these views are only one-sided. The will to forget one's duty and become like God is, at the same time, the will to obey the serpent that man should rule. Therefore, original sin would have to be defined as pride in becoming like God and self-deprecation in submission to the serpent. Pride is at the same time self-deprecating, that is, destroying our relationship with God.
May we all boldly act according to the Word and live a free life where we can always enjoy the grace and blessings of the Lord.