1. The serpent is subtle in lying
“Now the serpent was more subtle than all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. And the serpent said to the woman, Truly has God said that you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?
– Genesis 3:1, LBP
“You are from the father of accusation, and you want to do the lusts of your father, he who is a murderer of men from the very beginning and who never stands by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks he speaks his own lie, because he is a liar, and the father of it.”
– John 8:44, LBP
“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
– John 8:44, NLT
2. Satan’s lies and deadly schemes
a. Satan plots how to make us doubtful about God’s word by twisting what God says
Creates doubt by questioning if something is for real, or really happened, or what God truly instructed. Also, notice how Satan said, any. He did not specifically say the fruit of good and knowledge to confuse us and for him to identify how we understand God’s word and how he can twist details to confuse us. Testing the water.
“Now the serpent was more subtle than all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. And the serpent said to the woman, Truly has God said that you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?
– Genesis 3:1, LBP
“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
– Genesis 3:1, KJV
“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
– Genesis 3:1, NLT
“Sa lahat ng hayop na nilikha ng PANGINOONG Dios, ang ahas ang pinakatuso. Minsan, tinanong ng ahas ang babae, “Totoo bang pinagbabawalan kayo ng Dios na kumain ng bunga ng alin mang puno sa halamanan?”
– Genesis 3:1, ASND
God clearly instructed
“16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
– Genesis 2:16-17, LBP
Eve understood
“2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of all the trees of the garden;
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.“
– Genesis 3:2-3, LBP
b. Satan lied when he said we will not die
Satan is crafty when he lies. Satan lied and falsified what God said when he told Eve would not die.
“And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die“
– Genesis 3:4, LBP
Satan contradicted what God said by justifying or providing a seemingly valid reason by telling just a part of the truth but not what God really means.
Satan said that we will not die. Satan knew Eve would not die instantly after eating the fruit of good and evil. Satan withhold the truth and did not say the long-term consequence of eating the fruit.
“Then the LORD God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”
– Genesis 3:22, LBP
Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”
– Genesis 3:22, NLT
“Just as sin entered into the world by one man, and death by means of sin, so death was imposed upon all men, inasmuch as they all have sinned”
– Romans 5:12, LBP
“12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”
– Romans 5:12, NLT
“14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them who had not sinned in the manner of the transgression of the law by Adam, who is the likeness of him that was to come.
15 But the measure of the gift of God was not the measure of the fall. If therefore, because of the fall of one, many died, how much more will the grace and gift of God, because of one man, Jesus Christ, be increased?
17 For if by one man’s offence, death reigned, how much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one man, shall many be made righteous.
21 Just as sin had reigned through death, so grace shall reign through righteousness unto eternal life by our LORD Jesus Christ.”
– Romans 5:14-15,17,19, 21, LBP
“In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return to the ground; out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust shall you return.
– Genesis 3:19, LBP
“21 What kind of fruit did you have then, in the things of which you are now ashamed? for the end thereof is death.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through our LORD Jesus Christ.”
– Romans 6:21,23, LBP
Eating fruit of sin / evil = death
2. Satan did not say what will really happen and what’s in it for him if we eat the fruit.
He said what can lure us to sin (be like gods and know more) to make his intention and proposal sound more reasonable, believable, and appealing.
“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like gods, knowing good and evil.”
– Genesis 3:5, LBP
Satan did not say we will become slaves – servants of sins.
“For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness.
– Romans 6:20, LBP
We did not become gods because we know good and evil. Our knowledge and wisdom are limited and incomparable to the thoughts of God. See the Book of Isiah to know what God said.
“Then the LORD God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”
– Genesis 3:22, LBP
“8 For my thoughts are not like your thoughts, neither are my ways like your ways, says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
– Isaiah 55:8-9, LBP
“8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
– Isaiah 55:8-9, KJV
What really happened is that by eating the fruit of good and evil, sin can enter the world. Through this way, satan can influence us.
“12 Just as sin entered into the world by one man, and death by means of sin, so death was imposed upon all men, inasmuch as they all have sinned“
– Romans 5:12, LBP
“12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
– Romans 5:12, NLT
“He who commits sin is of the devil; because the devil has been a sinner from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
– 1 John 3:8, LBP
Hence, we just become more knowledgeable about how to sin and be carnally minded.
“6 To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace;
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, because it cannot be.
8 So then, they who are in the flesh cannot please God.“
– Romans 8:6-8, LBP
We did not become gods
“Then the LORD said, My spirit shall not dwell in man forever, because he is flesh; let his days be a hundred and twenty years.”
– Genesis 6:3, LBP
Everlasting 