Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil 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? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.
These passages of scripture contain very valuable lessons and instructions for all of humanity, for they show how the entrance of sin into our world began. The Bible records sacred history of both the rise and fall of individuals and nations, with the hope that future generations would not repeat the same mistakes, but would rather learn from those bad experiences.
The first and most important lesson we can learn from the fall of Eve is that we should never listen to any other voice but God's voice. It is true that The Lord often uses human beings as His mouthpiece, however, the words that are thus spoken should always be certified by the scriptures. This is what the Bereans did after listening intently to Paul, for they went home and searched the scriptures daily, to verify that those things which Paul spoke were actually scriptural. Let's read:
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Note well that the "Honorable women" based their belief on what was written, not merely on what was spoken by Paul. This basic method of forming one's belief is of critical importance to the Christian, for it guarantees that whatsoever is espoused as far as teachings go, will first be certified by God. In the case of Eve however, she chose to set a different standard for what she believed, and so she fell for what she heard, coming from the mouth of the devil. And so it is, that from that time onward, many women fall for what they hear, whereas men generally fall for what they see.
The standards of the world should never be the criteria for the Christian, nor should secular minds be permitted to alter or change the principles of righteousness God has given us to live by. As a matter of fact, what is generally acceptable in society is often in direct conflict with what the word of God says, and therefore we must at all times, and in all places remember that for everything good that God has given, satan has produced a counterfeit. This truth was alluded to by Christ when he described the straight and narrow way as opposed to the broad, popular way that inevitably leads to destruction. Let's read:
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
As Christians it is absolutely important for us to accept what the Bible says is good, right, and true, and we should be content to live according to God's word alone. Eve's fall was a result of disbelieving God, and in her experience it is clearly shown that satan launched his first attack on her sense of hearing. That's why in our journey back to God the sense of hearing plays a critical role, in that what we hear or read in the Bible must form the basis of our core beliefs. Let's read:
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
In our day there is an increasing tendency for Christians to have their concepts, beliefs and standards molded by popular opinion, and as a result there is hardly any distinction between the unbeliever and many Christians. Conventional thought and wisdom are not to be brought to bear in the evaluation of God's word as it applies to our daily lives, for if we cultivate this tendency, it will just be a matter of time before we are converted to the world, instead of the world being converted to Christianity.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture that reminds us to keep clear of anything that savors of secular standards and morals, for it is the determined purpose of satan to have Christians assimilated into worldly patterns of thought and behaviors. Let's read:
1st John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
May we learn this most valuable lesson from the fall of Eve. "Good night" and God bless!