fredlott63

Steps of sin

There is a pattern to sin. We can look in the third chapter of Genesis and see how sin works in our lives. What satan did to Eve, he is still doing today. Women are naturally emotional. It is natural for a woman to care for children. Men should have a sense of vision and direction to guide us into a better future. There has to be a reason satan approached Eve first and not Adam. He started with a question, but he answered the question before he asked it. Whenever the answer to the question is God ain’t real or the word of God is a lie, the question came from satan and that is the conclusion he wanted you to reach before the question came into your mind. God appeals to the intellectual appeals in your mind but satan appeals to emotion. We should think before we speak or act, because once we say or do something, it can’t be undone or unsaid. It is a mistake to join a crowd bent on stealing, killing, destruction, or hurting anyone that hasn’t done anything to them personally. When Eve tells satan what Adam told her, (which is what God said), satan lies. In Genesis 2:17 God says if they eat of the tree they will die. In Genesis 3:4 satan says they will not die. Where are Adam and Eve today? Some people think they are still alive. In verse 5 satan tells Eve everything she wants to hear and tells her that disobeying God will be good and make her life better. She then looks at the fruit and it looks appealing. She then gets Adam to do what God said would be fatal if they did it. They both die, but when questioned by God for their disobedience they blame someone else for the actions they committed. The pattern of sin is, first satan uses emotional appeals to make us think sin is okay. We then justify the action in our minds. We commit the act and keep on doing it even though it is destroying us. Sinners need other people committing the same sin to convince them that sin is okay. If caught they blame someone else for they actions they commit.

Theo Loc: Within 1000 miles of Tampa, Florida

I would not say you are wrong, but would say "Consider" - Satan knew God had told Adam the rules that need to be obeyed, but as far as the record is concerned, did not repeat them for Eve. I think it is safe to consider Eve got her instruction from Adam, who embellished upon what God said to him, or, Eve embellished upon what Adam told her; God did not say to Adam "neither shall ye touch it," yet Eve spoke that further embellishment to Satan. She set herself up for further "embellishment" by Satan, because she had done it first, and did not see the trap.

That should serve to warn us all, to stick with what God says, and not try to help Him out with our own little
"embellishments," because when we do, we do not catch the little embellishments of others that lead us further astray. Like the doctrine of Original sin, about which scripture says nothing.



Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.



Now THAT's an embellishment. See what I mean?

Compare -
WHAT SATAN SAID; 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

EMBELLISHMENT:
"In verse 5 satan tells Eve everything she wants to hear and tells her that disobeying God will be good and make her life better. In verse 5 satan tells Eve everything she wants to hear and tells her that disobeying God will be good and make her life better."

1)Satan did not tell Eve "everything she wants to hear" because Eve had no reason to want to hear what Satan told her.
2)Satan did not say anything to Eve about "disobeying God"
3)Satan did not say anything to Eve about "making her life better."

While I agree with your conclusion, I do not agree that embellishing scripture is o.k. with God. We can use other words to tell what the scriptures tell us, but we are not free to make the conclusion better or worse than the scriptures already do. THAT is what is meant by "embellishment." The
"simplicity of the gospel" has long been the standard given us by God.



I think you probably appreciate the irony of the conversation as much as I do - What does Adam say in his own defense? "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.



I don't think we ever think sin is o.k., except when we sin in ignorance of the fact it is sinful.

Have you ever wanted to do something sinful, and look around to see if anyone is looking your way? THAT is not the action of someone who thinks sin is o.k; THAT is the action of someone who is thinking of the limitation of
"now," with no consideration of "eternity."

Have you ever attempted to pray to God like the man in Mathew's gospel "God be merciful to me, a sinner?" That is not what the Greek presents us with. In the Greek, the penitent one says "God, be merciful to me, the sinner." The difference is that little definite article that identifies "self" as "THE SINNER" in the arrangement. It is acknowledging
"You are God and I am the sinner" - while simply acknowledging "God be merciful to me a sinner" makes me simply one of many, and we hope God does not notice that little attempt to make my sinning less than it really is; i.e., just one of many, many sinners. We try to hide our bad choices by hiding among the numbers.

"Embellish" comes from the Latin "bellus" meaning
"pretty." We are trying to enhance our presentation before God by "prettying up" what is in reality, ugly.

I call that the opposite of embellishment - And I think you are right on when you said the same thing using different words -



Good post.

Rufus Loc: Deep South

Amen. Good post from both of you. Here is my thinking. Satan created doubt in Eve. She considered his words and then let her pride in. Pride seems to be one of our most powerful temptations which leads us into a host of sins. I also believe Adam's greatest sin is that he chose Eve over God. I have been guilty of this myself. I had a girlfriend that I practically worshiped and put her before God. Big mistake. God tells us He is a jealous God. He must always be first. I learned my lesson. I now have a girlfriend who is the sweetest girl I have ever known and she loves God. I let her know in no uncertain terms that God is and must always be first and she will always be second. Much better for everyone. I am truly blessed. Merry Christmas to both of you, my brothers. :thumbup:

fredlott63

I have been down the same road of putting a girlfriend ahead of God. Fortunately when she dumped me, God took me back.

Rufus Loc: Deep South

Amen. :thumbup: He is so patient and long suffering with us. I am thankful He is a forgiving God.