Of all God's creatures man alone was made in God's image (Genesis 1:26-28). At the point of his creation everything in this world was absolutely perfect. In fact God describes everything He made as "very good" (Genesis 1:31). What a beautiful situation this was! Adam's relationship with his wife, the animals, his environment and God were all absolutely flawless. The world has never been more beautiful than at this moment, nor will it ever be more beautiful again, until that time when Christ returns and announces at the end of time "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5).

But then tragedy struck when sin entered the world through Adam. God had given him "the run of the garden" with the privilege of eating anything within it, with just one exception. In order to remind him that he was a creature subject to the Creator, God set him a test described for us in Genesis 2:16-17. Adam failed this test miserably. The devil tempted Eve who took of the forbidden fruit and then she tempted Adam who partook of it as well. This was the most tragic day in the history of the world – more tragic by far than Hitler's declaration of war upon Britain, more tragic than 9/11, more tragic than any tsunami or earthquake the world has ever seen. That's because Adam's sin is the root cause of all these evils and all other evils too (Romans 5:12).

Genesis 3 describes the immediate impact of the fall, and if you want to understand why the world is at it is you need go no further than this passage for your answer. Tragically the seeds of Adam's sin are evident everywhere today. All the poisoned fruit that pervades our society today can be traced right back to the "fall". Some years ago there was correspondence in the Times on the subject: "What is wrong with the world today?" One answer was as follows: "Dear Sir, I am, yours faithfully, G.K Chesterton". The problem is with us, although Adam introduced it. As someone has said: "Adam may have lit the fire, but we have been piling on the fuel ever since". So let's then consider the subject, "man as sin marred him", and you will probably be able to follow this article better with your Bible open in front of you. Sin has impacted us along several lines.

a. It has Impacted us Vertically⤒🔗

Prior to the fall man's relationship with God was harmonious and delightful, so much so that God described it as "very good" (Genesis 1:31). Both Adam and Eve had hearts full of love for God (although capable of change). They also lived in a perfect environment with all their needs provided for. In fact their situation was quite literally "heaven on earth". However, their disobedience affected everything, especially the most important relationship of all – their relationship with their Maker. After the fall it was severely damaged because from that time forth both the man and the woman were cast out of the garden (Genesis 3:24). A holy God who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil" felt it necessary to banish them from His presence. In a sense this was an act of grace because if the man had been allowed to remain in the garden and eat of the tree of life (a symbol of eternal life) he would have become permanently fixed, along with his posterity, in a state of wretchedness. That would have made salvation impossible. But in the main it was an act of justice. Man had rebelled and forfeited the blessing and ever since that tragic day the picture of the cherubim guarding the gateway to Eden is a symbol of our alienation from God (Genesis 3:24). That's why Scripture describes all of us by nature as "afar off' (Ephesians 2:13). See also Psalm 34:16, Isaiah 59:2 and Ephesians 4:18. Tragically there are no exceptions to this alienation (except Christ) and this barrier is there, separating us from God, whether we realise it or not. Furthermore, since God Himself has erected it, He alone can remove it. Adam and Eve foolishly thought they could remove it by their good works when they made themselves a covering of aprons (Genesis 3:7), but it was a futile gesture. Ever since then God resolutely banished them from His presence because His holiness demanded it. This meant that from that time onward, every inhabitant of this early world, probably up to the time of the flood, would have witnessed the terrible sight of the cherubim, every time they looked in the direction of Eden. This was a constant visible reminder of the alienation sin had introduced. Tragically, the problem still remains and this is why we preach the Gospel. Those who believe this glorious message are now brought near (Ephesians 2:13).

b. It has Affected us Internally (Genesis 3:7, 8, 10)←⤒🔗

We could summarize these verses by focusing on the three verbs – "they knew", "they hid", "they feared". These verbs describe life in a fallen world. It all began when Adam and Eve knew that something was wrong. Sin caused them to experience a whole complex of emotions that they had never experienced before. In short they began to feel death within. We know something of that same pain today through the workings of conscience. We've all felt it when we've attempted to do things we know aren't right. Conscience "bears witness with the work of the law in our hearts" (Romans 2:15), remonstrating with our behaviour. This is one of the ways God informs us that He is righteous and we are not. Unfortunately, some folk brazenly suppress this knowledge in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18), but conscience can still intrude in spite of every effort to silence it. In fact it usually does so at times when its voice is least welcome, either when we're sick or when death visits our door. These workings, of which we all know something, prove to us that God exists and that we are all answerable to him (Romans 1:32). But like Adam and Eve we too can attempt to hide from God. William Grimshaw provides us with an example of this. He was a bit of an eccentric preacher and it was his custom on the Lord's Day to announce a psalm and then go out and gather up various folk from the pubs while it was being sung. But some became cute and hid. That's our natural response to God and his Word. We don't like it and want to escape from it (John 3:20). And when Christ returns these attempts to hide from God will reach an unprecedented level, but it will be all in vain (Revelation 6:16). Just as guilty folk often hide their faces when facing trial, sin makes us do the same. Sin also makes us fearful. That's why Felix trembled when Paul reminded him of his past (Acts 24:25, 26). All these activities of "knowing", "hiding" and "fearing" are consequences of the fall and only belief of the Gospel can remove them.

c. It has Affected us Morally (Genesis 3:11-13)←⤒🔗

Notice that when God questioned both the man and the woman about their behaviour, neither of them answered Him directly. Both shifted the blame. The man became evasive and blamed both His wife and God. The woman too was equally devious and blamed the serpent. As someone has said "Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent and the serpent hadn't got a leg to stand on"! Are there not echoes of this everywhere in society today? Listen to the goings on in a children's playground, or even the speeches in the House of Commons for examples of this. Everyone ends up blaming everyone else, while believing themselves to be right, so everyone is right or wrong depending on the way you look at it. Everyone is right according to their estimation of themselves; everyone is wrong according to their estimation of others. This Adamic trait of "passing the buck" is deeply engraved in our hearts and even as Christians we're not fully delivered from it. Is it not true that when we lose our keys or our wallet, without thinking we automatically blame someone else? What's the first words that come to mind? Are they not "Where did you put it dear?"

d. It has Affected us Subjectively (Genesis 3:7)←⤒🔗

After Adam and Eve sinned their first actions indicate that they had a far higher view of themselves than they ought to have had. Sin had obviously impacted their judgment. They no longer saw things as they really were, instead they saw them through sin-tinted glasses.

The point I'm making is this: a chasm had developed between what God thought of them and what they thought God thought about them.

So instead of repenting and casting themselves on the grace of God for mercy, they sought to persuade God that they really weren't so bad after all by "sewing fig leafs together". This is man's first attempt at "salvation by works" and it has been the religion of natural man ever since. Every single religion in the world bar Christianity has this principle at the heart of it – they teach that you can please God by building up "Brownie points". Listen to the problem that an Islamic girl had and the advice she was given by her religious advisor. "I am a girl of twenty, and from the age of twelve I have done every sin you can think of ... Alas there is nothing left for me but hell. When I ask you sincerely, 'What am I to do to be saved?' I have been told to repent, but the truth is, I cannot repent, as what I have done I enjoyed doing, although it was sin. How will you advise me what to do as to be saved from hell?" Answer; "Turn over a new leaf; lead a righteous life henceforth. This alone will wash away past sins. This is the only atonement". Sins are washed off, the Koran assures us, by good deeds, and by those alone. Scripture teaches something very different, which really works (Titus 3:5-7).

e. It has Affected us Horizontally (Genesis 3:16b)←⤒🔗

Not only did the fall result in Adam and Eve blaming one another for their sin, a fact I've already alluded to (Genesis 3:12), it also wrought havoc in the roles that God had originally laid down for this couple. Before the fall Eve was willingly submissive to Adam, while he lovingly ruled over her. This is not spelled out in so many words in Scripture, but there are hints here and there that there were both similarities and distinctions in the relationship between the man and the woman, even before the fall. As regards similarities, both Adam and Eve were made in God's image and were given dominion over the animals and creation. As for differences, God made his covenant with Adam, not with Eve. Furthermore, Adam, not the woman, also named the animals. This implies that even in Eden there was equality of personhood, yet distinction of roles.

After the fall, however, that harmony and respect soon disappeared. In short, sin introduced confusion. These words are difficult to understand but interpreting Scripture with Scripture they probably mean something like this. As a result of the fall the woman would now have a desire to control her husband, but it was his duty to prevent this from happening. Similar language is used in Genesis 4:7 where Moses states that "sin's desire is unto you, but you must master it". Interpreting Genesis 3:16 along the same lines this text would mean that "the woman will desire to rule over you, but you must not allow this to happen". We've all heard the expression "so and so wears the trousers". This tendency first appeared at the fall and only God's grace and proper attention to scripture teaching can resolve the problem.

f. It has Affected us Judicially←⤒🔗

As you read the account of Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall the atmosphere is one of favour, peace, harmony and tranquility. But after the fall the language changes entirely. There are now strong notes of reproof, anger, curse and displeasure, and judgment becomes a prominent theme. Here are four examples of the way God has left readily identifiable marks of His displeasure in certain areas of our existence.

1. He has judged our environment (Genesis 3:17, 18). Gardeners have to weed, nature is "red in tooth and claw", earthquakes and tsunamis are not uncommon. Scientists may explain these phenomena in terms of the second law of thermodynamics, and I don't deny the reality of that law, but why are these laws the way they are? Answer: the fall. The fact is this: creation is out of joint and we all know it (Romans 8:22).
    
2. He has judged the reproductive process (Genesis 3:16). Someone once said that there was absolutely nothing in Scripture that could be proven to be true. How foolish. Here is something that is undeniable – the pains of childbirth. If I met such a person I would prefer to quote Proverbs 30:33 and then offer to prove the truthfulness of it!
    
3. He has judged the ordinance of work (Genesis 3:17). Prior to the fall work was a delight for Adam. It's interesting to note that the very first thing God did for Adam in the garden was to give him a job. Work was a suitable occupation for a perfect man, but after the fall things were different. There is still the promise of success "you shall eat of the herb of the field", but now the word "toil" has entered the equation. In other words work had became burdensome because of the fall. We even feel the arrows of the Almighty in our daily labour. That's why we look forward to our holidays! Nor would there be any deodorant industry but for the fall! (Genesis 3:19).
    
4. He has judged our bodily constitutions too (Genesis 2:17). Adam didn't die immediately, but he did suffer spiritual death the moment he sinned. We see this in his separation from God, but soon the seeds of death also became apparent in his body. From that moment he began to age and eventually he died (Genesis 5:5). But for the fall there wouldn't be any funeral industry either and we're all heading in the same direction. We can exercise all we like, diet all we like, live as healthily as we like, and I don't disagree with any of these things, but what Job said will be true of all of us unless the Lord returns first (Job 17:14). "One out of one dies".

g. It has Affected us Universally←⤒🔗

What was true for Adam is also true for us (Genesis 5:3). His children inherited his guilt and depravity and the same thing has happened ever since throughout successive generations. That's why we read the constant refrain in Genesis 5: "and he died." Paul put it like this in 1 Corinthians 15:22: "In Adam all die". And the full significance of this death is absolutely staggering. Not only does it include an immediate felt awareness of death, spiritual death and eventual physical death, it finds its furthermost reach in what Scripture calls the second death (Revelation 20:12-15). This is our portion unless we can find a way of escape.

But the good news is this "where sin abounds, grace can much more abound" (Romans 5:20). If death came through the one, life can also come through another One (Romans 5:17-19). I've occasionally heard folk get angry because Scripture teaches that God condemns us for the sin of Adam. Of course long before they ever heard of Adam they had sinned personally, so they're doubly doomed in any case. But the upside of God's perfect covenantal arrangement is this. Because we are judged for another's sin, we can also be saved by another's righteousness, whereas if God judged us on our own merits we would all be doomed. So praise God for his wisdom in administrating the human race along these lines. As Thomas Goodwin put it: "In God's sight there are two men, Adam and Christ, and these two men have all other men hanging at their girdle strings". But which girdle strings are you hanging on to? Through Christ all these problems are presently being rectified and one day they will be resolved completely.

Notice how Christ can and will resolve all of these problems:

The vertical problem (Romans 5:1).
The internal problem (Philippians 4:6, 7).
The moral problem (Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10).
The subjective problem (1 Corinthians 15:9, 10).
The horizontal problem (Ephesians 2:14).
The judicial problem (Romans 8:1).
The universal problem (1 Corinthians 15:22).

"Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).