Consequences of the Fall

We have moved in our study of the earlier chapters of Genesis to chapter 3, where we find the story of the Fall and its consequences. Among the consequences of the Fall is the devastating havoc that was wreaked on relationships; in particular, on our relationships with God, and on our relationships with others.

The study from Sunday is so foundational for understanding what the consequences are along with the prescriptions biblically for overcoming them, that I am reproducing my notes from the study in this blog entry. I am also including a link to an audio file of the sermon: http://www.hamiltonhills.org/resources/english.html (follow the links from this page to the sermon marked 7-01-07).

Introduction

One of the most devastating consequences of the Fall was the negative impact it had on the three relationships that existed at the time: (1) the relationship that God had with Adam; (2) the relationship God had with Eve; and (3) the relationship that Adam and Eve had with each other.

These three relationships were prototypes of the three kinds of relationships that exist today: (1) our own relationships with God; (2) the relationships that others have with God; and (3) the relationships that we have with others. Keep in mind, because of the Fall, all three types of relationships are constantly under pressure and at significant risk. The Bible is loaded with explanations and prescriptions for what to do about this. And that is what we are studying today.

Adam

Last Sunday, we saw how Adam blamed Eve for what happened and even was willing to see her be the one to receive the sentence of death in order to save himself. Adam also was willing to blame God; after all, God was the one who made Eve. God was the one who brought her to Adam in marriage. It wasn’t Adam’s fault that Eve was so gullible. So instead of love and harmony in the three relationships, there was blame-shifting and condemnation, along with other dysfunctional behaviors.

I also pointed out last Sunday how blame-shifting and condemnation are not the only evidences in the Bible of relationship-dysfunction. I listed a number of the others last week; I’m not planning to read off the same list today.

What I would like to do today is to categorize dysfunctional relationship behaviors to give us a better understanding and to begin helping us with solutions in our own lives and situations. Before I share the categories, let me mention that my emphasis is on the human relationship side of things. Let me remind everyone of the inseparable connection between our relationships with others on a human level and our relationships with God (see 1 John 4:19-23). So it is more than critical that we pay attention to the health of our human relationships.

Categories

The first category of dysfunctional relationship behaviors on a human level is what I will call self-gratification behaviors. These are behaviors that we use to look out for our own interests; in other words, to fulfill some need or desire we have.

This category is so easily illustrated in the Fall. Back in Genesis 2:15-17; God told Adam that if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would surely die. Here, in chapter 3, after Adam and Eve had eaten of that very tree, Adam was very well aware of the very real threat on his life. And so, partly out of desperation to save his own hide, (and partly to get back at Eve for her role in their predicament, more about this in a minute), Adam pushed Eve forward and said, “Here you go, God. It’s her fault! Kill her, not me!”

So in this sense, Adam’s blaming functioned as a means of self-gratification, of satisfying his own interests.

Now I’m going to name the other category in just a minute or so. And what we’re going to find is there is some cross-over between the categories. In other words, the same dysfunctional behavior can be used for reasons that fall into more than one category, or even for reasons that fall into more than one category at the same time. I think you’ll see what I mean in a minute.

Nevertheless, the first category of dysfunctional relationship behaviors is what we will call self-gratification.

Philippians 2:21

Now let me turn you to another passage for a moment--Philippians 2:21: “For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”

The original word translated “interests” literally means “things”—“every one looks out for his own things, not those of Jesus Christ.” The same word appears a couple other times earlier on in chapter two. Take a look at verse 4: “Each of you should look not only to your own interests (or things), but also to the interests (or things) of others.”

Please understand, what is meant by "things" is not tangible things. Having said that, there is an emphasis in the OT law on the responsibility that one person has to look out for the tangible property of another person. Doing so is part of what it means to love your neighbor as yourself, which is one of two mega-themes of the Law. So, for example, see Leviticus 19:4.

But back in the NT, in Philippians 2, something else is in view. In Philippians 2, the things of others include, not just their lost property which falls into our care, but rather their intangible things, such as their needs, their desires, their goals, their ambitions. The assumption in Philippians 2 is that these things are pure; and when they are, we have the responsibility to look out for them.

I will talk with you more about what that means in another study. Let me just say for now that I’m calling your attention to this because verse 21 says: “everyone looks out for his own things.” The point is, ever since the Fall, we have the natural tendency to engage in dysfunctional relationship behaviors because we are looking out for number one. We are insuring that our own needs get met above all and virtually at any cost to everyone else around us.

Now then, I plan to take a lot more time with this, partly because I want us to understand it better, and partly because I want us to understand what the Bible says to do about the kind of behaviors that fit into this category. Earlier I said I would turn you to two passages, but I’m going to save the other for another time. I want to get to the second category.

Revenge

The second category of dysfunctional relationship behaviors is what we will called revenge.

Let me be the first to say that I understand that revenge can be a means of self-gratification. But I’m giving it its own category, because vengeance plays such a central role in human relationships across every context (family, work, neighborhood, community, international, and church).

In one sense, Adam’s blaming of Eve and pushing her forward for the death penalty might have been revenge. In other words, perhaps Adam was just mad at Eve for their predicament.

But even if Adam’s dysfunctional relationship behavior was purely self-gratification, it doesn’t take long before we encounter vengeance in the Bible going forward. Look at Genesis 4:23: “Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me.’”

The Bible has just a ton of things to say about the appropriateness of any of us taking revenge on others. One of the more well-known passages is Romans 12:17-21: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody...Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath...et Al."

Condemnation

Before closing today, let me present you with a possible third category. I’m talking not about condemnation.

Once again, I understand that there is some crossover among these categories. They are not as discreet as I’m presenting them to be. Nevertheless, there are people, who perhaps for a variety of complex psychological factors, engage in the behavior of condemning others—not because they are trying to gratify themselves, although that certainly does happen, and not because they are angry and out for revenge, although that also most certainly does happen, but simply because they feel it’s their right and they feel justified in doing so.

Self-deification

That leads me to say that the overarching category that perhaps all of these other categories fall into is what we might call self-deification.

Self-deification may just be the most hideous consequence of the Fall. It may be the most hideous motivation driving dysfunctional relationship behavior in a fallen, sin-cursed world.

Notice I am not saying, self-justification, but self-deification.

We get a hint of this in the account of the Fall back in Genesis 3. See verse 4: “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The last part of what the devil said through the serpent, "your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil", may be the only even halfway accurate words he spoke. The self-gratification, the revenge, the condemnation--all of it points to an attempt on the part of Adam especially to take the place of God. And the bad news is, our participation in behaviors that harm our relationships may just be characterized by the very same thing.

[NOTE: In the audio file of the sermon, I include a lengthy quote on this from Dallas Willard's book, "Renovation of the Heart", p. 56-57.]

Application

With this foundation laid, we will be able to begin considering what the Bible teaches about how to gain victory over this awful consequence of the Fall. To apply today's study this week, let me suggest that everyone try this: When you feel yourself getting angry with others, or if you begin to act in ways that might qualify as a"dysfunctional relationship behavior", ask yourself "why am I acting this way? Why do I feel the way I do? What is motivating me to think, say, or do this?" Keep on asking "why?" to discover whether your behavior is motivated by something that falls into one of the categories we studied today. If you find that it does, ask God for forgiveness and for the strength to act in victory over the consequences of the Fall.