Adam and Eve (Poverty and Greed and Original Sin)

Adam and Eve messed up big time. A seemingly innocuous “mistake” was the first step towards destruction and annihilation. What did they do that was so egregious? They disobeyed God. Absolute obedience to God seems like an old-fashioned concept but it’s not. God doesn’t change. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.

Eve’s deception and Adam’s milquetoast ambivalence introduced poverty and greed to humanity. Certainly, there were many other negative outcomes because of the original sin. Here is an excellent and quick read for your consideration. I am not suggesting that financial matters are loftier than spiritual matters. They do need to be discussed, though.

The command from God was simple. Eat anything except fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. That’s exactly where the deceiver tempted Eve. Eve ate fruit from the tree and shared it with Adam. Immediately, they were different. Everything changed.

Adam and Eve — Curses Rendered

Retribution was swift. Absolute obedience is expected. God issued curses for all three of the guilty parties and to some innocent bystanders as well. Just a friendly reminder that our sin affects more than just ourselves.

The Serpent’s Curse

Genesis 3:14-15 (ESV) The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Eve’s Curse

Genesis 3:16 (ESV) To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

I was discussing Eve’s curse with my daughter one day. We were having some playful banter about Eve and I said, “It kind of makes you want to throat-punch her when you get to heaven.” Her reply was, “If she’s there.” YIKES!

Adam’s Curse

Genesis 3:17-19 (ESV) And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain, you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

The Earth’s Curse

Romans 8:20-22 (ESV) For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Animal’s Cursed

Genesis 3:21 (ESV) And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Adam and Eve Introduced Poverty

Thomas Sowell, a world-class economist, once stated, “There was no economics in the Garden of Eden.” What did he mean by this? Economics is simply the study of the allocation of scarce resources. Scarcity was not an issue in the Garden of Eden. God provided plenty of everything.

The earth produced bountifully. Life-sucking weeds were not an issue. Varmints, pestilence, and drought were not a concern. Opportunity cost was not a consideration for either Adam or Eve. Adam has plenty of time to hang out with God and name all the animals without going hungry. That changed when Adam sinned against God.

Adam, after the fall, had to work the ground naturally. He essentially became a farmer. Before the fall, he tended the Garden. After the fall, he painfully worked by the sweat of his brow.

Adam could only do one thing at a time, and he had to do it all. Farming tools and implements were non-existent. Plus, he had to invent everything. For the first time in the history of mankind, God allowed mankind to suffer, endure hardship, and reap what they’ve sown — good and bad.

Adam and Eve Introduced Greed

Romans 5:12 (ESV) Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sinned.

Adam and Eve sinned against God. God’s curse became part of them. They now had a sinful nature. It could not be undone or escaped. They, in turn, passed that sinful nature to all of humanity.

Acts 17:26 (ESV) And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.

Greed flows through all of us. Yes, even the reborn Christian has a sinful nature. What about being a new creation?

The moment we submit our lives to Christ we’re declared righteous and are justified. He paid the price for our sins. However, we still must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

Jesus said that if we want to be His disciples, we must pick up our crosses daily and follow Him.

Denying Ourselves and Crucifying Greed

The prosperity gospel teaches that God wants everyone to be millionaires. Private jets, luxury automobiles, and sprawling estates are commonplace in this movement. At least among the leadership. Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, and others audaciously brag about their fleet of planes and their massive homes. They provoke followers to give to them so they can live similarly. Sadly, they use greed as their motivation.

Greed is cloaked in hyper-spiritual mumbo jumbo, but people still buy the lies.

Give Fearlessly

One way to deny ourselves is to give your resources fearlessly. You do not need to give to a prosperity gospel preacher. Find an organization doing something that you love but can’t do and give to it.

We support a ministry that starts churches in unreached, unengaged people groups. For $300, they can start a new church in Pakistan, Iran, or some other place where Christianity is underground.

There are countless ways to give to great causes.

If you’re wondering how much to give, perhaps you should start here. Are Christians Expected To Tithe? An Ultimate Guide.

Tell Yourself “NO!”

C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, dropped a truth bomb:

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.”

Redeemed From The Curse of the Law

Christians are redeemed from the curse of the law. However, we’re not immune to the Effects of the Fall. Greed must be fought moment by moment until we breathe our last. It’s diabolical and deceptive. Unchecked, it will lead to massive issues.

Fight greed through fearless generosity. Resist it by simply telling yourself “no” even when you have the funds to do something. Stop comparing yourself to others and what they have, do, drive, and where they live.

Our citizenship is in heaven. We’re strangers and pilgrims passing through Earth.

II Corinthians 8:9 (ESV) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.