What attributes did Adam and Eve possess that brought about their fall?
Before suggesting three human tendencies that brought about their fall, I'd like for you to think about which, if any of these 3 things is perhaps holding you back and keeping you in a fallen state.
Are we guilty of being overly greedy or seeking out things for our own benefit, to consume it upon our lusts, causing sins of commission? Or are we guilty of fears, which may spurn sins of omission? Perhaps we struggle with the greatest of all sins: pride, which is enmity - enmity with God and with our fellow brothers and sisters.
The 3 things we should be aware of that brought our first parents into this fallen world are as follows:
1) Greed - Wanting something that was not expedient. Eve desired the fruit that she knew was not right to partake of. Not that desire alone creates greed, but in her case, the desire grew to become greed, as she allowed Lucifer to tempt her. Partaking of the forbidden fruit was the manifestation of her desire as it culminated into greed.
Whenever we allow a forbidden desire to take root and come to fruition, we've become in that moment greedy, selfish, or lustful.
2) Fear - Lucifer convinced them to hide because they were naked. He got them to fear the consequences of their actions. Would God have cared if they were naked? No. He created them as such. The fact that Adam and Eve not only made fig leaves, but also hid themselves from the Lord, withdrawing from His presence, is evidence that Lucifer desires us to fear, hide, withdraw, become depressed and despondent.
The Lord's way out is through love. Hate and fear are close cousins. If we fear something, we run from it, usually despise it, and in so doing we flee from it, hate it, or resent it strongly. Fight or flight. In either case, fear & hate (which are forms of darkness) & truth & love (which are forms of light) can not coexist in the same place at the same time. God's feet didn't touch the ground of the earth after Adam & Eve partook - not because God couldn't sear the place and cleanse it with His power and therefore stand upon it - but because He was and is a merciful, loving God, He prepared a way, a time, a place, and teachers, whereby they might one day come back into His presence. God did not fear man and create enmity. Man fears God and continues to create the enmity.
3) Blame / Pride - Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. And Lucifer blamed that which may have been done in some other worlds. Perhaps Adam's was most justified, in that He was commanded to stay with the woman and found no other way to keep this commandment, save he should partake. But in any case, when they assigned blame to others, they each lost personal power.
Consequences came. Adam, that he would by the sweat of his brow eat his bread. Eve, that she would be subject to her husband and bear children. Lucifer, that he would go on his belly and eat dust all the days of his life. To the extent they placed blame outside of themselves, they lost power, and perpetuated the downward spiral of victimization.
So it is with each of us. When we blame we loose a small portion of our free agency. Adam placed blame on his difficult and nearly impossible choice. Eve blamed her folly on the temptation itself. Lucifer, in blaming his choice for what other's previous to him had done, perhaps one of the worst forms of blame and victimization, fell further and became Satan.
The person who stands up and says, "I am responsible" acknowledges their role in the ordeal and they grow in their personal power. How? Because they've laid claim to their stewardship. In saying "I'm to blame", even if it's not necessarily your fault, you make yourself accountable for a result and in so doing you expand your scope of influence outside yourself. And if it truly isn't your fault at all, you expand your power and influence so much the more.
Thus it was and is with our Savior, Jesus Christ. He who had no sin said in affect, "I'm responsible. I shall be accountable for their deeds and will suffer for their sins." Christ, the anointed and chosen became our Savior and was prepared from the foundation of the world, because He was willing to be accountable, to be responsible [response-able] for us.
It's our tendency as the natural man to blame others, which decreases our personal power, which creates enmity. We seek to preserve ourselves (a prideful/selfish tendency) rather than sacrifice ourselves (a humbling/selfless thing).
The meek shall inherit the earth because good men and women flock to those willing to take upon themselves their sins. People in an organization love working for the leader who says to the boss or to the shareholders, "this didn't go like we had planned. I messed up. I am responsible.
Blaming is another one of those things that keeps us in a fallen state. And this blame is a form of pride.
The antidote?
1. Humility and meekness.
2. A willingness to be accountable.
3. A willingness to sacrifice for the good of the group - to suffer, even if you don't deserve it.
Consequences?
1. Personal power
2. Greater stewardship & influence
3. Loyal, devoted, committed followers
May each of examine our hearts and the conditions we've created for ourselves that keep us in a fallen world.
I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
