Genesis 2: 3-6

But of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 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. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

1. The lies and half-truths “…Ye shall not surely die…. Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil”

Whether the lies we are told by others, or the ones we tell ourselves, these are usually very subtle: “it is for a good cause” “No one is watching” “I will repent tomorrow” “Love is love” “Body no be firewood” “I am not really hurting anybody” “We are adults!”. We rationalize these into many shades of grey that trying to see the truth is like looking through a hazy lens. These lies get craftier and far-reaching, I fear for the kids of today

• 2. The enticement “…the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to the eyes”

When the lie is accepted, the allure of the fruit gets more irresistible. It really is pleasant to the eyes! “Be careful little eyes what you see!” The object of sin is beautiful: the extra wads of cash, the curves, the dopamine surges. Once the eye gate has been activated, the ball’s already rolling now, leading to the 3^rd stage

• 3. Led by one’s own lust “…and a tree to be desired to make one wise…”

James 1:14 says: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. The most likely people to do a particular thing are those that say they can never do it. It is when you understand that this lust is ‘inbuilt’, then you will take steps to make certain that you don’t feed your lusts. Be very wary of your heart. Out of it proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, which defile a man (Matt. 15:19). When the heart leads the man, then the culmination of the sin process happens.

• 4. The deed of sin “…she took the fruit thereof and did eat”

This should not come as a surprise. Of course, she ate the fruit. It is difficult now to hit the brakes. Now you are fighting battles that you should not be fighting. “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin” James 1:15. You are casting and binding in a place or situation where you are primed to fall. You are already in full expectation of the excitement that will come from the next step. The tab is already open on your screen, and you are ‘struggling’ not to take a look. You know how fat your bank account will be with a mouse click. You can already feel the hit of dopamine. You are hooked. And then the deed is done.

• 5. Convincing others to partake “…and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat”

This usually involves some sort of emotional, physical and/or legal manipulation. This is the age of the ‘Cancel culture’. You say something contrary to popular societal beliefs, you are canceled, labeled a phobe. Your licenses can be revoked, even physically threatened. The ultimate success of sin is in being widely accepted as true, and truth as preposterous.  

A word to Christian parents and potential parents: Be very careful about your life. It is only the Truth that will set you free. Non-negotiable: You MUST know Him! Not experience Him, KNOW him. Not feeling-based but Bible-based. John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. When you know the truth, you stand a chance. Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. The lies are becoming the norm. The world you grew up in is not the same your kids will. Be very careful about your parenting.