God and the Ideas of Man
A Sermon on Genesis 3:1
Originally preached Oct. 2, 1955
Scripture
1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Sermon Description
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve find themselves in a fearful, worried state. In this sermon on Genesis 3:1 titled “God and the Ideas of Man,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones considered how they arrived to this state. Often times Christians can find ourselves fearful and worried like Adam and Eve. This is because they, like them, ask the question, “Did God really say?” Christians have absolutely no reason to believe that God is not kind, but they still question His goodness when they are told to obey Him. This is what happened to Adam and Eve; they allowed themselves to question the intentions of the Lord. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages Christians to believe what has always been true of God: He is infinitely good, infinitely just, and infinitely holy. Give up foolish reason when questioning the goodness of God. Instead of asking, “did God say?” proclaim, “I believe what God has said and I believe it!”
Sermon Breakdown
- The serpent's question "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" introduces doubt about God's word and power.
- The serpent asserts that God's prohibition is not true - "Ye shall not surely die". This is a dogmatic claim without evidence.
- Eve sees the forbidden fruit as "good for food", "pleasant to the eyes" and able to "make one wise". Human reason and desire replace God's word.
- Adam and Eve doubted God's power, goodness and morality despite all He had given them. This is a madness that is still repeated today.
- The consequences God warned of came to pass - death, pain, hard work, suffering. The serpent's claims were proven false.
- The only solution is to reverse the process - stop doubting and reasoning against God, believe His word, submit to Him. This brings blessing.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Genesis 3:1
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the cause of mankind's fall and current condition?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, mankind's fall and current condition are caused by ceasing to listen to God and what God said. He states, "There is only one explanation as to why the world is as it is at this minute and as to why every single individual is as he or she is at this second." The problem began when Adam and Eve listened to the serpent's question "Yea, hath God said?" and doubted God's word, which led to their disobedience and ruin upon themselves and their posterity.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones consider Genesis 3 one of the most important chapters in the Bible?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones considers Genesis 3 one of the most important chapters in the Bible because it explains how mankind first fell from the good state in which God had originally placed him. He states it is "the beginning of human history as we know it and as mankind has known it from the very beginning." This chapter provides the essential context for understanding why humans need redemption and sets up the entire biblical narrative of salvation.
What are the steps or stages that led to Adam and Eve's disobedience according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the steps that led to Adam and Eve's disobedience were: 1. They accepted the devil's dogmatic assertion without proof 2. They began to doubt God's power ("ye shall not surely die") 3. They questioned God's goodness (believing God was withholding something good from them) 4. Human reason substituted itself for God's way (they saw the tree was "good for food" and "pleasant to the eyes") 5. They disobeyed despite all God had done for them and all the blessings they enjoyed
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones relate Adam and Eve's sin to modern unbelief?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that modern unbelief follows the same pattern as Adam and Eve's sin. He states that people today reject Christianity based on dogmatic assertions without proof, just as Adam and Eve did with Satan's claims. Modern people doubt God's power, question His goodness, substitute human reasoning for divine revelation, and reject God despite all His benefits and blessings. Lloyd-Jones says, "everybody who's not a Christian at this moment is still doing" what Adam and Eve did.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the contradiction in those who reject Christianity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies a contradiction in those who reject Christianity: they criticize Christian preaching as dogmatic while their own unbelief is based on mere dogmatic assertions without proof. He challenges unbelievers to examine the grounds of their rejection, asking, "What are the grounds of your unbelief? What is really the basis for your rejection of this gospel?" He points out that many reject God based on statements like "science proves" or "no sensible man believes that today" without actual evidence.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe mankind's view of God's supposed "unfairness"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes mankind's view of God's supposed "unfairness" as believing that God is against human happiness. He mentions how many people view God as "a monster, someone who's against them, someone who just delights in tyrannizing them and spoiling their lives." People often consider Christianity as something "narrow and cramped that puts fetters upon us and robs us of some marvelous life." This attitude reflects the same lie Satan told Eve—that God was withholding something good from her out of jealousy.
What solution does Dr. Lloyd-Jones offer to those who have rejected God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers a solution of repentance and faith in Christ. He urges his listeners to "reverse the very process that happened in the garden." This involves: recognizing that their troubles are due to sin and rebellion against God, acknowledging this to God, receiving His offer of salvation in Christ, giving up "foolish reasoning" and listening to God, believing His word, and submitting to it. He promises that those who do so will be "blessed in a manner that you'll never understand here in this world."
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.