As believers, we try to receive insight from God. We want to listen and sense His direction so we become more mature expressions of His heart. Too often we continue doing as we’ve always done and life continues to be confusing and complicated. We struggle with problems and frustrations.
Why is this? What causes us to live as though we are trapped and held captive to the world’s ill attitudes and patterns? What compels us to disregard the insightful help God offers and remain confused? What is “the sin that so easily entangles us”? (a) [See end notes for all Scriptures]
The First Sin
The Greek word translated ‘sin’ in our Bible means ‘to miss,’ – as to miss a target or fall short of a goal. A sinner is one who misses the best intention or the ideal goal. Who among us, as children of God, doesn’t occasionally miss the goal and need restoring doses of God’s saving grace? (b)
When we examine sin’s first occurrence, we begin to understand the cause of our problems and can discover the solution to our difficulties. When we realize why we continue to miss the goal and overlook our created purpose, our life focus and experience in this life can really improve.
Desiring to father children, the Eternal One designed and created the natural universe as a place to birth His offspring into existence. This natural realm includes an ongoing array of beginning and ending cycles that provide a vast multitude of variables for us to choose from.
God’s creative intention for our life, in this natural realm, includes a blend of natural and spiritual realities. (c) The first man and woman were placed in a Garden called Eden; “to cultivate and keep it” and have daily interaction with God, who came to them “in the cool of the day.” (d)
Even in that ideal environment, the first sin happened as Adam and Eve chose to ignore God’s guidance. Of all the variables to experience, God advised them to restrain from only one thing: “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (e) What one thing?
Adam and Eve ignored God’s instruction and chose to gain ‘wisdom’ from the knowledge of good and evil.” (f) The Hebrew words translated “good and evil” can easily be translated as “productive and destructive.” The natural realm is designed to function with contrasting variables like light and dark, in and out, up and down, as well as productive and destructive activity.
Choosing to disregard God’s guidance and focus on the wisdom gained from natural experience was the first sinful act. As Adam and Eve, when we choose to focus only on what is natural and earthly, we live as short changed and continue to miss our created goal as God’s children.
God’s creative intention for our life, in this natural realm, includes a blend of natural and spiritual realities.
Clouded Perceptions
The Hebrew text in the above verse actually says: “for in the time that you partake from it you will be dying.” The caution was not a one-time consequence, but an ongoing condition from continual activity. This does not refer to a physical or spiritual death, but of our soul’s relationship with God.
The first sin, which is the root of all sin, is a matter of ignoring our Eternal Father’s input. Such activity entraps us in the web of good and evil perceptions and activity. This brings a wisdom that is gained from the productive and destructive (good and evil) activity of this natural life. (g)
The original sin brought a deathly 
sense of separation from God that complicates our ability to hear and receive God’s guidance. Our first parents’ decision to ignore God and turn to natural experience clouded their perceptions and immediately began to deteriorate their quality of life. This is portrayed in the creation narrative as God sending them from the Garden to experience their choice.
Most sins, if not all, are simply secondary effects of the original sin of ignoring God’s guidance. Jesus spoke of people living by this focus—choosing natural wisdom over spiritual—as “the living dead.” (h) Many people are alive but without active interaction with God, they live as dead people.
We are designed to live in this earth as both natural and spiritual people. (c) Before ignoring God, life is described as a Garden-like existence, unashamed, blameless, and with no need to hide. When they turned from God’s influence, they became more earthly minded than spiritual. Natural life is not sinful; we are sinful because we do not heed God’s insightful guidance.
Many people are alive but without active interaction with God, they live as dead people.
Arise From Deadly Sleep
What is the solution? The original sin in the Garden was followed by a lack of repentance. As Adam and Eve made excuses and blamed another, it kept them entangled in their new found independence. (i) So, Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden (j) to experience the separation they chose and to stir a desire to repent and return to the guiding influence of God.
Adam and Eve were kept separated from the Tree of Life in the Garden of God by an angel with a flaming sword. Why a flaming sword? This is a visual that illustrates the redeeming purpose of repentance. When we repent, the sword of the Lord begins to cut away our entanglement to error and the flame consumes the dross of our error so we are able to live better lives. (k)
Our unrepentant ways are what keep us captive to destructive thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Repentance begins to release us from our entanglements and invites the cleansing sword and flame of God to assist our deliverance. Remember, it is our fellowship with God and our acceptance of His life giving word that is able to “save your souls” from living as dead people. (l)
Our intended way of life in this natural world includes our fellowship with God as our Eternal Father. His love for us, as offspring and as maturing children, is unlimited, unfailing, and unmatched by any example, (m) other than Jesus Christ who is our only mediator with God. (n)
Responding to God as our insightful Father transforms us from being mere offspring into the intimacy of beloved children. (o) Our soul’s conscious awareness of spiritual realities remains subject to our choice. While we all fall short and sometimes way short, we can learn to be and do better. There’s no reason to remain weighed down by unhealthy worldly attitudes and patterns.
Our fellowship with God’s presence helps release us from our captivity to the frustrations, complications, and confusions of natural life. Beyond this direct personal benefit, we become better reflective resemblances of His love to those around us. This is truly a win-win choice!
Our fellowship with God’s presence helps release us from our captivity to the frustrations, complications, and confusions of natural life.
a) Hebrews 12:1; b) Ephesians 2:5, 8; Titus 3:5; c) Genesis 2:7; d) Genesis 2:15; 3:8; e) Genesis 2:16-17; f) James 3:15-17) g) Genesis 3:6; I John 3:15-17; h) Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:60; i) Genesis 3:8-13; j) Genesis 3:22-24; k) 2 Corinthians 7:10; Hebrews 12:29; l) James 1:21; Ephesians 2:5-8; m) Romans 8:35-39; n) 1 Timothy 2:5; o) John 1:11-12
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author