(Genesis) Genesis 3:6-7 — J. Vernon McGee

The Threefold Appeal in Eden

Now, will you notice? And when the woman saw, notice that, that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

Now, you notice the appeal that he made here is quite an interesting appeal. It was an appeal to the flesh, but that's not all. That's not really the thing that is really important. It's pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise.

It was an appeal to the flesh, an appeal, if you please, to the psychological part of mine is mine, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, and that is an appeal to the religious side of man. And if you'll check this, and I'm not taking time to deal with that today, you'll find out that's exact temptation that Satan brought to the Lord Jesus.

Satan's Temptation of Jesus

First of all, make these stones into bread, it's good to eat. And then he told him, I'll give him the kingdoms of the world. I tell you what an appeal that is, and showed him the kingdoms of the world.

Pleasant to the eyes, appeal to the mind, and then a tree to be desired to make one wise. Cast yourself down from the temple. And do you know that today, I don't think he's changed his tactics. He uses the same tactics with you and me, and I think the reason that he still uses the same tactics is because it works.

The Lust of the Flesh, Eyes, and Pride of Life

He doesn't need to change his tactics. We all seem to fall for the same line. And John wrote, for all that's in the world, the lust of the flesh, that's it, good to eat. The lust of the eyes, good to look at.

The pride of life, cast yourself down from the temple. These things are not of the Father, but of the world. Now this is an appeal that he makes. Jesus said that these sins of the flesh, though, come out of the heart of man, way down deep.

And this is where he's making his appeal, you see. That's where he's going in after man in a very definite way. And it's this method, frankly, that he's using here in order that he might reach in and that he might lead mankind astray.

The Fall of Man and the Opening of the Eyes

Well, he did it. You see, they were told they'd know good and evil, and what happened? Well, we have the result of the fall of man. The eyes of them both were open. They knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.

Well, what do we have here? Well, we have the eyes open. That is their conscience. You see, man before the fall did not have a conscience. He's innocent. Innocence is ignorance of evil. Man did not make conscience.

Human Conscience and the Reality of Guilt

May I say that there is an accuser that each one of you and I have lives on the inside of us. A psychologist says today that we all have a guilt complex. A leading psychologist in a university here in Southern California who's a Christian said to me that the guilt complex is much a part of man as his right arm is, and he can no more get rid of that guilt complex in a psychological way than you can get rid of the arm except by amputating it.

Covering Sin Instead of Confessing It

And they knew they were naked. These fig leaves concealed but did not cover really, and they did not confess. They just attempted to cover up their sin. The eyes of them both were open, and they knew that they were naked.

They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.