My tall, beautiful Zinnias were pounded by the rain from Hurricane Isaias. When the storm passed, I found a branch lying on the ground split from the stalk. This illustrates how sin brings death. A branch doesn’t die immediately when it’s broken off from the tree or plant that was its source of life. The process of dying may take many days. But in time the once-green leaves and flowering petals become dry and brown—they are completely dead.

Adam and Eve’s perfect relationship with their Creator was now severed! Adam’s sin brought separation from God. His perfect relationship with God changed into a death sentence. And the perfect beautiful world God had created for Adam to oversee would now be cursed as well.

We are all Adam’s descendants, therefore, sin and death spread to all men, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12). “From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth …” (Acts 17:26). “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23).

Adam and Eve’s relationship to God was dead; it had been cut off and they would eventually die.

Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin by clothing themselves in fig leaves and hiding from God. But no one can hide from God (Hebrews 4:13). And only God can cover sin; the Biblical meaning is to atone for sin so that sin can be forgiven.

“Why is sin such a horror to God? Simply because it is the opposite of everything that God is.” “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wickedness” (Habakkuk 1:13). “Sin is detestable to God’s holiness.”

Free and Clear: Understanding and Communicating God’s Offer of Eternal Life, R. Larry Moyer.

Think of the horribleness of their sin and our sin in the face of our loving, holy God.

And yet, God’s love for man is amazing in that even when man turned his back on God, his Creator, God still lovingly promised to send a deliverer (Genesis 3:15). What Grace: Giving something we don’t deserve! What Mercy: Not giving what we do deserve!

Since the consequences of man’s sin still remain, it effects our relationship with God, our relationship with each other, our daily life and health, and our eternal home unless we come to God on His terms.

Adam and Eve tried to make themselves acceptable to God by sewing fig leaves together to cover themselves. They made themselves coverings of leaves to try and hide their sin from God. But God refused their clothes. No one can make himself acceptable to God by what he does. Man’s efforts fall short! (Matthew 7:13, 14). Man cannot come to God on his terms.

Some people think they can go to church or do good deeds to make up for the wrongs they have done. You can probably think of other examples of “do-it-yourself” coverings for sin. God sees right through it, and it is completely unacceptable to Him. We must instead come to God and find HIS way to make us acceptable to Him. He simply won’t accept anything we could ever do. No matter how thoughtful or religious or costly our efforts might seem to us, they will never cover our sins in such a way that God will not see them and require the death payment.

God wanted Adam and Eve to understand the consequences of their sin and so the first death in the world was brought about because of man’s sin. God killed an animal to provide clothing for guilty Adam and Eve. Only God could supply them with clothing that would make them acceptable to Him. God put the clothing, which He made, on Adam and Eve. And God put Adam and Eve out of the garden, away from the tree of life.

God is holy and righteous. He demands death as the payment for sin. Adam and Eve had a son named Cain. Cain tried coming to God on his own terms like his parents did with their fig leaves. We are all born under the rule and reign of Satan. We are naturally bent to go Satan’s way so that we all go the way of Satan. God confronted Cain but Cain chose not to listen. Cain’s brother, Abel, chose to come to God, God’s Way, with a blood sacrifice. Cain will follow the way of Satan and kill his brother Abel.

Are you trying to make yourself acceptable to God?