In The Beginning: Confidence After the Fall
Summary and Discussion Questions
Based on a sermon by Pastor Trent Thomas
Sunday, June 7, 2026 | Christ Hills Church in Monroe, NC
Genesis 3:7-24
A recent New York Times interview with Ben Sasse included a striking question: “Are you prepared to die?”
His answer was refreshingly honest: “No. But to whom will I turn besides Jesus?”
That answer captures something every Christian must eventually wrestle with. We live in a fallen world. We know death is coming. We know suffering is real. The question is whether we have confidence in ourselves—or confidence in Christ.
Genesis 3 tells the story of humanity’s fall into sin. After Adam and Eve rebelled against God, the Lord came looking for them. Notice something important: God went to Adam first. Adam had been given the responsibility to work and keep the garden. He was called to lead, yet he quietly listened as Eve talked with a serpent, then silently watched as she ate of the forbidden fruit. Women need men who are not passive like Adam. They need men who are bold and courageous, especially in the home and in the church. They need men worthy to follow.
Yet when confronted by God, Adam immediately started the blame game. Eve blamed the serpent. Adam blamed Eve—and ultimately God. “The woman whom You gave to be with me...” In other words, “God, this is really Your fault.”
We do the same thing today. We blame God for our desires, our weaknesses, our personalities, our circumstances. We say, “God made me this way,” as though that’s an excuse for our rebellion. Sin always looks for someone else to blame.
Notice that God did not engage in a debate with the serpent. The serpent may have imagined a victory, but God swiftly humbles him with judgment. Evil never gets the last word.
And the consequences of sin are severe. Adam’s curse is notably longer than either Eve’s or the serpent’s. The ground itself is cursed because of Adam. Romans 8 tells us that creation has been groaning ever since. Every natural disaster, every thorn, every frustration, every funeral reminds us that something is terribly wrong.
God told Adam that the ground would now bring forth thorns and thistles, making work difficult, but work itself was not the problem. Before sin entered the world, Adam was put in the garden to work it and keep it. We were created to work. In fact, we are saved for good works (Ephesians 2:10). The problem is not work; the problem is work apart from God. Sin turns joyful labor into burdensome toil.
The consequence of the Fall was ultimately death. God had made His command clear. Adam and Eve knowingly rebelled. They essentially slapped God in the face and rejected His authority. The resulting death sentence was not immediate execution but lifelong mortality. Every human being now lives under that sentence.
Yet in the middle of judgment, we find remarkable hope.
After the Fall, Adam names his wife Eve, which means “life-giver.” That’s an astonishing act of faith. God had just pronounced judgment, yet Adam believed God’s promise that life—and ultimately salvation—would come through Eve’s offspring.
This points us directly to Genesis 3:15, often called the first whisper of the gospel. God speaks of an offspring—not merely offspring in general, but ultimately one promised descendant who would crush the serpent’s head. Jesus is that offspring!
Adam and Eve tried to cover their shame with fig leaves. Their homemade solution looks almost silly compared to God’s plan of redemption. God provided garments for them, foreshadowing the sacrifice that would one day point to Christ. The animals are not the point; they point beyond themselves to the ultimate sacrifice.
There is another beautiful picture here. Adam was originally placed in the garden to work it and keep it. Many scholars note that Eden functioned like the first tabernacle—a sacred place where God dwelt with His people. When Adam and Eve were expelled, a cherubim guarded the entrance.
Later, cherubim would appear atop the Ark of the Covenant, marking the holy presence of God. The message was clear: Sacred space. Do not enter.
And through Christ, everything changes. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we may now approach the throne of grace with confidence.
Confidence—not because we are innocent.
Confidence—not because we have covered our sin well.
Confidence—not because we are prepared to die.
Confidence—because Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.
The serpent lost. Sin was defeated. Death will not have the final word.
So in the middle of your trials, ask yourself: Where is your confidence? Is it in your efforts, your fig leaves, your good deeds, your plans? Or is it in Christ alone?
Like Ben Sasse, we may not feel prepared for death. But who would we turn to besides Jesus? And He is enough.
“For no power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand.”
Questions for Reflection & Discussion:
In what ways are you tempted to blame others—or even God—for the consequences of your own sin?
What “fig leaves” do you rely on to cover guilt, shame, or insecurity instead of trusting in Christ’s finished work?
Hebrews 4:16 says we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence. What does it look like for you to live with that assurance this week?