How Many Sins Were Involved in the Fall in the Garden?

We tend to reduce the sin in the garden to one sin, the sin of disobedience. Upon further consideration we may be intrigued to learn that this was but one of at least 10 sins according to the Puritan Thomas Watson. Read the following and see what you think.

1)     Incredulity. Our parents did not believe what God had spoken was truth. God had said that they would die on the day that they ate of the tree (Knowledge of Good and Evil). By their unbelief they made God a liar; and, even worse, put their trust in the devil over God!

2)    Unthankfulness. This is the epitome of all sin. Adam’s sin was committed in the midst of Paradise. After God had stamped his own image upon him and made him lord over all the world and given him all the trees of the garden to eat (one excepted), and then to take of THAT TREE! That was high ingratitude! Why shouldn’t Adam after he sinned go and try to hide himself in shame. How could he look his Creator in the face without blushing?

3)    Discontent. Had he not been discontent, he would not have attempted to change alter his condition. Would you not think that Adam should have had enough? He had the robe of innocence to clothe him, and the glory of Paradise to crown him; yet he was discontent, he wanted more; he would be above the ordinary rank of creatures. “How wide was Adam’s heart, that a whole world could not fill it!

4)    Pride. He would be like God! Newly formed dust now aspires to be his own Creator! How could Satan have tempted him had there not been some desire in him to usurp God’s place? “He supposed the tree of knowledge would have anointed his eyes, and made him omniscient. But, by climbing too high, he got a fall.”

5)    Disobedience. God had said, “You shall not eat of the tree” (2:17). But he would eat of it, though it cost him his life. “Disobedience against equity” (what is just and right). It is right that we should serve him from whom we gained our subsistence. God gave Adam his allowance, therefore it was but right he should give God his allegiance.” How is God to endure seeing his laws trampled on before his face? (Remember: if all God had done was very good, then so were his laws. Therefore, any trampling on his laws was a trampling on the good in favor of the bad) This made him place a flaming sword at the end of the garden.

6)    Curiosity. He meddled with that which was out of his sphere, and did not belong to him. God smote the men of Bethshemesh for looking into the ark (1 Sam. 6:19). So, Adam was prying into God’s secrets, and tasting what was forbidden. What? Did God, the Giver, have every right to withhold what he wanted from his creation?

7)    Wantonness. (Shameless, immoral, depravity) Though Adam had a choice of all the other trees, yet his palate grew wanton, and he must have this tree. Like Israel, God sent them manna, angel’s food, yes, but they had to have quail. So, it was not enough that God should supply their wants; now, they would have him satisfy their lusts! Adam had all that he needed and that he would delight in (2:9); yet his wantonness drove him to lust after the forbidden fruit!

8)    Sacrilege. The Tree of Knowledge was not Adam’s, yet he took of it, and thus robbed God of his due. It was a double theft—to take what belongs to God for use by himself.

9)    Murder. Adam was a public person, and all his posterity were involved and wrapped up in him; and he, by sinning, at once destroyed all his posterity, if free grace had not intervened. As Abel’s blood cried out from the ground for vengeance, so did Adam’s race cry out for God’s vengeance. "For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, ESV)

10)  Presumption. Adam presumed on God’s mercy. He blessed himself (in effect) saying, “I should, though I have sinned, still have peace.” “Yes, though I did transgress God’s word, I should not have to die.” He thought God should reverse his decree rather than punish him. This was a very great presumption. After all, who would know? There was no one but Eve and me. God must always do what is right for doing right lies within his heart, not in the eyes of those who witness it.