We often talk about the Fall in Genesis as a story of mere disobedience – a “thou shalt not” that was ignored. But if you look closer at the dialogue in the Garden of Eden, it’s actually so much more!
The Sales Pitch: “You Will Be Like God”
In Genesis 3:5, the Serpent makes an interesting offer: “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Superficially, this sounds like an upgrade. Who wouldn’t want to be like the Creator? But there is a massive, sad irony here.
The Reality: “They Already Were”
If we flip back to Genesis 1:26-27, we see the original blueprint:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Humanity was the only part of creation stamped with the Image of God. They were already His representatives. They already walked in His likeness. They already possessed the highest dignity possible for a created being.
They were His image-bearers. They were, in essence, designed to reflect God’s very character and nature into the world. They were meant to rule as God would rule- with wisdom, love, and order. They already “knew” God in an intimate, unblemished way.
The Serpent was essentially trying to sell a diamond to a person who was already wearing a crown of them.
The Serpent’s Deceptive Twist
The serpent didn’t offer something new; he offered a counterfeit. He said, “You will be like God.”
He distorted the truth of “being like God” (in moral reflection and spiritual communion) into “being like God” (in independent knowledge, defining good and evil for themselves).
The Vulnerability of Forgotten Identity
Adam and Eve didn’t seem to fully grasp the profound reality of who they already were. They didn’t recognize the incredible dignity, the inherent value, and the deep connection they already shared with their Creator.
In the Garden of Eden, not knowing who they truly were led Adam and Eve into a vulnerable position where the devil could easily deceive them.
In their vulnerable state:
- Identity Crisis: They didn’t fully appreciate their pre-existing identity as God’s image-bearers. They were already in perfect relationship with the ultimate “knower of good and evil”- God Himself. To know good and evil independently of Him was not an upgrade; it was a devastating downgrade, severing their connection and plunging humanity into sin.
- Lack of Contentment: They sought something they already possessed in a purer form. Sin originates in thoughts; in their thoughts they doubted the goodness of God! They wondered if God was gatekeeping better things from them.
- Vulnerability to Lies: When you don’t understand your true worth or position, you’re susceptible to anyone offering a perceived “upgrade” or “better deal.”
- Took the Bait: Devil offered a shortcut to a status they already possessed. They took it.
By trying to become “like God” on their own terms, they actually lost the intimacy that made them like Him in the first place
The Redemption: How the “Second Adam” Flipped the Script
Thousands of years after the garden, the Serpent tried the exact same trick on Jesus in the wilderness. The parallels are stunning, and they prove that Identity is the ultimate battlefield.
A. The Challenge of “If”
In the Wilderness, the devil questioned Jesus’ identity: “If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3).
The devil was trying to get Jesus to prove his worth through his own strength. He wanted Jesus to doubt the identity the Father had just spoken over Him at His baptism: “This is my beloved Son.”
B. The Refusal to “Grab”
Adam and Eve “grabbed” for equality with God because they felt they were missing something. Jesus, however, did the opposite.
Philippians 2:6 tells us that Jesus, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.” Unlike the first humans, Jesus knew exactly who He was. He didn’t need a “shortcut” to power or a “miracle” to prove His status. He rested in the Father’s word.
C. Restoring the Image
Because Jesus refused to fall for the identity scam, He became the bridge that brings us back to our original purpose.
Adam tried to be like God and became less than human.
Jesus was God who became human to show us what being “in the image of God” truly looks like.
The Lesson: Know Your Worth
The fall teaches us that the enemy’s primary tactic is to make us feel insufficient and doubt the goodness of God. If the devil can convince you that you need to have something that which God is holding back from you, he can make you do anything to fill that gap.
Even today, we are often tempted to “eat the fruit” of career success, social media validation, or power – all in an attempt to feel significant. But for the believer, the message of the Gospel is a return to that original identity: You don’t have to strive through your own efforts; through Christ, you are being restored to the very image you were created in from the start.
As followers of Christ, we are already:
- Children of God (John 1:12)
- Co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17)
- New Creations (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- Living Temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)
We already bear the image of God; we already have access to His wisdom, His power, and His love.
May we never forget who we truly are in Him.
