after Eve had been deceived by the serpent and her and Adam were now hiding from God, having already lost what made the Garden of Eden "Paradise" : intimate fellowship with God, no fear... when found by God started what is our downfall still today.... the BLAMING GAME.....
The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
funnily enough, the punishment for disobeying God's only NO was still given to all 3 of them... the serpent, the woman and the man.....
The Holy and Righteous God of the Universe was not influenced or even agreed with or took into consideration what Adam and Eve said in their defence, pointing the finger at someone else....
there is quite the lesson for us in this.... we all will be judged according to our own behaviour... no matter the : He made me do it... she started it... if he hadn't been this way... if those people just didn't make so many mistakes I wouldn't have gossiped about it... He, God Almighty, who knows EVERYTHING anyways.... judges each one for what they have decided to do.... we are given a choice, each time anything happens to us or around us... to do what is right or to just react out of our human nature...
and sin... we will be held accountable and there are going to be consequences for our own sin, there will be no: "oh he started it, so , sure... you had no choice..."
this is just not how God functions, He is too just and too holy to do that....
another aspect of the blaming game actually puts God in a box and makes Him real small.... I am only in this situation because of someone else's actions... you think????? how does God's sovereignty play into this then???
He is the ONE in control and He could have prevented what happened from happening.... easily... so if He didn't... He has a purpose... He is teaching us something... and, because He loves us like no other, it is for our best...
a marriage, a family, the workplace, the church, our government.... everywhere things will happen we do not like, disagree with, that hurt us, make us angry.... but we have been given a choice... what are we going to do with it... are we going to choose to walk through it in obedience and allow God to refine us through it or are we going to play the blaming game and engage in disobedience in the process ( and that would be unforgiveness, revenge, gossip) which will lead us astray, away from God...
it's a choice and we need to make it over and over again.....
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ( John 15: 4-6)
Let's, by His grace, remain in Him and obey... no more finger pointing!!!!!
