The Curse

I Corinthians 15:20 to 26 and 35 to 49 Genesis 3:16 to 19.

This passage is painful to read but we need to value and understand it, it is formative and fundamental to the rest of the Bible. We have a great grasp of the World, space, ocean depths and computers etc. We have extracted knowledge from creation. Yet we cannot solve the issues of the human hear, of life. There is crime, broken relationships and general frustration. Leaders have not diagnosed what the problem is. Genesis 3 is that diagnosis.
1. SIN RUINED THE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
2. SIN RUINED THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH SELF. People frequently feel stressed, depressed or anxious. In Romans 7:21 Paul recognises wretched relationships and what he is inside. We end up doing wrong.
3. SIN RUINED THEIR RELATIONSHIP TOGETHER - verse 11.
Adam says "don't blame "Don't blame me, I had to please her and keep her happy didn't I? We accuse one another in order to excuse ourselves. When we do wrong we try to blame each other or if we can't we blame God as Adam did. We make excuses. In the closest human relationships on Earth, strife has entered. It is the cause of the housing shortage today - divorce. Eve blamed the serpent. We, as they did, do not accept responsibility for what we do wrong. We blame family, school, government etc until we stand before God then we have to accept blame for what we have done.
4. SIN RUINED THE MAN'S WORKING LIFE. verses 17 to 19
God lists the man's faults. He listened to his wife. He disobeyed God. Normally listening and learning from his wife is good for a man. Adam followed his wife into sin. Then he disobeyed God.
a) The first part of the curse on man is going to be on work. From now on men will use a lot of heat and energy in hard work. The world is only productive because men work on the land, he competes with weed and thorns. Men have to work with their hands in developing countries to feed their families. It is often mixed with hopelessness and a sense of failure. Today we seem to have so much to eat and such a choice. We still work hard using our minds which become so stressed because of problems at work - difficult people etc. Work became hard at the time of the curse. God gave us dignity in work but it is still work.
Is there a better perspective, yes there is. - Colossians 3:23. We have a new attitude to work when we come into the Kingdom. We are working for the Lord not for men. We do our best and we do it well, for God. We should be loyal and honest. It becomes meaningful for the benefit of God. We work to glorify him. The curses are mitigated in Christ. When you work as a christian you have the joy of doing something so eternally purposeful.
b) The second part of the curse on man is death becomes a reality.
We are made of the same elements as the earth. What a bleak analysis. You're dirt to start with, you're just going to be digging in the dirt then you're going back to dirt. The Universe is like a wind up clock that us slowly dying.
Is there a better hope? Yes, God has a solution. His son has reversed the curse by his life, death and resurrection. By a relationship with him we have eternal life and the curse mitigated.
5. SIN RUINED THE WOMAN'S HOME LIFE - verse 16
It is hard being a woman down through history. This was not God's original design. She's giving birth to little sinners and married to a big one. Children bring joy but problems
a) She will experience trouble in child birth. Women often were completely worn out at a relatively young age. 1 1/2% of women used to die in child birth. Women often spent their whole lives caring for children. In the past this wore out many women at a young age. Queen Anne was pregnant 18 times. Only 5 were born alive and none survived childhood.
Is there a solution in the gospel? 1 Timothy 2:15. There is a Christian heritage that cares for people in this country. Women have a hard road but it can be softened. If a woman will live a life of faith and love and holiness and self-control, she is fulfilling her calling, her children will be grateful to her, her example will help them, many will continue in the same thing - Proverbs 31:28. Christian mothers set an example to their children, they instill the love of God in their lives. Their children call them blessed as does her husband. Problems in society are often caused by bad parenting. The curse is mitigated by Christian parenting.
b) She will know conflict with the man. She will have desires that cannot be fulfilled. Instead of tender love, the husband would now domineer over his rebellious wife. Domination is physical and emotional use of strength. There is strife instead of love. Historically men have not understood their wives and have abused and hurt them. They commit adultery and abandon them.
Is there a solution in the gospel? Ephesians 5. God's direction for marriage. We don't rebel against God if we are a Christian. God protects us, so wives should submit to their husbands and husbands should not dominate their wives but love them tenderly. Yes, marriage can be the best that life has to offer. Sin hit marriage really hard but the gospel of Christ can put it back on the right lines. When we are Christians there are new perspectives on work and relationships, with God and with each other. In Eternity there will be tenderness and love as there was in the Garden before the curse. If we do not know Christ we can turn to him so that your life can be a life of hope, of love in Christ.