Once Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, life unexpectedly continued for them. The two of them survived despite the fact that God had told them they would die if they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Again, God’s grace is on display. Sinful man didn’t get what he inevitably deserved.
Adam and Eve became parents to two strapping boys. Cain, the first-born, was a man of the field. Abel, the youngest, was a shepherd. There came a moment when they were to present their offerings unto the Lord. Unfortunately, Cain’s offering wasn’t accepted, but Abel’s offering was accepted. God warned Cain that sin was crouching at the door ready to seize him. That’s exactly what happened. Cain murdered his brother in a fit of jealousy. Sin had gone from simply disobeying a command to not eat from a particular tree to murder! If you give sin an inch, it will take a mile.
Violence and evil spread like fire in the following generations. Man fashioned every evil and despicable thing imaginable. No one can blame television, video games, or the internet for sin’s expansion. Man became a slave to sin, and sin is a ruthless taskmaster.
Despite sin’s rapid proliferation, two men walked with God – Enoch and Noah. These two men could have gone with the crowd and became corrupt. Enoch and Noah could have blamed their faults on their family tree. They could have made any viable excuse to walk according to the flesh. Alternatively, these two men walked according to the Spirit. Enoch and Noah walked with and pleased God.
Beloved, you can walk with God no matter your upbringing, environment, culture, or generation. Stand out from the crowd, and be the counter-culture that gets the attention of God.