Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.  Genesis 3:1-7

A. What we see in our world

The Signs of a Dying Culture

1. Social decay

– Increase in lawlessness: crime, judicial misconduct/politicization

– Loss of economic discipline and restraint: debt – personal, national

– Rising government control and bureaucracy

2. Cultural decay

– Decline in the quality and relevance of education

– Weakening of cultural foundations: challenging authority

– Loss of respect for tradition: product of the Enlightenment

3. Moral decay

– Rise of immorality: sexually, morally in politics, workplace, family

– Abandonment of God in all of societal institutions (relativism)

– Devaluing of human life: abortions and the elderly

B. Why we see social, cultural, moral decay in our world: Alienation from God

1. The Garden of Eden: Pre-fall relationship with God

1st Dialogue with His choice creation: Genesis 1:26-31

2nd Dialogue with His choice creation: Genesis 2:15-24

2. The Garden of Eden: Post-fall and God’s curse

3rd dialogue between God and His choice creation: Genesis 3:8-19