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Romans 1:18-25 – The First Sin Is Every Sin
The first sin is every sin. Satan tempted Eve with the pride of life, plus the lusts of the flesh and eyes (1 John 2:16). That is how the story is often told. Now let’s retell the story of Adam and Eve learning once again, and hopefully once for all, that the first sin is every sin.
The wrath of God was revealed from heaven when God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden, because of their ungodliness and unrighteousness in suppressing the truth (Genesis 3:23-24).
That which was known about God was evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world – including their own existence – God’s invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature had been clearly seen, being understood through what had been made, so that Adam and Eve were without excuse.
Even though Adam and Eve knew God, by their actions they did not honor and give thanks, choosing instead to become futile in their speculations about the effects of eating the forbidden fruit. Their foolish hearts became darkened, one by ignorance, the other by knowledge, and both by choice. Eve wanted to become wise (Genesis 3:6), and both became fools.
Eve exchanged the glory of God believing she would be like God (Genesis 3:5). Together, they rejected their divine image and focused on flesh. Together in their sin, they became corruptible flesh, living and dying like nothing more than the birds, four-footed animals and crawling creatures (Genesis 2:17).
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored. After eating the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve lost their innocence (Genesis 2:25). Realizing they were naked, they covered themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7).
All of this because Eve exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Genesis 3:13), and Adam followed his wife’s foolish heart (Genesis 3:17). God gave them over because they worshipped and served the creature, the serpent, Satan, rather than the Creator.
If this retelling sounded familiar, you can understand that the first sin is every sin. If it did not, read Romans 1:18-25, and see that the first sin is every sin. Generally speaking, all of Romans 1 is usually classified as the sins of the Gentiles. I think Adam and Eve are being represented as all of mankind.
In discussing the worldwide problem of sin and the need of help, why would Paul begin with the couple that began it all? After studying Romans, the answers are fairly persuasive, and evident. When discussing the worldwide problem of sin in both Romans 1 and Romans 5, Paul goes back to creation:
Romans 1:20 NASB For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
Romans 5:12 NASB Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned–
Adam and Eve’s ungodliness very obviously brought God’s wrath, and that wrath was felt within their daily lives. Sin does that to us today. The first couple’s unrighteousness involved their minds and bodies. Our sin involves both our minds and bodies. The gospel redeems both today, in the present life (Romans 12:1-2) and in the life to come (Romans 8:23).
If it cannot be stated unequivocally that 1:18-25 is definitively speaking of Adam and Eve; it can be stated that all the allusions to them set the stage for them being representative of mankind.
We don’t have to eat Adam’s forbidden fruit to bring our death. We can reach out for our own forbidden fruit. Our sins bring God’s wrath because we suppress the truth, acting ungodly and unrighteously. Seeing creation is enough for us to realize that we are created, not creators; therefore we have no excuse trying to be our own gods. Our lives must be spent giving honor and thanks, but sinning is doing neither. Elevating our fleshly desires and mental aspirations above what is a divinely godly and right result in futile speculation and darkened foolish hearts. As wise as mankind thinks he is, individually we all represent humanity, proving ourselves to be fools. We exchange God’s image for a fleshly form. We abuse our bodies lustfully in sin, dishonoring God’s purpose for our holy bodies. We exchange the truth of God for a lie and serve the creature rather than the creator. We are no better than, and no different than, Adam and Eve. The first sin is every sin, and every sin is the first sin.
May we all serve the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
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