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After disobeying God’s command, Adam and Eve realized that they had sinned. Their guilt led to fear and anxiety at the thought of being punished. They tried to calm themselves by covering their nakedness with fig leaves and then tried to hide from God’s sight. When God spoke to them later, they did not humbly acknowledge but tried to justify themselves. Adam even had the audacity to blame God indirectly, for God had given him the woman who led him astray. Eve too tried to defend herself in a similar manner by saying that the serpent had deceived her.

Not only Adam and Eve have sinned and then, instead of admitting it and being repentant, tried to blame others. Even today the number of those disobeying God’s commands is ever increasing. Guilt is suppressed by the majority and instead of confessing their sins self-justification is the order of the day.

Evil deeds can sometimes escape the law; but nobody can hide from God, who sees all. It is better to acknowledge our misdeeds to ourselves and God, then we shall have peace and no need to fear punishment. We should not permit ourselves to be falsely convinced that we can do evil deeds and escape retribution. Adam and Eve, who behaved so disgracefully towards their benefactor, had to suffer death because they had sinned, but God also promised to send Jesus Christ, the Son of God and man, who would save them from eternal death and who would bruise the head of the serpent.

Envy and jealousy had once driven Cain to fratricide. After his frightful deed he was well aware that he had committed a terrible sin, and when God asked him: “What hast thou done?” He answered “My punishment is greater than I can bear…. from the face of the earth and from Thy face shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that findeth me shall slay me.” After his evil deed, Cain was filled with fear at the thought of the awful consequences of his shameful act, that he could see no way of escape. Nevertheless, God made a mark on Cain so that nobody would kill him when they found him. God protected this great sinner from those seeking revenge. In spite of this Cain did not change inwardly nor pray for God’s help and mercy.

Whether a sinner finds grace with God and escapes the second death, depends on whether he accepts or rejects the grace God has given in Jesus, the Saviour and Redeemer. The two sinners crucified with the Lord Jesus, reacted in different ways. One scoffed and mocked the Lord and thereby committed himself into eternal damnation at the last judgement. The other accused the wicked scoffer of being shameless and having no fear of God. He also acknowledged that he deserved to die on the cross and realized that Jesus had atoned for his sins and the sins of all those who believed in Him, by giving up His life. He begged the Lord “Remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” This sinner, who acknowledged his faults and repented must have been filled with great joy and divine peace when he heard Jesus say: “Verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43.