What Are the Consequences of Breaking God's Commandments?

A. The consequences for Adam were:

1. Conscious of being naked; he now had a "fallen" and depraved nature, which also brings shame and further susceptibility to other sins. Being unclothed or immodestly clothed (aprons of fig leaves) in the presence of others is not pleasing to God. This is so for mankind today. "The eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (Genesis 3:7).
2. Fear. "I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Genesis 3: 10).
3. Desire to avoid or ignore God. "They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God" (Genesis 3:8).
4. God called them into accountability for their sin. "Who told thee...Hast thou eaten" (Genesis 3:11).
5. They tried to blame another for their sin. "The woman which thou gavest me, she...The serpent beguiled me and I did..." (Genesis 3:12-13).
6. Penalty to Adam and Eve and all mankind was death, both physical and spiritual. "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17). "...Til thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19).
7. Penalty to the woman and womankind - "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children" (Genesis 3:16).
8. Penalty to the woman and womankind - "Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Genesis 3:16).
9. Penalty to Adam and men - "Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread..." (Genesis 3:17).
10. They were excluded from access to the tree of life and eternal life. "...Lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken" (Genesis 3:22-23).
11. Driven from Paradise (Eden) to labor and sorrow (Genesis 3:24).
12. Family problems. Their son Cain rebelled against God, was jealous of his brother, Abel, and murdered him (Genesis 4).