Justifying oneself is an attempt to prove our innocence by explaining our actions, showing that the accusation is unfounded. Defending oneself is synonymous with justifying oneself. This means that when you justify yourself, you feel guilty, often unconsciously. This is in line with the first man’s desire to justify himself before his Creator in Genesis 3:12.

Many people believe that justification helps them gain the trust of others, but in reality, it only serves to sink them further. The best approach is to take responsibility and move forward. How many people prefer to justify themselves rather than take responsibility? How many people are destroyed by this “Adamic disease” of justifying themselves when faced with a problem?

Sometimes, you must take responsibility and move forward. Adam did not take responsibility for his mistakes. This is why the world is in its current state. The present chaos is the seed of Adamic justification. “Adam! Where are you?” “I am naked, so I hid.” “Who told you that you were naked?” God did not need his justification or his answer, as He already knew the situation.

This is why, even before Adam justified himself, God asked him, “Did you eat from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?” This reaction sufficiently demonstrates God’s omnipresence. If Adam had recognized his faults instead of blaming the woman, the world would not be where it is today. According to science, when we justify ourselves, we take three major risks:

1. The risk of conveying an unclear message.
2. The risk of providing the other person with arguments.
3. The risk of giving the other person the means to harm us.

By justifying himself, Adam took these three risks. “Adam, where are you?” “I am naked, so I hid.” “Who told you that you were naked?” “The woman you put here with me.” This incoherent response leads many preachers today to say that God no longer gives a man a woman because of what happened in the garden.

Let’s consider Adam’s difficulty and how his unclear response has influenced many. He also unknowingly gave power to the woman by pointing to her. “The woman you put here with me” is a bipolar response, as if he were indirectly accusing God while holding his wife responsible. Then, in turn, the woman blamed the serpent. As for the serpent, the cunning creature, knowing this, accused no one—he “took responsibility.” The serpent is what it is thanks to man’s mistakes.

Sometimes, what makes Jesus strong is his willingness to take responsibility! As the Son of God, flogged by the sons of men, He accepted it; insulted in every way, He took it. Some said He was the son of a carpenter (Mark 6:3), He took it. Others said He was Beelzebul, He took it. This is why it is written:

“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53)

If our enemies manipulate us, it is not because they are stronger than us, but because of our own mistakes. Justification is the path that leads us to our own misfortunes. The best way to stagnate in life is to justify ourselves rather than take responsibility. How many are like the serpent? Everyone points fingers at him, but in return, he points at no one and takes responsibility.

It’s true that you have been betrayed and insulted, but take responsibility. By trying to justify yourself, you give them another chance to manipulate you. Africa will go nowhere as long as we continue to make such mistakes. Let us learn to take responsibility and move forward. The lack of recognition of one’s faults is a barrier to fulfillment.

We still find this error in my generation. It affects all layers of my society. Politicians in power blame the opposition for their failures, a young person justifies their struggle by the actions of the authorities, a student blames their failure on their teacher, a husband justifies his infidelity by the behavior of his wife. All of this is the spirit of Adam.

How many people make this mistake? Justification is one of the errors that Adam committed, which led God to banish and curse them. Those who justify their problems are already under a curse. Jesus did not stand before Pilate or the scribes to justify himself but to affirm who he was.

The best way to move forward is to recognize who we are and where we come from. Since time immemorial, man has been searching for the source of his misfortune instead of seeking the mechanisms to rise or find the solution…

This text is an excerpt from the book “The Errors of Adam” written by Abel Kuminga.

We invite you to read the following article “The Controversy of the Garden of Eden: What Lesson?“