Mercy, Judgment, Redemption

I'm fascinated at the way God handles sin. There seems to be three phases and I'll use Adam and Eve as an example. The first phase is the mercy phase. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit the only change was that their eyes were opened to evil. But they were not expelled from the garden and they did not "surely die." The only thing that happened to them was a change in their character. The second phase is the judgment phase. After God confronts Adam and Eve and they refuse to acknowledge their sin they are expelled from the garden and cursed. The third phase is redemption. We all know how that came about.

I see similar phases with me and lots of people I've known. First God allows us to sin with apparently no consequences whatsoever. Then, after a time, judgment comes. Finally after suffering enough we find redemption by turning back to God.