We are easily deceived when looking down and avoiding looking to God. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve did not check with God before eating the forbidden fruit. God had instructed Adam about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil before He created Eve. Genesis 2: 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”[1]
Eve apparently knew something about this tree but misquoted God’s instructions. Genesis 3:2b “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”[2] Eve magnified God’s strictness, which made her inclined to listen to a created being instead of the Creator.
This fact highlights the importance of being in God’s Word for ourselves instead of getting it secondhand. Many people today prefer to get their Scriptural knowledge from human teachers. This isn’t wrong, but human teaching should supplement Scripture reading, not replace it.
Doubting God’s Goodness
Satan smuggled in the assumption that we can judge God’s Word as the serpent spoke to Eve. Genesis 3: 1bDid God really say?… 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”[3] He made it appear that God was holding back something from them. This made Eve doubt God’s goodness.
Without consulting God, Eve decided to pick and choose what she wanted to obey. Many Christians today think this is still an option. God has created us and knows what is best for us in areas of sexual purity and relationships. Because God is good, He desires the best for us. His rules help guide us to His plan and purpose for us. But often, we are like children who are forbidden to eat sweets before a meal. We only see what we desire and don’t understand why we can’t have it.
Seeking Our Plan Not God’s
Unfortunately, too many Christians don’t realize that God has a plan for their lives. They think they can plan their lives if they know a few Godly rules and some Bible stories. Our culture tells us that our goal should be to find self-fulfillment. We should be able to do whatever makes us feel good. The serpent successfully used this thinking to deceive Eve and Adam. After eating the fruit, they knew the difference between good and evil, but it wasn’t positive. There were consequences then, which continue into our time.
We must look up to God and His guidance through the Holy Spirit. We are easily deceived when looking down at our desires and culture. Fortunately, God sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins when we forget to look up. God will forgive when we confess and repent because of what Jesus has done for us.
To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-fall
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.
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