The Command

Today I want to introduce a thought that will lay the background for the next several messages. We have been looking at Genesis for some time now seeking to rescue our Biblical worldview. We have seen that God created the world by His power, that He crafted mankind in His own image, that He made a country for them to dwell in, that in His love for us He provided in the garden everything possible to sustain us. Look with me at Genesis 2:15-17

Genesis 2:15–17 KJV (WS)

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Today we look at the command God issued in the garden. This command has given rise to one of the most destructive questions in the history of the world: Did God REALLY give Adam a choice?

Questions such as these are dangerous because they warp our view of God and distort His holy character. Here is why these questions are dangerous. Notice first...

They Cause Us to Question the Goodness of God (Why would God set Adam up for failure?)

Those who question whether or not God caused Adam to eat the fruit miss the fact most important fact:

There were millions of variety of fruits and vegetables Adam could have eaten, but HE CHOSE to eat the ONE he was told not to.

True love is a reciprocal relationship. It is impossible to love an inanimate object, though some wrongly claim to do so. “I love the ocean” or “I love the mountains”. You may love going to those places, you may even love the experience of spending time there, but you cannot truly love those places because they can never love you back.

The FACT that God loves us is seen in His provision for Adam. “Adam, you may freely eat of any tree in this garden, except this one. This one is for me alone.”

Do you think Adam thought God was unloving? Mom and dad, do you set boundaries for your children? Are there shows on TV, videos on YouTube you won’t allow them to watch? Is there music you won’t let them listen to? Are there places you don’t allow them to go? Are there social media sites you won’t allow them to have access to? Why? How awful! You must not love your children if you keep those things from them, right? WRONG!

As a parent it is your responsibility to warn your children of the dangers in this world. As a parent it is your responsibility to protect them from these dangers! The question, “did God give Adam a choice?” is dangerous because because they cause us to question the goodness of God, and because...

They Cause Us to Question the Fairness of God (How is it right for God to punish Adam for something He made him do?)

Those who question whether or not God gave Adam a choice miss the most obvious and prevalent truth about God: Not only is He holy, but He is righteous (the word means fair).

They say “God is not fair, if He was good then He would have placed the tree of knowledge in the garden to tempt them.” James 1:13-15

James 1:13–15 KJV (WS)

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Is it fair for God to say to tell Adam “You can’t eat this fruit,” only for God to turn around and make him eat it, AND then to punish him for eating something he no choice in? OF COURSE NOT! Yet this is exactly what happens when we question whether or not God gave us a choice.

We are free moral agents, meaning we have free will to choose, but remember every choice has a consequence. God gave Adam and Eve a choice, they CHOSE to disobey, and then they faced the consequences…my friends, we are still facing the consequences of their actions today:

Every time we hear of a school shooting, that is a consequence of their sinful choice.

Every time we hear of sickness or an untimely death, that is a consequence of their sinful choice.

Gender confusion, infanticide, war, murder, stealing....all consequences of their sinful choice.

Is God fair? Yes He is! He gave them a chance when He gave them a choice! What did Jesus say? “If ye love me, keep my commandments”? Friends, how well have you struggled keeping the commandments of Jesus to love your neighbor as yourself? Does God cause you to grow angry when you’re cut off in traffic? No. You choose to not love your neighbor, you choose to grow angry when things don’t go your way.

Do not question the goodness or the fairness of God because of your failures. There is one more reason this questions like this are dangerous...

They Cause Us to Question the Love of God (If God made Adam to eat the fruit, how is He loving?)

Read Genesis 1:29

Genesis 1:29 KJV (WS)

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Read Genesis 2:16

Genesis 2:16 KJV (WS)

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Multiplied millions of options of food to eat, a heavenly buffet of choices, and only one fruit not on the menu…do you still think this is unloving?

My friends that is exactly what the devil does. He causes us to take our eyes from the goodness of God and His love for us and draws our attention to the ONE thing we are not to indulge in. He makes what is forbidden more appealing, more desired, than all the wonderful bounty God has provided.

Conclusion:

In a few weeks we’re going to look at the day sin entered the human race, but spoiler alert, even after Adam and Eve had sinned, God still loved them, and His love never changes. Even though we sin, God still loves us — He does not love our sin, but He loves us. He does not change sin’s penalty but He still loves us.

“How much does God love us” you ask? He loved us enough that He sent His Son Jesus to pay for our sin with His life. Too often we think of the cross only at Easter, but we should think of it every day. It was on the cross that all our sins were paid in full. Every sin you have ever committed, the sin you are involved in today, and the sins which you will fall prey to tomorrow, God paid for them when Jesus took your place. What will you do with that knowledge today?