Hope

"Our first parents
were not left without a warning of the danger that threatened them.
Heavenly messengers opened to them the history of Satan's fall and his
plots for their destruction, unfolding more fully the nature of the
divine government, which the prince of evil was trying to overthrow."
(PP pg 52) ]

Eve had been perfectly happy by her husband's side in her Eden home;
but, like restless modern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of
entering a higher sphere than that which God had assigned her. In
attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it."
(Patriarchs and Prophets, pg 59)

Re:  Volume 5, Issue 273 -- Sunday, September 29, 2002

I agree with you Alan.  I felt that God had instructed Adam & Eve about
the Great Controversy and they too had the hope of the end of sin in the
universe and they could be placed beyond Satan's power to tempt them.  I
think that Adam had the hope of getting a life partner (before God
created Eve).  Just because there is a sinless being doesn't mean that
this sinless being has nothing to hope for.  Do they think that the only
thing that you can hope for is "getting let off of the hook"?  Would we
have no hope in heaven/the New Earth?

This is another time where ones primary focus can prejudice
ones perspective.  It's just like one time I made the assertion
that Eve was not created the same Friday Adam was for it
wasn't until he had gone through the naming of most, at least,
of the animals before he became aware that the higher orders
all had another one like themselves, while he had no one!
That may have been when he came to experience lonliness.
And that sense of lonliness may have been one of the factors
he considered when he purposely grabbed the fruit and ate it
rather than do without Eve! 

His comment in the intro that Christ comes to retrieve those who
cost Him
so much blood is puzzling: as if there were a certain critical quantity
necessary to do the job - to make the Father happy or something. Later,
he
says “to know God is to love Him....” Really? Did not Lucifer know God?
Or
what about Romans 1:21,22 - “For although they KNEW God, they neither
glorified him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became
futile
and their foolish hearts were darkened.....”  On Monday’s lesson,
Clifford
worries about “guilt and forgiveness” while Jonathan speaks of God
coming
for His friends at the Advent. Again, VERY different emphasis.....
Will be interesting to follow with the group!!