“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.
After creating every beautiful plant, forming the gorgeous landscape, and bringing to life each lovely creature, God gave Adam and Eve dominion over all the Earth. Genesis 1:28. God did not place them in an imperfect world, rather He placed them in a world that was “very good.” Genesis 1:31. This entire world was given to them, nothing was withheld - except for one lone tree.
Why would God withhold one tree out of an entire world? Why would He even allow for its existence in a world He just declared to be “very good”? Simply put - He did this because “God is love.” 1 John 4:16.
Love does not demand it’s own way. 1 Corinthians 13:5. Our loving God is not a God of force but rather He is “merciful and gracious,” patient, “abundant in goodness and truth.” Exodus 34:5. He presents Himself as standing at the door of our heart and mind, longing for us to allow Him in.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20.
God does not force Himself on us. Because of His “everlasting love” for us He desires our free love in response. Jeremiah 31:3, 1 John 4:19. We can choose to open the door for Him to be in our lives. We have a choice. “Choose you this day whom you will serve”. Joshua 24:15.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was God’s simple way of illustrating to Adam and Eve their freedom of choice. By avoiding one tree and delighting in all the countless other trees they reveal their love and choice for God. In contrast, by eating from the only tree prohibited they reveal an entirely different love and choice.
This freedom of choice, granted by God, was played out in the Garden of Eden at that single tree. There Satan, disguised as a serpent, questioned Eve’s present choice in loving God.
“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3:1.
Notice that his question is insinuating that God is harsh and overbearing, the opposite of love. “Did God really place you here and then say you can’t eat any of the fruit?” How cruel a god that would be! Satan’s accusation is directly opposite from the truth. God gave them all things, the entire world, except for that one tree. Here we can see the foundation of Satan’s temptations is to question God’s love for us.
Eve responds.
“And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Genesis 3:2-3.
Having questioned God’s love for Eve Satan presses the point even harder.
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die!” Genesis 3:4.
God clearly said “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” but without hesitation Satan claims “God is lying to you. You won’t die!” Genesis 2:17. He goes even further in his accusations.
“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5
Satan now gives a reason for God’s lie - “God is selfish. If you eat this then you will become like Him and He doesn’t want that!” In such a short time and remarkable manner Satan has questioned the love of God, His character, and charged Him with selfishness.
It is alarming to see that Satan led Eve to be exactly what he was accusing God of being: selfish. Notice the succession of logic: “God is withholding from you”, and Eve’s response in taking the fruit was saying “If God is not going to give this to me then I must take it for myself.” In fearing that God was selfishly keeping good from her she chose to be selfish.
How often are we tempted to think that God does not love us? How easily are we led to question His word? How readily do we distrust Him, thinking He is withholding some pleasure from us?
Eve listened to the lies of Satan and believed him. Eve made her choice and acted on it. The core of the issue here, the heart of her sin, was not that she ate a forbidden fruit. The problem with Eve’s action was that it revealed her distrust in God. The Bible is clear - “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Romans 14:23. It does not matter how evil or apparently innocent a sin appears to be, all sin stems from the issue of the heart. Regardless of the sin it can be traced back to distrusting God.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, for all have sinned.” Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:23. When we sin we are deciding that we know better than our Creator. We are choosing to listen to the wisdom and understanding of another in place of God.
Keep in mind that Satan questioned God’s love, His character, and accused Him of selfishness, and by all this he led Eve to distrust God and choose her own way. Truly, who can trust an unloving, dishonest, selfish person? This is the great question. This is the great debate: Can God be trusted? This is the question Eve faced and that each of us must face individually. Who do we trust more, God and His word, or Satan and his accusations?
Dear friend, God wants to do for you what He wants to do for all people: “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins.” Acts 26:18. How can our eyes be opened and our minds freed from the lies of Satan? How can we be assured that God is loving, of good character, and not selfish? How can we see that God can be trusted? By “looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith”, our trust. Hebrews 12:2.
By beholding Jesus we can see the character of God, for Jesus is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” Hebrews 1:3. Jesus said “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” John 14:9. Jesus came so that we can know Him “the only true God.” John 17:3. If we want to trust God we must simply look to Jesus.
The great debate is regarding God’s character. Can God be trusted? God wants your trust, He has given Jesus so that you will find Him worthy of your trust.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
What is your choice?
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