Knowledge of Good and Evil
Adam and Eve lived in paradise. They didn’t have to clock in and out on a job to put a roof over their head or food on their table. Everything around them was good. And yet, Eve was still deceived by Satan. Wednesday night’s Bible study continued to refresh my mind and help me press on towards true victory.
In the 2nd and 3rd chapter of Genesis, we see God provide clear instruction, and then we see Eve being led astray. God tells Adam that he can eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That shouldn’t be too hard, right? Everything around him is good. Does he really need to know what evil is?
Satan believes that Adam and Eve should know what evil is. At this point, he has already been kicked out of heaven. He cracks his knuckles and gets to work on being his cunning self. He hits Eve in a vulnerable place with the smoothest line that gets her wheels turning. He peaks her curiosity by suggesting that God doesn’t want her to know as much as He does. The longer that Eve meditates on the falsehood, the easier it is was for her to push God’s clear instruction to the side.
She not only takes and bites the fruit, but she passes the fruit along to her husband. He eats of it as well. Satan appealed to the part of Eve that wanted to be in control. In an effort to be independent and self-sufficient, she cost herself much of her freedom. And she then passed that independent attitude on to her husband.
Before we are too hard on Eve, let’s take a good, long look at ourselves. Satan is cunning. He’s the kind of guy that throws a rock and then hides his hand. He doesn’t want you to know that it was him. Often, he doesn’t come to us with scenarios that are far fetched or outlandish. He whispers suggestions that are just a little off from the truth. The more that we hear the suggestions…the longer that we meditate on his half-truths…the easier it us for us to fall victim to his schemes.
So, what does that mean in a practical sense? We have to guard the environments that we’re in. We need to be attentive to the people that we have close relationships with. Some people are miserable and spend all day complaining. Over time, the simple suggestions of Satan become a part of our everyday lives. Sin is normalized.
God provides clear instruction, and we don’t get to change the rules to suit our needs, to suit the times, or to justify our actions. We can’t be half in and half out. You are not a disciple of Christ if you are not living by the rules and precepts that He set. #wepreach
