Why is it that when we hear that we are not supposed to do something, that it makes us more curious? From the beginning of creation there was a command of “Thou Shalt Not,” and guess what happened? The law was broken!
The Command
Genesis 2:17 “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.”
Adam received the very first Thou Shalt Not. God had made everything in the world perfect. This word perfect means complete and without sin. A garden to live in where he would want for nothing. Given the order to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil indicates that Adam had the capacity for sin. His perfection did not mean he didn’t have a choice. It meant he was fully grown and developed as a man. He could speak and communicate with God and Eve. He cultivated the garden and named all the animals that were brought to him.
God made it very clear, by giving Adam and Eve a command, that he was in charge. He was the creator and they were the created!
The Choice
Yet because of the choice Adam made, we have no choice about our propensity to sin. We are born with a sin nature, and no one has to teach us how to sin or disobey.
If you have ever watched a toddler closely, you will see they want their way at any cost. They are selfish and must be taught obedience. While watching a friend’s toddler recently, I was reminded of how strong temptation and personal desires can be. I have two large candlesticks in my living room. At the top of them are glass globes. The toddler wanted badly to move them. As he approached them I said “no.” He stopped, looked, and until I moved toward him he continued doing as he wished. When it was evident I wasn’t going to allow his wishes, he began to try manipulation. He would look at me and smile and turn on the charm. He was making a choice.
The Consequences
He begins to understand there would be consequences for his actions. He only stopped and went the other way, when I raised my hand to spat his hand. Fortunately, he had been taught what that meant. As he remembered what the pain of his hand getting spatted felt like, he decided it wasn’t worth the consequences.
If only Adam and Eve would have truly believed the command and the consequences, history would have been different for all of us. God had already told them they would die if they ate the fruit. This “thou shalt not” had consequences that will last until we get to heaven. We inherited that sin nature and we will pay the consequences. We will all die one day. For those who have put their faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the end will be forgiveness and Heaven. Yet, for those who have rejected the opportunity to repent and have their sins forgiven, they will pay the consequences forever in Hell.
There are consequences for every action we take. We chose, by our actions, what those will be. Eternity is for every soul God has created and it’s a long time to pay it through torture beyond our wildest imagination. Thank God, it doesn’t have to be a negative eternity. Because of His love His Son paid the consequences for my sins on the cross. Yet, it is up to me to repent and follow Him.
