The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - RESULTS OF DISOBEDIENCE - Continue

 Why was the tree called "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad"? Because, as a result of God's command, it's fruit symbolized God's right to decide for his creatures what is "good" and what is "bad" for them. So, for the human pair to take of this fruit would mean that they were turning their backs on their heavenly Father and rejecting his divine guidance and perfect will. While simple, the test involved much. It involved man's dependence on his Creator and man's recognition of divine authority. Remember, too, that Jesus Christ applied to imperfect humans the rule that "the person faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and the person unrighteous in what is least in unrighteous also in much." (Luke 16:1) How much more did this apply to perfect creatures!

Why did Eve break God's law and eat of the fruit? The idea did not begin with her but was presented to her by a spirit creature using a lowly serpent through serpent through which to speak.  That spirit creature, identified in the Bible as Satan the Devil, is therefore called "the original serpent." (Revelation 12:9) The invisible creature speaking through the serpent openly denied the truth of God's command that Eve quoted. He represented the tree's fruit as being unable to cause her to be like God, deciding for herself was "good" and what was "bad." Eve then began to view the fruit as very desirable and she disobeyed God by eating of it. Adam her husband, did not oppose her course but joined her in it. - GENESIS 3:1-6; JAMES 1:14, 15; 1 CORINTHIANS 11:3. 

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