“And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken,”
Genesis 3:22-23 NIV.
The balance between good and evil seems like it’s a thing from eternity past and ongoing to an eternity future.
But the tension really has a starting point. It began after the beginning in Genesis 1—after God created the heavens and the earth. He created everything that dwells and lives above and below the earth.
Finally, He created mankind in His image. This doesn’t mean we “look like” God, but we bear His image: His character, His sentient understanding, and the ability for purposeful relationships. Genesis 2.
We were created to cultivate and help grow a perfect place for God and man to walk together in a close, personal communion with one another. This goal has not changed. Mankind still has jobs to do and a companion to work alongside with to accomplish these goals.
Mankind was created without the understanding of sin, wrongdoing, or purposeful disobedience. This had to be learned. This teaching of rebellion came from an outside source—one who had experienced it beforehand.
Satan, a fallen angel who believed he should be on the same footing as God, was removed from God’s presence due to his pride and his insurgent rebellion. Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-18.
Satan then proceeded to convince God’s image bearers to do the same. And they did. Genesis 3.
They disobeyed God and ate that which was forbidden. It wasn’t the act of eating but that of disobedience, eating something God had told them not to consume. This was the first time in history that mankind didn’t choose God’s way. Before this moment, God walked in the garden with mankind in peaceful, perfect unity.
Can you imagine going a day without a negative thought? Selfish ambition? Pride? Jealousy? Lust? Greed? Insisting on your own way?
Can you imagine perfect trust? A relationship that has complete respect and honor? Never wondering “if”?
That was all possible before Satan taught Eve to doubt. She had never been lied to, so discernment wasn’t necessary. She walked on a path of trustworthiness.
She had intelligence, could reason and think, so the choice of obeying God, or listening to the serpent intrigue her. Unfortunately, she listened and was swayed by Satan and ate the fruit of the tree of good and evil anyway, disobeying God. Adam did, too.
God then stepped in to protect mankind by telling them to leave this paradise. There is another tree which will give you eternal life if you eat from it. But in your fallen condition, it will be eternal life without Me (God). You’ll have eternal life with Satan, the liar, due to the fact that you chose to obey him over Me.
God’s fellowship with man was now broken and the tension of the battle of good and evil had begun.
I think the cartoon of yester-year is an apt illustration—the one where an Angel of light is on one shoulder encouraging one to do what’s true and right by God's standards, and on the other shoulder the devil of darkness, trying to sway you into all the opposing the things of God:
Love versus selfishness.
Kindness versus greed.
Joy versus fear and doubt.
Sexual purity versus sexually immoral behavior, etc.
God did punish Adam and Eve because of what they had done. He removed them from the garden. —Since you brought death onto everything I created, you now have to bear witness to it. You will see thorns and thistles where there once was a beautiful garden. Animals that were once talkative are now at your feet in conflict. Wars, rumors of wars, murder, disease, and destruction are now part of your existence. This is your legacy. You now belong to the realm of darkness, because you chose him over Me.
But what God had begun, He would sort out.
And God did just that with His Son Jesus, fixing that which was broken, healing mankind, and offering them another choice: God’s way of peace, love, wisdom, and understanding, or living in the darkness that lingers.
The tension still exists, but God has given us a doable and hopeful choice: to follow Him in the light that’s been restored, or to continue in the darkness of our ancestors. Simple, really. So simple that children make this decision all the time. God is good—I want God.
What about you? Darkness or light? Neither choice brings about troubled-free living—that’s our next home, Heaven. But while we are here on earth, we still get to choose our next address. Heaven with God or Hell with Satan. Darkness or Light.
It’s still our choice.
Father,
Often, as You know, people put off this decision to follow You and live in Your light. Even though it’s a tough life, it’s one they are familiar with; they understand it. Darkness is a known reality. Lightness is an unknown reality, and they think, “Can I trust it?”
You and You alone can open our eyes to our darkness, and call us out of it, and into Your glorious light. I pray that You will do so for all who are reading this today.
I, for one, am so thankful You have invited me to walk with You.
I, for one, have experienced Your goodness and love, and it is peacefully satisfying.
I, for one, know that You are the Way, the Truth and the Life—that no one comes to You without first receiving Your forgiveness, enabled by Your Son, Jesus.
For all this, I am deeply thankful.
Help us to walk in Your light on Your righteous path, obeying what You have asked us to do.
Thank You for Your forgiveness and love.
We love You in return.
Amen.
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