-The first reaction that Adam and Eve had when God came into the garden after the fall was fear and shame. Adam tells God that he hid himself because he was afraid. That fear came directly from the fact that he was uncovered (Gen3:10). Once Adam and Eve had the ability to choose evil then every wicked thought, even if it was not acted upon, revealed their fallen nature and made them feel ashamed before God and each other. The first man and woman seeking to be covered was the natural reaction of beings who suddenly found their minds filled with limitless potential to do sin and became ashamed of the type of beings they had become.
- We should not believe by this that the fall was inevitable. We might think that Adam and Eve had to eventually understand good and evil and therefore were doomed. Not so, for the couple was not prohibited from eating from the tree of life before the fall. It was God's intention that they would choose to eat from the tree of life. Then yes they would have come to know of good and evil but not by leaning on their own understanding and succumbing to the three pronged attack as we have said previously but by partaking of God's life which is not based on knowledge in our heads but love in our hearts. In John3:19 we are told that men loved darkness rather than light. As it was then so it is now, we do what we love.
-The choice that was laid before man in the garden is the same choice we have today. Will we receive life through our love of God or will we receive death by relying on our own understanding of how we should live. The first is based on faith the second on our own philosophy. The first produces fear and shame before God the second produces love for God. "...knowledge makes people proud, but love builds them up."- 1Cor8:1b. There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives fear away. Fear has to do with being punished. The one who fears does not have perfect love.1John4:18
-To love God is the only way out of our fallen state.
“‘love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with your entire mind.' 'And, love your neighbor as you love yourself.' “You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do that and you will live." Luke10:27-28
NEXT WEEK: WHO IS OUR NEIGHBOR?
Poet Ntwadumela's Voice
- We should not believe by this that the fall was inevitable. We might think that Adam and Eve had to eventually understand good and evil and therefore were doomed. Not so, for the couple was not prohibited from eating from the tree of life before the fall. It was God's intention that they would choose to eat from the tree of life. Then yes they would have come to know of good and evil but not by leaning on their own understanding and succumbing to the three pronged attack as we have said previously but by partaking of God's life which is not based on knowledge in our heads but love in our hearts. In John3:19 we are told that men loved darkness rather than light. As it was then so it is now, we do what we love.
-The choice that was laid before man in the garden is the same choice we have today. Will we receive life through our love of God or will we receive death by relying on our own understanding of how we should live. The first is based on faith the second on our own philosophy. The first produces fear and shame before God the second produces love for God. "...knowledge makes people proud, but love builds them up."- 1Cor8:1b. There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives fear away. Fear has to do with being punished. The one who fears does not have perfect love.1John4:18
-To love God is the only way out of our fallen state.
“‘love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with your entire mind.' 'And, love your neighbor as you love yourself.' “You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do that and you will live." Luke10:27-28
NEXT WEEK: WHO IS OUR NEIGHBOR?
Poet Ntwadumela's Voice
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