Tag: Garden of Eden

Why Did Man Fall [in the Garden of Eden]?

The inspiration for this post (and “Why Is A Man Saved?” to follow) comes from the Prophet Ken Peters, who gave these prophetic questions from the Lord Jesus in January 2019.

The story of the Fall of humanity in paradise described in Genesis 3 is one of the most widely known stories in human history.  We often reference it when trying to explain to others how and why the world we live in has all the suffering, pain, death, evil, and shame in it.  But unraveling the story and gaining an understanding of the craftiness of the Devil/Satan, aka the serpent (Genesis 3:1, Revelation 20:2), and how he would distort the character and words of God, is a bit more complex.

The command the Lord gave Adam was, “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'” (Genesis 2:16-17, NIV)  

The serpent’s deviousness comes in chapter 3 verse 1, when it twists God’s command and makes it a question.  Compare the command: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden…” to the question:  “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  

The woman does remember God’s commands in verses 2 and 3, but the serpent first lies in verse 4, and then “assault[s]… God’s generosity and His integrity”, as Sinclair B. Ferguson writes in “The Whole Christ” (page 68).  The serpent was then saying God was “restrictive” (also page 68), implying that “being like God, knowing good and evil” was a good thing for her.  

This deception also created a kind of tunnel vision where she focused on the fruit of the tree instead of God’s commands and the rest of the trees in the garden.  She forgot she didn’t need to be like God, only with God.  Jesus demonstrated this during His Earthly life because He was Emmanuel (“God with [man]”) and “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,…”.

Another critical point I believe can be missed is that God’s Word means what it says.  We cannot interpret it to fit our own understanding or desires, and we certainly cannot dismiss it as if it’ll never happen.  God will do what He says, including save those who believe He came to die for all of their sins, and rose again from the grave to bring them back into life with Him.  I hope you’ll believe that truth and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Live for today… or eternity?

The month of June was pride month. If you’re not aware, that’s the month where American society celebrates equality and the LGBTQ community. I used to be in support of this movement and community because of my conservative beliefs and this quote from Thomas Jefferson: “But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” Also, I have friends who identify with this lifestyle. I do not denigrate the people of this lifestyle as human beings. However, their choices have eternal consequences and, thus, I cannot condone their choices.

But as my faith in Christ, knowledge of His Word, and prayer grew, I found I could not support the lifestyle any longer because I now care more about what God cares about—eternity—and therefore, I cannot ignore or support it just because it doesn’t affect me.

But now that my heart is closer to God’s heart, I can more clearly feel what He feels. So when I am watching the news and if an effeminate man is shown, my eyes want to just look away while my heart is sad for them. Some of the Church today has been deceived into thinking because someone is born with desires toward the same sex, that it must be natural. However, the Apostle Paul tells us otherwise in 1 Corinthians 6:9 (ESV): “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality…”

About the movement…

One of the most distinguishing symbols of the pride movement is the rainbow flag, which represents different genders and sexual identities. This movement has evolved so much that there are now over sixty different “genders,” according to CBS News and Telegraph.co.uk.

I must be truthful with you—this movement is demonic. No, I am not homophobic (fearing, hating, or mistreating homosexuals). However, my heart breaks for them as does God’s because He doesn’t want to see anyone perish the Second Death.

Why do I believe it’s demonic? Because God has established laws and only two genders: male and female. When we believe we can establish our own genders, we are taking God’s authority upon ourselves when He has not permitted it. This act was what satan tried to do and what he convinced Adam and Eve of—that God was holding out on them and that they could become like God instead of with Him.

Satan’s kingdom in Hell is the place of lawlessness (where anything goes), and we can see this so evidently in the pride movement’s flag (where any gender/sexual preference goes). It doesn’t have to be this way, though; God’s grace is still available to all who want to be free from sin and have eternal life with Christ. The three-step path to redemption is admitting you’re a sinner (just like I am), believing Christ is the Son of God, and calling upon His Name to be saved! From there, He will give you the gift of eternal life* and will give you a new heart of flesh**!

* “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”—Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV)

** “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”—Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)