What Happened?

It’s hard to read about God’s perfect picture for our lives, especially since we often don’t see that picture today.  Even if we do catch a glimpse of what God wanted for us as human beings made in God’s image, we certainly don’t experience it.  So what happened?  Why don’t we enjoy, like Adam and Eve, walking together with God?

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)

Well, it all started with a rule.  God made a rule.  We could spend a lot of time talking about God’s rules and whether we like them or not.  I like to remember, though, what Jesus said about God’s rules:

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV)

This reminds me that all of God’s rules point me toward a love for God and a love for people.  That means that when I break one of God’s rules, I am choosing not to love God, love people, or both.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" (Genesis 3:1-3 NIV)

Not only does God make the rules, but God communicates those rules to us as well.  I’m not sure if Eve added the second part or if Adam added it when he told Eve about God’s rule.  Maybe he said something like, “You know what, don’t even touch it.  Just stay away from that tree.”  Whether the addition came from the man or the woman doesn’t really matter.  What matters is simply that they knew the rule.  But, they listened to someone else.

"You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:4-6 NIV)

Notice that I haven’t just been talking about Adam and Eve.  I’ve been talking about them, me, and us.  Adam and Eve weren’t the only ones who knew God’s rules and chose not to love God, love people, or both.  We do it too.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8 NIV)

[A]ll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23 NIV)

How about you?  Have you ever chosen not to love God?  Have you ever chosen not to love people?  Have you ever broken one of God’s rules?