Legacy for Eternity

Adam and Eve were already like God. They were created in the image and likeness of God. The Scriptures state, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). The deception of the devil was to persuade Eve to believe she was not like God and that eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would make her like God. The devil was clearly denying the truth of what God had said, thus disparaging God in the presence of Eve. Eve was deceived into believing she could disobey God’s word and decide for herself what was good and evil and thus elevate herself to be like God. By the deception of Eve and the disobedience of Adam to God’s word, sin entered the world and the identity of people was stolen and their Godly image diminished. One of the greatest deceptions involves the belief that people must do something to become more like God or to become more acceptable to God. Substituting doing good things and religious activity apart from the presence of the Holy Spirit and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord produces pride which was the cause of the first sin. Because of Eve and Adam’s disobedience, they forfeited and lost their rulership over the animals and the earth, as well as their significance and security with God. The result and penalty for Adam’s sin had already been spoken by God beforehand: “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17 ESV). On the day that Adam ate the prohibited fruit the aging process began that ultimately leads to physical death. More importantly, Adam and Eve’s spirits were cut off from a close, loving relationship with the Holy God who created them. Their disobedience of God’s word would affect all future people. We read the following sobering words recorded by the apostle Paul, explaining that Adam’s disobedience brought sin into the world. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12) All of humanity was inflicted with sin because of Adam. Sin separates people from God. And yet, before Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the garden of Eden, God promised that from the offspring of the seed of woman a savior (Jesus) would come and be victorious over Satan, providing a way for people to again be restored and reunited in love and fellowship with God their creator. The Bible is a revelation of God and the redemption, restoration, purpose and destiny of humanity.