When Adam and Eve were created – they had no sin in them. They were a perfect part of God’s good creation. As part of this perfection, God gave them His command – His Law. Yes, there was Law in Eden before the fall!
As part of His created perfection, God gave Adam and Eve free will, the option to obey or not obey. As long as they chose to remain in obedience, they also quite naturally remained in the Life God created them to be in, and they would remain in the ‘covering’ of His blessing.
If Adam and Eve used their free will to follow another way, another ‘law’, then the Life which came from God would leave them, and they ‘would surely die’ (Genesis 2:17). God’s covering of blessing was on Adam and Eve in creation, in the perfect order. We see this from Genesis 2:25 where it specifically tells us ‘they were naked and not ashamed’. It is as if they were covered, for they both had no need of any other covering than this Life and blessing they were created in. Their eyes did not see anything out of order. In perfect creation, they were covered by Life!
Now we see a huge contrast in Genesis 3:7. Of her own free will, Eve chose to follow a voice that seemed good (Genesis 3: 4-6), instead of God’s perfect instruction. Adam listened to the deceived Eve, and followed suit. They immediately lost their covering of blessing and (Genesis 3:7) realized they were naked – and they were afraid and ashamed.
How often do we face this same situation? We know God’s way is right, and there is Life in obeying Him. Yet just like Adam and Eve, when we are presented with a voice that says something different, that modifies God’s good Law, maybe even tells us it doesn’t apply to us anymore, we face the temptation to turn to something that seems good, instead of what we KNOW is good. The Life we have in Yeshua is of far greater value than any worldly temptation, or any fine sounding philosophy that comes from the minds of men. We are still to choose.
Moses pleaded with the people of God in Deuteronomy 30:19, “Oh that you would choose LIFE!” In James 1:12 we read ‘Blessed is the one who endures (who stays strong when faced with) temptation, for at the final day, he will receive the crown of Life which the Lord has promised to those who love (obey) Him! In James 1:22 we read – 'Don’t just be hearers of these instructions and commands…DO them!' In James 4:7 we are counseled to, first, submit to God and second, resist the devil and the temptation and deceptions which come from his voice. Resist (and keep on resisting) and he will FLEE from YOU!
We each face temptations that distract us from truth, and fine sounding arguments that honour man instead of God. Obedience to God means we are to patiently and persistently stand on the promises we KNOW from the Scripture, live our lives humbly staying on the path of the clear commandments of God. Then we remain in HIS covering of blessing, of Life in Yeshua. This life that comes from obeying God, in Messiah, is eternal! HalleluYAH!!
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