Genesis 3
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’”
Genesis 3:2-3
Genesis 3:2-3
Required Reading
Devotional
As a parent, I know that the best way to ensure my kids don't do the wrong thing is to make sure the wrong thing isn't an option.
If I don't want them to eat a lot of candy, don't buy candy.
If I don't want them to drink alcohol, make sure it's not within their reach.
If I want to make sure they don't discharge a firearm without supervision, lock it up.
It seems like a basic idea that best way to guarantee people do what you want them to do is remove the options to do anything else. And honestly, that is something that has always bothered me about the creation story.
You see, in Genesis 2 God gives Adam and Eve a command to "not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die,” -Gen 2:17. Yet I always wondered, why did God plant the tree of the knowledge of good and evil if he didn't want them eating from it? God could have never planted the garden in the first place. He could placed the cherubim or angels around it for protection. He could have made it invisible. There are so many ways he could have guaranteed they never ate from that tree.
But he didn't.
If you're like me, the question is why? And the answer is one of the most foundational ideas in all of scripture, and that is free will.
From the very beginning, God did not want to force us to love and obey Him. He knows what we all know, that love that is forced is not love at all. If God never gives Adam and Eve a choice to choose his will over their own, then they would never truly know what it means to love God. They would be slaves of God rather than children of God.
We'll explore this more next week but God's extension of free will to humanity is at the root of much of the sin and suffering that exists today. So it was a risk for God to give mankind this option. The question we must wrestle with is do we agree it was worth it? Would you prefer a world of human slaves required to do all that God asks? Or a world where mankind is given the choice to love, serve and obey God?
Take time to reflect on what you believe about the value of free will. Review some of the resources below and ask God to reveal to you His truth and equip you with the evidence to support it for both yourself, and for others you know.
If I don't want them to eat a lot of candy, don't buy candy.
If I don't want them to drink alcohol, make sure it's not within their reach.
If I want to make sure they don't discharge a firearm without supervision, lock it up.
It seems like a basic idea that best way to guarantee people do what you want them to do is remove the options to do anything else. And honestly, that is something that has always bothered me about the creation story.
You see, in Genesis 2 God gives Adam and Eve a command to "not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die,” -Gen 2:17. Yet I always wondered, why did God plant the tree of the knowledge of good and evil if he didn't want them eating from it? God could have never planted the garden in the first place. He could placed the cherubim or angels around it for protection. He could have made it invisible. There are so many ways he could have guaranteed they never ate from that tree.
But he didn't.
If you're like me, the question is why? And the answer is one of the most foundational ideas in all of scripture, and that is free will.
From the very beginning, God did not want to force us to love and obey Him. He knows what we all know, that love that is forced is not love at all. If God never gives Adam and Eve a choice to choose his will over their own, then they would never truly know what it means to love God. They would be slaves of God rather than children of God.
We'll explore this more next week but God's extension of free will to humanity is at the root of much of the sin and suffering that exists today. So it was a risk for God to give mankind this option. The question we must wrestle with is do we agree it was worth it? Would you prefer a world of human slaves required to do all that God asks? Or a world where mankind is given the choice to love, serve and obey God?
Take time to reflect on what you believe about the value of free will. Review some of the resources below and ask God to reveal to you His truth and equip you with the evidence to support it for both yourself, and for others you know.
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, knowing the potential consequences?
- How does the concept of free will impact your understanding of God's love for humanity?
- The devotional mentions that love that is forced is not love at all. How does this relate to your personal relationship with God?
- In what ways do you see the effects of free will in the world today, both positive and negative?
- How do you reconcile the idea of God's sovereignty with human free will?
- The devotional asks if we agree that giving humans free will was "worth it." What are your thoughts on this?
- How does understanding free will affect your view of personal responsibility and accountability?
- In what areas of your life do you find it challenging to exercise your free will in alignment with God's desires?
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