What’s The Harm?

Genesis 2:16

“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 of it you will surely die.”

Who wouldn’t agree that Adam and Eve had the PERFECT life? God provided everything they needed for them. They didn’t have to work, they enjoyed an intimate relationship with God, the creator of the universe, they had a perfectly pure marital relationship, and they were free from any illnesses, pain, or death. What could possibly cause them to disobey the one and only command that God had given them?

The answer to that question can be found in Genesis 3:1-7
“He (the serpent) 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.’ You will not surely die, the serpent said to the woman, For God knows that when you eat of 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.”

We all know how the story goes from there. After eating the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve and the rest of mankind became separated from God, marital relationships were no longer perfectly pure, it became necessary for man to work tirelessly to survive, and as God had foretold, man would forevermore experience death.

So why did Adam and Eve give up the life that they once knew for life as we know it? God explicitly told them that the consequence for eating from the forbidden tree was death. The problem arose when Satan, the serpent, caused Eve to question God. It was then that Eve began to start thinking about all of the reasons she wanted to eat the forbidden fruit.

It is easy to look at Eve’s situation and see what a stupid mistake she made and wonder how she could have been so easily fooled. Aren’t we just like Eve? We know how God has commanded us to live; yet we let Satan tempt us and doubt God’s intention for our lives. Deep down we know that God has the perfect plan for our life, and that plan is for our complete happiness. Then Satan comes around and starts saying, “What’s the harm in drinking alcohol, viewing pornography, or having sex before marriage? You’re not hurting anyone by doing those things. You’re just trying to have a good time. God just doesn’t want you to have any fun.” When you begin to justify your actions it should sound an alarm in your head that Satan is feeding you a bunch of lies. Remember what kind of life Adam and Eve, and the rest of mankind, would be living right now if Eve hadn’t given into Satan’s lies.

Your life will be much more fulfilling if you live it according to God’s commandments. Even if disobeying God’s commandments seems so appealing right now, trust me, it’s not worth the consequences, and the benefits you think you will gain from disobeying will not be as gratifying as you thought they would be. When all is said and done sin leaves you feeling empty and ashamed. When you begin to doubt God’s commandments you are opening the door for Satan to come in and deceive you.

“Three steps to sin:
1) Contemplation
2) Rationalization
3) Consent
P.S. Sin always affects others.”
– Ruth Bell Graham

Reading about Eve’s sin reminds me of a quote my pastor in Florida (D. Scott Boggs) used to say: