The Way of Salvation (Part 2)

The Plan Unfolds: sin enters the human race

So God created man, delegated to him dominion over all the earth (Gen. 1:26-27), and established a covenant with him (Gen. 2:8-9; Gen. 2:15-17). God gave a command (the law) to man (who represented us) and told him what the penalty would be ("...you shall surely die.") for disobeying Him.

An intruder (Satan) entered Paradise, and spoke to Eve. Instead of kicking the intruder out and telling him to "go to hell", she entered into conversation with him. This was the beginning of the fall of mankind.

The devil's temptation was_
First: to doubt the Word of God, "Hath God said...?"
Second: to deny the consequence of disobdience, "You will not surely die."
Third: to misrepresent the character of God, "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

In the eating of the fruit of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," man decided to assume to himself the right to determine what is good and what is evil; in other words to establish his own standard of morality apart from the word of God.

If these things sound familiar, they should, because this is what characterizes sinful mankind to this day.