“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” — Genesis 1:31 (ESV)
From the very beginning, Scripture reveals that God created a perfect world. In Genesis 1, He called His creation “good” a total of seven times; a number often associated with completeness and divine perfection. When He created mankind in His own image and likeness, it was not with a sinful nature, but with the capacity for choice: the ability to obey or disobey, to do or not to do. Human beings were not made to sin, but they were given free will, which means they could choose to listen to God’s instructions or ignore them. The command was simple and clear:
“You shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” — (Genesis 2:17)
At first, there was no indication that the fruit was irresistible. But then the devil, in the form of the serpent, came with clever deception. He exaggerated the appeal of the fruit and introduced new “benefits” God never mentioned.
“You will not surely die… you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” — (Genesis 3:4-5)
And suddenly, the tree that was once just another tree became “a delight to the eyes and desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6) — and so she ate it. I know what you’re thinking now… but hear me out.
DON’T EAT
The story of Eve eating the fruit is not so foreign. Think of a pot of meat you’ve been warned not to touch. It might seem easy to ignore until you’re alone, and suddenly, that meat looks more delicious than ever. Then comes a thought: “It’s just one piece… no one will know.” The temptation grows stronger, and disobedience becomes harder to resist.
Or perhaps it’s like Adam’s situation: a friend invites you to a party or a club, to engage in lustful sightseeing, dancing and touching and while you know what Scripture says;
“Abstain from every appearance of evil.” — (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
…you follow along anyway, drawn by the moment, the company, or the thrill. In comparing ourselves to Adam and Eve, I’ve noticed a few constants and a variable, which I would like to point out:
Constants (Fixed Reality)
- We both have free will.
- We are both made in the image and likeness of God.
- We have the same enemy: the devil, who seeks to twist truth and lead us astray.
A) For Adam and Eve, he came as a serpent.
B) For us, he may come as a voice in our minds, peer pressure, or even as a “harmless” suggestion from a friend.
Variable (What’s Different Now)
We now have the Holy Spirit.
I don’t say this to sympathize with Adam and Eve, but to highlight the mercy and foresight of God. Seeing how easily the enemy exploited human free will, God not only sent His Son to redeem us, but also gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and guide us into truth
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever… the Spirit of truth.” — (John 14:16–17)
Whereas Adam and Eve only had God’s spoken command, we have His Spirit living in us to help us remember, understand, and obey His Word. So now, we still have free will, and yes, the devil still whispers, but God also speaks through the Holy Spirit.
The same way the devil can try to sway our will against God, the Holy Spirit empowers our will to align with God.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” — (2 Corinthians 3:17)
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free… do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love.” — (Galatians 5:1,13)
“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” — (Galatians 5:16)
I’d rest my pen till we meet again next week to continue the thoughts on hiding.
Have a blessed week.
Tade Habib-Hammed
Push Buttons is a weekly devotional of The Powerpoint Tribe.