The never-ending experiment… (pt 5)

As we return to our current reality, we have to ask ourselves, “If we were created for that level of perfect harmony, why do we wake up into a world filled with so much confusion, chaos, and disorder? Why are we so prone to seeking validation and chasing achievements just to temporarily satisfy a deep emptiness that we feel?”

To understand how the cycle of emptiness started, we have to look back at the moment the original alignment was shattered.

There was a catastrophic event, known as the Fall, that took place in the garden of Eden. Because of what happened, a barrier was put between humanity and God, separating us from Him. Sin—which is any wrongdoing that does not express or is contrary to the holy character of God—caused the separation.

Remember, God gave Adam a clear command: “...You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

Adam had unrestricted access to eat from all but one tree, with a severe consequence for disobedience—death. Soon after, Eve was created as his suitable helper. Scripture tells us that they were naked and not ashamed. Now, while Scripture doesn’t explicitly state that God gave Eve the command directly, it’s evident she was aware of it.

A dialogue took place in the garden of Eden that was initiated by the serpent to Eve:

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:1-6).

Adam, fully knowing the command God given him, willingly disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the forbidden tree that was given to him by Eve. He failed to carry out his God-given responsibility to guard and keep both the garden and his wife. Eve was deceived by the serpent, disguised as Satan—the evil one who actively works against God’s will. The serpent planted a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind that made her question God’s Word and His goodness. The deception was to make her think that God was withholding something good from them—even though they were made in His image and lacked absolutely nothing.

What they didn’t know was evil, but they didn’t need to know evil because it’s not God’s character. Since they were created in His image, they inherently knew all that was good. Furthermore, it didn’t help that Eve didn’t identify the tree she was forbidden to eat from correctly. We learn in Genesis 2:9 that the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were both in the midst of the garden of Eden, and she added something that God did not say when she claimed, “…neither shall you touch it.” This further opened the door for deception and temptation.

In the exact moment of disobedience, God’s Word confirmed to be true. God had said, “...for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” And they did. The death they immediately experienced first was spiritual. The moment that Adam ate of the fruit, both of their eyes became opened and they knew they were naked (Genesis 3:7). After they made themselves loincloths to cover up, they heard the sound of God walking in the garden and hid themselves from His presence.

The deepest core of their identity—the spirit that was designed to be actively connected to God—was instantaneously disconnected from Him. The other part of the consequence is physical death; and though it wasn’t immediate for them, it became a certainty for humanity on this earth that no one will live forever.

This historical moment is critical for us to know because Adam and Eve are the parents of the human race. Every single human born after them inherits this exact corrupted, disconnected nature. We are born physically alive in our bodies, highly active and intellectual in our souls, but completely dead and disconnected in our spirits from birth. We are born with a spiritual void that causes us to use external things to try to fill that space. Remaining in this sinful, disconnected condition ultimately results in a second death, which is the final separation from God.

When Adam said to God that they hid from Him out of being afraid of their nakedness, God responded by asking, “Who told you that you were naked?” This question is very important as you navigate life. As we continue walking forward, I encourage you to consider this deeply: What is guiding your daily decisions? Is it God or Satan (the world)? This never-ending experiment is ultimately about you coming into the awareness of the foundation you stand on.

Morgan