Don't Call Me "Shirley"

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17)

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (Genesis 3:4)

It's easy to play "Monday morning quarterback" and point out what ought, or ought not to have been done during "the big game". In hindsight we can see which plays were destined to go down in history as great bungling misadventures, and which plays would have resulted in a big win, had they simply been properly executed.

I think this is often the case with man's fall in the garden of Eden. From our modern day vantage point we tend to look back disparagingly on Adam and Eve and slap our collective foreheads in disbelief asking: "WHY did they do THAT?"

Yet in the light of scripture it's clear that any of us would have done the exact same thing because in our natural state we're just like them; spiritually defective and inclined towards sinful disobedience.

Happily God wasn't content to leave us alone in this state. Instead He entered our world as Jesus Christ, lived a perfect and sinless life, made atonement for our transgressions, and paid our sin debt completely thereby fully and eternally reconciling to the Father all who believe on the Son. This was done in order that we might have right standing before The One True Living God by Christ's righteousness which is imputed to sinful - yet contrite and repentant - men through grace by faith.

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Rejoice!