Did Adam And Eve Deserve To Die?

Did Adam And Eve Deserve To Die?

Hi John:
I'm an inquisitive Christian. I have a question for you: In Genesis, Adam and Eve were told by God not to eat from 'the tree of knowledge of good and evil'. So, obviously, the very knowledge of the difference between good and evil was not yet available to them until the fruit itself had been eaten in the first place. It was only after the act itself that they knew the difference ('their eyes were opened') between good and evil. Am I wrong so far?

How then, did Adam and Eve deserve the death penalty (i.e., eternal torment in hell) as a wage for this choice, if their choice was not really evil in their own conscience? Don't we need to know the difference between good and evil before we choose between them, and therefore be worthy of such a horrible wrath?
-Sandy D.

Dear Sandy:
It is not wrong to be inquisitive. Nor is it wrong to ask questions regarding God's Word.

When first created, Adam and Eve were made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). This gave them the capacity to discern between good and bad, right and wrong. It also meant that they had personal autonomy and volition, the ability to make choices and the exercise of their own will in their decisions. They were also accountable for the decisions they made.

It will help if you will think of Adam and Eve as we were when we were small children. By virtue of being born of human parents we had the potential to make our own decisions, to choose between good and evil and to be accountable for our decisions. Yet it was a few years before we matured to the point that we were to discern between the good and bad and thus be amenable to God's law. When they were placed in the garden, they had the freedom to enjoy everything in it save the one thing that God declared off limits. This tree was not evil in and of itself, but it was designated by God as untouchable. It was a test of their faithfulness to God, of their love for Him. They failed the test and were held accountable for it.

Their unfortunate choice did not send them to hell immediately. It did cost them their home in the paradisaical garden, it subjected them to sorrow and woe. It brought a curse upon the earth and all living things within it. By losing access to the tree of life, they lost their immortality and became subject to physical death (Gen. 3:13-19). But God still loved them and made provision for them to be reconciled to him. He gave them the opportunity to offer sacrifices to Him for their sins (Gen. 4:3-5). As with us, they could repent of their wrongs and ask for forgiveness. They could be saved on the basis of the coming messiah who would die for the sins of all humanity (Rom. 3:24-26; Heb. 9:14-15).

Sincerely,

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