Yes, God allowed the serpant and Eve to meet at the tree. God allowed the serpant and Eve to have a conversation and God not only allowed Eve to eat the fruit but allowed her to give it to Adam.
Beyond that, God gave us questioning, independant minds.
In the garden God had only one "Thou shalt not" rule. God told Adam and eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He knew they would, after all he is God.
So ultimately is man's moral failure God's fault? I believe it is.
Why would a God who loves us, with love greater than the love we have for our children, allow us to disobey him?
He could force us all to be pure and holy. He could force us to love Him the way he wants us to. But if He did, would the love be real or would it be just another creation?
I believe God allows us to sin so that the love He receives from us is tried and proven.
The bigger problem is the consequence for our sin.
Romans 6:23 says " For the wage of sin is death...".
DEATH! HELL! That's pretty severe consequences for something that God was ultimately responsible for. This does not sound fair and just!
The Bible assures us over and over that God is just and that his judgements are fair and righteous. So how do we reconcile this seemingly unjust situation?
The rest of Romans 6:23 says "For the wage of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
OK, how does that work?
Ultimately God allowed us to sin. He allowed the situation and he has provided a fair and just way to solve the problem.
God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-14) and then He paid the price for all of us. God in the form of a man was sinless yet He suffered the punishment for our sins.
The good news is that "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
This means that THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN!!! GLORY TO GOD FOR HIS RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT AND PRAISE HIM FOR HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US!!!
Sorry, I get carried away sometimes. This message is worth shouting about though.
So if your sins are already forgiven does that give you a "get out of hell free" card?
God has made good on His responsibility for allowing us to be sinners, but just like a cut on your hand leaves a scar, sin has left you with a spiritual scar. Your sin has left you with spirit that is dead before God. Your dead spirit hates God and loves sin.
The responsibility of allowing us to be sinners doesn't seem to be completely resolved. How did God fix this dead spirit thing?
In John 3:3 Jesus said"...except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom Of God."
When Jesus rose from the dead, He defeated death and made our justification possible. If you accept Jesus as your saviour, you are accepting His Spirit to dwell within you. Thus with a new eternal Spirit dwelling in you, you are born again and you become a new creature in Him.
Galatians 2:20 says "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Now the price has been paid and eternal life is available to all who will accept the free gift from a loving God.
What more can a loving God do than to pay all the prices and offer his love and life to you?
John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
God stands and says " I love you. Here is a free gift that will allow you to be with me forever."
Will you love him or will you be among those who are already condemned?
Praise God
GR