Our God desires a relationship with us. God did not create us to be robots following him in an obligatory manner. For this reason, before the Fall, He created us with a free will, with the ability to choose to obey Him. This ability to choose helps us grow in trust and faith as we see the kindness and goodness of God.
God placed the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden with specific instructions. Adam and Eve could eat from any other tree, and after listening to Satan, they had to choose whether they believed the Lord really had their best interest in mind with the restriction on this one tree. Obviously, when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, they chose to listen to Satan’s lies rather than trust God’s love and goodness in making this restriction.
Ultimately, why did He create the tree? We cannot answer this question with 100% accuracy. But we do know, that Adam and Eve had a choice, they chose to disobey God’s command, therefore, God punished this sin. But if it weren’t for our sin, how would we understand our need of Jesus redemption.
Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
Rom. 5:15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
Rom. 5:16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
Rom. 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Thanks for your question,
Bruce Young and Derrick Harris
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