Think – Reason – Understand
Conversations that lift up the Mighty Name of Yahweh and His Great Plan
We live in a world that moves fast—quick answers, short videos, headlines that barely scratch the surface. But some things in life aren’t meant to be rushed. They need time. They ask us to slow down and really think.
One of those things is one of the oldest stories in the Bible.
Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden. At first, it seems like a simple story: Adam and Eve, one rule, one tree, one bad choice. But if we stop and really look, we find a lot more going on.
Adam wasn’t created broken. The Bible tells us he was innocent—blameless, close to God, and in perfect harmony with everything around him. There was no sin, no guilt, no shame.
And yet… he fell.
That leads to a big question:
How does someone in a perfect place, with a perfect relationship with God, still choose to go against Him?
What was going on in Adam’s heart that he could turn away from the very One who gave him life? Why would the offer to “be like God” be more appealing than walking with God?
To even begin thinking this through, we need to ask a few bigger questions.
What Does “Perfect” Really Mean?
Was Adam’s perfection something fixed and unchangeable—where he couldn’t sin? Or was it more like a pure, natural goodness—one that still had the freedom to choose otherwise?
And if Adam didn’t have a real choice, then was his love for God even real? Or would that just make him a kind of robot, doing what he was programmed to do?
Why Was the Tree So Tempting?
Why would that fruit, from that tree, stand out more than the joy of knowing God?
Was it the idea of being independent? Was it about control? Was it the thought that maybe life on our terms could be better than life under God’s rule?
That’s not just a Bible question—that’s something many of us still struggle with.
What About God’s Knowledge?
If God already knew Adam would fall, was Adam truly free?
This brings up one of the hardest things to wrap our heads around: How can God know everything and still let us make real choices?
Does God’s knowledge cause what happens, or does He just know—from outside of time—what we’ll freely choose within it?
Is knowing something going to happen the same as making it happen?
Can God be fully in control while we’re still truly responsible?
These aren’t just “theology questions.” They shape how we think about freedom, love, and the kind of relationship God actually wants with us. And while we may not get full answers on this side of eternity, asking the right questions matters.
Why This Matters
Adam’s fall isn’t just a story from the past—it’s the starting point of our story. It explains why things are the way they are: sin, brokenness, and our need for a Savior.
But beyond that, thinking carefully through this story helps us grow. In a world that avoids hard questions, going deeper helps us build better habits of thought—and stronger faith.
It helps us:
- Notice assumptions we’ve made
- Ask better questions
- Be okay with mystery without giving up on truth
- Slow down in a world that’s always in a rush
What do you think?
How do you see Adam’s fall?
Do you think freedom and God’s foreknowledge can go together?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Biblical Word List: Innocence Turns Think – Reason – Understand
| Word | Simple Definition | Biblical Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innocence | A state of being clean and without guilt. | Adam and Eve were morally pure before sin—free from shame and disobedience. | “Adam’s innocence meant he had no reason to hide from God or feel shame.” |
| Perfection | Being whole and without flaw. | Adam was complete and blameless as God created him, not yet touched by sin. | “Adam’s perfection didn’t mean he couldn’t sin, but that he was whole and blameless.” |
| Freedom (Free Will) | The ability to make your own choices. | God gave Adam the real ability to choose obedience or disobedience. | “God gave Adam freedom so his love and obedience would be real, not robotic.” |
| The Knowledge of Good and Evil | Knowing right and wrong from a human point of view. | Eating from the tree led to moral independence and the beginning of sin. | “The tree offered knowledge, but it came at the cost of breaking trust with God.” |
| Temptation | Wanting to do something wrong. | The serpent tempted Adam and Eve to doubt God’s word and goodness. | “Temptation began with a question—‘Did God really say?’—and ended in disobedience.” |
| Fall (The Fall of Man) | The moment when people first chose to sin. | When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin and death entered the world. | “The Fall changed everything—it separated people from God and brought brokenness.” |
| Foreknowledge | Knowing something before it happens. | God knows all future choices, yet allows humans to act freely. | “Even though God had foreknowledge of the Fall, Adam still made a real choice.” |
| Paradox | Two things that seem opposite but are both true. | The Bible shows mysteries like God’s control and human choice working together. | “It’s a paradox that God knew Adam would fall, yet Adam still chose freely.” |