Did God make a mistake making the forbidden fruit?

[Genster]

I just don't understand why He would allow such a thing happen. With the consequence of billions of people dying and going to hell because of their unjustified sins. Thankfully a handful get to go to heaven because of animal sacrifices that God has accepted and/or Jesus ultimate sacrifice.

If God is able to, do you think He would go back in time and reconsider the forbidden fruit?

 

[kristina411]

I don't think so. Imo the fruit was proof of free will. God gave them the choice to follow him and be with Him or gain the knowledge of good and bad.

They lived life serving God and without sin. They had the free will to turn away if they so choose by eating the fruit. They made the decision to eat the fruit, and we continue to do so every day.

What would be the point of creating actual spirits, giving us life, if we did what we were told because we had to vs us wanting to?

 

[walkinginthelightnow]

Just as Lucifer the bright angel was given the opportunity to freely worship God so are we. When Lucifer rebelled and wanted to do it his way, he was rejected. So happens with those who love sin, they will be rejected.

They will eternally sing the Frank Sinatra tune:


And now the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend I'll say it clear
I'll state my case of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way


Regrets I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way...

 

[SistrNChrist]

As others have pointed out, I believe that planting the tree of good & evil in the Garden of Eden was God's way of giving Adam & Eve free will and the ability to choose right or wrong. God isn't interested in soulless robots that only worship Him because that's all they were designed to do, but He wants people that choose to follow Him out of the love and joy of their own hearts. Adam and Eve were given free will to either follow God's instructions and live their whole lives connected with God or eat from the fruit and discover how hard life can be when you choose to live your life apart from God. In the same way, humanity has that same free will to either follow God or Satan, and what they choose is up to them.

 

[BryanW92]

As others have pointed out, I believe that planting the tree of good & evil in the Garden of Eden was God's way of giving Adam & Eve free will and the ability to choose right or wrong. God isn't interested in soulless robots that only worship Him because that's all they were designed to do, but He wants people that choose to follow Him out of the love and joy of their own hearts. Adam and Eve were given free will to either follow God's instructions and live their whole lives connected with God or eat from the fruit and discover how hard life can be when you choose to live your life apart from God. In the same way, humanity has that same free will to either follow God or Satan, and what they choose is up to them.

From the text of Genesis, God did not explain all that you say about the tree. He just said, "Don't eat from this tree or you will die". Yet, they ate.

This wasn't as free will choice any more than it is when you walk past a person on the street who is staring up into a tree. You look at him for a while and then you look up. If he says, "Don't look up in that tree!", you look up even sooner. God created an inherent sense of curiosity in his humans and then even gave them work to stimulate their minds (name the animals" and he gave them dominion over things (and the names you give them will be their names).

They disobeyed a direct order. That is not in question. But it was an order that could not be followed by humans.

The Westminster Confession sums it up very well, "This their sin, God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed it to His own glory."

 

[parsley]

Romans 4:3
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

It is the relationship with God that saves us -- walking with Him in the garden -- not anything we have done right.

I don't know if the fruit was literal, but it was not a trick or error. It serves to remind us that we tend to want to guarantee our righteousness or goodness by following methods, instead of relying on God's goodness.

The tree itself did not drive man out of the garden. Humans showed they were not content to live a restful life without knowing everything they could. They wanted more control, and personal gain. Knowledge and striving sometimes leads to pain, which was the path they chose and God implemented.

Today we make choices to know more -- read all the deep books, attend visiting speaker conferences... doing things that build ourselves up in prowess or information. They are not wrong in themselves, like fruit is not wrong, or the knowledge of good and evil.

But wanting to collect and own the knowledge, control our destinies, above wanting to hear God's voice, always puts us at risk.

I personally think we can return to the garden, individually, conceptually -- if we set aside our drive to be on top, and allow Him to provide us our daily bread. (Not freezers full, not showing off our imported delicacies.)

We still create our own banishment from contentment.

 

[ALoveDivine]

First, let's stop taking things overly literal. The point of the story of the fall is that, in our earliest days, we humans rejected our relationship with God and went our own way, seeking our own wisdom, power, and glory. The whole thing about a garden, trees, the serpent, fruit, etc all serve as imagery to articulate this underlying spiritual point.

Now having understood that, what is God to do with us since we rejected him and chose to pursue evil? Our condemnation is just. Have you ever wondered what "original sin" really means? If you understand the point of the story, which I explicated above, it makes sense. Since the earliest humans rejected God, all following humans are born alienated from God and are, thereby, naturally inclined to evil. So what does God do with evil people, with his humanity who has rejected him and followed Satan instead?

That's where the Gospel comes in, which is the message of reconciliation. God, through Christ, made reconciliation with fallen humanity possible.

The story of scripture is the story of the relationship of humanity with God, how that relationship was broken, and how God is restoring that relationship through Christ, and our part in accepting this reconciliation through faith working in love.