Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Did God Allow Adam and Eve to Sin?
email | April 16, 2008 | Billy Graham

Posted on 04/15/2008 10:31:33 PM PDT by perfect stranger

Why Did God Allow Adam and Eve to Sin? By Billy Graham, Tribune Media Services Q: Why did God allow Adam and Eve to sin? He must have known what they were going to do, and it seems to me that it would've been better if He had just stopped them. The world was already perfect, so why didn't God keep it that way? I've always wondered about this. -- R.M.

A: The opening chapters of the Bible tell us what happened when Adam and Eve committed the first sin -- but they don't tell us exactly why God allowed it to happen. We must be careful, therefore, not to blame God for something that is ultimately beyond our understanding.

At the same time, the Bible does tell us two very important truths about Adam and Eve's sin. First, it tells us that they were completely free to love God -- or to reject Him. In other words, they weren't robots! God's warning was clear: "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

But what if they had been robots -- that is, what if they didn't have any will of their own, and all they could do was love God? Then their "love" for God wouldn't have been love at all -- because love always involves a choice or a decision on our part. God took a great risk in creating them with a free will -- but only then could their love for Him be real.

The other truth the Bible tells us, however, is that while sin's consequences were great -- God's love is even greater. The proof is that He sent His only Son into the world so we could have our sins forgiven. Have you turned to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness and new life you need?


TOPICS: Ecumenism; Evangelical Christian; Moral Issues; Theology
KEYWORDS: billygraham
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 next last
To: RaceBannon

Seems like mankind has paid a heavy price to make a point to Satan and his followers.


21 posted on 04/16/2008 5:27:19 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (John McCain - The Manchurian Candidate? http://www.usvetdsp.com/manchuan.htm)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: perfect stranger

Read “A Course in Miracles”.

Keep an open mind and enjoy. The book had a major impact on my life and spiritual program.


22 posted on 04/16/2008 5:28:19 AM PDT by mosaicwolf (Strength and Honor)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mad_as_he$$

Mankind was given a higher status than the angels, though, seems like Satan lost a high prce to sin, and the angels who didn’t sin are amazed that people believe when they cannot see.


23 posted on 04/16/2008 5:40:18 AM PDT by RaceBannon (Innocent until proven guilty; The Pendleton 8: We are not going down without a fight)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: onedoug
Imagine a sinless life, wherein we’d be like plants.

I don't have to imagine a sinless life: I can see one in my Lord Jesus. He Is not at all "plant-like".

Sin is decidedly NOT what makes life worth living. I'll gladly relinquish my freedom to sin forever when I meet my Lord face-to-face.

24 posted on 04/16/2008 6:44:37 AM PDT by jboot (Let Christ be true and every man a liar.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: perfect stranger

Its simple... “Free Will”.

God could demand our behavior of his laws at all times, and not give man any choice in the matter. Or deny human beings free will. He could simply demand and enforce that we worship him at all times and in all ways... but a gift that’s demanded is no gift at all.

What father has never faced a situation where their child is going to make a bad decision? When they are young, we simply prevent it.. but there comes a time when, we have to quietly sit back and let them err... and its one of the toughest things as a parent you have to do sometimes... but it is done out of love, not spite or anger or a desire to see them fall.. but because there is a time when the absolute protection of the parent must let go so that the child can begin to become who and what they are meant to be.


25 posted on 04/16/2008 6:50:57 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: perfect stranger

The question could be expanded. Why did He allow his #2 Lucifer and his followers, to go against Him? This causes me concern, that sin is still possible in Heaven.


26 posted on 04/16/2008 6:51:38 AM PDT by stevio (Crunchy Con - God, guns, guts, and organically grown crunchy nuts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: perfect stranger

I think a better question would be, why did God allow Satan and the fallen angles to sin?


27 posted on 04/16/2008 7:04:37 AM PDT by Between the Lines (I am very cognizant of my fallibility, sinfulness, and other limitations.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jboot

Well, until then....


28 posted on 04/16/2008 7:24:10 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Cvengr
That's an interesting thought, but it would seem to me to thwart the timelines set in prophesy. One of the pictures drawn in Genesis is the Earth was created in 6 days and rested the seventh. If a day is as a thousand years to God, we would be talking 6k years of history, then the Millennium. (One reason to reject evolution and believe the Word literally). God went to the trouble to even state a day was an evening and a morning. The Jews observe a day starting in the afternoon because of this.

It would be an interesting study, however, but I still have to believe God knew Israel would reject Jesus, and therefore the next few thousand years of history were in the bag.

Even for non- believers, that would have thrown Nostradamus off his numbers. LOL Then there is those Mayan calender thingies.

Nah, I think I'll stick to plan "A".

There are endless "What if's" you could consider, but I have to trust God that He already knew the outcome before we were even created. What if Jesus asked the Father to let this cup pass from Him and the Father said........"OK". That would have set everything from Genesis on up as gobbelty gook. This is the main reason I believe Jesus was the only "perfect lamb" ever born. No one could have died in our stead and took away our sin, other than Jesus. If even one person could live a sinless life, then Jesus would not have had to die on the cross. There is no flesh that is sinless other than Jesus. It had to be Him.

I suppose if the Jews accepted Jesus then, that would have also thrown the numbers off in Daniel.

29 posted on 04/16/2008 8:14:37 AM PDT by chuckles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: onedoug
Imagine a sinless life, wherein we’d be like plants.

Are you inferring that a sinless life would be one without... joy, fun, mobility, what?

I say that God allowed Adam and Eve to sin in order to be truly glorified. What glory is there in having loyal subjects who really have no choice. The key is "freedom".
30 posted on 04/16/2008 8:38:08 AM PDT by Sopater (A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left. ~ Ecclesiastes 10:2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: perfect stranger

God desires all of His attributes to be on display, His omniscience, His glory, His power... Without sin, there would not be a way to display His supreme self sacrificing love.


31 posted on 04/16/2008 8:44:49 AM PDT by kingcanuteus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stevio
The question could be expanded. Why did He allow his #2 Lucifer and his followers, to go against Him? This causes me concern, that sin is still possible in Heaven.

Perhaps this is the way that God is dealing with the potential of future sin by allowing us to possess the knowledge of good and evil now.

Seven

32 posted on 04/16/2008 9:24:18 AM PDT by Seven_0 (You cannot fool all of the people, ever!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: perfect stranger

/sigh... “Free Will”....


33 posted on 04/16/2008 10:15:52 AM PDT by Rick.Donaldson (http://www.transasianaxis.com - Please visit for latest on DPRK/Russia/China/et al.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wolfcreek; colorcountry; Tennessee Nana
The Ten Commandments are often misunderstood since they are a reflection of God's nature, not given as 'rules to follow or else God will strike you' ... no man or woman can live totally to the standard of the Ten because only God's nature can accomplish such. That's why Jesus fullfilled the 'law' because His seed remained within Him, His Spirit abides by the 'Laws' naturally.

It is the astonishingly loving secret hidden since the foundations of the world that God gives His nature to those who will ask Jesus to deliver, to be their deliverer, to 'parent them' into the family of God. Faith is an action word. Paul says plainly that the 'law' was given as a teacher ... teaching the lesson that ONLY God is righteous. The Gospel of God's Grace in Christ Jesus is that His righteousness will be counted for you or for me as we 'faithe' in His promise to us resurrected in Jesus. The law proved just how much we need Grace to have His required righteousness. We cannot have it except by 'faithing' in His promise.

34 posted on 04/16/2008 11:07:17 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: RaceBannon

Well said! ... Even Peter, who walked with Jesus and ate with Him following the resurrection, marveled that people believe so fervently yet have not had the intimate experiences with the resurrected Jesus.


35 posted on 04/16/2008 11:10:17 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Sopater
The key is "freedom".

Refined, "Liberty".

36 posted on 04/16/2008 11:16:49 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: perfect stranger

God did not want us to be robots, he wanted us to love him freely. That free will thing.


37 posted on 04/16/2008 2:44:05 PM PDT by navygal (retired navy and proud of it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RaceBannon
I'd like to know what Bible you're reading! I'd like to know where in the Bible it states that God sought to "teach Satan a lesson".

God created humankind because He was lonely. He created us in His image, to be "like" Him on some level in many ways. Angels and Satan are not created in His image; they cannot relate to God. Humans, by the very act of being made in God's image can relate to Him. Therefore, how could God not allow Adam and Eve the choice to sin? There is no true "relationship" when one party comes to the relationship by force or by lack of other options.

38 posted on 04/16/2008 9:59:27 PM PDT by My hearts in London - Everett (I'd rather be single than wish I was.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Turborules; Gamecock
Why allow sin...God made us in his image, with free will...

Watch out, FRiend, a lot of people have been banned when they got into really nasty fights on the Religion Forum over free will vs. Calvinist predestination.

39 posted on 04/17/2008 9:18:36 AM PDT by xJones
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: xJones

I don’t get your point. Calvinists believe in Free Will.


40 posted on 04/17/2008 10:42:09 AM PDT by Gamecock ("I find your lack of faith, disturbing" Darth Vader)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson