Sunday, November 16, 2014

Father Knows Best

Gtcotr/ss111614

Have you ever wondered: “Why am I being punished for something someone else did?” I didn’t eat that apple in the Garden of Eden … why do I have to suffer? If only Adam and Eve hadn’t sinned we wouldn’t have all these do’s and don’ts to worry with … we could do whatever we wanted.

Genesis 2 NKJV
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

We understand that God initially created everything with a quality of maturity, including Adam. (God did not birth Adam but created him; plants before seeds; birds before eggs; cows before calves; & mature adults first)

The first words the Bible records that God spoke to Adam were instructive in nature. It was prior to Eve being created. The conversation included a prohibition on eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This command understandably fell on mature ears and came to a mind capable of comprehending both the potential offense and the resulting affect.

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Even though Adam was perfect and lived in a perfect world prior to the fall, yet he was still subject the guiding authority of God and expected to obey God’s Word. Adam did not see this as an unfair arrangement or something to be struggled against. He understood and no doubt appreciated his place with God and God’s place in his life. There was an established order and clear expectations. Simply put, God expected perfect Adam to obey.

In this perfect Garden of Eden before the fall of mankind and before sin, man was not free to go about doing anything he wanted but was expected to serve the wishes and fulfill the commands of His Creator. Adam was expected to play his part in God’s unfolding Master Plan.

We also should not consider it unfair to live under the authority and governance of God’s Word. He has given us instructions for life to guide, guard and govern us towards His will and purpose. Father knows best!

It is reasonable to be told what to do and what not to do, even when we are currently doing nothing wrong. Life was filled with do’s and don’ts long before the fall of man. Even a perfect world requires obedience.

In the midst of perfection there must still be order and expectation … how much more in the midst of the imperfection we see in this world!

The first sin was not the result of moral deprivation or a torturous or murderous intent, no … rather the first, and arguably the greatest sin was a single individual’s failure to obey a simple command God had clearly given – “do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. This failure to follow simple instructions caused all of the problems we have on planet earth today. Disobeying God’s Word was then and now still is the single greatest temptation known to man. Every child of God is tempted.

There are a few common reasons why God’s children don’t obey His Word:
  • We don’t want to
  • We want to do something else
  • We don’t know it or forget about it
  • We don’t see it as that big of a deal
  • We don’t believe it is right or maybe we believe it’s not right for us
  • We don’t imagine anything is going to happen to us as a result

Even in a perfect world, the perfect life still requires we follow instructions. The greatest power and the most peace you will ever experience comes from following the clear instructions given to us by God. Conversely, the greatest troubles come to our lives when we stray from the Word of God and live outside of His will. What does God expect from His children?


  1. We are to love God more than we do ourselves.
Mark 12:30 ’And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

  1. We are to love others as much as we do ourselves.
Mark 12:31 "And the second, like it, is this: ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."

In order to live a successful life, even a perfect person must follow God’s rules! And, that goes for every child of God as well. You see, Adam and Eve were really no different than you … they were given choices and they failed … However, you don’t have to follow their example … you can be successful! That’s right … God has given you the potential to correct the horrible mistake made by Adam and Eve in their perfect world. You have a God given opportunity to be successful where Adam and Eve failed.

Here are Five Steps to Success in this Imperfect World
  1. Believe that Father knows best.
  2. Refuse temptations to compromise your life by making selfish decisions.
  3. Challenge your choices and check your motives.
  4. Search the Bible for answers to the daily questions of life.
  5. Pray to God for the strength and good sense to obey His Word.

Herein is the Gospel:
  • Father God knows best
  • Jesus reveals the Father’s will
  • The Holy Spirit gives us power to do God’s will