Let’s start at the beginning – with the creation story.
I like to look at things from all directions and today I’m thinking about the Bible from the beginning – the story of Adam and Eve. I find the story about our first parents interesting and valuable for today.
At the end of Genesis 2 it says that Adam and Eve were both naked and were not ashamed.
In chapter 3 we have the story where Eve is beguiled by the serpent, eats the forbidden fruit, gives it to Adam and he eats as well.
Now the forbidden fruit was plucked from a tree about which God had said: “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die”.
The serpent came along and said “ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil”.
Verse 7 – And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.
God came walking through the garden and Adam and Eve hid themselves. God called out to them and Adam told God that they were afraid because they were naked.
It is interesting to me that nothing really changed regarding the state of Adam and Eve. What I mean is that they were naked before they ate the fruit and they were naked after they ate the fruit.
So what happened?
Here they were in a perfect world – naked, eating of wonderful fruit growing all around them, talking and walking with God on a regular basis and what happened? They got into the knowledge of good and evil. It was irresistible! So desirable! They couldn’t help themselves!
What is this irresistible fruit? Simply put it’s judgment! Anytime we partake of knowledge of good and evil we put ourselves into a place where a choice is required, a judgment must be made.
Their nakedness didn’t bother them before they judged it. Now they’re ashamed of their bodies and won’t allow their creator to see them.
Before they enjoyed walking and talking with God. Now they’re not good enough to be in his presence. Once they were free to just be with each other. Now they’re blaming.
What changed? Their perception of their situation changed. That’s all. God didn’t change. He showed up to walk and talk with them as before.
The garden didn’t change. Their nakedness didn’t change – although they tried to cover it with fig leaves.
While before they were in an amazing place of acceptance of who they were, where they were and knowing oneness with God – now they’re in a fearful place of judgment, feeling that something is wrong with them and feeling separated from God.
Fear and separation is always the result of eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil – and that’s hell.
God intervened in the story but nothing was ever like it was before. That’s what judgment does for us. Even though the moment is past the memory of the judgment stays with us. That memory prevents us from ever experiencing the state of bliss we knew before.
It’s a quite a process to return to oneness with God and that’s what following Christ is all about.
