You Shall Not!

 

Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. (Genesis 2:17)

Today's verse gives us the first prohibition of the Bible. This is the first time that God says "you shall not" with regard to any part of His creation. Lots of people wonder what was wrong with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but there was probably nothing wrong with it, other than God told Adam not to eat from it.

You see, the problem didn't lie with the fruit hanging from that tree. The problem was with the two humans down on the ground. Adam and Eve were given their first choice to make. They could either follow God or disobey Him.

It might seem as if it would have been easier if God had simply not given them the choice.  But that's not what He wants. God gives us His rules for life, along with the freedom to make choices with the goal that we will honor Him in what we choose.

To the outside world, rules may seem to make us enslaved. But having the ability to make choices for God and His will actually frees us to be holy people.

The concept of freedom is terribly skewed in the world today. Most people see freedom as a life of no rules or regulations. But that's chaos, not freedom. Human freedom is a gift from not permission to rid ourselves of God! True freedom is the freedom to do what is right, not whatever we want.

Thank God that He didn't make us into robots, programmed to tell Him what He wants to hear. He wants a loving relationship with us; He wants us to choose Him. When we do, we will experience true freedom and joy. I hope and pray that you are living in the freedom of Christ today.

Real freedom is found in making the choice to follow and obey Christ.

 

POWER POINT MINISTRY by Dr Jack Graham © 2006. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).