Tag Archives: Garden of Eden

Deception: Weapon of the Devil

There is deception in many facets of life. If not, there would not have been outcries over small prints in contractual documents especially in some credit cards’ added information appearing in small  prints. Such small prints are no less important than those in bold letters. As soon as one has signed the document, every clause therein becomes binding. Deception was first heard of from biblical events narrated in the serpent’s deception, concerning Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Devil has since then been revising and upgrading its strategies of weaning  human being from God their creator.

Serpent in the narrative stood for Lucifer, Satan or devil. From all indications, I believe it is only the knowledge of creating living and non-living things that God did neither show nor  divulge to him. Assuming he had the knowledge, he could have  started creating  his own supporters or servants to support his fight against God.  Of course, it would have been a mere illusion for him to have thought that he was smart not knowing that God was Omniscient and omnipotent. The serpent (Satan) used the extent of its knowledge to deceive or twist the fact of God’s relationship with Adam and Eve and led Eve to achieve negative result. In Genesis 3 :4-5, Satan gave false assurance based on wrong premise that led to the fall of Adam and Eve; “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'”  With the negative consequence of the deception, blame game started among human beings. Adam blamed Eve and Eve also blamed the serpent, as if each of them was blameless. Then the man said, ” the woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate. And the Lord GOD said to the woman, ‘what is it you have done?.’  The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate”. Genesis 3:12-13 (NKJV).

The result of the deception changed the course of history of mankind until today. By it, we still talk of inherited sin from Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. It is by the second Adam (Jesus Christ the Savior) that we are now blessed with salvation through him who paid the debt for our sins. To take full advantage of salvation, we find in John 10:10 (KJV) the pathway to be followed…”The thief cometh  not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Believers have lessons to learn from Paul’s admonition to Timothy. In 1Timothy 1:18-20, we read how the world seduced Hymenaeus and Alexander away from the gospel with attendant negative consequences. We are all enjoined to hold fast on to our faith and never waver. Not all that glitters is gold. Never be a “drive through” believer.

Non-Carnal Love Series # 33

Non-canal loveThe spirit of adoption is a component part of agape love of God for the Lord God is Love, The context meaning of God’s love cannot be  adequately fathomed as it encompasses all created living and non-living things. What one cannot love and cherish may not in the affirmative be adopted. An adopted child  by law has become heir to the father’s inheritance. By adoption we have become  joint heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord. For being in God’s presence to be assured, one needs to be an unsevered branch of the vine – Jesus. Other attributes include humility, and maintaining close relationship with God. As a sinner one needs to be broken and be ready to confess ones sins to ensure forgiveness and ultimate redemption.

Let us remember that Adam and Eve were the first culprit of sinfulness and were consequently driven out of the Garden of Eden – a place of eternal joy. It was that sin that brought us separation from God, Genesis 3: 14-19. (NKJV)  Sin and death came through the first Adam. redemption, salvation and everlasting life  came by faith and believe in the second Adam – our Lord Jesus Christ. By the agape love of God, He sent us HIS only begotten Son (our Lord Jesus) as propitiating lamb of God to remain a means of cleansing man’s iniquity. It was for those the bible tells us are believers in Christ Jesus Romans 6: 23. (NKJV) It states, “For wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NKJV)