I just found Ray's teaching on the Sin of Adam and Eve. Ray writes
There is no knowledge of good without a knowledge of evil! That is WHY God put both good AND evil IN THE SAME TREE; IN THE SAME FRUIT.!!
My question then is, Why did God forbide them from eating the fruit?
Hi loretta, there is much evil in this world and with a carnal human nature we do/must partake in it. But we need the "experience in evil" (Ecc 1:13) to learn and understand from first hand experience about these consequences. Yes He has designed us where we are too weak and can not resist sin.
Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
We know that God is sovereign and responsible for all things, including our carnal human nature, which brings about dire consequences for us, because of our sin. God, knowing the end from the beginning, does warn us of these consequences for our sins. The Scripture show He has always warned people of the consequences of their sin.
Jer 35:15 I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, "Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.' But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me.
Indeed God provided the commandments and laws to show us sin... has a single person (besides Jesus Christ) ever obey them completely? Of course not, we can't, we are carnal, so we do sin.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is this life we all must live, and just as God warned Adam and Eve of sin, He gave His commandments to warn us all.
mercy, peace and love
Kat