Truths and Lies

Here is a very humbling and thought-provoking look back at the Serpent's temptation of Eve. Pay special attention to the fourth paragraph, or read the entire article here:

"When the Serpent first offered up his lies, beginning his seduction with the deadly question “Did God actually say … ?” (Gen. 3:1), the wise thing, the prudent thing, would have been to end the conversation. To even begin to consider that perhaps the Word we have been given isn’t really God’s Word is just how we come to believe the lie that God lies.

Eve, however, corrected the Serpent. God had not said they could not eat of any of the trees in the garden. He had in fact said that they could eat of any tree in the garden, save one. That fruit, she explained, they had been forbidden to eat. Indeed, they were forbidden to touch it.

At this point, I suspect the Serpent was encouraged. Yes, Eve had stood firm on the generosity and grace of God. But she had taken the first step toward believing something other than the truth. She did not take away from what God had said; she added to it. God had not said they could not touch the fruit of that tree. Eve added her own wisdom to God’s, making the two equal. Her words became God’s words. Like every Pelagian who would one day call Eve “mother,” she wanted to contribute. She wanted to give rather than receive. And all it took was to “correct” God, to add to His Word.

It was not long, of course, before this tiny step for woman became a great leap for mankind. The Devil offered up a different truth. God had said that Eve would die if she ate of the tree. The Serpent said, “You will not surely die” (3:4). Eve believed the Devil, as have all her children since then."

(Bold and italics mine)