Question:
If God is all-knowing, why did God create Adam and Eve if He knew they would sin?
Answer:
I am not sure that we can fully understand why God performs His purposes. We can
only see what God has revealed on this side of life. We don't have the advantage
of God's perspective.
We do know that God foreknew the fall of man and had a complete plan of
redemption beforehand. Look at Ephesians 1:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in
the Beloved.
This is reiterated again in 1 Peter 1:
20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you
21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him
glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The plan of redemption in Christ was established before creation and our path
fashioned for us long before we ever had a day on this earth (Psalm 139).
Scripturally, there is no question that God's plan was fully established before
Adam and Eve were even created. Not only was the original sin not a surprise,
but God had already provided a way for man to be reconciled before Adam was even
tempted.
The remaining question is - Why?
Even though the Bible does not directly address this question, I do believe it
indirectly answers this question. It all boils down to our true purpose. Jesus
said that all laws and the words of all prophets could be reduced down to two
commands - Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; love your
neighbor as yourself.
It is impossible to love without a choice. If God never allowed mankind to live
without the option of rejecting Him, man also would not have the option of
loving God. If I program my computer to say "I love you" each time it boots up,
it would mean nothing. If God programmed man to love Him without choice, it
would not be love and would mean nothing.
Without the right to choose rebellion, man has no option to choose love.
When you look at the eternal promises of God, clearly the purpose of this life
is to test ourselves to choose meaningless passing possessions and pleasures or
to choose the pleasures and rewards found in Christ alone.
In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, we are repeatedly instructed that we are being
tested and promised the benefits for faithfulness. Matthew 25:14 also teaches
that eternal rewards are measured based on how we respond to God's test of
faithfulness. Luke 12:42 stresses this as well.
I am sure that God could look ahead and reward us based on His foreknowledge,
but what meaning would you and I find in this? Is there value in an
experience-less existence? Life, trials, hardships, struggles and benefits are
all for our benefit. Indeed all things were created by God for His pleasure;
however, don't forget that it is God's pleasure to give us His benefits. If
someone does not want God's goodness, He will not cram salvation down their
throat. For those who will receive Him, to them He gave the right to become the
children of God (John 1:12) and it is the Father's pleasure to give us His
kingdom (Luke 12:32).
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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