The Lie

Adam had it all. He was the strongest man in the world. He was the handsomest man in the world. He was the smartest man in the world. He was married to the most beautiful woman in the world. He had it all – perfect place to live and plenty of food to eat without any of the hassles of cooking or laundry.

And he traded it for something he already had. The lie of the serpent was this:

Genesis 3:4-5

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.”

He promised they would “be like God.” But, hold on a minute! Read this:

Genesis 1:26-27

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Adam was already “like God.” He was created “like God.” He already had what Satan promised to give him. The lie was in asserting that being “like God” came from a different source. To give credit to the serpent, or to Eve, or to Adam, or to a piece of fruit would be to steal the credit that belongs to God alone.

Satan, even today, tries to promise us peace if we will do this or prosperity if we do that. But, those things come from God and Him alone.

Let us give credit where credit is due. When good things happen, they come from God -– not our own industry, not our own piety, not our own planning.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

2 Peter 1:2-4

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust…

And let us use the gifts we have been given to further God’s kingdom, not selfishly seeking for “more” when we already own it all!