The Fall Of Man

Genesis, Chapter 3, recounts the fall of man (humans). Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat or touch the fruit from the tree of life, and the serpent, Satan, deceived Eve, so she and Adam ate the fruit, and were banned from the garden of Eden by the Lord God.

This Chapter is so rich with metaphor and symbolism that books could be written just dusting off the surface of things. What I wish to accent is that before humans arrived on the scene, God and Satan were already existent and at war.

The created first couple were wholly good and innocent as long as they were living extensions of heaven. Once they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden (note that earth is the middle between heaven and hell, the moderate potential, the source of deep goodness and mature innocence), they became awake. Now they die and sin and have to work very hard serving God to regain as adults a state of mature innocence.

But it is not evil that they would one day learn to individuate and be minor gods, or angels. That is no sin, and that is not rivaling God.

By sinning and being depraved, they have a chance to overcome sin and become good and that is moderate. They struggle for what they earn and that is free will and real merit.

In the state of pure obedience and pure goodness, their wills are not free, and their free choices have no meaning, no consequences in this world or the next.

If they only follow the serpent, then eventually their free will is much reduced and enervated, as they are deep in the counsels and plans of their serpentine master.

God knew in advance of their eating the forbidden fruit that they would inevitably do so, for the serpent would entice them. Were their wills free? Yes and no. Their fall was foreordained. Their fall is God's greatest gift of tough love to humanity, to have something to overcome, to strive for, to work hard and lovingly to get back to God and heaven.