Expert: Rev. Stuart Woodward - 1/26/2011

Question
Reverend Woodward:

I am a Christain (Baptist/non-denominational leanings). My question is this: Why did God allow Satan to deceive Adam & Eve.
When God made Adam & Eve, He made them not as robots but as having the free will to decide between right and wrong. God told them that if they ate from the Tree of Good & Evil that they would surely die. Why didn't God allow Adam & Eve to sin on their own ? They knew right from wrong. If they did sin at some time after God told them of the tree, then he could have banished them from the Garden of Eden for, say, 100 years and then allowed them back into the Garden after they confessed their sin to God. Also, as soon as Satan went down to earth to tempt Eve, why didn't God throw Satan & his wayward angels into hell ? Would not that have saved His son Jesus from having to give His life. I know that God has a reason for everything, and I do not challenge Him, but the free will of Adam & Eve would have allowed them to make their own mistakes and confess their sins to God when they erred. Sincerely

Answer
Hello Robert,
Thank you for your question and the honest answer to much of it has to be that we don't know as the bible does not specify some of the answers you are looking for. However, Adam and Eve did freely sin and make their own mistakes. Temptation in any form cannot be used to shift the blame. Indeed that is what Eve tried to argue (that it was the serpent's fault) whereas Adam tried to shift the blame on to Eve but God's response clearly indicates that a person's choice to sin is not justified by temptation. That is why the scripture clearly tells us that Jesus was tempted as we are but did not sin.
Also a 100 year banishment could not atone for sin.of any kind. The only adequate atonement is the blood of Jesus which defers the punishment of death to humanity.
A third point is more mysterious but the bible clearly hints at it. God knew the end from the beginning and made the choices He made anyway. Jesus is described as the 'Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world'. I can only assume that despite the pain God views the whole story as worth it for the glorious end result which will ultimately come about.
I am sure these answers leave many other unanswered questions but some answers will have to wait until we get to heaven when we will 'know even as we are fully known'.
I hope what I have shared is of some help.
May God bless you.
Stuart Woodward