Chapter 2 To Establish the Law Is to Increase the Transgression

Why, then, did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden and make Adam and Eve take and eat of it and sin? In fact, the total understanding and insight of the entire Old and New Testament is necessary to explain this. First of all, in conclusion, it is because He wanted them, the imperfect creature, to be redeemed from sin and to enter into the eternal glory. Where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

In the Garden of Eden, the eternal life was not assured, but was conditional. When sinners are redeemed through the blood of Jesus, the eternal life is not conditional any longer, but guaranteed forever.

【Rev. 21:4】 「He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”」

The law in the garden of Eden or on Mount Sinai put men to die eventually. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the law in the garden of Eden, and the Ten Commandments were the law on Mount Sinai. The Scripture says the Lord established the law to increase sin.

【Rom 7:10-11】 「I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.」

【Rom 5:20-21】 「The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.」

The devil has continued to deceive the whole world since the garden of Eden. He deceived Eve in a short time when Adam was not near, and tempted her to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then, Eve gave it to Adam also, causing them to die.(Gen 3: 1-5). Therefore we can learn that the creation in the garden of Eden was not perfect, and nor the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai was perfect.

In other words, if you want the eternal life guaranteed forever, you must be redeemed through the blood of Jesus. We have to know the key is the blood of Jesus. The important thing is how we can be redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. Because there is no perfect eternal life where there is no blood of Jesus.

God is still on the way of the creation of perfection. When people rebuked Jesus who was working on the Sabbath for the creation of perfection, He said:

【John 5:17】 「Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”」

Then, when will the perfect creation be completed? It is written in Genesis that God rested after six days of creation. Let’s look at the apostle Paul’s interpretation of the perfect creation in the next chapter.