Garden of Eden

In the beginning, God created the Earth and everything on it. He created Adam, the first man on Earth, out of dirt. He placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, with a lot of plants and trees, the most notable being the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told him that he could eat any fruit out of any tree in the garden that he wanted, except for that one tree. God then saw that Adam was lonely, so he created a woman (Eve) from one of Adam's ribs. One day, the serpent came to Eve in the garden, tempting her with the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He told her that if they ate the fruit, they would not die, but rather gain the power and knowledge of God, which is why he did not want them to eat the fruit. The temptation was successful, and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and then gave it to Adam, who indulged as well. Right off the bat, sin is brought onto the Earth, and Adam and Eve, as well as the serpent, were punished for disobeying God's commands. God forgave them, but forced them out of the garden to live and work on the Earth out of which they were made.

This story displays how easily sin crept into the lives of humans, but also how quick God is to forgive his children when they have sinned. No, the punishments that God gave Adam and Eve may not all hold true today, rightfully so, but it is still important for Jesus's followers to see the negative effects of sin, especially this early on in the Bible. Connecting with Adam through the name, I can easily see myself in his position. I know that I am an imperfect human and that I am highly susceptible to sin and temptation, just as he was in the garden. This story helps me to be aware of my role as a child of God and, identifying as a Christian, it is crucial to my understanding of God, the Bible, and my faith as a whole.