On Nakedness and When Good could be Evil

Two different but related thoughts about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Both grounded in lectures from James B Jordan.

1. That the nakedness of Adam and Eve was not a symbol of their innocence, rather testimony that they were "babies" - the newborns of the human race.  Just as you and I didn't come out of the womb sporting the latest Primani gear, we came out naked, waiting to be clothed by our parents, so too Adam and Eve, birthed by Christ (Lk.3:38) awaited to be clothed by him.  But in their impatience for robes of glory they grasped for exaltation and fell into death. More on this another time.

2. If Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, could they still have fallen? Yes. How? The issue is not whether they knew the right answer or not, but would they submit to Christ's authority and timing or not. What was the state of their hearts? He would give them access to that tree in the course of time.

If Eve had said I see that the fruit of this tree is good for food and pleasing to the eye, and I also understand that it is desirable for gaining wisdom, but I have decided not to take it. then she and Adam would still have fallen, because they would have been setting up their own standard of morality that looked godly, but was not in loving relationship with or in humble submission to Christ. This is exactly what false religion is and it is the worst kind of evil - claiming to look like God, but in fact acting like the old crafty serpent, Satan himself (2 Cor 11:14).

Contrast this with Jesus who, being in very nature God and having all authority only did the will of his Father and waited for the appointed time of his exaltation.

John 5:19: Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

John 8:54: Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.

Those of us who claim to walk in Jesus footsteps, need a lot of help to think this way! Thank God Jesus is our substitute and not just our example!