If we are Christians, meaning followers of Jesus Christ, we are Christians. There is no “specialization” to our profession; there is no professionalism in Christianity. If we profess to be in Christ, we are Christians and we die as Christians. There is no such thing as “Professor Christian Missy or Berhan.” When we act like professors in Christianity, we tend to abandon the foundation and basic truths of God. And it is to our peril that we neglect and forget the primary and basic truths of the word of God.

One of the biblical truths we need to remind ourselves of often is that this universe and our lives have a Creator and an Owner. This universe and life operate according to the Creator’s will. With this Creator, there are no accidents or randomness. We might say, “I ran into a car accident,” and be correct in our perspective, but not from God’s perspective, because God knows all things. Everything is before Him at all times.

Not only is God the Creator of everything, but He also determines the purpose of each thing He has created. He created everything, and He did it all for His glory. The word of God expresses it this way:

“For by him [Christ/God] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”  Colossians 1:16 ESV

And other place it says like this:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36 ESV

This is the God we worship. This is the Sovereign LORD we adore and worship. There is no one like Him. God Himself said this,

“Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.” Isaiah 46:8-11 ESV

Amen! This is our Sovereign God!

After God created the universe and arranged this planet in a way that could be inhabited by humans, He created man in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27).

Immediately after God formed man from the dust, He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7b ESV).

Then God gave man a specific task to accomplish:

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 ESV

What do we learn from this? Work was not created after the fall but before it. Therefore, work is not the result of sin but one of God’s blessings to the man He created. The garden Adam was responsible for tending and keeping was not cursed. Consequently, all his work brought him joy, blessings, and glory. Nothing was dying or withering.

After this, God gave Adam a single command:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 ESV

“The day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.” Who can change this? No one! It is God who said it. God is God. He cannot lie. He told Adam nothing but the truth. Let’s examine two of God’s unchangeable attributes revealed in this command.

God is good and generous! Let’s say there were 100 fruit-bearing trees in the Garden of Eden. How many trees was Adam allowed to eat from? He could eat from 99 of them! What a blessing! Only one tree was off-limits, as God said to Adam, “You shall not eat from this one.”

But if God is good, why is He restricting Adam’s enjoyment? Why is He limiting Adam’s pleasure? Why can’t Adam enjoy the fruits of all 100 trees? Why only 99 of them?

God is omniscient (all-knowing). He created man in His likeness, not as an exact copy of Himself, because God cannot be created. This created being is not omniscient, but his Creator is. Therefore, when it comes to knowing and identifying what is best for him—what is good and bad for him—Adam must be fully dependent on the One who created him, the One who knows the beginning and end of all things.

This command is not something to be taken lightly. God said “No” to this particular tree, known as “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” because it uniquely signifies who the Creator is and who the created being is. In essence, God was telling Adam: “Adam, I am your Creator. I made you. I know what is good and evil for you because you are a created being. You are not all-knowing, but I AM. I will know for you, not you.” God communicated this command to Adam with utmost clarity. Adam’s role was simply to obey: to eat and enjoy the fruits of the 99 other trees and leave that one tree alone.

After this, God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18 ESV).

Notice: It was God, not Adam, who said, “It is not good for Adam to be alone.” Remember, Adam could not know what was good for him; only his Creator could. Therefore, for what God had planned for eternity, He made Adam a sexual being . . . cont’d ///