Discerning properly between evil, good, and right may be difficult for an unsaved person because discernment is a fruit of the spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). Most of the time, the individual may understand what is good and right in their own eyes.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was also good. So, why did God tell Adam and Eve not to eat from it? He wanted them to have the freedom to choose to do what is right in His sight and not their own.
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
Eve’s sinful thought occurred from the time she conceived the idea to pick and eat the fruit. Her ingestion of the fruit was a manifestation of her thinking.
The tree and the fruit were good, but Eve’s thoughts and actions were sinful. Something may look or seem reasonable to the eyes or senses (Genesis 3:6), but it does not mean it is good in the Lord’s eyes. Therefore, we need to be able to discern (1 Kings 3:9) what is not obvious to the eyes.
This article is adapted from the Sermon series, Is it Good or Right?
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