What Was the Greatest Thing for the Serpent?

What Was the Greatest Thing for the Serpent?

“And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Gen. 3:4-5.

The serpent didn’t know anything greater with which to tempt Eve than to be like God, knowing good and evil. This is also the greatest thing there is. However, they thought they could obtain this knowledge by way of disobedience. Unfortunately, on that way they learned to know the consequences of evil, but they did not learn to know the good.

Jesus went the opposite way. He learned obedience by the things He suffered. Heb. 5:8. “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52. In other words, being able to discern between good and evil has to do with growth. The Hebrews had not matured sufficiently to be able to do that. They were babes, unskilled in the word of righteousness. The sign that we have grown up to the maturity of manhood is that we “by reason of use have [our] senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Heb. 5:14. Then we know what to do. Children do not know what to do. They are always in difficulties; they fight and argue. This was also the sign that the Corinthians were babes in Christ in spite of all their gifts and their knowledge. 1 Cor. 1:5-7, 2:1-4. You can safely assume that where there is strife and division, they are babes in Christ. Yet they can believe, just like the Corinthians, that they are rich, able to reign as kings, and are full, so that no one can teach them anything. 1 Cor. 4:8. Well, then they really are babes.

The real difficulty is that people do not know what to do. The one who knows what to do actually has no difficulties. Therefore we hear both the saved and the unsaved ask, “What shall we do? There wouldn’t be a problem if only we knew what to do!” When we know that, all difficulties vanish.

Jesus went the way as the Son of Man and became like God, knowing good and evil. He was perfected through obedience. There is no other way for us either than the way of obedience, if we want to experience spiritual growth and if we are to come out of all these difficulties in which people around us are. Paul asks, “Are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” We can also hear that. Believers are in the same difficulties as unbelievers. They can have an extensive Bible knowledge and be baptized in the Spirit, but they have no spiritual sense because they do not obey God’s Word. Then the fact that you have been saved for fifty years doesn’t help anything.

Paul had received the apostleship to work the obedience of faith. Rom. 1:5. Growth does not result just because of what Jesus has done for us, from just having your sins forgiven. Not at all! We must follow Him. We must be doers of the Word, or else we deceive ourselves. People read the glorious promises and believe they are theirs without fulfilling the conditions. They believe they are elder brothers because they have been along longer than the others, yet they cannot discern between being offended and rejoicing with those who are honored. 1 Cor. 12:26.

Discerning between the precious and the vile is so great that then you will be as the mouth of the Lord. Jer. 15:19. Then you can help people. Then you know what and how you shall do it, and so the difficulties vanish.

Growing up to be like God in this way is our great calling. This cannot happen any other way than by obedience. This is the narrow way to life.