Transcript
Stephen:
When we talked about the reality of God in Genesis 1:1, one of the first conclusions is that He gets to set the rules. He’s the ruler of the universe. In chapter 2, we see that He has, in fact, set a commandment. God says, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you will surely die.”
So how do Christians think about this? What does the Bible teach about the fact that God has given commandments—and that this is a good thing?
Joel:
Yeah, it's a fundamental truth. In previous episodes we talked about how God wants to relate to us—He made us in His image, He creates through His Word—all signs that He wants relationship with human beings.
But relationships work on certain terms. We come to God the way He’s invited us to come; we don’t get to dictate the terms. Our relationship with Him is built on obedience to His commands.
Law is at the heart of every relationship. For example, with my wife—if she values spending time with her family and wants me to join her, but I refuse, that damages the relationship. There are expectations, terms.
It’s the same, but on a much greater scale, with God. He’s holy, righteous, and good. If we’re going to approach Him, it must be on His terms. That’s why He’s given us commandments—to show us what access to Him looks like.
Stephen:
Exactly. If we don’t respect the rules of our relationship with God, we’ll never know Him or enjoy Him.
And we can’t enjoy the blessings that come from relationship with Him either. In Genesis 2, Adam has access to the tree of life, God’s presence walking in the garden daily—these are incredible blessings. But you don’t get to keep the blessings while defying the One who gives them.
We live in a physical world governed by physical laws—we don’t get to decide how gravity works. Spiritually, it’s the same. There are moral and spiritual laws, and we don’t get to dictate those either.
If we want to know God, it’s on His terms. If we want to enjoy His blessings, we follow His commands. And when we break them, there are consequences—we don’t just forfeit blessings, we come under curse. We get cut off from the source of life and goodness.
Joel:
Yes. That really shows us what sin is at its core. It’s not just breaking arbitrary rules. Sin is refusing God's rule and God's relationship. It’s personal.
We often downplay it—say, “We’re not perfect,” or “We’re just broken.” But that’s not the whole truth. Washing machines break. We rebel. We know what God says, and we choose to do the opposite. That’s why the relationship is broken—it’s willful.
Stephen:
Yeah, and the rest of the Bible unfolds how God takes rebels and makes them His children.
Joel:
Exactly.
Stephen:
Alright, we’ll park it there. God has given commandments because He’s God. He has the right to. And if we want to know Him and experience His blessings, we have to live in that place of submission and obedience.
Joel:
Thanks, Steve.
Stephen:
Thank you, Joel.
