The serpent said to the woman “Did God really say,

 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?” .... The woman said  “God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'”..... He replied  “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” (Genesis 3:1-4). Neither love nor free will mean anything if the are no options.  And the only thing forbidden was to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And it was forbidden because “in the day you eat of it you will die” (2:18). God's plan was for Adam and Eve to live forever, but not in a fallen state (3:22, 23).  The day they ate they became dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). In Adam all die! The good news,  is that all in Christ shall be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22).

The serpent was not only inviting Eve to doubt and disbelieve what God had said,  he was also insinuating that God was withholding something good! God's one, single rule for Adam and Eve,  was there for provision (eternal life) and protection (from death). God's rules are always there for the very same two reasons! Notice Eve did not get God's Word quite right, touching the fruit was not mentioned (2:18). This side of the fall (3:6),  “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge ....” (Hosea 4:6).

Most people don't like to think of themselves as villains.  If we want to do something,  and God says “no,” we can either doubt that He said it,   asking “Did God really say ...” Either that,  or we can choose to disbelieve what He says. We talk about needing freedom, doubting that God's rules are there for our provision and protection. It's called rationalization! Biblically it's called suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).  But God cannot be mocked in this way, we reap what we sow, the one who sins is the slave of sin, and the wages of sin (what we get for what we do)  is still death (Galatians 6:7; John 8:34; Romans 6:23).
 
James gives us insight into temptation, “everyone is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and is enticed” (James 1:14). We will talk about Eve's enticement tomorrow. But drawn away from what?  Well sin separates us first and foremost from God (Isaiah 59:2).  And as here, temptation draws us away from truth, from reality, from relationships with each other and ultimately,  through guilt and shame (2:25),  from the self. The wages of sin is death in multiple areas including emotional, mental,  physical and relational health!

Lord Jesus, Your Word tells us (Malachi 2:5) that Your covenants are there for life and shalom (peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility). Under the New Covenant You died in our place substituting Your righteousness for our sin.  And You  died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for You  who died and was raised to life for us (2 Corinthians 5:21, 15).   The serpent, the Devil,  the thief came to kill steal and destroy, but You came that we might have life in all its fulness (John 10:10).  We get this only by living not by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from Your mouth (Deuteronomy 8:3). Give us grace to live this way Lord,  in Your precious Name Amen