Section 3: Our Separation from God

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Our Fall from Grace

When God created angels and man, He created them in His image and likeness. They were holy as God was holy. The angels kept the balance of nature and man were the stewards of the world. They were all equal in the eyes of God. Adam and Eve had many children before the fall. So, did the angels. So, before the fall from grace there were many men and angels in Heaven.

Knowing the real story of the fall of angels and man from grace and its consequence is important in knowing God and understanding our current human condition.

Stories about the fall of angels state that it was Lucifer, an angel who was closest to God, who first fell. The reasons vary, the more popular versions state that he either wanted to be like God or had issues about man. He then led a rebellion and was joined by other angels. Lucifer and Satan are seen as one and the same angel.

As for the fall of man, the bible states that Eve was tempted by a snake to disobey God’s order not to eat the fruit of the tree of good and evil. Adam followed suit upon Eve’s prompting. In Chapter 4: In the Beginning. God stated that the snake was a fallen angel who tempted Eve. As a result, Adam, Eve and the snake were all banished from the Garden of Eden.

It is interesting to note that the three things that was Adam and Eve’s punishment were:

1. Man has to fend for himself

2. Woman will have a painful childbirth

3. Woman will be under the rule of man

God’s description of Heaven, the relationship between soul mate and how children are born shed light as to why, of all things, these three things would

seem like a fate worse than death for Adam and Eve. As for the snake, his punishment was to be a lowly creature. Considering that it was arrogance that caused their fall, this would seem appropriate.

The biblical story of the fall of Adam and Eve is critical in the formation of our opinion of God. Whether or not you believe this story to be true, it leaves an impression of a punitive and unforgiving God who imposes a “one strike you’re out” rule. Even we don’t do this. We tend to give people a second-chance. This portrayal of God as a punitive God is further exacerbated by biblical stories and religious teachings. So, when we say God is a loving, forgiving and good father, it does not make sense. What loving parent would throw out their children and curse them and their children to a life of misery. Then, take thousands of years before He can forgive them.

Here’s God’s version of what really happened: