Q/A Friday: Why Did God Create Adam and Eve, If He Knew They Would Sin?

This question was not emailed or sent to me in a digital format. It was posed to me by my youngest son, Ethan on the way to school yesterday. Our commute to school is about 2 minutes long, and he posed the question about 30 seconds into our drive. Thus, the challenge of answering such a good question in 90 seconds was right in front of me.

And before I share with you my answer, let me encourage you to have ready brief, simplistic answers to difficult questions. This is wise – not just for the small children in our lives who may ask them – but for not being victims of “failing to see the forest for the trees.”

So, back to the question at hand. I am going to answer this in the way I answered it with Ethan. If you are looking for a lengthy response, I won’t give it. Here is how I answered it to my 2^nd grader.

“Ethan, you are right, God knew Adam and Eve would sin. God gave them the ability to choose right and wrong in the Garden of Eden. And He knew when He gave them that choice that they would choose to sin, even before He created them.

“That may seem mean or confusing why God would do such a thing. But keep this in mind as well: God didn’t allow their choice of sin to overrule His love for us. He also knew before He created them, and before they even sinned, that He would send His Son to die for their sins. Isn’t that cool that God would provide forgiveness for sins?

“You can’t fool God. He is always ready to meet our greatest needs if we trust Him and follow Him. Thanks for asking that question, Ethan.”

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