What was it then, if all things God has created are good, that caused man to lose his way—the way that leads to eternal life and Paradise itself? And is there then a way that leads back to Paradise?

In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the devil retorts that he would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven. That just about sums up his attitude of pride that rendered him insane in his thinking and attitude. Satan appeals to our vanity and pride as well as our emotions whereby he can arouse lust. Remember, Satan deluded himself into believing he was invincible and that God was wrong (Ezekiel 28). Hence, he calls evil good and good evil.

I have often wondered why, in the Garden of Eden, Adam didn’t take God (his Father) seriously enough to obey Him, even when he was not deceived and still had a sound mind. Apparently he never made it to the tree of life to find out what it had to offer. Perhaps, Adam feared the loss of Eve more than his own death; and maybe Eve, whose curiosity may have gotten her in trouble, unwittingly became the diversion that Satan used to distract Adam and catch him off-guard.

What an awfully wrong decision he made! This wrong choice would have far-reaching consequences—even into our day.

The choices we make in our lifetime can also have serious consequences. However, if we choose God’s way, which is life, we must also follow through with that choice to the end. The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that the way of life requires repentance, action and wholeheartedness (Acts 2:38; 17:30; Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:4; 19:17).

In Luke 9:62 Jesus put it this way: "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

That sounds like a total commitment, doesn’t it? God requires our undivided attention. Actually, He isn’t asking any more than any good teacher would require. And like a good parent, God also requires obedience: "…bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

In the final analysis, our destiny is well worth the effort, as we read in Revelation 2:7, "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." UN