This is the so-called fall of mankind.

I thought about the story of Adam and Eve, the first humans, which everyone has heard at least once. Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent to eat the fruit that God had forbidden them to eat, which incurred God’s wrath and led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).

Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God had forbidden them to eat. (Genesis 2:17) This was a disobedience to God, the first sin committed by mankind, and a trait that was passed down to their descendants. This act also alienated mankind from God and brought physical death to the world.

So what changes occurred after eating the fruit of the “tree of knowledge of good and evil”?

Human knowledge is flawed when man is separated from God. The knowledge he possesses tends to make him proud.

The Bible often portrays human arrogance as the root cause of interpersonal problems and conflict. It stems from humans’ selfish desire to gain superiority over God and others. Throughout human history, this arrogance has repeatedly led to conflict.

This led to Eve’s desire to become as wise as God, which led to her sin and downfall. Satan (the serpent), who so eloquently tempted Eve, also previously desired to become God, but was cast out of heaven by God because of his arrogance.

The serpent was the cleverest of all the beasts of the field, which the Lord God had made. Wisdom and knowledge apart from God only feed on arrogance. In Genesis 11, mankind’s attempt to build the Tower of Babel, reaching to the heavens, reveals their arrogance and desire to make a name for themselves rather than glorify God.

Look at our current society. In this world, arrogant human behavior is praised and modeled, and self-centered and forceful words and actions are sometimes viewed positively as a necessary condition for success in the business world. Wisdom and knowledge that are divorced from God give humans an arrogant heart, prioritize their own desires and self-importance, maintain the power of successful people in society, and become increasingly consumed with the pride of believing they can control the world with their own power without God. The further we move from God, the more arrogant we become, and the more we fall prey to Satan’s schemes.

James 4:6 “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

The Bible records that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, realized the gravity of his actions and was overcome with such remorse and guilt that he eventually committed suicide (Matthew 27:3-5).
Judas likely could not bear the pangs of conscience for leading an innocent person into sin. This is the inner conflict we experience when our actions clash with our conscience.

We are all born with a conscience, but its origins are unknown scientifically. Look up the dictionary definition of “conscience.” It is an emotion that tells us to know and do what is right and avoid what is wrong. It also makes us feel guilty when we do something we know is wrong. (From the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary)

Where does conscience come from? Curiously, the need for “love” and the basic conscience shared by many people around the world are similar. This includes having a kind and compassionate heart, a gentleness that seeks to help the weak, not harming others through word or action, and not deceiving, lying, or stealing.

It’s as if a moral code, like God’s law, exists within us and functions as an inner sense of right and wrong. I believe our conscience, or inner sense of right and wrong, is something we inherit from God, because God created humans in His own image:

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).
“So the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).

These reflect God’s character, including truth (Psalm 117:2; 1 Samuel 15:29), holiness (Isaiah 6:3; Exodus 3:2), goodness, kindness, mercy, and love (Galatians 5:22-23).

Paul also states that God’s law is written in the hearts of the Gentiles.
“When the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do the deeds of the law by nature, they have the law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the law is written in their hearts, and their consciences also testify. And their thoughts are either accusing or excusing one another.” (Romans 2:14-15).