When speaking of God's decree and providence, why is it important to clearly distinguish these truths from God's judgment? Will God judge a person by his motives and intended actions or by His use of their actions for other outcomes? Why?

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

But of the tree of the knowletlge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

- Genesis 2:16-17

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

- Genesis 3:5

God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

- Genesis 3:3b4

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justfication of life.

- Romans 5:12,18

family's automobile for the purpose of sparing them from a serious accident?"

The thief had to meekly answer "no" to both questions.

"Then this fact can be dismissed," the judge instructed the jury. "It has nothing to do with the guilt or innocence of the person being tried."

The judge was clearly separating the person's present motive and action from their unintended and unknown outcomes. Why is this distinction important when viewing all sinful actions, also Adam's sin in Paradise?

Adam's sin was a very terrible and grievous sin for the following four reasons:

1. Adam's sin was premeditated. He sinned with full knowledge of that which he was doing; his sin was not a sin of ignorance.

2. Adam's sin declared rebellion against God. In choosing to disobey God, Adam chose to rebel against God and to establish himself as god. He desired to determine right or wrong, good or evil for himself. In doing so, Adam despised God's rich love and communion. His sinful rebellion stepped upon the very "heart" of God his Creator.

3. Adam's sin proclaimed his belief that God was a liar. Either God or Satan must be lying. God had declared that man would die by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan had said that man would not die. In choosing to believe Satan, Adam proclaimed his belief that God was a liar.

4. Adam's sin separated himself and all his postedty from God. As representative of all mankind in the Covenant of Works, Adam's sin brought separation from God and death upon the entire human race.

The chart on the following page explains how Adam broke all ten commandments of God's moral law with his one, terrible act of sinful disobedience in Paradise.