Or is it that God put the tree in place to TEST man.
Scripture indicates the tree was already in the Garden when we were put there.
Did He want to see if a truly free creature would choose to obey Him or not.
This is not a debate forum. So I suggest that if you really want to get into this topic, we should probably talk elsewhere so as not to be misconstrued as debating. I call it suggesting. You suggest that we are truly free creatures, so that God could test us if we would obey Him. The problem for me with freewill, is that the term is used as an equivocation. To define freedom of will as having in some measure the ability to trust our Maker, while also having in some measure, the disability to distrust our Maker, just doesn't make sense to me. What exactly would God be testing? Our blind obedience or our blind disobedience? For we know that mankind was obedient in faith up until the episode with the serpent. Did God send the serpent to test us? No, I don't believe that God sent the serpent, the most cunning of all God's creatures to test us through subtlety. Otherwise, God would be unjust in punishing the serpent for doing his job. So God wasn't testing us by telling us not to eat of that tree. I believe He was simply warning us in all forthrightness. Just as if I told my daughter not to text while driving.
I am not so sure what God wanted. But I think we were made to choose to fellowship with Him and obey Him.
I wonder if this whole thing we call life is not a test to see just who will obey HIM! The ones that choose to obey will spend eternity with HIM!
I've wondered that too before. It's why I'm here writing in response to the issue. I don't believe God is testing us. But what you call freewill in this scenario, I call a corruptible soul.
Adam was made a corruptible soul for a reason. It is also said the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. Therefore God knew there would be vanity in the creation. I just don't see any way around that. And such vanity, according to scripture, began in the highest angel, known as Satan, God's enemy, our adversary, the planter of the tares next to the wheat in our Lord's parable., and the same serpent that deceived mankind, the same entity who Jesus came to destroy the works of. Therefore God had to know.
Again you are assuming what God wanted. We were made to fellowship with God.
Respectfully, I am deducing from what we do know. I am not assuming. I know that God wants fellowship. How do I know this? Because fellowship requires faith/trust. From faith to faith. Faith in God is a prerequisite for fellowship. And obviously without faith in God, we cannot please God. If it matters to God what we think of Him, then He desires fellowship.
The freedom to choose back and forth whether God can be trusted or not, is therefore not necessary for fellowship. In fact, to be in a state of mind and soul, where one is left deciding for himself whether God is trustworthy or not, is to already be in a state of corruption through unbelief. Such a freewill, would actually be an impediment to fellowship, since it is essentially the same as always wondering if God is trustworthy. I therefore can't believe that in heaven, we would have these types of so called free wills that could choose to trust God or not. We would know He is trustworthy, even as the dear sacrifice of our Lord and Savior proves beyond any conceivable doubt.
The logic of making evil so prominent seems to me to be lacking. You are making evil an item it does not deserve. God is good ( that is an attribute of God.) The opposite of good is evil. Evil exist because there is an elemental opposite to good. Love/ hate; Holy/ impious; infinite/ finite; just/ biased; and so on.,
You are describing those things that spiritually amount to light and dark., wherein between are shades of gray. I note that God does not have any darkness, yet His will I would consider as free. The truth is, Light is all we actually see, but it is also light that is taken for granted in vanity. Darkness is the absence of light, wherein one sees less and less as he travels into darkness farther away from the light that is God. They are not equal powers. One power is higher than the other. And this we know because, the Truth of God preceded the lie which subverts the Truth. Therefore, a lie needs the Truth to exist. The Truth does not need the lie so as to exist.
To say, 'He made us, free in our wills because we were innocent, and not the lie that we are free in our wills because we know good and evil, is I think missing the point. We were made to Know God and fellowship with Him. Where do you find scripture that says we were less and "INNOCENT" Adam had as much free will before eating as after, Before Adam knew what God had said he must do, he choose not too.
I'm not saying we were less in freewill when we were innocent. I'm saying we lost our innocence when we were duped into believing God was a liar, which led to our eating the fruit, which led to the slavery of sin. The term 'free' before 'will' is rather subjective. But still I would argue that Adam didn't have as free of a will after eating. He now sees nakedness. He now knows shame, pride, guilt, death, disease, hardship, scrutiny of others, distrust, cynicism. The knowledge of good and evil is knowledge. But knowledge passes away, while Love endures. Knowledge puffs up, but Love edifies. I think Love is all that actually matters.
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
This scripture is saying that no one ever obeyed these commandments, which is how we know we are unrighteous and have sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
This reiterates that righteousness is apprehended by faith and not by the ability to choose freely. Above, I have already demonstrated that faith/trust is a prerequisite for fellowship, while the freedom to choose back and forth whether God is trustworthy or not, is an impediment to fellowship. One cannot be on the fence concerning this. He who has faith in God is righteous, He who does not have faith in God is unrighteous. It's the same as saying, He who doesn't trust God, is calling God a liar.
I do not know how LOVE got involved in righteousness But that point sure failed.
How so? Love is the impetus in the will that moves men in righteousness, because Love feels others feelings. The ability to reason cannot even navigate properly without Love as a reference. Love God with all your heart mind and soul and Love your neighbor as yourself. This is righteousness as far as I know, and it requires Love. Love is what matters. Love is the Light, and the absence of Love is the darkness. God is Love/Light/Truth. God knew there would be vanity in the creation, so I believe it is safe to conclude, that we are here as living examples before all of heaven and earth, to prove that God is all that matters. Or in other Words, to glorify God alone. Romans 8:20.