of God's goodness in man's behavior (third theistic
premise). Thus man was free to function as God intended
by the expression of the character of the Creator within the
behavior of the creature; free to be and do what God
intended to be and do in man.
The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," on the
other hand, was a rejection of God's intent. The "father of
lies" (John 8:44) wanted to "cover-up" the derivative
determination of good and evil. He foisted upon man the
delusional idea of self-determined morality, that man could
be "like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5),
establishing and determining good and evil by oneself,
independent, from one's own perspective and center of
reference.
"Satan persuaded man...that he had an adequate capacity in himself
for being good, without the necessity of having God; that he could
be righteous in his own right, morally adult without the need of
being spiritually alive! In short, that man could be independent --
both cause and effect!" 5That is where morality started, at the fall of man.
Thenceforth man was naturally self-deceived with respect
to his ability to be the arbiter and generator of good and
evil, thinking that he could establish ethical standards of
good and evil, right and wrong, on the basis of human self-