Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
Imagine a way that seems right to the human race, but its end is death, it must be a DANGEROUS way and we have to WARN others not to follow that way. How do we know which way is right and which way is wrong? The only way we can differentiate the right way and the wrong way is by looking at the Word of God. Let the Word of God teach us the right way, not our human reasoning, church traditions or the world standards. The true Gospel preaching must reveal this subtle way, but unfortunately many are not preaching the true Gospel.
No one in their right mind believes that adultery, fornication, drunkenness etc lead him to life. Even the worst sinner in the world knows that adultery, fornication, drunkenness etc will lead him to death or destruction. So there must be a way that seems right, attractive, godly and wise but the end of it is death. This way we could call it as a way of deception.
To understand this way of deception, let us examine the first deception ever took place in the history of humanity. It took place in the Garden of Eden and Eve was the first victim and the deceiver is satan. If we spend some time and dig deeper into the incident that led the whole humanity to spiritual death, we can understand this way of death, and will never ever be deceived by the subtleness of this way.
God created Adam and Eve in His image and in His likeness and placed them in the Garden of Eden, and gave them a choice to live (1) Tree of life (2) Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life was a way to live by the indwelling presence of God in man [ GRACE] and tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a way to live by the knowledge of good and evil [ LAW]. Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to become like God. Their intentions were good and godly and the way seems right to them, but it ended up in spiritual death for the whole human race.
Adam was the representative of the whole human race, and whatever decision Adam took would affect the whole human race. If Adam, our representative choose the tree of life, it would have led the whole human race to eternal life, not even one would have perished [2 Peter 3:9]. But Adam, by his free will choice, choose to eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and led the whole human race to spiritual death.
Romans 6:17 - 19
For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Before Adam and Eve committed the highest treason to the whole human race, they also thought that they are choosing the right way for the whole human race, but they choose the way of death for us. Eve thought that the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil would make her wise, it was good for food and was pleasant to the eyes.
Genesis 3:6
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
Jesus the last Adam paid the price for first Adam's sin and opened a new and living way for us [Heb 10:20], living by the indwelling presence of God in us [GRACE]. Jesus, our representative through the cross and resurrection, brought us back to garden of Eden or the kingdom of God, so never again go back to the old and deceptive way, living by the knowledge of good and evil and trying to do good. Since our salvation is based on the perfect work of Jesus on the cross, we may not loose our salvation if you live by the knowledge of good and evil, but will never be productive and effective for the kingdom.
The preaching of the gospel must reveal the subtleness or craftiness in the way of the knowledge of good and evil, but sad to say that many gospel preachers are preaching the knowledge of good and evil as the gospel. True Gospel teaches us how to live by the indwelling presence of Jesus in us, not by the knowledge of good and evil.