Shorter Catechism Q. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created? A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created was their eating the forbidden fruit.
Commentary: As noted in WSC 13, our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God. WSC 15 addresses the particular sin that our first parents committed, which led to their downfall. The sin in question is their eating the forbidden fruit.
After God had made Adam and placed him in the garden of Eden, he commanded Adam that he may eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except one. The fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was off limits, and if he should eat it, he will surely die.
There was nothing about the fruit of this tree that made it unfit to eat. It wasn’t filled with poison or rotten. In fact, Eve observed that it was good for food and a delight to the eyes (Gen. 3:6). The key difference between this fruit and the fruit of the other trees was God’s prohibition. We all can appreciate how adultery, murder and stealing are wrong. The evil is clearly observed in the act itself. But how can eating fruit of one tree in a garden full of trees be sinful or evil? It was not sinful in and of itself like murder is. The only reason it was sinful was because God had commanded Adam not to eat it. This special command thus served to provide a good test for Adam’s obedience. Would Adam obey God simply because of God’s say so? Would Adam believe God’s word that he would die if he should eat it? Would he believe God when God’s word is challenged?
Adam failed the test miserably and so fell from his created estate. Some have wondered why eating forbidden fruit was worthy of such a grave punishment. The problem was that he ate it in direct disobedience and rebellion against God. This one sin included many other sins, which reveals its heinousness, such as: 1. Treason, in aligning with the devil, God’s enemy. 2. Unbelief, in not trembling at the divine threat of death and in believing Satan rather than God. 3. Pride and selfish ambition, in desiring to be like God. 4. Murder, in bringing death upon themselves and their posterity.