“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)
Notice the deceiver flatly contradicted God, implying God was the one who was deceiving them. Notice he goes further, insinuating that God was somehow holding out on them. When our first parents believed Satan’s lie about the holy character of God, that original false narrative plunged humanity into a world of darkness and evil. Humanity’s great problem of unbelief is not so much doubting his existence, but questioning his goodness.
The fall of man was not merely ruinous for the entire human race, it was heinous crime against the majesty of the holy God. But when the Father sent his son into the world to become the Lamb of God and take away or sins, this great slanderous lie was decisively and forever refuted.
By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory. (I Tim. 3:16)
The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations (Ps 98:2)
Related: Glory Revealed, Honor Vindicated, Evil Conquered, Sinners Saved