="BillG, post: 3770186, member: 252071"]Adam and Eve did not have to believe. They already knew God.
Eve didn't believe God, she trusted "another voice" over the Word of God. I think that was the message of this example created for our admonition.
Genesis 3:8-9
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
Am I right in assuming that you believe that Adam & Eve were not saved because they disobeyed the one thing that God told them not to?
Jesus said we are "Being saved" and that we "Shall be saved" if we do this or that. It's in your Bible. I think the religion that she was already "saved" or already immortal was a deception told her by the "other voice". It's still going on today.
Or were they obedient after being thrown out of the garden to earn salvation?
What obedience are we talking about here that determines salvation?
Is it works or is it faith?
There is a "Law" which requires Faith in God to receive the blessing. The Mainstream Preachers of Christ's time "omitted" this "Law". Eve also "omitted" this law and was punished.
If works had a bearing on salvation then surely Jesus would not have to die on the cross.
But we know the minute that Adam & Eve sinned the plan of redemption and salvation was declared by God, set in place before they disobeyed.
Paul says "death" for sin is for the purpose of showing how exceedingly wicked and really really bad rebellion and disrespecting God is. So we would take it seriously and strive to "Rule over it" as the Christ told Cain.
What was this plan?
John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
God sent His Son to create the world, and life, and humans, and Salvation. "Many" who come in Christ name don't believe Jesus wrote down His fathers Will on tablets of stone, and then promised to became a man and write those same Laws on our hearts. Those who believe in this "Jesus" hear His Sayings and "Doeth them". But "many" hear His sayings and don't really believe, so the "doeth them not"..
Jesus said
John 6:29
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
We didn't know God like Adam & Eve did. They had nothing to believe in.
They already knew God.
Hence the plan set before they disobeyed.
Paul says we all know God, but don't "glorify Him as God". It seems Eve was included in that statement.
Jesus said
John 20:29
29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That would include everyone since His assenting to His Father.
Obedience has no bearing on salvation.
Faith and belief in Jesus is our salvation which if is genuine has an outworking of obedience to let our light shine, to be like him to glorify him.
The serpent convinced Eve of this very same falsehood. Genesis 3, see for yourself. Jesus said if we "believe" in Him, we will do what He says.
Ex. 20:
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
I believe in this Christ, the Word of God which became Flesh.
It is also prudent to note that God gave us the example of Eve who was deceived by "Another Voice" which used some of God's Words. He also gave us the example of Abraham who was most certainly tempted by the "other voice" as well. One obeyed the instructions of God no matter what, and the other was convinced to reject god's instructions by another voice.
These examples were written for our admonition. The example seems clear. It is better to listen to and obey God's instruction, than to listen to another voice and be convinced to reject God's instruction.
It seems your statement "Obedience has no bearing on salvation" is not accurate if the scriptures are to be believed.