What Would Have Happened to Humans if There Was No Fall?

Question of the week: Regarding the law of decay, does that mean the Garden of Eden would have eventually decayed since the law of decay existed both before and after Adam’s fall into sin? If so, what would have happened to us once the Sun incinerated Earth and the universe did completely decay—if there was no fall? Since there was a fall, did that mean God knew we would eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? If that’s the case, why put it there to begin with if God knew we would eat of it?

My answer: You are asking important questions. The law of decay, aka the second law of thermodynamics, has been governing the universe since the cosmic creation event (Jeremiah 33, Ecclesiastes 1–3, Ecclesiastes 10–12, John 16:33, Romans 8:20–22). Therefore, the Garden of Eden was subject to decay before Adam sinned. Note that God had Adam tend the garden before Adam sinned. Adam’s tending (working) was necessary because of the second law of thermodynamics (law of decay). If there was no fall, God would have moved us from the universe into a different realm before the Sun incinerated Earth and the heat death of the universe occurred. The coming cosmic heat death implies that biological metabolism becomes impossible in less than one trillion years from now. The Sun will incinerate Earth in just four billion years from now. However, as the gospel song declares, “This world is not my home. I’m just passing through.”  

Before Adam sinned, he lacked an eternally secure relationship with God. For Adam or any human being to gain an eternally secure, loving relationship with God, that relationship must be tested and tested to the greatest degree possible. Therefore, God purposely tested Adam and Eve and invited Satan to enter the Garden of Eden. Because God permitted us to be exposed to the greatest possible evil (Satan), a pathway was opened whereby we could, through the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit, achieve eternal security while our free will and capacity to experience and express love is greatly enhanced.

For more detailed and complete answers to your questions see Why the Universe Is the Way It Is and Beyond the Cosmos, 3rd ed. Anyone can get free chapters of both books at reasons.org/ross.