'Never try to catch a falling knife'

Greg Laurie is the author of 12 inspirational books, which are available online.

Have you ever read some of the crazy warning labels found on various products these days? All of these are real. I am not making any of them up.

• A label on a baby stroller warns: "Remove Child Before Folding." I pity this poor kid.

• A brass fishing lure with a three-pronged hook on the end warns: "Harmful if Swallowed." That is especially true if you are a fish, but I assume some human decided to give it a nibble, too.

• A warning on a flushable toilet brush states: "Do not use for Personal Hygiene." Now that one is just downright frightening.

• How about this label on a bottle of drain cleaner that warns: "If you do not understand, or cannot read, all directions, cautions and warnings, do not use this product." If you cannot read, how would you know what that warning label is saying? Perhaps a skull and cross-bones would have done the trick.

• A cartridge for a laser printer warns, "Do not Eat Toner." Thanks for the reminder. I was going to have some with my burrito today at lunch, but now that you've warned me, I'll pass.

• A label on a 13-inch wheel on a wheelbarrow warns: "Not Intended for Highway Use." Did some guy actually do this? He must have been fast runner!

• A can of self-defense pepper spray warns users: "May Irritate Eyes." Yeah, I was kind of hoping for that, especially the eyes of the person who is attacking me!

• A dishwasher carries this warning: "Do not allow Children to play in the Dishwasher." This was probably written for the same person who folded their kid in the stroller!

• A household iron warns users: "Never iron clothes while they are being worn." OK, I'm going to confess to this one. I've put on a shirt, seen a wrinkle, and then ironed the wrinkled spot while wearing it. So I guess all these labels are not crazy. Or maybe they are and I am. You pick.

• One final warning label. On the side of household knife: "Never Try to Catch a Falling Knife." Ouch.

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God, too, has given us "warning labels" about certain things in life. He's told us there are things to embrace and things to avoid; there are things that can help us and things that can hurt us.

In our warped minds, we often think that God is trying to keep something good from us, but the Bible says, "No good thing will He withhold from those that walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11) In other words, if it's a good thing, God will not only allow us to do it, He will encourage us! However, if it's a harmful thing, He will warn us for our own good.

Clear back in the Garden of Eden God put a "warning label" up at a certain tree. It was called the "Tree of the knowledge of good and evil." The Lord warned Adam and Eve they could eat of any of the trees except this one, because "in the day you eat of it, you would surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17) God knew that this was a poisonous tree that would kill if its fruit were eaten, and He clearly warned them not to eat from it.

Scene two. Eve at the forbidden tree.

Why is it we are always attracted to that which is forbidden? Tell a child to stay out of a certain room and you can be certain he will be there the moment you turn away. It's the same with adults, too. We are instinctively drawn to that which is withheld, forbidden, taboo.

God gave Adam and Eve warning for good reason, but they ignored the "heavenly warning label" and ate of the forbidden fruit anyway.

By the way, the fruit they ate was not necessarily an apple! The Bible does not tell us what kind of fruit it was, but popular culture almost always refers it to as such. Personally, an apple would have not tempted me anyway. Now, a nice juicy peach, and we are talking!

So Eve took a chomp, and then Adam followed. But why?

Because Satan had made an alluring promise to them. He told them that if they ate of it "their eyes would be opened and they would be as gods." (Genesis 3:5)

Isn't that what everyone would like? Doesn't everyone want to be a "little god" ruling over their own little universe?

Of course, we try to order our lives that way, but it just doesn't work. Though Satan is called the "Father of lies," he was partially telling the truth this time. Mankind was allowed to play "god," but with tragic results.

Isn't it sad to see a child lose his or her innocence? To be exposed to something that is corrupt or wicked or depraved at an early age? Because of mass media that can be found at the flip of a switch, things that would have been unspeakable just a generation ago commonly tempt our kids today. Their "eyes are opened" and they soon know more about this wicked world than they need to know. The Bible says, "I would have you well-versed and wise as to what is good, and innocent and guileless as to what is evil." (Romans 16:19)

Now Adam and Eve had opened a "Pandora's Box" that could never be closed again. Their eyes were opened to earth but closed to heaven. And all of humanity has been reaping the consequences ever since. The deadly disease of sin entered the human race. The Bible says, "When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned." (Romans 5:12)

We might say, "That's not fair! Why should the sin of Adam have an impact on me living in the 21st century?" Well, because if you were in his shoes, you would have done the same thing. And I would have, too. Because we don't read the warning labels.

Thankfully, God gave a solution for the issue of sin when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead. He promises if we will turn from our sins and put our faith in Him alone, we can be forgiven and enter into a personal relationship with the God from whom we are separated by sin. Now that is good news!

I encourage you to open up the Bible and read what God tells you to do, and what He tells you not to do. Those heavenly "warning labels" are there for your own good.