Good things come with great responsibility. Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48). When a young person gets her first cell phone, the parents give her a list of dos and don’ts concerning the ethics and behaviors associated with it. Your boss may give you a significant raise, but that raise comes with more work around the office. To whom much is given, much is required. This truth was present in the garden of Eden when our first parents were created as well. To whom much is given, much is required.

In the Westminster Larger Catechism, we are introduced to God’s decrees (Q. 14), the creation (Q. 15), the goodness of the creation of man (Q. 17), and the doctrine of providence (Q. 18). Each of these doctrines points us to a great truth concerning the creation of man: God has given much, and God has required much. That’s where the Larger Catechism takes us next in Question 20.

“Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created?

A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth; putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for his help; affording him communion with Himself; instituting the Sabbath; entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience, of which the tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.”

Notice the division of the Catechism’s answer: to whom much is given, much is required.

Much Was Given

Adam (and by extension, our first mother, Eve) was given much in his creation. The Catechism notes that he was placed in Eden, that paradise and kingdom of God, and he was appointed priest-king, as he was called to defend and care for Eden. Adam was also given dominion over the creation and provided a wife as a mutual help in exercising of dominion. Connected to dominion was the right to eat from the fruit of his labor: “establish thou the work of our hands.”

Besides Adam being given this kingdom, being provided a co-regent in Eve, and given power over creation, he was also provided with a perfect spiritual life. Adam had communion with God and the Sabbath, able to enjoy perfect fellowship and worship and rest in God his King.

This creation was good and very good according to God’s Word, for much was given!

Much Was Required

Responsibility is a theological truth. This truth was present in the garden, and God made that very clear when He said, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die’” (Gen. 2:16–17). In Reformed theology, we call this the covenant of works, or the covenant of life. Our Catechism says that these benefits given to Adam were conditional “upon personal, perfect, and perpetual” obedience symbolized in the sacramental tree in the midst of the garden. Eternal life came through obedience.

Most readers—surely all of you—know that Adam did not continue in the estate wherein he was created, but fell. R. C. Sproul was known for his phrase “cosmic treason.” This is what Adam committed, cosmic treason; but it was more than treason, it was tragedy. Life was not secured through this covenant of life—death came. We will see the results of this cosmic tragedy in the next four lessons from our Catechism.

To whom much was given, much was required.