A question that is often asked about the fall of Adam and Eve is: Why was God’s punishment so severe when they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? For the simple act of eating of the fruit of one particular tree, they were exiled from the garden of Eden and as their descendants we are condemned to a lifetime of evil and suffering. That seems like excessive punishment.
Chalmers answers this question by stating the act of crossing the line of right and wrong is what is important not by how much the line has been crossed. It is in the act of crossing that line that we surrender our principles. [1]
Chalmers illustrates this point by using Jesus’ parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16 where Jesus summarizes the parable by saying: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” (Luke 16:10 ESV). [1] In other words, no sin is small. [2]
This explains the passage in James. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” (James 2:10 ESV) Chalmers notes that disobedience in one point of the law might be more indicative of the state of one’s character than if he kept the rest of the law. [3]
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[1] ] Thomas Chalmers. The Application of Christianity to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life. Hartford: Oliver D. Cooke, 1821. Reprinted by Sagwan Press, p.86.
[2] Chalmers, p. 100.
[3] Chalmers, p. 140.
