What led to man's fall into a state of sin?

The answer that identifies disobedience to God's direct command as the reason for man's fall into a state of sin aligns perfectly with the teachings of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. According to the Catechism, the narrative of the Fall, as presented in Genesis, demonstrates that Adam and Eve fell into sin after they transgressed God's explicit directive regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This act of disobedience marked the moment when sin entered the human condition, leading to separation from God and the introduction of death and suffering into the world.

The other options do not capture the essence of the Fall as described in Scripture. For instance, listening to the advice of wise elders does not relate to the biblical account of the Fall, where it was rather the temptation from the serpent that led to disobedience. A lack of awareness of sin might imply ignorance, but the narrative shows Adam and Eve understood God's command, making their choice to disobey intentional. Lastly, while a misunderstanding of God's nature could potentially lead to wrong choices, it does not explicitly tie to the downfall as clearly as disobedience to a direct command does; the critical factor was their conscious decision to disobey God. Thus, the focus on dis