How God influences our behavior (and how we can influence each other) Part 2

Apply all of this to God's dealing with Adam.  God promised Adam immediate rewards for doing good (freely eating from the permissible trees,) and an immediate punishment for disobedience.  Take note of this as well:  Adam had not eaten from ANY of the trees as of yet.  He has NO frame of reference for how any of the trees will taste, nor for the effect of any of the trees on his life.  In other words, God isn't telling Adam to take JUST ONE bite from the tree of knowledge, then forbid him to ever taste it again.  God isn't tempting Adam.  As far as Adam knows, an apple is just as delicious as the forbidden fruit.  The tree of life is just as unknown as the tree of knowledge, and as every other fruit is.

So God's way of influencing Adam was perfect in wisdom and goodness and justice.  God didn't promise a "future pie in the sky" if Adam obeyed.  Adam would have immediate experiences of very good and perfect fruit.  He only had one fruit forbidden, and he'd never tasted that fruit before, or any other fruit, as I've said.  He literally didn't know what he would be missing.

God is good, and He hasn't changed.

There is immediate reward in obeying Him:  a clear and peaceful conscience.
There is immediate punishment in disobeying Him:  an unclear and convicted conscience.

There is no reward greater than a clear conscience, and no punishment harsher than an unclear conscience.  The way God influences us is how we should influence each other.  We should speak the truth in love in such a way that it rewards clear conscience and punishes unclear consciences.  We should influence people to do good for the reward of an immediately clear conscience, and influence people to refrain from evil by the punishment of an immediately convicted conscience.  By the Spirit, who convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment, this is possible.  This is how God influences our behavior, and how we can influence each other.