What was the original relationship between God and man in the Garden of Eden?
In the Garden of Eden, God created man in His own image and enjoyed direct, harmonious fellowship with him. God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, and their relationship was described as sweet fellowship where everything was super and fine, before any separation occurred.
Les explains that reconciliation only becomes necessary after a separation. He illustrates with a husband and wife who drift apart and become almost enemies, needing to be brought back to common ground. In the spiritual realm, the same happened with man and God. Originally, God created man in His own image, had fellowship with him in the Garden, and everything was super. God could walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, and it was sweet fellowship; everything was fine. That original unbroken fellowship was later disrupted, making reconciliation through Jesus Christ necessary.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.