If humanity would simply acknowledge the innate authority of the Creator, would recognize that they were tenants and stewards in God's garden, they would live in paradise forever. But if they had to have access to every part of the garden, if they had to "be free" to choose their own rules and decide for themselves what was "good and evil," if they had to autonomous of the authority of the great King, then they would die. The choice was autonomy, the covenant was broken and the curse was enacted.
