Many Christians have elevated the message of Love over the message of Truth. Since God is Love this seems reasonable. However, Jesus preached Truth of which Love was a key part. He said the Truth sets you Free. It is necessary to be set Free in order to Receive and experience the Love of God.
God gave man the gift of choice. In the garden it was the choice between the forbidden fruit and all the fruit in the garden.
Essentially that choice was the choice between obedience and disobedience.
It was the choice to trust God or to distrust Him.
It was the choice between Relationship with Him and conflict.
It was to determine what is Good and what is Evil.
It was self-determination.
In other words, God gave man Freedom. He set Him Free to choose.
This is why the Founding Fathers referenced the gift of Freedom in the Declaration Of Independence and worked so diligently to protect that Freedom in the construction of the Constitution and the Government it laid out.
Freedom and Life itself are co-equal in value.