SPIRITUAL DEATH: When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, their sin caused spiritual separation between them and God.They thus personally suffered spiritual death, that is, they were spiritually dead because of their separation from God.
All men since the days of Adam and Eve also suffer spiritual death, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rm 3:23). Every person today is spiritually separated from God because of his own personal sin, not because of Adam's sin. Adam was personally responsible for the guilt of his own sin. We are also personally responsible for our own sin today. Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
PHYSICAL DEATH: Not only did Adam spiritually die before God when he sinned, he was also driven from the Garden of Eden, “lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” (Gn 3:22). Consequently, physical death entered into the world. The Bible speaks concerning what happened when Adam and Eve were separated from the tree of life, “For since by man came [physical] death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive."
(1 Co 15:21,22).
When Adam was separated from the tree of life, all humanity
was separated with him. Therefore, all men must physically die (Hb 9:27). We thus suffer the consequences of Adam’s sin in reference to physical death because Adam caused all humanity to be separated from the tree of life.
Concerning our choices to sin, we are also like Adam. As Adam, all of us have made choices to sin against God's law. All of us therefore sin by transgressing the law of God (1 Jn 3:4). We sin by not doing that which we know is good (Js 4:17). Therefore, the Bible is correct by stating, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rm 3:10).
When we think about sin, therefore, we must think about separation.When one personally sins, he or she is spiritually separated from God. We thus suffer the guilt of our own sin.
We must think about separation even when discussing the subject of physical death. When Adam sinned, he was separated from the tree of life lest he eat of it and live forever (Gn 3:22-24).
Because of this separation, it is now necessary that all of us physically die, for all humanity has been separated from the tree of life (Hb 9:27). We therefore suffer the consequences of Adam's sin in reference to physical death. This is what the Bible means when it says, “... as in Adam all die ...” (1 Co 15:22).
Though we sin against God, there is hope of reconciliation! Even when Adam and Eve sinned, God gave hope in order that all of us be restored to a correct relationship with God, for God knew that we would all sin as Adam. This hope for an eternal solution for sin was first given to Adam and Eve and recorded in Genesis 3:15.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman,and between your seed and her Seed. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise His heel.
In this statement God promised a solution for sin. It is very important that you remember this particular prophecy. This is the Bible's first announcement of the great news that God had in His plan of redemption to save us from our sin. Even before the creation of the world God had a plan to redeem man from sin, for He knew that because of our weaknesses we would sin (See Rv 13:8).
Genesis 3:15 is a prophecy of God’s intentions to set into action His plan of salvation. It is a prophecy of Jesus who would come and crush Satan's head by His death on the cross for the sins of man.
SCRIPTURE READING: Gn 3:22-24; Rm 5:12-21; 1 Co 15:20-28
SCRIPTURE RESEARCH: Separation from God: Mt 7:21-23; Ep 2:1-3; 2 Th 1:7-9, Physical death: Ps 6:5; 13:3; 23:4; Jn 5:24; 8:51; 1 Co 15:54-56; Hb 2:14; Rv 2:10, Spiritual death: Rm 6; Ep 2:1, Sin & separation: Is 59:1,2; Ez 18:20; Mt 7:21-23
No comments:
Post a Comment