Was
Adam "born in sin and shapen iniquity" as is stated
in the Scriptures of all of Adam's posterity? --`Psa. 11:5`.
(A.N.D.)
<ANSWER>--Strictly speaking, Adam was not born; he was
created of the dust of the ground. Science confirms this statement
of the Bible, for all of the elements contained in the human
body are found in the earth. Man was a distinct creation; and
not a product of evolution as some deluded scientists maintain.
When God formed man of the earthly elements He pronounced him
"very good," and the Scriptures elsewhere declare
that all of God's works are perfect. (`Deut. 32:4`.) As a perfect
man it was optional with Adam as to whether he would obey the
Lord or not. The very fact that Adam had the power of choosing
between the good and the evil proves that he had not created
a mere machine but that he was a free moral agent and hence
in the image of God as the Scriptures affirm. If Adam had been
imperfect, of a sinful nature, degraded and evil as the race
is today, the Lord would never have placed him on trial. As
a result of Adam's disobedience, he passed under the sentence
of death and involved all of his posterity in the same awful
sentence and from that time to the present the race has journeyed
over the downward way leading to destruction. Death reigns as
all will admit. The race is to be delivered from death at the
second coming of Christ as the Apostle says "For He must
reign until He has placed all enemies under His feet; even death
the last enemy shall be destroyed." "And there shall
be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away."
`1 Cor. 15:26`; `Rev. 21:4`.
If
Adam was perfect; how could he have sinned?It seems to me that
a perfect man would have acted in a perfect manner. It is the
imperfect individual that sins or acts imperfectly. Kindly explain
this matter as I am frequently brought face to face with this
proposition.(Eve)
<ANSWER>--From the Scriptural narrative of the creation
of man, it is evident that God, the Creator, designed to have
an intelligent creature made in His own likeness, with an individual
will capable of deciding for good or evil. Man has the power
of willing to do as he, himself desires. Had he been created
otherwise he would not have been in the likeness of God, but
a mere machine controlled and directed by the Divine will. We
may reasonably suppose that Adam chose to disobey the Lord because
of his love for Eve. She had been deceived by the Adversary,
Satan, and had partaken of the forbidden fruit, the penalty
for which was death. Adam, realizing that she must die, deliberately
chose to share her fate, as life without her would not be worth
living. We are distinctly told that Adam was not deceived (`1
Tim. 2:14`) and we could conceive of no other motive on the
part of a perfect man in disobeying the Divine mandate, than
that of love for his bride.
The
first man Adam became a living soul (`1 Cor. 15:45`; `Gen. 2:7`),
the last Adam (the Lord from heaven, `1 Cor. 15:47`) at His
resurrection became a life giving spirit also?
<ANSWER>--The Scriptures in outlining the Divine Program
as it relates to the salvation of mankind plainly teach that
the present Christian Era, from the time of our Lord's first
advent to the time of His second coming, has been set apart
for the purpose of selecting and developing a special class,
the members of which in the resurrection will be changed from
fleshly to spiritual conditions. In this present life these
are said to be begotten of the spirit, then quickened of the
spirit and finally born of the spirit in the resurrection morning.
These are to be like their Lord and see Him as He is, changed
from mortal to immortal conditions. All others, Adam included,
are to be awakened unto a resurrection by judgment (`John 5:28,29`--not
damnation. See Revised Version), a raising up to perfection
as human beings, and these are to inhabit the earthly plane
of existence. Only the Lord Jesus and His joint heirs, the Church
of Christ, will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, the heavenly
or spiritual honors and blessings, while the world of mankind
in general will obtain blessings and life eternal as natural
or fleshly beings. See `1 Cor.15th chapter`.
What
became of Adam when he died; did he go to heaven or hell?
<ANSWER>--We may be sure Adam did not go to heaven at
death, because three thousand years later Jesus said, "No
man hath ascended up to heaven" (`John 3:13`). The judgment,
or sentence, of death was passed upon Adam by the Lord, who
said, "For dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return"
(`Gen. 3:19`). This judgment, of death was gradually enforced
during a period of 930 years, by Adam being denied access to
the life giving food in Eden (See `Gen. 3:23,24`), at the end
of which time Adam was completely dead. He therefore went into
the death condition. He went to hell--not the hell of the Dark
Ages, which has been represented as a lake of fire and brimstone,
but to the hell of the Bible, which word is translated from
the Hebrew word <sheol> and the Greek word <hades,>
and properly translated into the English word grave, tomb, or
state of death. Likewise all of Adam's children, inheriting
this death sentence, have followed him, at death, to the tomb.
The entire race would have been exterminated had it not been
that God provided for the redemption and resurrection of the
race through Christ, Jesus. "Who gave His life that we
might have life."
