Posted by Searcher
on 7/5/2009, 9:54 am, in reply to "Romans 7:9"
75.104.128.37
Dear Ray,
God put Adam in the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. Adam was told that he could eat freely of every tree of the garden, including the tree of life, with one exception. He was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The penalty for eating of this tree was death.
"for in the day that thou eatest therof thou shalt surely die" (Gen 2:17)
Adam was doomed to die. Adam was barred from the tree of life and the death process began in the day that he sinned. The serpent beguiled the woman, saying, "..ye shall NOT surely die". This is the first recorded lie of Satan. Eve believed Satan instead of God, and man has been believing Satan throughout the ages. Many believe that man (or part of man) does not die but is immortal. This is the basis for Spiritualism or Spiritism. This is contrary to the Word of God.
Man is mortal. Adam lived 930 years and then he died. Adam did not have inherent immortality. When he could no longer eat of the tree of life, his days were numbered. Adam did not die "spiritually" when he ate of the forbidden tree. He was not a spiritual being. He was of the earth, earthy.
1Cor 15:47
The first man [Adam] is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
The issue from Genesis to Revelation is life or death. Adam had a choice of obedience and life, or disobedience and death. He chose disobedience, even though the penalty was death. There is no other alternative between life or death.
The day that Adam and Eve were disobedient and turned away from God, mankind was placed under the bondage of death. After Adam and Eve sinned, God gave them atonement for their sins. The skins He covered them with were from the first blood sacrifice for sin. They did still have the choice to now believe in Him and have the promise of eternal life, just as all men have.
In regard to Romans 7, the purpose of the Law was to make man aware of sin. Anyone who followed the law had to follow the whole law. The law was impossible to keep because in the flesh it is impossible to please God. The flesh is weak. What God really desired of man was that he love the law of God after the heart, knowing that this body of death is weak and unable to do good.
Read Romans 7:14-25 for a more thorough explanation. We are not to follow after the works of the flesh (the old man), but rather the new man which is Christ in us. All of Romans 8 discusses this. As long as we are flesh and blood, sin will be in us. We cannot change that, but we are consider our body dead because of sin, but belief in Him brings the promise of eternal life. The new nature given to to us when we believe frees us from the law of sin and death.
Ro 8:10...13
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness...For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
We all must die, but if we believe in Him, we will will not perish (remain dead with no remedy), but will have everlasting life given to us on the day of our resurrection.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
The alternative in John 3:16 is life or perishing. The word translated perish means to be utterly and finally ruined and destroyed. It is translated destroyed many times in the NT.
Paul completely identified with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Gal 2:19,20, "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flash I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me."
Gal 3:22
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Searcher
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