The story of Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden, is familiar to the majority of folks. God created man for fellowship, and He has one need: to be worshipped in Spirit, and in Truth. The Bible says that man was created in the image of God. According to the Hebrew dictionary, "image" means "phantom," or one could say, "spirit." That would mean that man, although flesh and blood, was a spiritual being, capable of communicating with his Creator on a spiritual level. There would be no consciousness of man's humanity because, as the Word says, Adam and Eve were naked (nude,) and were not ashamed. (Gen.2:25) There was nothing to separate man from his Creator. They could walk and talk, in pure communion, Spirit to spirit.

Just think what it must have been like in the Garden of Eden, when God walked and talked with His creation, man. The peace and serenity that existed must have been beyond anything our finite minds can comprehend. There would be no such thing as the hustle and bustle of what we have now, in this twenty-first century. The fragrant flowers, the fresh green foliage, the carpet-like grass, and the exhilarating, oxygen-rich, air must have been beyond description! Imagine the beautiful birds of every kind, in chorus, with their unique sounds. It must have sounded like a symphony. Imagine a beautiful, stately, doe grazing in the woods, as she listens to the "music" of the birds. Imagine the spotless, woolly, sheep wandering in the meadows, without fear of danger. Everything in the Garden was perfect.

Man was formed from the dust of the earth, and made alive by the breath of God (Gen. 2:7). The form was lifeless, until God breathed life (spirit) into him. Because man was made from dust, he will return to dust after he dies, as David said in Psalm 104:29: "thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust".

Of all the trees in the Garden of Eden, the two that are mentioned in Genesis are the Tree of Life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As is commonly known, God told man that if he were to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would surely die. God gave them the choice of "life" or "death," and they chose "death," because the serpent tricked them. That old serpent, the Devil, told them they would "not die," but that they would be as gods, knowing good and evil. Just as the serpent had said, their eyes were opened. But what did they see? They did not see that they were "nude," as before, and "were not ashamed." This time they saw that they were "cunning," as the Hebrew word for "nakedness" means. Their flesh was exposed. They were now creatures of flesh, with self-awareness due to the knowledge of good and evil. And the man and woman tried to hide their nakedness with fig leaves. God knew they had eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and He found them attempting to hide their flesh.

At this point in time, God was already looking ahead to the Cross, and how He would undo man's error. God took the skins of animals, and made a covering for the flesh of the man and the woman. In putting to death the animals, from which the skins were taken, there would have had to be bloodshed. The word "skin" means "that which covers nakedness." The meaning of the Hebrew word translated "blood" is "that which when shed causes death." We could say, "That which covers [man's] nakedness," could be made only through the shedding of "that which when shed causes death." Now we see how Jesus would one day shed His blood to provide a robe of righteousness for man.

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. Genesis 3:22-23. Had man eaten the fruit of the tree of life in his fallen condition, and lived eternally, God would have lost forever His creation that was made to worship Him.

Was it Adam's act of disobedience that made all of mankind "sinful?" Or was it the result of his disobedience? If simple disobedience were the problem, the tree with the forbidden fruit could have been a cherry tree, or a fig tree. But it was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The fruit of the tree caused the problem: not merely the eating of it. Yes, man ate the fruit, but the fruit itself provided the source of trouble for all mankind from that moment on. Man's heredity was now to be born a creature of flesh, both literally, as well as figuratively. That is the reason Jesus said to Nicodemas, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:6-7.

The knowledge of good and evil became the guiding force in man's life. He was aware that he could be his own "god," with his "God-like" knowledge. Another word for "flesh" is "self," and man's eyes were opened, so that he was very conscious of his new found "self" awareness, with its accompanying "self" sufficiency. Rather than relying on God, man now relied on his knowledge of good and evil. His new condition was one of "mortality." Because of his disobedience, the knowledge of good and evil caused man's condition to change from a spiritual being, to a fleshly being: and subject to death [mortal]. As Paul said, in Romans 5:14, "death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam." Death reigned because man was flesh, and flesh will die.

The word "adam" means, "man." The word "man" is also translated from a second Hebrew word, which means "mortal," and it is derived from another word translated "desperately wicked." A whole book could be written to show, throughout the Old Testament, the difference in the uses of "man [adam, mankind]," and "man [mortal]." But for now, I shall quote only the first verse, in Genesis, where "man [mortal]" occurs. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos [mortal]: then began men [mortals] to call upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 4:26.  The Nephilim [bullies/tyrants] were in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men [adam, mankind], and they bare children to them, the same were mighty men [tyrants] which were of old, the men of renown. Genesis 6:4. (Orig. KJV) The fifth and sixth verses show the effect that these "men of renown" had on the LORD. And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man [mankind] was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man [mankind] on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (Orig. KJV)

The "wickedness of man" came as a result of his "knowledge of good and evil." His "God-likeness" caused his focus to turn to "self," and away from acknowledging God as the LORD God. Man had become a full-fledged creature of flesh and blood, capable of every kind of evil imaginable.

Man's condition of flesh separated himself and his Creator, but God had a plan! He would one day reconcile man to Himself. The relevancy of "flesh" in the fall of man away from God, as well as in the reconciliation of man back to God is very clear in Paul the Apostle's letter to the Romans. God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and as an offering for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4 (Original KJV)

The serpent had deceived man into exalting himself through the knowledge of good and evil, which was his "God-likeness." But God chose to humble Himself, and come in the likeness of sinful flesh, to put to death the flesh that had come between man and Himself. In crucifying flesh, being buried, and raised to life by the Spirit, Jesus made a way for man to receive the knowledge of the Truth. God's response to man's "God-likeness" was for Himself to come in the form of "man-likeness."

Adam did not pass on to man a "sin"-heredity because he "sinned." He passed on a "flesh"-heredity that came with the "knowledge of good and evil." All that which flesh produces is "sin," whether it is "good" or "evil." This can be seen in this verse in Leviticus 5:4: Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. This verse, in the Law, reveals to us that man was guilty of sin whether he chose "to do evil, or to do good."

Satan had "fathered" flesh by planting in man the seed of a thought, "to be as God, knowing good and evil." This is the full verse: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:4-5. (Orig. KJV) The devil knew that with the knowledge of good and evil man would be under his domain. His own original sin was "exaltation of self," and that is what caused him to be thrust down from the position he once held. He wanted to be "God," but he became only the "god" of this world, tempting the man of flesh. In the end the God of all "gods," the King of kings, and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ God's Son, will triumph over all flesh.

Only God Almighty, Creator of all things, can "Father" the "new creation" by planting His own Seed, His own Spirit, in all who will come to the end of "self" and submit to the new birth. God was not "Father" until Jesus came, and He is "Father" only to those born again, or "born from above," which is the true meaning of the Greek word. Only the truly "born again believer" can be called a "new creation in Christ Jesus."

For [God] hath made [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. II Corinthians 5:21. If "sin" were a deed, this verse would make no sense. Paul was referring to the fact that Jesus was made "flesh" for the sole purpose of destroying the heredity of flesh, thus making a way for man to be reconciled to the Father. Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6. (Orig. KJV)

Man did not merely HAVE a "sin nature." The sin nature was the manifestation of what he had become - a creature of flesh. Man's fleshly heredity is the mainspring of his sin nature. One might say, "The deeply rooted knowledge of good and evil in fleshly man is the mainspring of his sinfulness." Deeds spring from heredity, and therefore it is of necessity that man's heredity be altered. Only God can alter heredity through the new birth.

I grew up believing that just because Adam sinned, that makes "sinners" of all those born after him. I thought, "How can that be? It has to be more profound than that!" The Lord showed me it is indeed much more profound. That which transpired because of Adam's deed produced the root of all trouble. This root, deep within in the heart and soul of mankind, brought such devastation that Jesus had to die in order for that "root" to be removed.

We must not trivialize the Cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus came because of man's heredity of flesh, and the death that most certainly results. After all, our flesh is mortal, which means, "liable to die." He came so that man could receive a new heredity and the Life that comes with it. When He spoke to Nicodemas, Jesus made very clear the difference between flesh and spirit.

We must not lose, in the "white-washing" of the truth, the absolute necessity that man be "born again," not merely "forgiven." If a mere deed was the problem with Adam eating the fruit of a wrong tree, God could simply have forgiven him, and all of Adam and Eve's offspring would have had to avoid eating that same fruit in order to obey God's command.  God's command also included the fact that man would die if he ate the fruit.  Not that the fruit would kill him, or that God would kill him; but that the knowledge of good and evil would reduce man to a creature of mortal flesh.  And from that point on the offspring would be born as creatures of mortal flesh.

by Stella Paterson