When God set Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he told them what they could do and must not do. He said they could freely eat of all the good things he had provided but they must not eat of the tree of good and evil: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17)  The penalty for disobedience was and continues to be death.

Then the serpent came along and questioned Eve about God’s instruction. (Genesis 3:1) She then repeated to the serpent what God had said which shows that she understood God’s message which Adam relayed to her. But the serpent countered with: Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:4-5). God said that if they didn’t follow what he said they would die; the serpent said they wouldn’t die. The Bible tells the result of their disobedience.

Death in scripture has two meanings: one is the physical death, separation from and the termination of life, and the other is separation from God, which brings on spiritual death and no hope of eternal life unless one obeys the gospel. Paul wrote: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Romans 6:23) In the case of Adam and Eve, they brought physical death to mankind and spiritual death both, since they were separated from the giver of life who is God, the Creator of all things good.

God intended and still intends that we enjoy life as he designed it. Jesus explained it thusly: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) In one respect, the serpent was the thief who robbed Adam and Eve of life because they didn’t listen to God. And the consequence of it is that all of mankind was robbed of life and consigned to sin. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)

There is another part of the serpent’s deceit that is often overlooked. He said then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. When Adam and Eve fell from God’s grace the door was opened for mankind to begin to set themselves above God and proclaim superiority in the affairs of men. They became knowledgeable of good and evil, and due to the fall, man inevitably chooses evil.

Remember that Jesus spoke of life that we might have it more abundantly. That is violated when the termination of human life is practiced, whether it is in the form of abortion, assisted suicide, or self inflicted suicide. Due to the self becoming predominate and as the serpent said, and ye shall be as gods, mankind now decides who is worthy to live and who isn’t. The Bible contains no such idea and those who so teach and practice are committing sin, pure and simple.

God is the one who determined and still determines life and death. He gave life in the Garden and it was rejected. He gave and still gives life in his son and he was and is rejected. But nowhere can it be found that God gives the right to bring about death to any human for any reason except for crimes which demand the death penalty. Hebrews 10:27 tells us: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:  That which is decided in life will be the sentence passed when Jesus returns. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28-29)

Your eternal life is in your hands. Will you be resurrected to eternal life or to eternal damnation to suffer the eternal separation from God?

© 02-04-2007 DEC

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