sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
In standard Christian evangelism it is often stated that without the acceptance of Christ that one is spiritually dead. Unfortunately this idea has no basis in scripture. The idea goes back to Adam in the garden of Eden. It is taught that when Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he became "spiritually dead" and was subsequently condemned to hell and in need of a savior.
There are a number of problems with this teaching the first of which is in the term "spiritual death." This term appears nowhere in the Bible. The general inference though is that because we have sinned we are separated from God and condemned to an eternity in hell. This is also incorrect because nowhere in the Bible is it stated that anyone goes to hell because they have sinned. On the contrary in John 3:17-18 it states, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Eternal location is predicated not on acts but on belief. Only the belief on Christ is the determining factor in destination.
Other misunderstandings relate to Adam and what happened in the Garden. The eating of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil did not result in the condemnation of Adam to hell. It only condemned him to deaht. Again, this was not spiritual de-th. There are two reasons for this. The first is that Adam was already saved. There are two proofs of this. One is that he had never rejected Christ. It is established that Christ was in the Garden with Adam and that Adam was accepting of Christ. The second proof is that Adam was made the son of God. This is found in the genealogies in Matthew 3, "Which was the son of Enos, which wasthe son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." For those that believe in eternal security this means that Adam could not become lost.
The second reason for Adam not being condemned to hell for the eating of the fruit was that Genesis states otherwise. Genesis 2:17 , "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." This is not "spiritual" but physical death. Genesis 3:22-24 states this, "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 whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Adam was only condemned to die a physical death. It is clear from this that Adam could not have both the knowledge of good and evil and live for ever and this led to his death : physical not spiritual.
The whole misconception is centered around the idea that sin is what condemns one to hell. This simply is not the scriptural teaching. This should be good news for some.
There are a number of problems with this teaching the first of which is in the term "spiritual death." This term appears nowhere in the Bible. The general inference though is that because we have sinned we are separated from God and condemned to an eternity in hell. This is also incorrect because nowhere in the Bible is it stated that anyone goes to hell because they have sinned. On the contrary in John 3:17-18 it states, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Eternal location is predicated not on acts but on belief. Only the belief on Christ is the determining factor in destination.
Other misunderstandings relate to Adam and what happened in the Garden. The eating of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil did not result in the condemnation of Adam to hell. It only condemned him to deaht. Again, this was not spiritual de-th. There are two reasons for this. The first is that Adam was already saved. There are two proofs of this. One is that he had never rejected Christ. It is established that Christ was in the Garden with Adam and that Adam was accepting of Christ. The second proof is that Adam was made the son of God. This is found in the genealogies in Matthew 3, "Which was the son of Enos, which wasthe son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." For those that believe in eternal security this means that Adam could not become lost.
The second reason for Adam not being condemned to hell for the eating of the fruit was that Genesis states otherwise. Genesis 2:17 , "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." This is not "spiritual" but physical death. Genesis 3:22-24 states this, "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 whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Adam was only condemned to die a physical death. It is clear from this that Adam could not have both the knowledge of good and evil and live for ever and this led to his death : physical not spiritual.
The whole misconception is centered around the idea that sin is what condemns one to hell. This simply is not the scriptural teaching. This should be good news for some.