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."