Part 4 – “I” – The Original Sin

[ Download PDF Version ]

Satan began his sin infiltration into the human race when he tempted Eve with the following lie:

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman, “For God knows that if you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4, 5).

Eve turned her back on God and believed Satan and trusted him instead. I can imagine she said something to this effect: “I” am free; “I” will do as “I” please. (Notice here how she speaks of herself as being independent or an alone “I”.) Her unbelief manifested itself, as it always does, by Eve putting her trust in herself as though she was a self-operating self. As a result, she ate the forbidden fruit and persuaded Adam to do the same:

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband (Gen. 3:6).

This act of disobedience changed the world forever. Death, both physical and spiritual, began on planet Earth. The personal consequences to Adam and Eve were that God removed them from the garden, and they took Satan’s evil, self-for-self, sinful nature into their spirit. At this point Satan took their spirits captive and became their operator. All mankind after Adam inherited this evil self-for-self Satan nature and came into the world lost.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all that have sinned” (Rom. 5:12).

And you hath he quickened, who were dead [lost] in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to [Satan] the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:1, 2).

We all remain in this lost state unless or until we accept Christ as our personal Savior, and we become, in biblical terms, saved or born-again: Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).

A glorious thing happens to us the moment we accept Christ as our Savior and become born-again: we are cleansed of all our sins by Jesus’ shed blood, and His body death cuts us off from the indwelling spirit of error (Satan). In return, the Holy Spirit joins Himself to our human spirit. From that instant we are forever united with Him in an eternal union.