A Few Thoughts About Adam Not Dying When He Sinned

Why didn’t Adam die instantly when he sinned?

Genesis 2:16-17 ESV And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The human race would have become extinct.

The devil would have won in his battle against God.

There would be no need of Messiah.

Adam did die:

B1 Physically:

C1 Promised: Genesis 3:19 NIV By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

C2 Fulfilled: Genesis 5:5 ESV Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

B2 Spiritually:

C1 Adam did, so will we: Colossians 2:13 NIV When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

C2 All people do because of the sin nature we inherited from Adam: 1 Corinthians 15:22 NIV For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

B3 Verse describing both: Romans 6:23 NIV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Personally, I believe we were created for fellowship with God and to serve Him forever. Adam lost both. If God hadn’t intervened as Messiah, our Passover Lamb, there would be no hope, no life, no fellowship, and no opportunity to serve God.

God knew this would happen. He was not surprised, shocked, caught unaware, etc.

He had a plan.

God’s decisions and plans are in perfect wisdom, love, and holiness.

1 Peter 3:18 ESV For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

1 John 2:2 WEL He himself is the propitiation [appeasing and reconciling sacrifice] for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

John 3:16-17 WEL For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that anyone believing in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Those who believe now have fellowship with God restored and serve Him forever.

C1 1 John 1:3 NIV We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

C2 Romans 12:11 NIV Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

C3 John 12:26 NIV Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.