Today, reply is to the suggestion that Adam was imperfect long before their Fall by eating the forbidden fruit. Mankind and sacred law have crystallized a divine concern and focus on sin. However, in agreement with divine prerogative, eternal purpose, and sovereign will, possibilities for contradicting, contrary, negative and opposite states should never appear as natural and normal aspects of existence. Through the law, the living are provided with admonitions, sanctions, and information about the benefits from obeying and penalties from disobeying the divine will. Thus, before any act of disobedience was committed, the pair had been told that death would follow. Error and possibilities for wrongdoing existed before divine law and complete sacred knowledge regarding sin began to be transmitted to mankind; and, initially, there was no eternal purpose that created beings and living creatures resist sin, or that divinity eliminate sin. The fighter at “Yahoo! Answers” who uses the ID “NB” (Level 4 with 3,755 points, a member since December 15, 2012) posted the following:
Had Adam and Eve already been imperfect before they ate the forbidden fruit?
Somehow, a corrupt being entered the sacred garden of Eden, and he succeeded in persuading the first woman, Eve, that the fruit would bring her benefits. We have, then, that the mortal being (human) was created in the image and likeness of God, so it's thought that as such Eve would not be deceived, nor would Adam believe what Eve said, for both would have the wisdom to realize that they were being deceived by the snake (Satan, roughly speaking).
We also have that, if this is true, then the snake was able to deceive the mind of one who was created by a perfect being (God), then his strength would be extraordinarily greater. Besides being able to enter the sacred garden, of course, knowing that God, considered omniscient, could see him there and have him expelled.
Was it all deliberate, then? Did God indirectly wanted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit? There's no reason in a place like the Paradise to have a tree that could not even be touched, with fruits that could not be eaten.
PS: english is not my mother language, sorry
THE GOLDEN ARROW: For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. (Romans 7: 5-13, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: The Operations of Sin (07/25/2017); Christian Beliefs About Sin (07/20/2017); On Law and Sin (06/07/2017); Corruption of Ones Spirit? (05/14/2017); That GOD Is Immutable (05/04/2017); Did GOD Lose Control? (03/23/2017); Our Beginnings Were Perfect? (12/14/2015); The Origin of Sin? (07/31/2015); All Have Sinned? (07/29/2015)
“NB”, here are some points many mature Christian believers have considered:
Given that “perfection” pertains to the fullness of divinity who is the source of all that exists, perfection must be known through revelation. Sin should not be understood as an outcome, or result of divine errors and lapses during the sacred operations of Creation. Sin is an enigma to the living, for sin is no material or spirit thing created by GOD, yet, sin has direction, effect, and presence; and sin may dominate awareness and self-will in created beings and living creatures. The operations of sin oppose the continued existence of all divine law, promote non-existence, and restore the conditions of chaos and flux that were in place before the foundation of heaven and earth. The corruption that results from sin first appeared among the holy angels (who are neither mortal nor immortal), and was introduced among mankind by one of the angels who, himself under an influence that is not divine, used deceit and guile.
Adam (the first pair) were finite, created beings who were to function and operate in agreement with multiple fixed conditions and limitations generated by the character, makeup, and substance of GOD. The two lacked and were not given many things that would be supplied by their continuing as companions of divinity. They were to endure and survive on the basis of love, respect and trust, more than a formal code of law; and this did not make them imperfect. At their own creation, the angels received the full deposits of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom they would display throughout their existence as servants of divinity. Mankind must acquire discernment, sacred knowledge, and wisdom gradually through discovery, growth and learning. Mankind has been endowed with his own consciousness and self-will that permits independence, integrity, and levels of separation from divinity, yet, that also allow for continuous communication, exchange and interaction (we say, relationship).
There is far more to be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, at one place in the Bible, GOD says, I create “evil”. The Creator is not speaking of sin. Many are confused because they repeatedly seek to use secular language to consider divine processes and sacred themes. They rely on carnal, material and social definitions for sin such as corruption (i.e., decay, disintegration, rot), defiance, disobedience, rebellion, unrighteousness, and wickedness. Evil is the introduction of widespread, arbitrary, disruptive, unneeded and unwanted change; thus, evil is calamity, catastrophe, disaster, personal tragedy, and upheaval. Among those inclined to error the more necessary understanding will be missed: evil is the malicious denial of the immutable, unchanging sovereign will of GOD.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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