The Fall of Man
First of all it is important to acknowledge that the events recorded about Adam and Eve are actual historical events. Therefore the consequences of their actions have physical and spiritual effects, rather than just metaphorical, on the world and all of humanity as their descendants. Death is a result of sin (Romans 5:12). Death is the punishment for sin (Romans 6:23). Before Adam and Eve had sinned there was no death. None of us like thinking about the pain and suffering associated with death. Everything about it is bad. We have a strong feeling inside that this isn't the way things ought to be. And that's because we have eternity written on our hearts. We were made to live forever. It was only because of our disobedience that death entered the world. Because of Adam and Eve's sin, God made a covering for them by killing an animal to make them clothes. This sacrificial death was the first moment when something in God's creation had to die. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” If Adam was not a literal person then this verse would not hold true. In the moment that Adam and Eve sinned they chose to reject what God had spoken in pursuit of their own selfish desires.
The Depravity of Man
In Psalm 53:3, David said this about humanity: “They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” In other words, every one of us has sin in our lives. The result of the Fall of Man is that every human is now born with a sin nature. We are completely sinful to the core. Since heaven is a perfect place, it would make sense then that only perfect people can go there. So, can we make ourselves perfect? Can we do enough good things to become good enough? The answer again is no. So what is the solution? One of the major themes of the Reformation was the phrase sola gratia , which means grace alone. We can not save ourselves so we must turn instead to God for salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Our salvation is not based on anything we can earn or accomplish. We are saved by grace! Heaven is simply a free gift from God for those who place their trust in Jesus Christ. It’s all about Jesus who died for us and rose again three days later.
Sin and Temptation
1 Peter 2:11 tells us to, "abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." And we read in Galatians 5:17 that, "the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit." In other words, if you are a Christian, there is a war going on inside of you. As a result of the fall we are all sinful from birth, and our flesh desires things which are opposed to God. But as Christians, we have God's Spirit within us to help us live a life that honors God. All of us experience the effects of this battle. We all deal with the temptation to sin. Some are tempted to lie. Others are tempted by drugs and other addictive substances. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:22, "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness." We are not called to stick around and put up a fight when it comes to sin. We are called to flee! And in 1 Corinthians 10:13 he writes, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” Too many people try to fight their temptation on their own. Instead we need to stop and look for the exit. God in his wisdom always provides a way out. We just have to choose to take it!
We unfortunately live in a time when many people don't want to wage war against their sin. Rather than running away from their sin, they decide to embrace it. God is the one who defines right and wrong, but humans often try to seize autonomy and define it on their own terms. The result is that many today are trying to say that some things are not sin. The problem is that God has already spoken on the issues they are trying to redefine. We just need to run away from it by looking for a way of escape. God is faithful to provide a way out. It can be easy to think someone in a sinful lifestyle will never change, but God is always providing opportunities to flee from sin and run to him.