ADAM THE GARDENER, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU

First, Adam was not the man that the apostate church says he was. We know this by comparing and contrasting what their false teaching says about God, Jesus, and the atonement, with what the Biblical account says about them.

These apostates have lied to us by saying that Adam and the rest of mankind have been cursed with death and spiritual separation from God because of Adam's choice to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But, Paul taught in 1Cor.15:45,46 that Adam was natural and not spiritual from the time God made him. So it's not possible that Adam died spiritually since we know Adam was never spiritual to begin with.

 

And Paul also taught in 1Cor.2:14 that the natural man, the man Paul says Adam was when God made him, could not perceive spiritual things. This means that Adam had no spiritual ability to understand spiritual things. And since Adam could only relate to natural things this is how God related to him.

And since he had never seen or experienced death he had no way to know what it was.

This being true, and since everything the apostate church teaches is based on the notion that because Adam's nature was changed from a godly nature(who God is) to a sin nature, and that that sin nature has passed to all men from Adam in procreation(who Jesus is), and that this is the reason men need a savior(what the atonement was for), then what becomes the all important question that must be answered is, does the Bible ever say Adam had a sin nature?

When we read objectively what the Genesis account plainly says we will see that there is no mention anywhere that he did. And since the Bible does not teach that Adam had a sin nature, then we must conclude that neither does the Bible teach that any other man has a sin nature.

To begin our search we start with God saying after He finished creating all things that it was "very good"(Gen.1:31). And when God made Adam He said He made him "in His image and likeness"(Gen.1:26). There is certainly no sin nature found in these verses, right? Hmm. Now where else can we look?

Oh, I know. We'll look at when Adam ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Here in Gen.3:7 the Bible says that the direct result of this was that "his eyes were opened and he knew that he was naked". Could this be it? Could this be where we find the first mention of the sin nature? Did it come from whatever it was that opened his eyes so he knew that he was naked?

Augustine of Hippo, the man whose arguments caused the doctrine of original sin to be codified to the Roman Catholic religion in 418AD proclaimed,

"When Adam and Eve, "were stripped of this grace [original justice]... there began in the movement of their bodily members a shameless novelty which made nakedness indecent".

This is why, according to Augustine, Adam and Eve were compelled to clothe themselves. He notes that the generative organs began to be "moved and restrained not at our will, but by a certain independent autocracy'', because of the effects of original sin.

To Augustine not only do the generative members themselves become "shameful and disordered" due to the effects of original sin, but he finds their actions to be full of shame. He writes, "does not even conjugal intercourse, sanctioned by the law for the propagation of children...seek retirement from every eye?...And why so, if not because that which is by nature fitting and decent is so done as to be accompanied with a shame-begetting penalty of sin'' (XIV.18; Fathers of the Church). Thus Augustine finds suffering and concupiscence to be effects of original sin, with concupiscence to be so great as to make the generative organs and their acts all subject to shame.

So we see in Augustine's meanderings here that he believed an "original grace" was "stripped" from Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit. And the notion of a sin nature in Adam's flesh which he says was in his sex organs. Saying that it came as a penalty for Adam's original sin. And those who have accepted Augustine's position believe and teach the same.

But again, does the Bible support Augustine's postulations? Does the Bible say there was any "original grace" that was "stripped" from them? Not according to Paul's teaching there wasn't.

When we believe what the Bible plainly says, instead of what we are told it means, there is no question that Augustine and those who preach his doctrine of original sin and sin nature, though as the serpent does they may partially quote scripture, are doing so without a shred of support from the Bible. His own comments quoted here expose that very fact.

Looking at the events as they unfolded what we actually see is Adam and Eve with their eyes opened now knowing that they were naked. A nakedness that without any shame was there all along even before they "knew" it. But, before they ate the fruit it made no difference to them. Only afterward did it affect their choices because they now "knew" it.

But, what was this affect on their choices? Was it shame as Augustine says? Or does the Bible tell us it was something else? Augustine and those who also teach the false doctrine of original sin and sin nature say that the shame in this act showed his nature was changed from being a godly nature to one of concupiscence. A sin nature. A nature that they say has so much control in governing their choices it makes it impossible for man not to continually sin.

And he taught that this sin nature was actually working in their sex organs, making the sex act itself that God made for them to be able to be made one flesh and to "fill the earth" shameful, and the act of sex itself a shameful act, and through it made all men sinners by nature who would now be governed by that nature.

But, the Bible says it's only affect was that their eyes were opened and they "knew" they were naked. So what they saw now meant something different from what it did before they ate the fruit because of the new knowledge.

So why did they try to hide their nakedness if it was not because of shame? It's clear that they were not trying to hide it from each other for the shame of being seen. Because they and the rest of mankind have continued to procreate without shame. So from who were they hiding it?

The narrative says plainly that it was from God they were hiding. But, why? Does the Bible tell us? And does it say it was for the same reason the doctrine of original sin and sin nature teaches? That it was their shame that caused them to hide?

Reading on in the account we see that there is no mystery as to why they put on aprons they made from leaves and hid from God. We are told in Gen.3:10 that they hid "because they were afraid". Afraid now for God to see them naked. 

But again we must ask why? The doctrine of original sin and sin nature says it was because they were ashamed. But, the Bible says they hid because they were afraid. Who will you believe? The Bible? Or man? 

To help us understand why the Bible says they were afraid we need to remember what God first said to them about eating from the trees in the garden. In Gen.2:17 God said, "Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat. But, of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not eat. For in the day you eat thereof you will surely die".

Ah, did you catch that last part? God said they would surely die on the day they ate from it. Literally in the Hebrew meaning that beginning to die they would die.

Now how would you feel if the most powerful being in existence, the one who created you, told you that you would begin to die if you ate the fruit? It would be meaningless to you if you didn't know what death was. But, what about after eating it and you suddenly had a knowledge you never had before that gave you a new understanding about death? And you knew that if you were naked, then God certainly would too?

You would feel exactly as Adam did. And you would hide from Him because you were "afraid" He was going to make good on His word making sure you would begin to die that day.

So it's no wonder Adam was afraid for God to find him. Because if He did then He too would see his nakedness and would immediately know that he had eaten from the tree he was told would result in his death.

So like any of us would, Adam deduced that if God saw him He would make good on His word and He would begin the process that would ultimately kill him. This is the only plausible explanation from what the Bible actually says for Adam's sudden fear, not shame, for God to see him.

This explains why he was so afraid for God to see his nakedness that he covered himself with an apron of leaves and then hid himself from Him. He was sure that when God saw his nakedness He would know Adam ate the fruit and would make sure he would die just as God had said.

Now that we know that it was fear that caused Adam to hide from God, we need to know from where did it originate? It originated from whatever it was that opened his eyes so that he knew he was naked. It originated from the knowledge that came from eating the fruit.

Now we're getting somewhere.

So far what we have learned about Adam is that eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil gave Adam the knowledge of good and evil. A knowledge he never had before he ate the fruit. And now that he had it he knew that he was naked. And knowing that he was naked he now feared the one who said he would begin to die on the day that he ate the fruit.

So did this new knowledge make Adam evil and a sinner by nature as the doctrine of original sin and sin nature teaches? Instead of listening to and believing what men say it was, shouldn't we ask what God said about this new knowledge? It is God's word after all. He knows the truth and has shared it with us so that we too can know if we will simply believe what He said.

God said "Behold the man has become as one of us to know good and evil". Gen.3:22

Wait, what?! We saw earlier how Augustine deduced that the change he said happened in Adam was one that made him ashamed and a sinner by nature as a penalty for his sin. He said it made him further from God. Less like God.

He said Adam's nature changed to concupiscence, which means a strong desire usually of a sexual nature, when he ate the fruit. But, we see here that God says nothing of the sort. In fact, God says here that rather than Adam now having a sin nature of concupiscence, he actually became "as one of us".

The question must be asked, how did Augustine and others determine that the Bible saying Adam becoming more like God is concupiscence? How can this mean Adam's nature changed from a godly nature to a sin nature of concupiscence?

The answer is really quite simple. Augustine did not get what he believed from the Bible. He read into the Bible his own preconceived notions from his earlier pagan training of who God is, who Jesus is, and what the atonement must have been for, based on those pre conceived notions.

Much of it because he wrestled personally with sexual sin as is evidenced throughout his writings. And as a man who had come to believe that he was as much under the law as any Jew was in the Old covenant, he did as so many who have not come to a love for the truth do.

He read into the scriptures his own experiences and biases and drew his conclusions from them. Rather than hearing and believing what the Spirit of God has plainly said in the Bible. 

This is why it is so very important that we do our very best to lay aside any preconceived notions that we might have as we read what God says in His word. And as objectively as possible read and believe what the Bible plainly says. To be a workman who is approved of God as Paul said in 2Tim.2:15,16. Knowing how to rightly divide the word of truth. Shunning these profane and vain babblings.

At this point I hope it has become obvious that Augustine, and all those who teach his doctrines, went off the Biblical rails here. Their doctrines are those that make up the wide road that leads to destruction. Because they rejected the clear teaching of the scriptures. And in it's place presented their own biases and assumptions as truth. 

Because the Bible plainly says that the immediate result of Adam eating the fruit was that he became "as one of us to know good and evil". So the Biblical Adam became more like God, not less, after eating the fruit. And if knowing good and evil made Adam more like God, why would anyone believe it makes us less like God? With a sin nature that governs our choices to concupiscence? Isn't the whole point of our relationship with God is to become more like Him?

And we will do so as we grow in our relationship with Him just as Adam did. Knowing good and evil as Adam did. And adding to what Adam knew the discernment between right from wrong that comes from knowing the principles "the work of the law written in our hearts" shows us. The work that is love as shown in John3:16. And with this new understanding we live by the leading of the Spirit and not by the works of the flesh. Because we who are the sons of God are led by His Spirit, and not by the law. 

Something we need to see in all of this is that none of this would ever have been possible if Adam had never eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Let me repeat that so it will sink in. Something we need to see in all of this is that none of this would ever have been possible if Adam had never eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Does this mean it was not disobedience that brought Adam to eat that fruit? Of course it doesn't. Rom.5:19 says it was. But, what the Bible is trying to help us see is that even though it was disobedience that brought Adam to eat the fruit, it did not mean the new knowledge he had from eating it turned him into a sinner by nature. Controlled by concupiscence. Instead we see God saying that he has "become as one of us to know good and evil".

With this new knowledge Adam was now prepared to deal with the reign of death in the earth. Because now Adam knew that God's instruction was for his good, and the Bible never says he did not follow it.

Have you discovered in this introduction to Adam that God really just wants what is best for you? Have you heard and believed that He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son for you? To join with you in death so that by His resurrection you could join with Him in eternal life. Being born again of His Spirit to make you His child and heir to His kingdom.

Confess then that Jesus is Lord. And believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. And you will be saved. You will be ready when He comes for you because you have been made an heir of God to have eternal life in His kingdom. Then I can truly say,

See you there or in the air!

This message can also be heard at: Rumble