From the Perspective of the Fall.
The aim of this study is to examine the term, “spiritually dead.” Is mankind born spiritually dead on the account of Adam’s sin?
The Nature of Adam.
“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
God created the havens and the earth, and created spirituals and naturals beings, each in their respective realms. The spirit realm which is eternal was created first and then the natural realm. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 The natural was created to be a mirror image of the spiritual. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” Geneses 1:26 When He says, in His image it is not to say that God is Spirit so He made us to be spirits. But as He is in the Spirit and made all things spiritual in haven, He made us to be natural in the earth. He has dominion in haven so He made us to have dominion over the earth. We became His reflection on the earth.
Therefore when God made man He did not make him of spiritual components. The very makeup of mankind’s flesh was formed from the natural, from the dust of the ground and not of haven. To this God gives His breath into him resulting Adam being a living being [Soul]. God breathed spirit of life into him, life is in the spirit. Therefore Adam was created to be a natural being not spiritual. His [Soul] was joined to his flesh and the breath of God provided life. And Adam lived. There was no enmity in him, his flesh, soul and spirit were in unison.
Paul also uses the same creation verse to illustrate the point that Adam was a natural being and Christ spiritual “So also it has been written: “The first man Adam became into a living soul; ” the last Adam into a life-giving Spirit. However, the spiritual was not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man was made of dust from the earth; the second Man from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 However, the life of Adam is in the spirit. Elihu in Job says, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4 And James also gives light to this concept and says, “For just as the body apart from spirit is dead…” James 2:26
At creation Adam had no need to be a spiritual being as the angles of haven had any need to be a natural being. Adam’s eternal domain was the earth as theirs is of haven. The bible records, “The man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8 Thus Adam related with God in perfect physical natural world, just as the angles of God related with God in their spiritual form in haven. Adam’s flesh was not yet a barrier between him and God, however sin would later obscure mankind’s relationship with God in the physical domain. “But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
God is the God of both haven and earth, and each creature served Him in respect of their make up. Jude records, “And the angels not having kept their own domain, but having abandoned the own dwelling, He keeps in eternal chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day.” Jude 1:6 We can also take further consideration, in that not even the devil sought to interact with Adam in spirit but had to take the from of living being a serpent.
Therefore at creation Adam was a perfect physical being in a perfect physical world, and fellowshipped with God in his natural state.
The Fall of Adam.
“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked;” Genesis 3:4-7
Adam [a son of God] made a decision to disobey God, and acted in his flesh, by which the flesh of Adam was awoke to evil. Genesis records, “the eyes of both them were opened, and they knew they were naked.” The point to take account of is when their eyes was opened it was opened to the knowledge of evil, the one concept they were not wise to. By reason of knowing evil the consequence of it was, they recognised what is good, that was ever present in them. Romans 7, teaches how the law exposed sin that was in us. Then it stands to reason if what is holy and good exposed sin, what is evil and wicked will reveal what is good. Therefore the tree of good and evil. In a land of perpetual light, light has no counterpart, there is no knowledge of darkness. To the inhabitants of that land light can not be described as brightness, nor as revealer, nor as good, light is light and that is all. But when darkness comes, they knew the difference between light and dark.
They saw with the natural eyes as they have always have done but now with a new understanding. So when he says “their eyes were opened” it is to say they saw themselves through the eyes of the spirit of [the wicked one] as to acquire his mind to be at work in their flesh. It does not say their eyes was closed, as to lose spiritual sight but opened, to a new level of perception. Granted that now he had access to us through our flesh, [that is his spirit was working in our flesh] he worked tirelessly to blind us to the things of God.
Whom he obeyed determined whom he served, and through this act Adam gave his dominion of the flesh and of the earth to the devil, and he became the god of this world. Therefore we may say of Adam, he became the firstborn of sinful flesh, of the devil. Yet he did not acquire a new body, but Adam’s flesh acquired a head [a will], of the spirit of the one who deceived him. Therefore his nature became the nature of Adam’s flesh. Adam by wilful disobedience in believing the lie of the devil, he sold himself into bondage and made the devil to be lord over his flesh, through which he ruled and killed him. Paul in Romans writes, “For I know that there dwells in me nothing good, that is, in my flesh. For to will is present with me, but not to do good.” Romans 7:18
And God said to serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and [between your seed] and her Seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 That is Adam became the first seed of the serpent and Christ is the Seed of the woman, the Firstborn of God. Paul also makes reference to this enmity and writes, “Just as at that time the one having been born according to flesh was persecuting the one born according to Spirit, so also it is now.” Galatians 4:29 The natural is first then the spiritual. And in Romans speaking to those born of the Spirit, he writes, “And in a short time the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:20
Therefore when Adam fell, He was born into [captivity of] sinful flesh, as his flesh to have the spirit of the mind of satan, which is the knowledge of evil.
The Nature of Sin.
“Because of this, just as sin entered into the world through one man,” Romans 5:12
Sin is disobedience it is rebellion, the devil [through the serpent] enticed them into rebellion against the word of God. The consequence of this one act, the nature of the devil [who corrupted himself] found entry into the world. Sin existed in the person of the devil, who sought rebellion against God. Paul in Ephesians writes, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and sins — in which once you walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience,” Ephesians 2:1-2 Therefore the very essence of sin is disobedience. And in Romans also he writes, “For as indeed through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners.” Romans 5:19
James outlines the process of sin, “But a man is tempted, being drawn away and being enticed by the own desire. Then desire having conceived, gives birth to sin; and sin having become fully grown, brings forth death.” James 1:14-15 This desire to be like God was not something Adam and Eve had ever considered nor had any such thought ever entered into their hearts. But the serpent deceived Eve and planted into her his own desires. Isaiah records, how the devil wanted be like the Most High and records, “You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:13-14
And when this desire [of the devil] took hold, she saw the tree in a whole new light. John in his epistle writes, “all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the vaunting of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 1 John 2:16 That is to say of the devil. So Eve perceived, the tree was good for food – [lust of the flesh], pleasing to the eyes – [lust of the eyes: to covet what is forbidden], it was desirable for obtaining wisdom – [the pride of life: sought to be like God, to be independent of Him.] And she reached to obtain it, against the will of God and sinned. And Adam added to all this by following suit, in valuing the creature over the Creator. “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat.” Genesis 3:17
Therefore sin is the characteristics [nature] of the devil being exerted [brought to bare fruit] through our flesh.
The Nature of Sinful Flesh.
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.” Genesis 6:5
Adam’s flesh now became a barrier between him and God, the presence of [the spirit of sin] obscured mankind’s relationship with God in the physical domain. Now enmity resided in mankind, between his spirit and his flesh. Paul described in Ephesians, the spirit of the power of the air, that is at work in the sons of disobedience, which entice them to sin through the desires of the flesh and mind. “among whom we all also once lived in the desires of our flesh, [doing the things willed of the flesh and of its thoughts];” Ephesians 2:3 That is the flesh of mankind has acquired a will and thought.
And Paul gives insight to this influence and the working of sin in our flesh made manifest through the law and says, “Now if that which I do not want, this I do, I consent to the Law, that it is good. And in that case I am no longer doing it, but the sin dwelling in me.“ Romans 7:16-17 And describes this captivity, as the law of sin that ruled over the Soul of mankind, “I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin being in my members.” Romans 7:22-23 He teaches how through the law, the captivity of his soul is made known to him. And we are all born with this spirit of sin working in our flesh, whether we recognised it to be sin or not.
Now Paul also describes, how the devil seeks to blind us to the truth of God, and in Corinthians writes, “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because spiritually they are discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 This we must understand in relation of the working of the enemy. Romans says, “the mind of the flesh is hostility toward God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, for not even can it be.” Romans 8:7 The mind of the flesh, is a natural mind, a mind in whom the spirit of sin is at work. That is, he works to make us an enemy of God, his mind which is in active rebellion against God is at work in us, influencing us and blinding us, so that we might not perceive the truth of God. There is no benign natural mind.
Not that we became spiritually blind [on the account of the fall], because the eyes of our spirit were never opened. However, he having dominion over the natural and the flesh, works to blind the mind [component of the soul] to the truth of God that we may not understand and be saved. That is the medium [our flesh] by which we once communicated and served God, is tainted. And as a true enemy, he works to prevent any communication between God and us and works to destroy our relationship with God, by hardening our hearts and minds through the deceitfulness of sin. “Take heed, brothers, lest ever there will be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, into falling away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, while it is called today, so that not one of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:12-13
Paul also shows, how the evil one works to the determent of those who do not believe and says, “But if indeed our gospel is concealed, it is concealed to those who are perishing, in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so as for not to beam forth the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 3-4 That is he taking opportunity of their unbelief, actively worked to blind them, to deceive them from knowing the truth of God.
Here is the point where we seek to look to the spirit and its lack of ability to enforce the thing that is good to be the grounds to assume the spirit in fallen man to be dead. But in all this discourse Adam’s relationship with his spirit in him has not changed one bit. It still gave him life, but the spirit of life in him was never intend to influence him to do what is good, nor was his flesh to entice him to do what is evil, because there was never any evil to shun. But because he was made to be a natural being, he served his natural self the desires of his flesh, which was now influenced by the spirit of sin dwelling in it rather than the spirit that gave him life. Therefore mankind born in Adam is born with a natural mind [the spirit of the mind of the wicked one], that is a mind enslaved to the dictates of the flesh, wants, lack, desires, fears, controlling and ruling over him. And all of mankind will serve this corrupt nature by small or greater measure resulting in death.
Therefore through works of the flesh there can never be justification before God. “And those being in the flesh are not able to please God.” Romans 8:8
The Spirit in Fallen Man.
- “But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.”…”For I am full of words, and my spirit within me compels me.” Job 32:8,18
- “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4
[The Source of Life for the Body]: Elihu in Job expresses the spirit in man to be both the source of life and the means we understand what is good and of God. At the start of his discourse with Job and his friends, he states how he thought age should speak as wisdom ought to be the feature of the old. But to this he says, the experience of the world does not necessarily produce wisdom nor give understanding of justice but, “there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.” So here he expresses two fundamental aspects of the spirit that resided in man, to be the source of life and of wisdom. This he says of unregenerate man. However, whatever good God has given to man through the nature of his flesh, he has corrupted. Mankind was not cut off from the spirit in him, only that being captive to his flesh, the dictates of his flesh took precedence. [Romans 7:24]
[The Source of Good]: When Adam fell it is the natural that was cursed not the spirit, nature was condemned to decay, and Adam was judged to death and the corruption of his flesh. Therefore we are not born with a dead spirit [nor can we ever be, the spirit is life, may it be a limited one] but we are born with a corrupt flesh. So every child of Adam is born with this enmity in him, his spirit which is the seat of good, against his flesh the seat of corruption and sin. “For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are opposed to one another in order that you should not do those things you might wish.” Galatians 5:17
Paul writes in Romans in regards to the law, “So I find the principle in my desiring to do good, that evil is present with me. For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man;” here he speaks of the inward man, then there is an outward man. The inward man is of the spirit and soul and the outward man is flesh and soul. Paul associates with the inward man with the consent of his mind, though he is still captive to the flesh. If the inward man finds delight in the law of God to know it is good and appreciate its precepts then it is not dead. And of the outward man the flesh he says, “but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin being in my members.” Romans 7:21-23 The mind is captive that is the soul. The soul is captive to obey the flesh than to obey the spirit that delights in the law of God. Though he recognises what is good, yet he finds no strength to do what is good but he finds himself continually doing the things of his flesh.
Paul shows the works of the spirit in man, in helping us to recognise the good through Gentiles who were ignorant of the Law of God. “For when Gentiles, not having the Law, do by nature the things of the Law, these not having the Law are a law to themselves, who show the work of the Law, written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and the thoughts between one another accusing or also defending them.” Romans 2:15 We know in our flesh dwells nothing good therefore their consciousness of what is good is not a product of our flesh but of the spirit of life that is in us. Therefore the spirit in man which is from God becomes the only source of good that informed the conscience of our soul, though it did not give us the strength to do what is good.
James also speaks along these lines: “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility with God? Therefore whoever has chosen to be a friend of the world is appointed an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit that He has made to dwell in us yearns with envy”? James 4-5 James speaks of the Spirit that God has given to us, not in respect of the new testament but he referring to “Scripture,” that is the books of the Law and the Prophets, though we know not his source, as Jude does of Enoch. The significance of James’ point, is the spirit in man, that is in Adam was moved to jealousy on the account that we had given ourselves totally to the dictates of the world.
[An instrument of God]: The spirit in man is an instrument of God both in the old and new, through whom The Lord determined the thought and intent of the mind and heart. “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching out his inmost being.” Proverbs 20:27, [AND] “For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the things of the man, except the spirit of the man within him?” 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 Therefore it is not dead, but is a means by which the motives of the person are measured.
[The Final End]: King Solomon speaking of the the death of mankind says, “before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7 Solomon gives insight into the composition of man, of spirit which is from God, flesh which is of the dust of the ground. At the end of life each respective part returning from where it came; Spirit to God and flesh to the ground, and the Soul of [unsaved] mankind into Death & Hades on the account of sin.
Therefore we can say the spirit in man, is the breath of God that gives us life, is the only source through whom we recognise what is good and by whom we are held accountable, and returns back to God. It was never dead, though we give no heed and become hardened against by the deceitfulness of our sinful deeds.
The final point to consider is Zechariah writes, “Thus declares the LORD, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, who forms the spirit of man within him.” Zechariah 12:1 God forms the spirit of man in him, therefore God does not give us a dead spirit but He gives us the same breath of life as He did to Adam. The spirit of life can only come from Him, but the flesh is a product of Adam and Eve.
Mankind in Flesh = [Sinful Flesh [the spirit of sin dwelling] [Joined] to the soul] given life by the spirit of life from God.
The Judgment of God.
“And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19
There is a key point to address, we have to look at the concept of life and death not as some finite creatures but as eternal creatures. Man is created to be an eternal being, he will have a form of existence one way or the other. Therefore life is defined in terms of being with God and death is to be apart from Him; life is not a mere consciousness nor is death the end of existence.
Therefore when God spoke to Adam the judgment of death. He did not speak it in terms of death of the spirit but of his flesh, “until you return to the ground.” God had told Adam “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17 That is the presence of the breath of God in him, had a condition attached to it. The Lord says, “It is the Spirit giving life; the flesh profits nothing.” John 6:63 When Adam breached this contract, so the spirit of life could not sustain him to life indefinitely in his flesh. There must come a point when the spirit departs and his body decays back to the ground. Adam end was inevitable, his flesh begun to decay the moment judgment of death was pronounced on him; toil and hardship defined his existence and he begun to grow old. Only that, it took him 930 years to die.
And God after looking upon the works of mankind on the earth says, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is [flesh] mortal; his days shall be 120 years.” Genesis 6:3 That is even though man is condemned to death, God seeing the wickedness of man on earth, shorten his days further, that by the length of his days, he might not multiply his evil deeds.
Therefore, death is the end of life in natural realm, it speaks of the separation of spirit from the body, resulting in the disembodiment of the soul of mankind and the corruption of the body to become dust of the ground. Paul in Romans writes, “Just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death passed to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12 That is death is the consequence of sin. Mankind was a natural being, now through sin his life on the natural plane has come to end. “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23
Of Christ it is written, “You will not abandon my soul into Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay.” Acts 2:27 Here it says nothing in regards to the Spirit, which the Lord gave to His Father with His last breath saying, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” Luke 23:46 Form this statement it is evident the Spirit of Christ did not go to Hades but His Soul did, until He was raised on the the third day by the Holy Spirit. That is sin was not found in Jesus therefore could not be subject to the rule of death. Therefore His Soul could not be held by death, nor can His flesh be brought to corruption but was raised up to life. “Having foreseen, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was He abandoned into Hades, nor did His flesh see decay.” Acts 2:31
Death is also a person, who exerts his authority through sin and possesses those who enter into his hold. Revelation records, “And the sea gave up the dead who were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and each of them were judged according to their works. And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:13-14 Death and Hades themselves being living spirits. When mankind sinned, death had a right to them and in the process of time took their souls. “Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.” 1 Corinthians 15:56
Therefore when Paul says, “And you being dead in the trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having blotted out the handwriting in the decrees against us, which was adverse to us.” Colossians 2:13-14 He saying, you being of the flesh and under the judgment of sin and death; that is our souls were condemned to enter into death due to the sins we have committed in the flesh. The Lord also says, “the one hearing My word and believing the One having sent Me, he has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24
The Judgement of spiritual: Second Death.
“Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” John 16:11
In Eden when Adam and Eve fell, all flesh was condemned, and the natural was cursed to decay and corruption. “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of the One having subjected it, in hope.” Romans 8:20 But God said nothing in regards to the spiritual. Even the serpent who tricked Eve into eating of the fruit was cursed to go on its belly and and to eat dust, yet here God said nothing to the Devil, though we know it is he who has brought it all to pass. Therefore we may say, the Judgment on Adam’s sin, is the judgment of death of the flesh, that is of the natural and not spiritual. He was raised from the ground to life, and was returned to ground in death.
But the judgement that followed after Christ is the judgement, on the ruler of this world, [the devil]. It is judgment of the spiritual and it is eternal. The spirits are judged and with them all those who fastened themselves to them in their flesh. The Lord speaking of the judgment on those who have not given heed to His words says, “‘Depart from Me, those being cursed, into the eternal fire, having been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41 That is the place of eternal punishment was prepared for the devil and his angles. And those who enter it are those whose names are not written in the Book of Life. That is the second death, which is eternal separation from God, “on those not knowing God and on those not obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus, who will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
Therefore we have no grounds to say, man lost relationship with the spirit in him. There is nothing to suggest Adam making use of his spirit other than giving him life. He was a natural being, and mankind does not get to serve/worship God in Spirit until the justification by faith through Christ Jesus. Jesus says to the woman at the well, “Believe Me, woman, that an hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father…..But an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father also seeks such who worship Him. God is Spirit, and it behooves those worshiping Him to worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21,23-24
Mankind did not inherit a dead spirit from Adam, only a corrupt flesh condemned to death.
Bread Bait. 
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