Original Sin:
The Fall and Redemption of Humanity
Introduction
In the grand design of the cosmos, as narrated in the book of Genesis, God envisioned a utopian world teeming with His people, worshiping Him in perfect harmony and in perfect obedience of His Word.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
Genesis 1:31
However, this immaculate plan was marred by what theologians term as Original Sin, an act of disobedience by Adam and his wife, under the influence of Satan, that tainted God's creation and altered the course of human history.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Genesis 3:1-7
A Fallen World
The contemporary world, in the aftermath of Original Sin, does not reflect God's original design but is characterized by a pervasive darkness. As the Apostle Paul observed:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:12
Jesus Himself underscored this point in the Lord's Prayer, petitioning:
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10
This was not a mere aspiration but an acknowledgement of the imperfect, fallen state of the world, drastically removed from God's original conception and from His oversight.
Path to Redemption
Despite this catastrophic divergence from His divine plan, God, in His infinite wisdom and boundless mercy, orchestrated a path to redemption for His marred creation. This plan of salvation unfolded in two major epochs. The first was through the Law, handed to the Israelites, symbolizing the binding covenant between God and His chosen people. The Law, however, could not eradicate the inherent sinful nature of mankind, necessitating a more permanent solution.
This need was fulfilled through God's ultimate sacrifice, His own Son, Jesus Christ. Christ, the last Adam, as the Apostle Paul described Him, became a quickening spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45), breathing life into the spiritually dead human race. Prophecies of a new heaven and a new earth by Isaiah, Peter and John underscore the culmination of God's redemptive plan, one that will ultimately restore His creation to its original, pristine state.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:45
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isaiah 65:17
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
2 Peter 3:13
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Revelation 21:1
The Original Sin
The Original Sin, as traditionally conceived, is often associated with the consumption of the forbidden fruit. However, upon deeper theological reflection, the true sin lay in the disobedience of God's command. The Woman (later Eve) may have been the first to partake of the fruit, but the ultimate responsibility for this transgression fell upon Adam. He had been commanded to dress and keep the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15) before his wife was even formed, and it was Adam's dereliction of this divine mandate that led to humanity's downfall.
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
1 Timothy 2:14
Adam received the directive from God Himself before his wife was formed, while his wife would have received it from God only through Adam later.
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:15-18
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
1 Corinthians 11:3
Spiritual or Sexual?
The nature of Original Sin and its transmission to subsequent generations have been subjects of considerable debate. One school of thought posits that the Original Sin was primarily sexual, given that Adam and his wife, upon committing the transgression, realized their nakedness and thereafter experienced alterations in their sexual and reproductive lives. The Pharisees' reference to fornication in John 8 supports this view.
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Genesis 3:7
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Genesis 3:16
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
John 8:41-44
However, another perspective argues that the Original Sin was essentially spiritual. Looking at the argument above, we must also acknowledge that Jesus recognized the Jews as the physical seed of Abraham, but rebuked them as the spiritual seed of Satan (John 8:37 vs 8:44). Hence, Original Sin might not be tied to a physical act but rather a spiritual rebellion against God's command.
I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
John 8:37
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
John 8:44
Conclusion
The present state of our world, dominated by strife, evil, and suffering, is a stark divergence from God's initial plan of a perfect, harmonious earth. However, God, in His infinite wisdom and unending love, has already set in motion a redemptive plan, encapsulating the Law, His chosen people of Israel, and the final, all-encompassing sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through Christ's selfless act, humanity has been offered a pathway to salvation, a means to overturn the curse of the Original Sin, and a hope to restore God's original vision of a world filled with His people worshiping Him in perfect harmony.