Fall Reversed

How Was The Fall Reversed?

by Robert Brow (www.brow.on.ca) Aurora, Ontario June 2008

Some view Genesis 3 as the fall into original sin. An extreme version
of this model assumes that original sin infected the whole of
humanity, and every single man, woman, and child is guilty and
deserves eternal damnation. Preachers then assure those who admit
their guilt that there is a way to be absolved by being baptized
and/or making the proper faith decision.

In the original account of the fall some items are obviously
metaphorical such as the tree of life. They were told that "in the day you
eat of it you shall
die." They did not die physically, but something went badly wrong.
Instead of enjoying the love of God, they hide from him and blame
others for what has gone wrong (Genesis 3:1-12). Women experience
life as a pain, and their husbands dominate over them. Men are
frustrated by their work and sense their mortality (3:16-19). By the
next chapter we have jealousy and the first murder (4:4-6).

The New Testament offers an explanation of the death that reigned
throughout the Old Testament period. The reversal of this death was
the result of Jesus' resurrection and the pouring out of the Spirit.
"You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once
lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the
power of the air . . . But God who is rich in mercy, out of the great
love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our
trespasses, made us alive together with the Messiah - by grace you
have been saved" (Ephesians 2:1-5).

On the Day of Pentecost a completely new kind of life became possible
by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. There is the good news of
forgiveness, acceptance into God's family, and the assurance of
resurrection the moment we die. Meanwhile there is power to give us
wisdom, loving fruits, and the gifts we need to sweeten our world.
That means that the human condition has changed from a curse to a
blessing.

Having tasted this extraordinary power we have to admit that from time
to time we fail to call on the Spirit, and we fall back into spiritual
deadness. We have eternal life now, but the fullness of that life is
still to come. But when we fail we are assured that we are forgiven,
and the perfection of life in the Spirit will be revealed when we die.
"As all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in the Messiah" (1
Corinthians 15:22).

Robert Brow
e-mail : browr@brow.on.ca
web site : www.brow.on.ca