Original Sin

[Antipas]

Adam isn't a real man. Man has been evolving on this planet for over 3 billion years. Besides, what justice would there be in condemning an entire species, bringing death, pain, sickness, and horror on the entire species merely on account of one being's sin? What most don't realize is, while Adam isn't a real man and never was, the spiritual reality Adam represents is indeed very real. Adam is a spiritual symbol that represents us all. In Adam, we all sinned. Therefore, in Adam our sin is found. We've all reached for that which God has commanded us not to seek. And for this reason, our innocence was lost. We've all been driven from our Edenic security and safety, the way back guarded by the "angels" of judgment, fear, and condemnation. As a result of our choices we have brought life's troubles upon ourselves. In Adam, we see our individual condemnation. And in Adam, we also see God's grace. Why? Because in the narrative God didn't kill Adam on the very day of Adam's sin as promised. No, instead, God took coats of skins and clothed Adam, and his wife, Eve. This symbolically represents the sacrificial atonement understood by the most primitive of cultures. Something dies in our place paying for our sins, taboos, failures... and ultimately we see this in the story of Jesus. God with us. God suffering with us. God dying with us. And in our identification with the God who is with us, we are set free and realize the eternal life that is God's desire for all.