Adam's Choice to Remain with Eve--The keeping of a commandment and blessing.

[ParkerD]

As a general point, I would like to note that I have heard the claim “fortunate Fall” hundreds of times by very devout folks, so to tell Parker his claim is “outrageous” or a form of “fault” in his character or faith is rather surprising to me. The possibility that God knew this would/might happen and perhaps even permitted it or condoned it (leading to Christ) is an idea that has existed for a long time, and many Christian thinkers have pondered it. So, too, many Christian thinkers have pondered which “sins” God may deem greater and lesser, which commandments, etc. This is very common theological talk.

I see no reason to get up one’s dander over such a reasonable line of questioning, especially when done as politely as Parker did.

Larkin31,
Thank you for your kind comment here, and the observation.

If my memory serves, then TheosisM at one point cited a quote by a Catholic theologian or writer who expressed that the fall of Adam and Eve brought a good effect through Christ’s atonement. This was weeks or months ago, so I won’t be able to find the quote, but it was very insightfully written and was memorable for me.

Have a peaceful and wonderful day, all.

 

[Jay53]

Jay53,
I agree that “judgment came upon all men to condemnation” because of the partaking of the forbidden fruit. But Paul emphasized both the spiritual death that is meant by that “condemnation” and separation from God, and the opposite condition–the “abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” … “unto justification of life” through the physical and spiritual agony and death suffered by the Savior.

Paul is writing to the Romans to emphasize that the law of Moses and the practices of “circumcision” and of the law of sacrifice are not sufficient to rescue humankind from the fall of Adam and Eve, and that the Roman Jews needed to realize that just as Christ died and was resurrected, taking His body up in a newness of life, they needed to be “buried with him by baptism into death” and thus be “planted together in the likeness of his death” so that they could “be also in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” (See Romans 6:4-7) Through this reconciliation wrought by Christ, humankind can be “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (v. 8)

Paul never says Adam and Eve made a “bad choice”, but he does say they were under “condemnation” because of their choice which was “one sin”. Yet he says they were rescued from that condemnation, and that we can all be rescued from that condemnation, through Christ and through following the likenesses of laying our spiritually dead body down so that He can take it up again and we gain the “newness of life” that is likened to the resurrection.

One does well to think about Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

We need to place our lives into the hands of the potter, that He may mold us into the “new creature” as Paul wrote that we should become.

Have a beautiful day.

Thanks for your post. Other than trying to say that Paul “never [said] Adam & Eve made a ‘bad choice’” (I would agree that he did not use those exact words) and then immediately proving that he did in fact convey that thought by using the word “condemnation”, it would seem from this post that you understand (and possibly agree with ) what I’ve been trying to say; but I’m not sure how you reconcile that with the Mormon position which tells you different. I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide you.

I would agree with the point that even though Adam & Eve made a choice resulting in condemnation (another way of saying they made the wrong choice), we are in fact redeemed and rescued from the result of that choice through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thanks for the dialogue and considering the points I was trying to convey.

Hope you have a beautiful day, too! It’s sunny and nice outside today here!