Part
One
By
Nick
Bibile
God created Adam in His own image—holy, righteous, and without sin. He stood before God in perfect innocence, naked and unashamed, with no consciousness of guilt. Adam was created morally upright, possessing true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness (cf. Ecclesiastes 7:29). There was no corruption in his nature, no inclination toward evil, and no disorder in his affections.
John Calvin writes:
“Adam
was endued with soundness of mind, with affections rightly regulated,
and with all his senses duly constituted, so that he was fitted for
obedience to God.”
(Institutes,
1.15.3)
At this time, Adam was placed under a probationary arrangement. God gave him a clear and simple command:
Genesis 2:17 — “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.”
As a perfect and holy man, Adam had full ability to obey. This arrangement is commonly called the covenant of works. Under this covenant, life was promised upon perfect obedience, and death was threatened upon disobedience. Obedience was required, and life was held forth on the basis of works.
The Westminster Confession summarizes this plainly:
“The
first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life
was promised to Adam, and in him to his posterity, upon condition of
perfect and personal obedience.”
(WCF 7.2)
However, the enemy came with deception and directly contradicted God’s word:
Genesis 3:4 — “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.”
Adam and Eve believed the lie rather than God’s truth. They disobeyed the divine command and ate the forbidden fruit. In that single act, sin entered the human race. Their eyes were opened, they became conscious of their nakedness, and they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord. This was the first manifestation of guilt, shame, and fear.
Thomas Goodwin observes:
“By one sin, man lost his righteousness, his peace, and his communion with God, and instead gained guilt, corruption, and fear.”
Scripture defines sin with clarity and simplicity:
1 John 5:17 — “All unrighteousness is sin.”
Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. It is not merely an outward act, but a condition of the heart—a rebellion of the creature against the Creator.
Adam did not act merely as a private individual. He stood as the federal head and representative of the entire human race. When he fell, all humanity fell in him. His guilt was imputed to all his descendants, and his corrupted nature was conveyed to them.
Romans
5:12
— “Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
Romans
6:23
— “For
the wages of sin is death.”
John Owen states:
“We were all in Adam, not merely by natural propagation, but by divine constitution; and his sin became the sin of all.”
Man was created in the image of God, but when sin entered, that image was profoundly marred. Man died spiritually—alienated from God, hostile toward Him, and incapable of true obedience. From birth, all men stand guilty before God because Adam’s sin is imputed to them.
Psalm 51:5 — “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Romans
3:10–12
—
“There
is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that
understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are
all gone out of the way… there is none that doeth good, no, not
one.”
Even God’s elect are born in this condition. Before regeneration, they too are enemies of God.
Romans
8:7
— “Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God…”
Colossians
1:21
— “And
you… were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works…”
Romans
5:10
— “For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son…”
Jonathan Edwards writes powerfully:
“Men
are by nature God’s enemies… their hearts are full of opposition
to His authority, His holiness, and His sovereignty.”
(Original
Sin)
When God pardons a sinner through the sacrifice of Christ, He declares that sinner righteous. This judicial act is called justification. The sinner’s guilt is removed, and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to him by faith alone.
As a result, the relationship between God and the sinner is completely transformed. Once God was rightly angry with the sinner, and the sinner was hostile toward God—now there is peace.
Psalm
7:11
— “God
is angry with the wicked every day.”
Romans
5:1–2
—
“Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ…”
Martin Luther famously said:
“This is that righteousness which Christ gives us—alien righteousness, not our own.”
Scripture teaches plainly that unbelievers are at enmity with God. Enmity implies hostility, opposition, and deep-seated resistance. This hostility is evident in their choices, affections, and way of life.
They place little value on God. While they esteem their friends highly and avoid offending them, they have little regard for God’s authority. Like Pharaoh, they say in their hearts:
Exodus
5:2
— “Who
is the LORD, that I should obey his voice?”
Job
21:15
— “What
is the Almighty, that we should serve him?”
They neither love God nor fear Him. They delight more in worldly pleasures than in God, finding joy in entertainment and earthly pursuits while God occupies the lowest place in their priorities.
Psalm 10:4 — “The wicked… will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”
Stephen Charnock writes:
“Men naturally love what is agreeable to their corrupt hearts, and therefore hate the holiness of God.”
They forget God easily while remembering worldly pleasures vividly. God may cross their minds briefly, but those thoughts quickly vanish. The Word takes no root and bears no lasting fruit.
They may pray publicly, yet neglect secret prayer. Their labor is for the flesh, not for God. Their will stands opposed to God’s will.
Romans
8:7–8
—
“Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God…
So then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God.”
Often, this enmity remains concealed. Unbelievers may appear kind and moral so long as their conscience is undisturbed. But when God confronts them with His holiness, authority, or judgment, their hatred surfaces.
Pharaoh is a clear example. When circumstances were favorable, his hostility was restrained. When God pressed His claims, Pharaoh’s heart hardened. This same corruption exists in all natural men. Sin is restrained by God’s common grace, but if that restraint were removed, the full depravity of the heart would be revealed.
Thomas Watson warns:
“Sin in the heart is like fire under ashes; stir it, and you will see what it is.”
There is a difference between a wicked man on earth and a wicked man in hell: restraint. In hell, sin rages without limit.
Many seek Christ for fleshly reasons. The crowds followed Jesus not because they loved the truth, but because He fed them.
John 6:26 — “Ye seek me… because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”
So it is today. Many are religious yet unregenerate. They have a form of godliness, but they do not walk in the Spirit because they are not born of the Spirit.
John Owen soberly notes:
“A man may go far in religion, and yet be a stranger to the power of it.”
We must remember that we were no different from Pharaoh or any other unbeliever. Our salvation is entirely of grace. God ended our rebellion, removed our guilt, and clothed us in the righteousness of Christ.
We now stand before God—not in our goodness, but in His grace alone.
Therefore, all glory belongs to God alone.
Soli Deo Gloria.