The answer is: yes.
Adam's sin brought all mankind underneath the Curse.
Spiritual death is one of the effects of the Curse, and that is why man needs to be born again, in order to possess spiritual life.
Reading John 3, Ephesians 2, Romans 5, and 1 Corinthians 15 is helpful in this regard. It is clearly taught in Scripture that the unsaved man, as a physical descendant of Adam, is spiritually dead, and needs to be made alive again, in order to live toward God.
In fact, he needs to be regenerated, which means to be given life again, in order to respond to God. That is why Reformed theology emphasizes regeneration producing faith and repentance, rather than the backwards view of free-wilers, who claim that regeneration is dependent upon faith and repentance which the unsaved man must dredge up from his spiritually dead heart of stone.
Anyways, I would like to propose that mankind, at the natural level, also does not possess the keen faculties of mind that he possessed before the Fall. With the Fall comes a loss of native mental abilities. This loss of mental abilities is exacerbated by the aging process, in addition.
Why do I think this?
I watched a video this morning about a young man who remembers details of every day of his life. His name is Jake Hausler.
Here's the link to an article about him, and I will post the video below:
https://bestofsno.com/36992/features/the-brain-issue-an-unforgettable-memory/
Some might think this young man is simply an exception. I do not. I think that he retains the ability that we all would have had, if our father Adam had not rebelled against God. Of course, I do not think that he has been exempted from the Curse, but God perhaps allowed him to be unaffected in this one area of ability in order to show us what we would have been like, if our father Adam had not rebelled.
This effect of diminished mental performance is called the "noetic effect of sin". Comparatively speaking, we are slow learners at best, compared to our created potential. This is because our entire being has been affected by Adam's sin. In fact, Romans 1 speaks about the vain and futile way of thinking related to the fallen man. One cannot think rationally, in an ultimate sense, without having God as their center of being. He may be able to grasp a materialistic knowledge at some level, but his reasoning is still futile and vain until his federal head moves from Adam to Christ.
Now, I know many will squeal, Adam's sin had no effect on mankind as a whole, as this would be unfair. However, the fair thing would be if God destroyed Adam at the moment of sin, which would have prevented the birth of the entire population of humans. If you want fair, that is fair. I simply read the above chapters and believe what Scripture says, though, no matter what Play-doh god I might conjure up in my mind.
Truly accepting what the doctrine of original sin teaches is not for sissies.
Romans 5:12-21 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(ESV)
By the way, I do not think the noetic effects of sin are totally removed at conversion. Some of the effects of the Curse are borne by believers, including the aging process. Our bodies and minds will continue to deteriorate. The noetic effects of sin and the aging effect upon the human body actually works to the advantage of believers, because they force the believer to depend on God throughout life's stages. All things work to the good of those who love God.
However, I believe that Jake's abilities are an echo of mankind's noetic abilities in the pre-Fall state. And, soon, believers will receive a new, resurrection body with fine noetic capabilities.
Adam's sin brought all mankind underneath the Curse.
Spiritual death is one of the effects of the Curse, and that is why man needs to be born again, in order to possess spiritual life.
Reading John 3, Ephesians 2, Romans 5, and 1 Corinthians 15 is helpful in this regard. It is clearly taught in Scripture that the unsaved man, as a physical descendant of Adam, is spiritually dead, and needs to be made alive again, in order to live toward God.
In fact, he needs to be regenerated, which means to be given life again, in order to respond to God. That is why Reformed theology emphasizes regeneration producing faith and repentance, rather than the backwards view of free-wilers, who claim that regeneration is dependent upon faith and repentance which the unsaved man must dredge up from his spiritually dead heart of stone.
Anyways, I would like to propose that mankind, at the natural level, also does not possess the keen faculties of mind that he possessed before the Fall. With the Fall comes a loss of native mental abilities. This loss of mental abilities is exacerbated by the aging process, in addition.
Why do I think this?
I watched a video this morning about a young man who remembers details of every day of his life. His name is Jake Hausler.
Here's the link to an article about him, and I will post the video below:
https://bestofsno.com/36992/features/the-brain-issue-an-unforgettable-memory/
Some might think this young man is simply an exception. I do not. I think that he retains the ability that we all would have had, if our father Adam had not rebelled against God. Of course, I do not think that he has been exempted from the Curse, but God perhaps allowed him to be unaffected in this one area of ability in order to show us what we would have been like, if our father Adam had not rebelled.
This effect of diminished mental performance is called the "noetic effect of sin". Comparatively speaking, we are slow learners at best, compared to our created potential. This is because our entire being has been affected by Adam's sin. In fact, Romans 1 speaks about the vain and futile way of thinking related to the fallen man. One cannot think rationally, in an ultimate sense, without having God as their center of being. He may be able to grasp a materialistic knowledge at some level, but his reasoning is still futile and vain until his federal head moves from Adam to Christ.
Now, I know many will squeal, Adam's sin had no effect on mankind as a whole, as this would be unfair. However, the fair thing would be if God destroyed Adam at the moment of sin, which would have prevented the birth of the entire population of humans. If you want fair, that is fair. I simply read the above chapters and believe what Scripture says, though, no matter what Play-doh god I might conjure up in my mind.
Truly accepting what the doctrine of original sin teaches is not for sissies.
Romans 5:12-21 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(ESV)
By the way, I do not think the noetic effects of sin are totally removed at conversion. Some of the effects of the Curse are borne by believers, including the aging process. Our bodies and minds will continue to deteriorate. The noetic effects of sin and the aging effect upon the human body actually works to the advantage of believers, because they force the believer to depend on God throughout life's stages. All things work to the good of those who love God.
However, I believe that Jake's abilities are an echo of mankind's noetic abilities in the pre-Fall state. And, soon, believers will receive a new, resurrection body with fine noetic capabilities.
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