.
There was a time when I believed the forbidden fruit contained a toxic
agent. But when Eve tasted it, nothing happened. Her body displayed no
reaction to it. Plus; she went on just as naked as before without the slightest
shame.
There was also a time when I believed Eve inherited mortality from her
biological father just as people today believe they inherited mortality from
their biological fathers. But Eve was already in existence prior to the
forbidden fruit incident so there was no chance that Adam could've passed
mortality on to her biologically.
And then one day I realized there was an elephant in the middle of the room
that everybody, including myself, seemed content to ignore. It was the
Serpent.
When Adam tasted the forbidden fruit, the Serpent immediately set to work
infecting both their bodies with mortality which, according to John 8:44 and
Heb 2:14, is his stock in trade so to speak.
According to Rev 22:2 the tree of life is basically medicinal. It could've
healed their bodies and restored them to immortality, but such was not to
be.
_
OK.
Well, my conviction is original sin.
Adam and Eve sinned. Their sin resulted in spiritual death, or separation from God (who is the source of all spiritual life) immediately. Adam acted as the federal head for all mankind.
Physical death, disease, and decay followed for all mankind, because Adam was acting as the federal head of the human race as well.
All mankind is born in sin, due to Adam's sin being imputed to them. They are made sinners by Adam's sin. Adam's sin is not only imputed to them, but since they are sinners by nature, their sin (in terms of their nature) will manifest itself by acts of sin.
Luckily, though, for those who are in Christ, Jesus' righteousness is imputed to them, and they are no longer subject to spiritual death.
They still have to deal with physical death, disease, and decay as a result of being Adam's offspring, in the short term. However, the resurrection redeems their mortal bodies at Jesus' return.
Many free-willers deny original sin, though. Why? Because it grates against their free-will theology and they cannot conceive that Adam's sin could be imputed to them, resulting in condemnation. At best, they might accept that physical death occurs due to Adam's sin, and they may acknowledge that man receives a sin nature from Adam. However, they absolutely cannot conceive of the idea that Adam's sin is imputed to them. This is because it grates against their free-willer presuppositions of fairness.
However, God really cares very little about their presuppositions. The storyline of Scripture makes total sense once someone understands these concepts, and gives up on their free-willer theology.
No, I blame Adam for viruses like coronavirus. However, at the same time, I know that all things, including the virus, work to the good of God's elect. And, he definitely has an elect. 1 Corinthians 1:26ff makes it abundantly clear that God has chosen a select group of people that he has given to his Son, out of sinful mankind. That's another truth that free-willers hate.
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)
See, these verses tell me what I need to know. All mankind was condemned by Adam's sin, and all mankind in Christ will be justified through Jesus' righteousness.
Often free-willers will accept the later, but reject the former. However, their storyline makes no sense. The Bible is coherent.