by Larry Groenewald

It is commonly believed in christendom that man would not have died if Adam and Eve did not disobey God, and that death was a result of Adam and Eve’s sin or actions.
I think we must first understand what “sin” is defined as and what “trespass” is all about according to the Scriptures. There is an important distinction to be seen here although they are both evil. God gave Israel (in the wilderness) five offerings, namely the burnt offering, the meal offering, the peace offering, the sin offering and the trespass offering. The first three offerings were called sweet smelling offerings, and the last two were called the non- sweet smelling offerings. Our understanding will be enlightened when we can see the distinction between the sin offering and the trespass offering. Our natural man cannot see this distinction, and that is blocking our understanding of what sin is and what trespass is. Mike Vinson posted an in- depth study on all these offerings, and it will be advisable to read through those studies (or listen to the audios) on the iswasandwillbe. com website, especially as relating to these non- sweet smelling offerings with which we are concerned here.
Scripturally the definition of sin is basically to miss the target or mark:

Jdg 20:16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss (Hebrew: châṭâ).

These 700 men did not miss their mark or target. This Hebrew word “chaÌ‚tÌ£aÌ‚” is translated as “sinned” 102 times, “sin” 69 times, “sinneth” 13 times, “sinner” 8 times in the KJV.
Flesh misses the mark from its first creation (the first man Adam) because it is not spirit:

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

From this word “chaÌ‚tÌ£aÌ‚” we get a very interesting variation which appears the first time in the Scriptures in this verse:

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin (Hebrew: chatÌ£tÌ£aÌ‚’aÌ‚h) lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

“ChatÌ£tÌ£aÌ‚’aÌ‚h” also refers to sin as this verse clearly shows. Sin is here referred to with two personal pronouns, namely “his” and “him”. The Greek Septuagint confirms this:

Gen 4:7 (ABP+) If notG3756 G302 rightlyG3723 you brought, G4374 [3rightlyG3723 1butG1161 2not] G3361 divided, G1244 you sinned? G264 Be still, G2270 toG4314 you shall be G1473 G3588 his submission, G654.1 G1473 andG2532 youG1473 will controlG756 him! G1473

This Greek word connected with Strong’s number G1473 is “egoÌ„” which is a primary pronoun of the first person (I or me), according to Dr Strong. This gives us a very clear indication that “sin” is what the person is. Sin was at Cain’s door. Adam and Eve transgressed because of what they were – their physical condition was given to them and was a weak vessel from the start. Here are Jesus’ words about our natural condition:

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

The flesh is compared to the spirit. Flesh is missing the mark, and that “mark” is spirit. God is spirit, and Adam and Eve were flesh (from the dust/ out of the ground):

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Adam’s condition was a “marred” body in the hand of the Potter because that is what flesh is, not what it became:

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand (Gen 2:7) of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Flesh is therefore the definition of what sin is, before Adam did anything. He was in a “body of this death” from the start, and that is why Paul calls it a wretched condition:

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

To confirm this just look at what was in Eve’s heart BEFORE she took of the fruit and transgressed the commandment of God (remember Eve was taken out of Adam – Adam’s heart was the same as Eve’s):

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

This is exactly correlating with what is in the world:

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (the tree was good for food), and the lust of the eyes (it was pleasant to the eyes), and the pride of life (a tree to be desired to make one wise), is not of the Father, but is of the world (this physical “kosmos” as the original Greek states).

The physical body is a temporary vessel of clay, and it was never eternal (or spirit) because the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom:

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

The body is called “corruption” in that verse, because it is corrupt – in a state of decay from its creation. Only that which is made of spirit is called “incorruption” or non- decaying:

1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

Jesus came in this same body of death and He would have died eventually. His violent death on a cross has another reason for our purposes. Jesus is the only proof that a perfect person can die when He has a flesh and blood body. Jesus never committed an offence against His Father, but was killed because of our offences:

Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for (Greek: “dia” = through) our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

That is why He came in the flesh as our sin offering, and because of our offences He was our trespass offering! He related with us in every aspect. Just look at what His fleshly, temporary body was called (the words “to be” are added by the KJV translators to cause confusion):

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Jesus was MADE sin although He DID NOT sin (transgressed). When did the Father make Jesus sin? When He was formed in His mother’s womb:

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Do these words only apply to David and not to Adam and Jesus and all who have been given a flesh and blood body? I cannot see that. Mary’s body was formed “in sin” and “in iniquity” – the same body we have with all the pulls of the flesh. Mary’s egg, which was fertilized by the spirit of God, had all the sinful DNA of David and Adam. Hebrews confirm this:

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Jesus came in the same flesh as us (and Adam) otherwise His victory over the flesh is meaningless. It is only meaningless to those who are of the spirit of the antichrist:

1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Jesus coming IN SIN and never committing a sin (trespass) gives us the clearest distinction we need to have between the sin offering and the trespass offering. We cannot choose our bodies, but we can make choices about what we DO in this body, God willing. “Sin” is the human body’s condition MADE like that by the Creator. Adam and Eve transgressed because they were caused to do so by God who gave them their weak sin- condition:

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Yes, Adam and Eve did not eat of the tree of life at any time while they were in the garden. But their transgression made it clear to them what they were – dust and naked. They had no desire to eat of that tree of life, and even today we can see that:

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Here is why Adam and Eve did not eat of the tree of life from the beginning:

Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Flesh does not like the tree of life!!! That tree of life never pleased the flesh, the eyes nor the pride of life in us. God Himself placed all those fleshly attractions (ref. 1Jn 2:16) in the other tree:

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree (of knowledge of good and evil) was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Yes, by one man sin entered into the world – we all have the same body of flesh which is sin! All the sin that can ever be in this world is in our Adamic body before we DO anything:

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

I hope this explains why Adam and Eve were sin before they committed a transgression and why death is the result of being in a sinful and temporary, marred body of clay.

Your brother in Christ,
Larry Groenewald