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Writer's pictureElijah McSwain

The Devastating Consequences Of The Fall

Updated: Jul 26, 2023



June 26, 2023


By Elijah McSwain, Sr.

The Fall” has had a profound negative effect on the world. The world that mankind once knew as being good and very good by the proclamation of God in the Genesis 1 account has been distorted, tainted, and marred by sin. The newly created world fashioned by God was in harmony with God, was in sync with God’s purpose, and was functioning according to God’s will. Everything operated according to the divine design of God. All of creation was functional without any mishaps or malfunctions. The fowls of the air operated in their creative design. The creatures of the sea and the land operated in their creative design. All plants and vegetables operated by God’s design. The sun, the moon, the stars, the constellations, and the frame of the entire world operated perfectly by God’s design.

However, when sin entered the world, it had a devastating effect on how the cosmos would function, how creatures would interact with one another, how mankind would choose to think and live, and how the human race would view God.

Romans 8:19-22 highlights the change of trajectory for creation as a whole due to sin. “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”

“The word futility indicates “because of man’s sin, God cursed the physical universe (Gen. 3:17–19), and now, no part of creation entirely fulfills God’s original purpose.”1

Genesis 3:17-19 is written, "then to Adam He said, because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

“When Adam sinned, his transgression affected not only mankind, but all of creation, both animate and inanimate. The ground is cursed. Many wild animals die violent deaths. Disease afflicts birds and animals as well as fish and serpents. The result of man’s sin have rippled like shockwaves throughout all of creation. Thus, the creation was subjected to futility, frustration, and disorder, not by its own choice, but by the decree of God because of the disobedience of man’s federal head.”2

The world is in a state of chaos. The earth’s terrain, it’s vegetation, the animals, the world’s food source, and humanity all experience calamity as a result of “The Fall.” It is with great emphasis, that this written composition focuses in on the devastating effects that sin has on humanity and the consequences associated with the effect of “The Fall”.

Mankind’s Newfound Position After Falling From Grace

By default, every human being that is born upon the face of the earth is naturally void of the holiness required by the law of God. Every person is born as a creature of sinfulness and labeled as a sinner. David understood this truth as he wrote in Psalm 51:5, “behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” David realized that his very existence was a byproduct of sin due to “The Fall”.

Albert Mohler concluded that “David is not claiming he is the product of an illegitimate relationship; rather, he is acknowledging the deep roots of sin: his sinful nature was inherent from his earliest moments.”3

The ultimate conclusion can be drawn that from the onset of physical birth, humanity inherits a spiritual nature that is void of God. The nature that we inherit projects forth the absence of God from our lives. The entire human population that has ever lived or will ever live upon this earth is subject to being sinful at birth, from the very moment of conception and thus, void of God’s holiness. We are born in iniquity with the capacity to commit sin. It is the core of our nature when we enter the world through the process of procreation. Ultimately, it is sufficient to say that being sinful is our nature by default.

As humans, we are inclined to sin. The notion of being inclined to evil is primarily what we come into the world being drawn toward. Job 15:14 asks several probing questions, “what is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?” In the frame of our existence and by the strength of our own power, we are creatures who only know sin apart from God. Being prone to do evil is our natural disposition before a holy God. As sin is humanity’s default position, it inevitably corrupts the minds of people to perform evil acts, to engage in evil speech, to practice evil as a means of what is considered as good, to disregard God’s order, to exalt human desires over God’s desire and will for mankind, it causes people to live a lifestyle contrary to His standard, and sin causes people to rebel against God in all aspects of life.

As indicated by the Apostle Paul, mankind is of an evil nature because without God people are considered to be “dead in sins and trespasses” (Ephesians 2:1). In accordance to being dead spiritually, humanity is geared to walk according to the course of this sinful world that is governed by Satan. In connection with living according to the ways of the world, anyone that is alienated from God will conduct themselves according to the lust of the flesh, fulfill the desires of the flesh, walk after the lust of their minds, and follow pursuit of the lust of their eyes (Ephesians 2:3 & 1 John 2:15-17). Life without God is a path that leads to disaster and ruin. Hence, left to one’s own devices, a person will journey through life constantly stumbling in sin without the light of Christ to steer them away from their bent toward evil.

No man is naturally righteous, no, not one; though man originally was made righteous, yet sinning he lost his righteousness, and all his posterity are without any; nor can they become righteous of themselves, or by any works of righteousness done by them; and though they may trust in themselves that they are righteous, and may appear outwardly so before men, yet by the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified or accounted righteous in the sight of God. Nor can any of the sons of men be made or reckoned righteous on their own accord. They can only be made righteous by the obedience of Christ, or by that justifying righteousness that is in Him. The impurity, imperfection, and unrighteousness of men, are the only things that can be produced by mankind, themselves. Mortal man is feeble, frail, weak, and dying in and of himself. But through the grace of God and the blood of Christ can mankind be made whole, righteous, holy, pure, and set apart from sin. 4

As mentioned in my book entitled, The Great Debate Over The Doctrine Of Salvation, the natural tendency of human civilization after “The Fall” would highlight the fact that every person that would come through the channel of human history would be flawed with wayward living, be defiant, and be insubordinate to God as a repercussion of sin. The world due to the aftermath of sin became a place of moral and spiritual depravity. The human race became a byproduct of the fallen world due to sinful transgression. As mankind was now considered sinful, no amount of human effort, human intellect, human influence, human reasoning, human invention, or human methodology could provide resolve for sin. The very nature of our sinfulness could not reconcile us back unto God or remove the stigma of sin. In our own power and might, we could not formulate a plan to be redeemed or rescued. The plan of redemption had to be orchestrated outside of sinful mankind. The only way to be delivered from being inclined to evil would come by way of reconciliation through the life, death, burial, blood, and resurrection of Jesus for those who exercise faith in His redemptive work. 5

Condemnation As A Means Of Punishment For Sin

Condemnation was imposed upon the world as a result of sin. According to Blue Letter Bible, condemnation implies the act of being pronounced as wrong or guilty. 8 Condemnation involves an adverse judgment or unfavorable disapproval of a person’s actions based upon his or her criminal offense of violating the governance of the law.

The act of being held under condemnation is God’s means of pronouncing judgment against the transgressors of His law. The purpose of placing violators of His law under condemnation is to declare the actions of sinners as wrong. God stands as the Righteous Judge and He will execute or give the proper judgment for those who oppose Him and His way of life.

Psalm 5:4-6, 9-10 presents the pronounced state and punishment of the wicked. The psalmist declared, “for You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue. Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You.”

Condemnation is the declared current demise for sinful men. Sinners are condemned under God’s pronouncement as the Scriptures teach. Condemnation is the natural result of sin. The spirit of unbelief in God and the reality of being lost in sin places people under the condemnation of God.

"All of mankind is divided into two classes: either believers or unbelievers. Our eternal destiny is determined by the attitude we take toward the Son of God. The one who trusts the Savior is not condemned, but the one who does not trust Him is condemned already.” 2

John 3:17-19 states “for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

People who reject the provisionary means of God through Jesus are held captive under the bondage of sin and are condemned for their lack of belief. Dr. Grant Richison affirms that “the condemnation here is not that at the end of life but is current to those who do not know Christ. The Greek tense indicates that those who do not currently believe in Christ stand under God’s condemnation. People who do not trust the work of Christ for their salvation stand condemned. They do not have to do anything to be condemned; they are condemned from the start” as sinners who are born into the world by our default position.” 6

Condemnation is a present reality for those living outside the will of God, that is to say, for those who have not come into the saving knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. In connection with being condemned is an impending reality of spiritual death and punishment that awaits for unbelievers. Condemnation leads to spiritual death and eternal suffering. Eternal punishment and suffering are the retribution or payment for those who are deemed as condemned for rejecting Jesus as God’s means of salvation.

Romans 6:23 emphasizes “for the wages of sin is death.”

The life associated with living contrary to the order of God produces death. Spiritual death is the result of the absence of life found in God. It is the death of the soul without God because of separation. In simpler terms it is the separation of the soul from God. Spiritual death is the idea of being cut off from the life of God. The result of such death is expressed in Ephesians 4:18 by the declaration of “having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” Condemnation is a result of possessing a darkened understanding, being spiritually blind, and spiritually alienated from God.

“Having their understanding darkened, through the ignorance that is in them means that they are totally void of the light of God, and do not have any knowledge of His will. Being alienated from the life of God means that they are utter strangers to the divine, the spiritual life. Through the hardness of their hearts, sinners are callous and senseless. And where there is no sense, there can be no life.” 7

Condemnation does not have to be the demise of sinners. God has offered eternal life and eternal salvation through Jesus. Every person has the opportunity to escape condemnation and spiritual death by conviction of the Holy Spirit, repentance of sin, and by belief as well as confession in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1 makes it known that, “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” The reality of being in Christ affords people to escape the condemnation of God by becoming recipients of saving grace through faith.

References

  1. The MacArthur Study Bible

  2. William MacDonald. Believers Bible Commentary

  3. The Grace and Truth Study Bible

  4. John Gill’s Exposition Of the Bible

  5. Elijah McSwain, Sr. The Debate Over The Doctrine Of Salvation

  6. Grant Richison. Verse By Verse Commentary.

  7. John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes

  8. Blue Letter Bible


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