.
â—Ź Eph 2:2-3 . . As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in
which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the
ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who
are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the
cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the
rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
It's believed by a pretty large percentage of modern Christians that the
sinful nature spoken of in that Ephesians passage is propagated by men.
Oh? From whence did Eve get it?
She was already alive and fully constructed with material taken from Adam's
body prior to the forbidden fruit incident. Since himself tasted the fruit after
his wife was already in existence; then it was impossible for Adam to pass
the fallen nature to her via reproduction.
In the past, I was sure that the chemistry of the forbidden fruit had
something to do with the first couple's altered moral perception; but now I
seriously doubt it because Eve was the first to eat the fruit, and when she
did, nothing happened. She remained just as shameless in the buff as
before. It wasn't till Adam tasted the fruit that she began to feel exposed; so
I'm pretty sure that the underlying cause is far more serious than the
chemistry of that fruit.
If Eve's fallen condition wasn't due to the fruit, nor due to Adam's body,
then what? Well; obviously the Serpent did it to them, a.k.a. the Devil (Rev
20:2)
The ruler of the kingdom of the air-- i.e. the spirit world --has the power of
death (Heb 2:14) and the ability to tamper with the human body and the
human mind in ways not easily detected; e.g. Luke 13:16, Mark 5:1-5, and
Eph 2:2.
The Serpent was apparently all set and ready to wield his power the moment
that Adam crossed the line and ate that fruit. It amazes me how quickly it
takes effect. Not long after Adam tasted the fruit, he and his wife both
immediately set to work cobbling together some rudimentary aprons to
cover up their pelvic areas.
This power of death allowed the Devil is apparently an absolute that could
only be overturned by Christ's crucifixion.
â—Ź John 12:31-33 . . Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this
world shall be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all
men to myself.
â—Ź Heb 2:14 . . Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of
death; that is: the Devil.
That is at least one good reason why folks need to RSVP God about His son's
crucifixion to avoid leaving this life under the Devil's supervision. They've got
to get that arrangement dissolved now, while an opportunity for liberty is on
the table.
_