In my opinion, we need a more complete view of God’s intent for man to know how much emphasis one needs to put upon all questions related to sin.
1. The price for sin was paid from the foundation of the earth.
In the Book of Job, God questions Job about his part in creation:
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”
2. Paul tells us that all of creation was formed in Christ and through Christ for His purposes.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
3. John, in the Book of Revelation, tells us that the Lamb of God, Christ, was slain from the foundation of the world.
“..written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
This tells us several things: 1) that the price for sin was paid BEFORE the first sin was committed and 2) God created Adam knowing he would sin.
Somewhere along the line the church made “sin” a major topic of religion. Whereas God in His wisdom, answered the question of sin before man even showed up. In fact, the template for all creation, because everything was made by and through Christ the Son, includes man’s full redemption back to God’s original intent.
Now, certainly we should not sin. Don’t say I’m saying otherwise. Don’t sin. But, in the New Testament, there is great emphasis on counting God’s redemption of man so complete, that believers had to be reminded to not, in God’s grace, live as they used to live. THIS is why Paul, and Peter, and John wrote about not sinning or continuing in the lifestyle from which people were rescued.
The remedy for sin is quite plain and simple: “Confess your sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” To carry it further, one can then “..believe in Him whom He sent, because “that us the work of God.”
And this is not just for the forgiveness of sin, but for the redemption of man BACK to God’s original intent: to be son of God in Christ Jesus the Lord. This is “eternal life”: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” This life is “eternal” because it originates with God who is eternal. A condition of “eternal life” is that it never passes away.
My point: eternal life is one of the unseen things Christ created by and through Him before man ever showed up, before Adam sinned. It is secured in Him and by His life; the life that He gave up for us from the foundation of the world. This is the unshakable assurance of His ability to fully redeem us for His purposes.
