The Christadelphian Beliefs

Sin and Death

1.   Introduction

Most people have known somebody who has died. Despite many advances in medical technology that now allows us to prolong life, we have not yet devised a method of making people live for ever. Indeed, Benjamin Franklin once said:

"But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

What we are going to examine here is what we the Christadelphians believe about death and what God has revealed to us in the Bible about this subject.

2.    Some Foundation Principles

Christadelphians believe in the Holy Bible as the revealed word of God. The teachings of Jesus and the Apostles are based upon the foundation principles established in the Old Testament:  

"And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he [Jesus] explained to them [the disciples] what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself." (Luke Ch 24 v 27)

If you want to explore this issue further then please refer to our other article regarding the Bible as the only true authority in these matters

So when the Bible talks of people, such as Adam and Eve, we believe that they are real people and not mythical characters. After all, Jesus himself talks of them as real people (Matthew Ch 19 v 4) and Paul refers to them in a number of bible passages. If we want to be followers of Jesus, then logic would dictate that we should believe what he believed!

3.    Adam and Eve

When we consider Sin and Death in the Bible, it is impossible to do so without reference to Adam and Eve. In the beginning, God created a garden for Adam to live in. Inside the garden was everything that Adam and Eve needed for a life of obeying God. There was food, water and shelter. However there was also in the garden, a tree which God told Adam he should not touch:

"And the LORD GOD commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis Ch 2 v 16-17)  

From the above, we can see that Adam was clearly given a commandment not to eat of that tree, but if he did the consequence would be death.

Adam and Eve also had access to another tree - the tree of life.  By implication therefore as long as they had access to this tree their life would be preserved.

4     Sin

Very soon after the event above we read that Eve is engaged in conversation with the serpent  who convinces her that the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was something to be desired as it would make them wise.

Eve was deceived and gave into temptation. She took of the fruit and then gave some to Adam. Of course they both understood what was at stake, yet chose to disobey the commandment of God. As a consequence they sinned (which means to break the commandment of God).  In doing this they were both changed. As we read in Genesis Ch 3: 7

"The eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked."  (Gen 3:7)

They did not need to be told about these changes, they experienced them at first hand.  Consequently when they heard the voice of God they were frightened and ran away and hid themselves.  They made aprons for a covering, but it was no solution to the shame that they now felt.

Not only did Adam's sin give rise to a conscience condemned by guilt but it also introduced a new force and power into the world.  This is explained in the New Testament and can be termed the principle of sin.  This is the tendency of mankind to continually disobey the righteous commandments of God.  The Apostle Paul put it this way:

"For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me: but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." (Rom 7:18-19).

5.    Death

Adam was created a living soul (i.e. living being).  After his disobedience he became a dying soul because God instituted the law of Sin and Death.  

"The wages of sin is death" Rom 6:23.

When Adam broke the commandment of God he became subject to death.  The Lord said to him:

"in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."  Genesis 3:19

Note the emphasis here in this passage of scripture on the personal pronoun of "thou".  The scriptures make it very clear that Adam was to return to the dust of the ground from whence he came.  There is no suggestion here that he was going to Heaven.

See article on the immortality of the soul

This is further evidenced by the fact that Adam no longer had access to the Tree of Life which was placed within the Garden of Eden as both he and Eve were deliberately removed from the Garden by God.  Scripture is very clearly teaching us therefore that man is now mortal.  Note however that the way back to the Tree of Life was not destroyed but kept safe by the Cherubims with the flaming sword which turned every way - see Genesis Ch 3:24.  In these words we have a hint of "the narrow way" which would draw man back to the Garden of Eden when it is restored when the kingdom of God is re-established upon the Earth.

All mankind has inherited the same constitution as Adam. Just as the principle of sin has been handed down through each successive generation, so to has its consequence - that of Death:

"By the trespass of one man, (i.e. Adam) death reigned through that one man." (Romans Ch 5 v 17)

"Death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not  sin after the likeness of Adam's transgression." (i.e. they were not subject to a specific law - nevertheless they died due to the principle of sin.) (Romans 5:14)

These scriptures are teaching the mortality of man. Scripture teaches us that in death all conscious thought ceases. For example Psalm 6 reads as follows:

"For in death there is no remembrance of thee;  In the grave who shall give thee thanks?" Ps 6:5

In death there is a cessation of all conscious thought.  Man does not go to Heaven to praise God continually for we read:

"The dead praise not the Lord, Neither any that go down into silence."  Ps 115:17

There is only one exception to this - the man Jesus Christ for again we read:

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." John 3:13

Because of the principle of sin the Bible tells us that death has come upon all mankind. We all begin to die from the moment of our birth. Adam failed to obey God, the consequences of which have been experienced by all his descendants ever since.

6.    Christ has Destroyed Sin in the Flesh and has the Keys to Eternal Life

Jesus Christ, through the perfect sacrifice he accomplished by dying on the cross has destroyed sin in his own flesh. As a consequence he has opened the way to eternal life for those who believe in him and his sacrifice.

 For a related web page on the atonement.

7.    The Hope of Resurrection from the Grave

God has provided a way of escape through Jesus Christ and belief in the gospel message which teaches of the resurrection from the dead.  The fact that Christ is now risen from the dead and sits at God's right hand gives us absolute assurance that those "in Christ" will also be raised from the dead.  The expression "in Christ" means to be baptised into his saving name.

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." 1 Cor 15: 20 - 23

The hope of eternal life centres upon Christ's return to this Earth as promised, when he shall raise up those responsible to God through knowledge of the gospel , which was first preached unto Abraham.  Those found faithful at the judgment seat will be given immortality and shall dwell with Christ upon the Earth for 1000 years in God's kingdom. After the 1000 years, when all rule and authority has been brought under subjection by Christ, the kingdom will be offered up to God who will then be all in all.

For a related web page which explains the resurrection from the dead in more detail

8.   False Teaching

Many other religions teach that when you die you go to Heaven. However the Bible teaches that death is a penalty for wrong doing, therefore it is inconsistent to assert that at this point in time one will be rewarded with eternal life.

The scripture is very clear and consistent about the teaching of the mortality of man.  When he dies he returns to the dust of the ground.  But if he is "in Christ" the return to the dust of the ground is the equivalent of a sleep.  This sleep will end when Christ returns to raise up the faithful to newness of life.  It is at this point that those of faith will be rewarded for pleasing God.  It is interesting to note here that nowhere in scripture do we find the teaching of the immortality of the soul.

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