Who is Adam?

The creation/evolution debate has raged for decades and it shows no sign of letting up.  What we believe about our origin determines everything else we believe about life on earth and eternal matters. 

• Do we have a soul, or are we just matter in motion?
• Do we have a mind, or are our thoughts simply electrical impulses in our brain?
• Do we have a purpose for being, or is the world and our existence simply a cosmic accident with no ultimate reason for being?

At the heart of this debate is the nature of man. Are we the accidental rulers of the world, or are we divinely made in the image of God?

In seeking answers to such profound questions, it would seem natural for one to give significant attention to the first man and woman.  However, few seem to consider how profound and important the consideration of the first man and woman is.

Evolution is not really concerned about the first man and woman. It has no way of knowing who was first.  Organic evolution alleges that from dead matter, through various stages and different kinds of animals, eventually there was an animal who developed the first traits of “man.” Across the generations, his offspring slowly became more human until at last human beings were present. Of course, one would also need a female coming into existence at the same time at each stage of evolution. She would have had to be in or near the same place so that they could find each other and propagate. It is a wondrous tale, indeed.

Sadly, since evolution simply alleges that humans are animals the first of us is not relevant to the evolutionary model.  But what if the first man and woman were just like every man and woman who came after them?  What if the intelligence we have is the simply the result of our existence and is attributable to our Divine creator?     

Scripture affirms that God made the world with man in mind.  Isaiah records, “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!)” (Isaiah 45:18).  We owe our heritage as humans not to dead matter that accidentally became alive, morphed into animals, and eventually became man.  Rather we owe our existence to a purposeful, loving God who created our forefather and mother in His image. 

Let us explore a little about Adam and Eve, the first man and woman on earth.  By learning about the first man and woman we will learn a lot about ourselves, our God, and our worth in His eyes.

Like Adam, We Are Made In God’s Image

The Bible’s account of Creation informs us that on the sixth day, God created the animals which populate the earth (Genesis 1:24-25).  It then informs us that on that same day, God crowned his creation with forming of man:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

How we view the origin of man’s existence is one of the most significant convictions that we will ever hold. In that choice, our options are limited.  We are either animals with no immortal soul, no mind, and no ultimate purpose, or we are eternal beings who share the image and likeness of Almighty God.  The first man and woman were not animals. We are their children and so have the same nature that they did.

So many of us struggle with both building and maintaining self-esteem. There is a powerful and direct connection between our understanding of our origins and our ability to have a healthy level of self-respect. Our view of ourselves will always be linked to what we believe about what was responsible for our creation. 

In this regard, evolution is debilitating to self-esteem. How can we expect people to feel good about being told their very existence is an accident?  The consequence of evolutionary thinking is that it leads to people to think, “You don’t actually have a purpose. You could have never existed just as easily as you do exist. If one atom inside of one molecule had bounced another direction, you would have never been.” How can anyone feel good about being an accident? 

Organic evolution further degrades man by its testimony that we are nothing more than any other animal. How can humans feel good about being told they are no different than an ant?  Most humans have stepped on and killed ants and given little thought to the life that is being ended. If our lives are of no more intrinsic worth than theirs then the ease and passing concern with which their lives be can ended is equally true of our lives. Our lives can be tossed away or wasted because they were of little value in the first place. That mindset cannot be the basis of any true self-esteem.   

Further, evolution teaches us that we have no independent thoughts. Our brain is nothing more than the matter that forms it.  This means the thoughts that we think we have are not actually real. They are simply the consequence of physical processes at work in the matter of our brain. We are and cannot ever be more than the matter that makes up our body. From an evolutionary perspective, the work that went into the creation of this essay was not creative or original. There was no independent thought or intent behind it. It was simply electrical and chemical impulses responding in the matter of my brain to the environmental circumstances around me and the physiological predisposition my genetics force upon me. It would be impossible for someone to feel truly good about himself if he believed these things.

Happily, God dispelled all of these notions with the words, “Let us make man in our image.” With those words come intent and purpose. That truth secures the worth of every person who has or will ever live.  What does it mean to be made in the image of God? Here are a few things we should know.

Adam Was a Spiritual Being And So Are We

The image of God is not physical. The Bible says of God, “God is spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).  That means that Adam and Eve were spiritual beings housed in physical bodies.  The prophet Zechariah summed up our creation well when he wrote, “Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him” (Zechariah 12:1). From cover to cover in the Bible, God tells us about our eternal nature.  We are not matter in motion. We are eternal beings temporarily housed in a body of earthly matter. 

There is an account in the life of the great king of Israel, David, which illustrates the Bible’s eternal view of man’s life. David’s first son died shortly after his birth. David’s words in that time express his understanding of his eternal nature. David had spent days in prayer over his sick child, yet, as soon as the life passed from his son, David’s prayers ended.  David’s advisers saw their king’s unexpected change in behavior and questioned him about it.

Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’  But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:21-23)

David expresses two very important thoughts with those words. First, he knew he could not bring the child back from the dead.  Second, he also knew that he did not need to because at his death he would go to his departed son.  David knew he would see his son again in eternity because he knew his son’s soul lived on. 

Our Lord also spoke of man having a body and a soul. Jesus made it clear that we are more than mere bodies, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).  Please note our Lord said we have both bodies and souls.  This is what it means to be made in the image of God.  He is eternal and so are we.  Adam was made in the image of God, this also endowed Adam with the same wonderful abilities we all possess.

Human beings are not matter in motion; we are far more than that.  Humans share the image of our Creator. We are all made in the image of God. We are all endowed with the mark of divinity.  Men and women equally share the image of their Creator. We are spiritual beings housed in physical bodies. We are souls with bodies not just fortunate space dust.

Adam Was Intelligent And So Are We

God communicated with Adam and Eve.  He shared His thoughts, desires, and commands with them because they could understand them and obey them.  God told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28) and they did it (Genesis 4:1-2).  They were made capable of understanding the command as well as carrying it out.

Their intelligence is seen in God’s creation of beautiful things for Adam and Eve. If Adam and Eve were dumb, brute beasts there would have been no need for God to make things that were beautiful to the eye.  Yet, the beauty of creation was something that Adam and Eve could appreciate and enjoy.

And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.  And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:8-9)

Our appreciation for art, beautiful sunsets, and the wondrous backdrop of God’s amazing canvas of creation was fully developed in Adam and Eve. They fully appreciated God’s beauty in the Garden. They were able to use their intelligence not only to reflect on God’s beauty for their own enjoyment, but also to use its glory to see the one who made it – God.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. (Psalm 19:1-6)

How sad that the marvelous creation God made for man to look upon and reflect on Him is the very creation used by some to deny his existence! Man’s denial does not change the creation’s declaration of God’s glory, and this is the reason they are without excuse in failing to recognize Him as its creator.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20)

God expects us to use our intelligence and be able to see His hand in its creation. The testimony of His existence surrounds in every wonderful sensation our intricately tuned senses allows us to experience.

Adam Was Not An Animal And Neither Are We

God never does for man what man can do for himself.  God’s commanding Adam to name the animals has great significance.

Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. (Genesis 2:19)

Adam was not some grunting and panting caveman. He was intelligent, thoughtful, and capable.  He was given dominion over the rest of the earth and the animal kingdom.  His intellect, nature, and worth were all superior to the animals. Adam named the animals, not the other way around.  Psalm 8 records God’s view of the world and man’s place in it. Note what it says about man, the world, and the animals.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:4-9)

We have not won some accidental, natural lottery. The first man created was over the animals and so we remain today.  We hunt the animals and use their skins for clothes and their flesh for food, not the other way around.  We bring them into our homes and house them as pets, not the other way around.  We train them and even tame them, not the other way around.  We have zoos, circuses and aquariums, not the other way around. James summed it up well when he said, “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind” (James 3:7). 

Interestingly, God made all the animals pass before Adam.  There was a twofold reason for this.  First, as mentioned, Adam named all of the animals, and when they passed before him, whatever he called them, that was their name.   Second, this action clearly demonstrated to Adam that he was not one of them. He saw that there was not one among the animals worthy to stand with him.  God needed Adam to understand this great lesson. His understanding of it would help him to appreciate the great companion God had in mind.

Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.  The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:18-23)

In spite of the centuries of oppression they have endured at the hands of evil man, God never intended that women be treated as second class citizens.  Eve was made in the image of God just as Adam was.  She was not less than Adam in any way and neither was she greater. God made both male and female in his image.  Eve was “bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh.”  Their natures were the same, and neither of them was an animal.  Nothing in the animal kingdom was suitable for Adam, and nothing would have been suitable for Eve. They were the two special creatures in God’s creation. So He joined them together in a unique bond known as marriage. That great blessing based on the elevated nature of man is still ours to enjoy.

Adam and Eve Made Moral Choices And So Do We

Adam and Eve were not robots preprogrammed to spit out data.  They were intelligent, eternal beings created in the image of God.  As such, Adam and Eve had volition.  You and I have the ability to choose because the first man and woman had the same ability. 

Adam and Eve’s volition was put to the test in a requirement that God placed upon them. God graciously gave Adam access to all of the trees in the garden except one.  He was not to eat of the tree in the midst of the Garden, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17).  We know Eve also knew of this command because she repeats it to the serpent (Genesis 3:1-3).  When confronted by Satan in the form of a serpent, Eve believed his lie that if she ate of the fruit of that forbidden tree, she would not die from God’s punishment (Genesis 3:4).  The words of the conversation between Eve and Satan show her (and so Adam’s) ability to make moral choices.

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:4-6)

Adam and Eve were confronted with a decision to eat or not to eat a fruit God had kept from them.  Their choice boiled down to the same things involved in our choices.  There were three progressive steps Eve took in making a choice to disobey God’s command. First she saw “that the tree that it was good for food, and that it was a delight to her eyes.” She saw the fruit and thought, “It looks good to me, and it will be good for me.” The fruit was seen as something that was good.  Second, having cast her eyes on the fruit her mind moved to desire it.  She desired the tree. It is a natural reaction to want something that one believes will be good to her and for her. Third, with the first two thoughts complete and her conclusion drawn, the only thing left to do is to take the fruit and reap her reward. That is just what Eve did.  She ate the fruit expecting the benefits she desired. Her husband, Adam, followed right along with her.

Scripture will later reveal to us that this progression is called the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:15-17).  We will also learn later that this threefold progression happens to us all when we make choices.  We see something that we believe will benefit our flesh, we desire it, and we take it.  Adam and Eve were confronted with the same situation you and I are all the time.

God has always allowed man to make his own choices and held him to the choices he makes.  Every man is called to make wise choices and follow God. Two of Israel’s greatest leaders, Moses and Joshua, called God’s people to make a choice to follow God or reject him. Moses said,

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

 Joshua said something very similar:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14-15)

Every person after Adam also has had the ability to choose. You have that same ability and responsibility. Every person after Adam and Eve have been accountable for his choices.  He cannot blame his actions on someone else.  Each one of us needs to realize the consequence that our ability to make moral choices places upon us. God expects us to live up to the image with which we have been made.

But what happens when we fail in our choices?

Adam And Eve Sinned And So Do We

The decision to eat the fruit of the tree was a selfish, sinful decision.  God told Adam and Eve they could not eat of that tree, but they refused to obey him.  Thus Adam and Eve sinned.  Adam and Eve’s reaction to their sin was twofold.  First, they hid in the garden among the trees.  Second, they sewed aprons of leaves together to cover their nakedness.  Their actions indicate that they experienced shame, guilt, and fear.  For the first time, they knew what it meant to feel a separation from their God.

Their reaction to sin should help us understand our reaction to sin.  When we sin we feel shame, guilt, and fear.  We often try to hide our actions from others. We are often burdened with guilt. We live in constant fear hoping that no one will find us out.  We have this experience because this is how God made us.  These same feelings and emotions are not evil or bad. They are intended to move us to repent and turn back to God.

Helping us understand sin and its impact on us is one of the greatest lessons that comes to us from the lives of Adam and Eve.  Among the lessons about sin we can see in their lives are the following ones:

Sin is Against God’s Character

God is holy and perfect. He is the absolute good. The existence of His perfect character is why some things are wrong.  God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), therefore it is wrong for us to lie.  God is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:14-16), therefore it is wrong for us to be profane.  God is love (1 John 4:7), therefore it wrong for us to hate our brothers (1 John 4:20).  Adam and Eve sinned because they violated the perfect character of God. When we sin, we do the same thing.

Sin is Against God’s Commands

There are also some things that are wrong because God says they are wrong.  Sin is going beyond what God has commanded. The Bible says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).   God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree, and they went beyond what he said. Thus they sinned. Everyone today who goes beyond what God has said also sins.

Sin’s Impact is Individual, Even Adam’s

One of the greatest misunderstandings in the religious world is about Adam.  The idea that

Adam’s sin fundamentally changed our nature is patently false and has no basis in Scripture.  We do not have a fallen nature. Adam’s sin was his sin and our sin is ours.  Consider these ten biblical truths that let us know that Adam’s sin did not pass on to anyone else and did not corrupt our nature.

1. Adam made a choice. We all have to make our own choices.
2. Adam was held responsible for his own choice. God did not allow him to blame Eve (Genesis 3:11-12, 17). We are held responsible for our own choices.
3. The idea is expressly condemned in Scripture (Ezekiel 18:1-4).
4. Neither righteousness nor wickedness can be inherited (Ezekiel 18:20-32).
5. It would violate Moses and Joshua’s charge to choose (Deuteronomy 30:15-19; Joshua 24:15-19).
6. It would deny the Lord’s invitation to come to him (Matthew 11:28-30).
7. The same process that happened to Adam and Eve happened to men after the Fall. The Bible is full of examples of men who make moral choices on their own, both before and after the fall of Adam and Eve [Eve (Genesis 3:6); Akin (Joshua 7:19-21), David (2 Samuel 11:2-4)] There is no difference in man’s moral ability before or after the Fall.
8. It would violate the justice of God. No one can be held accountable for another man’s sin (Exodus 32:31-33).
9. It would violate the Bible’s teaching about the Judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10). We must all appear and we must all give an account of our own deeds.
10. It would never explain how Adam and Eve sinned in the first place (Genesis 3:6).The rest of us are supposed to have a fallen nature because of Adam’s sin. Well, how did Adam sin in the first place?  He did not have a fallen nature.  If it is suggested that Adam chose to sin, then that is exactly the point at which we do also.  He chose and so do we. The nature is the same before and after the Fall.  Note that everything is the same before and after the Fall. God is the same before and after the Fall.  He continues to give to man. Satan is the same before and after the Fall. He desires to defeat God and destroy man.  Temptation is the same. Eve saw the fruit, desired the fruit, and took it.  It is the same for us; we see things, desire them, and take them.  The reactions and experience are the same. They felt shame, guilt, and fear, and so do we. 

Our nature has never fallen, we are not depraved. We are made in the image of God. We all must choose to obey God or reject him. Unfortunately, like Adam and Eve, we will all eventually choose to disobey God and fall into the grasp of sin.  What then?

Adam Needed Redemption And So do We

Following their sin, God punished Adam and Eve and put them out of the Garden.  Yet, even in this act, God also spoke of redemption. He said the seed of woman would bruise the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).  From the Bible, we know that Jesus is “the seed of woman” and that He came to earth to defeat and destroy the Devil (Hebrews 2:14-15).  God in his infinite mercy, grace, and love did not kill Adam and Eve. Instead, He offered His only Son, our Lord and Savior, to die in their stead.

Adam is the first human being that needed the shed blood of Jesus.  Our Heavenly Father began to unfold the revelation of His plan to redeem humanity in that moment. The shedding of the blood of Christ took away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  The offer of pardon is open to all today.  It is open to every descendant of Adam and Eve. That means it is available to you. Those who believe in the Lord (John 8:24) must repent of their sins (Luke 13:3, 5). Repentance simply means turn away from sin.  Having done so, they must confess the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10).  Then, finally, they must be immersed in water for the remission of their sins (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4).  Our Lord will save them from their sins, and they will be cleansed and added to His glorious body, His church (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4).

Ultimately, Adam needed the shedding of the blood of Jesus. We are his sons and daughters. We share in the same special image in which God created him and Eve. Like our “parents,” we have all turned away from the God who loved us enough to share Himself with us in our creation. Our God views us as worthy of being saved even to the point of sacrificing His own Son give us that opportunity. We are special and cherished in His eyes. That great truth about each one of us is taught and exalted from the first page of our Bibles. We can learn so much about ourselves, our worth, and our God by learning about the first man and woman – Adam and Eve.