It is commonly understood that before the fall, there was no death. But, is this actually true? And when death entered the world, was it a physical death, or a spiritual death?
When Adam was placed into the Garden of Eden, he was to work it and take care of it. This may seem trivial but it's actually kind of important. Adam was also told that among all the trees in the garden, he was free to eat from them all including the tree of life, also important. However, there was one tree he was commanded not to eat from, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Along with this commandment, Adam was warned that in the day he eats from it he will certainly die (foreshadowing possibly?). At this time Adam was also brought all the birds, wild animals, and livestock to name. Again, also important.
Did Adam actually die when he ate from the forbidden tree? He did live to be 930 years of age. Was God's warning just a simple stretch of the truth when he said "in the day you eat of it you will certainly die?" Or, Did God actually mean what he said?
Romans 5:12 is commonly used to show us that death first entered the world when Adam sinned. This is true, obviously, but I would argue that it's not in the way most of us have been made to believe. When Adam ate from the tree, he most certainly did die, but it was a spiritual death. In both Col 2:13 and Eph 2:5 we are told that while we were dead in our sins and transgressions, God made us alive. It seem to me it would be extremely difficult to be sinning and transgressing if we are physically dead. When God makes us alive, are we not already alive? What life is he referring to? It is spiritual death and spiritual life that is being referred to here.
Man was created in the image and likeness of God. I would argue that this image is based on the fact that God is revealed to us in three persons. So it stands to reason that our image would also be in three parts. Body, soul, and spirit. There is lots more to say on this, but I'll leave that for another thread. Now since God is spirit, his relationship with us would be a spiritual relationship. In other words, he would relate to us through our spirit. When Adam sinned he spiritually died and this resulted in a separation from God. Not even God can have a relationship with someone who is dead. What Adam's sin didn't do is bring about physical death.
Physical death had to have already been a part of God's creation. Why? Remember when I mentioned how Adam was told to work the ground and care for the garden? This would assume keeping plant life under control. To prune a tree or plant would be to bring death to the part you cut off. Working the ground would inevitably kill many smaller insects and bugs living in the ground. When livestock is mentioned, and maybe this is a stretch on my part, but that could possibly assume meat? When fruit was consumed, was the fruit not already dying or dead once it was plucked from the tree? Also, God would not have warned Adam of certain death from eating of the forbidden tree if Adam would've had no clue what death was (With this I believe both Adam and Eve understood physical death, but did not have any realization of spiritual death. Hence why Satan was able to convince Eve to eat). Then the tree of life, what was the point if death was not already a part of God's creation? Granted, there had not yet been a human death, but death is death regardless of what dies. And, Genesis 3:22. This could only refer to physical life. An act of love on God's part, not allowing man to live forever in a fallen state, separated from God.
This spiritual death however, was not the result of sin in the sense that you pushing someone out a 50 story window results in their death. Rather, it is in the sense that the punishment you will receive for pushing that person out the window is death. Spiritual death was the punishment that God placed on sin. When Adam committed that sin, all man was in Adam. Therefore all man is guilty of that vary sin. Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people because all sinned. Rom 5:15, ...for if the many died by the trespass of one man... Gen 5:3 When Adam was 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image... How is this now different from the image of God? Adam and Eve are both spiritually dead. Everyone born since has come into the world already spiritually dead, separated from God. Except for Jesus, of course, who was of a virgin birth. Otherwise, he too would have been in our same condition, guilty of Adam's sin and therefore not an acceptable sacrifice for our sins.
I can already hear the arguments now, that we are guilty of our own sins, not Adam's. Let me ask you this then... When Adam sinned he spiritually died. That was the punishment for his sin. What happened the second or third time Adam sinned? Since we all come into the world already spiritually dead, like begets like, what happens when we sin? I am speaking only in reference to our relationship with God, not with our neighbour. The answer is nothing happens. The punishment of death has already taken place. We are already dead and separated from God. So, the important question then becomes, is the problem that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, or are we in need of life as a result of Adam's sin?
When Jesus died for the sins of the world, this satisfied God's judgment on sin. As a result, sin will no longer bring death to those who are in Christ. Yes, we still sin, but there is no longer the punishment of death. In accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you receive new life. You are spiritually reborn. And this life is now eternal, since the only thing that could take it away has been dwelt with. Should you remain an unbeliever, although your sins have already been forgiven (read my post "A challenge to read scripture in the light of what I said"), you still remain spiritually dead and separated from God as a result.