HOW JESUS' DEATH CAN SAVE YOU

How Death Came to Rule Over the Human Race

Some people believe that humans were created to live a short time on earth, go through trials, enjoy some happiness, and then die and move on to a better place.  According to this thinking, death is part of God's purpose for mankind.  The Bible,  however,  shows that death afflicts humans for a different reason. It says:  "Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned." (Romans 5:12)  This verse shows that people die as a result of sin.  Who, though, is the "one man" through whom the fatal effects of sin infected the human race? 

The World Book Encyclopedia observes that most scientists believe that all humans have descended from the same source, and the Bible plainly identifies that one source-the "one man." At Genesis 1:27, we read: God proceeded to create the  man in his image, in God image he created him; male and female he created them."  Thus the Bible states that the first human pair  were the crowning glory of Almighty God's creation. 

The Genesis record gives further details of human life after Jehovah God created the first human. Significantly, in that entire  account, God made no mention of death  except as a consequence of disobedience.  (Genesis 2:16, 17) He wanted humans to live on a beautiful paradise earth, happy and healthy forever. He did not want them to suffer the effects of old age and eventual death. How, then, did death become a master over all mankind? 

Genesis chapter 3 records how the first human pair made the willful decision to disobey their Life-Giver, Jehovah God. Consequently, God carried out the sentence  that he had made known to them in advance.  He told the man:  "Dust  you are and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:19) True to God's word, the two disobedient humans eventually died.

Next time: HOW JESUS' DEATH CAN SAVE YOU - Conclusion of  How Death Came to Rule Over the Human Race

From the Watchtower