HOW JESUS' DEATH CAN SAVE YOU

Conclusion of:  How Death Came to Rule Over the Human Race

The damage, however, reached far beyond the first human pair. Their disobedience dashed the prospect of perfect life that their offspring  would have enjoyed. Jehovah included those yet unborn humans in his purpose  when he told Adam and Eve:  "Be fruitful and  become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth." (Genesis 1:28) In time, the human family would fill the earth and enjoy and immeasurably happy life without dying. But their forefather Adam-the "one man"-sold them as slaves to sin, with death as the inevitable destiny.  The apostle Paul,a  descendant of the first man, wrote:  "I am fleshly, sold under sin." -Romans 7:14.

Just as vandals have damaged priceless works of art in recent times, Adam, by sinning, serious damaged God's marvelous creation -humankind.  (Note: I think we need to put some blame on the little lady, Eve, here as well.)  Adam's children, and so on. Each successive  generation was born, grew up, produced offspring, and then died off. Whey have they all died? Because they have all descended from Adam.  The Bible states:  "By one man's trespass many died." (Romans 5:15) Sickness, old age, a tendency to do wrong things, and death itself  are sorry consequences of Adam's betrayal of his own family. That family  includes all of us.

In his letter to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote about the pitiful condition of imperfect humans, including him, and the frustrating struggle against the  effects of sin. He exclaimed:  "Miserable man that i am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death?" A good question, is it not?  Who would offer Paul-and all others who yearn for it-rescue from enslavement to sin and death? Paul himself supplied the answer:  "Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:14-25) Yes, our Creator has made provision to rescue us by means of his Son, Jesus Christ. 

Next time: HOW JESUS' DEATH CAN SAVE YOU- Jesus' Role in God's Rescue of Humanity

From the Watchtower