adam and eve were given the promise of eternal life, they did NOT possess it, neither did any animal nor plant. all things in this world were created with a lifespan, the expiration of which was death. only to human beings THE PROMISE was made of continuing on forever. see gen. 3:19

And you come to that conclusion by reading what in the Bible?

see gen. 3:19

do you just read the first 10 words of a post and then hastily reply?

what does "dust you are" tell you about adam's state with regards to eternal life without eating the fruit of the tree of life? and if only humans eat of that tree, then what about the simple ant or the busy bee? was eternal life offered to them as well?

It tells nothing about eternal life. It only tells what he was made of. And Gen 3:19 is after sin. It tells nothing about eating the fruit of the tree of life.

What did Adam lose after sinning?

of course it does. it says "dust you are" it does not say "dust you have become" but that out of the ground he was made and to the ground he will return. adam, like every living thing upon the earth, did not possess eternal life inherently and so there was death in the garden of eden.

Well, that's an interesting thought. I'd like to see you support it other than, if God makes something, it means it's going to die. And why did God say that to Adam at that time and not before?

Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--
13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

he said it before, duh

gen 2

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground ..." v7

"The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed." v8

"The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden ..." v9

Nope.