Darius, please address the questions I posed at the top of this page. Thank you.

Oops! I just now read you most recent post. It's strange how the NIV is the only translation that disagrees with the KJV. It's no wonder most serious Bible students avoid the NIV.

I am waiting for someone to explain to me how Eve, with first hand knowledge, could have capitulated to Lucifer without some personal complaint against God. Bear in mind that Lucifer never asked her to eat of the tree. In fact, when he first spoke to her he never mentioned the tree. Don't just quote EGW. Explain. Provide a reason for what you believe.

Mike, please tell me how you think this definition of Ransom fits in with your or my view of what happened in Eden. Consider hw could we be slaves if our representative willingly turned us over to another ruler.

Ransom
The price or payment made for our redemption, as when it is said that the Son of man "gave his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28; Compare Acts 20:28; Romans 3:23,24; 1 . . .). This word is derived from the Fr. rancon; Lat. redemptio. The debt is represented not as cancelled but as fully paid. The slave or captive is not liberated by a mere gratuitous favour, but a ransom price has been paid, in consideration of which he is set free. The original owner receives back his alienated and lost possession because he has bought it back "with a price." This price or ransom (Gr. lutron) is always said to be Christ, his blood, his death. He secures our redemption by the payment of a ransom.

Eaton's Bible Dictionary

According to the EGW already quoted above Eve did indeed conclude that God was "unjust" in withholding the fruit of a tree so obviously able to make one wise and more like God Himself.

The definition of "ransome" fits nicely with why and how Jesus stepped in just in time to save mankind from the immediate results of eating the forbidden fruit - namely, the second death. Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. By His life and death mankind was granted probationary time to accept Jesus as his personal Saviour and thereby live eternally with him in the New Earth.

The reason our first parents did not die the same day they disobeyed God is because Jesus paid the price in full that same day. But Satan, nevertheless, became the prince of this world and the human race his slaves at birth. We do not becomes subjects of the kingdom of heaven until we are born again in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans
7:14 I am carnal, sold under sin.

1 Corinthians
6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

"Christ, in counsel with His Father, instituted the system of sacrificial offerings; that death, instead of being immediately visited upon the transgressor, should be transferred to a victim which should prefigure the great and perfect offering of the son of God (Ibid., March 14, 1878). {1BC 1104.5}

"The fall of man, with all its consequences, was not hidden from the Omnipotent. Redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam, but an eternal purpose, suffered to be wrought out for the blessing not only of this atom of a world, but for the good of all the worlds that God had created. . . . {TMK 18.2}

Adam and Eve did die Spiritually the very moment that they willfully/knowingly disobeyed/displayed unbelief/doubted God. They were spared physical second death because "as soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour"...from that moment on, there was a probationary period for man to choose the experience of the required "new birth" "choosing God rather than self....in order to be looking forward to eternal life.

Praise God for His plan of Salvation

Amen! And wonder of wonders they were no doubt born again spiritually not long after Jesus explained the plan of salvation. The truth about the fall of Adam and Eve is that the human race was sold into slavery, the subjects of sin, self and Satan. We are conceived in sin, born sinning. All we can do is sin. We cannot not sin. Therefore we must be born again, born of the Spirit, receive the implanted mind of the new man. Then, so long as we remain connected to Christ, we do not and cannot commit a known sin. Thank you Jesus!!! Clamor as it might we do not obey the voice of our fallen flesh natures.

Although our sinful flesh continues to generate and communicate tempting thoughts and feelings, as long as we walk in the Spirit and mind of the new man it is no longer us doing it. "It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me ... (that is, in my flesh)." Romans 7:17-20. In Christ we live the life of Christ, a life of faith and works. Obedience and righteousness dwell supreme in us. We grow in grace and mature in the fruits of the Spirit. Day by day we reflect more fully the glory and greatness of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

There appears to be an erroneous perception that we can judge the correctness of our beliefs by the fact that God's will continues to be effective in the world. This is unfortunate and dangerous. The earth continued to revolve around the sun even though men uniformly believed that the sun revolved around the earth. Man's belief does not change God's actions, it only reflects man's level surrender to God.

And if we totally surrender to Jesus and completely submit to the indwelling Spirit of God we shall know the doctrine and truth that sets us free from sin and sinning. Not only will the earth continue to rotate on its axis and around the sun - the Sun of Righteousness Himself will arise daily in our hearts and shine forth unto the honor and glory of God.

John
7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or [whether] I speak of myself.

Malachi
4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.