Transcript
ADAM, JOB & RESPONSIBILITY
Q&A 02: If Circumstances Caused the Sin, Why Blame Adam?
QUESTION
If Adam’s decision arose from circumstances, influences, and mental processes he did not choose, how could he still be guilty?
RESPONSE
In simpler language: It is not merely about what happens to a man, but about how that man acts or reacts because of what happens to him. That is one secret of judgment. Whatever influences a person to sin does not automatically excuse the person who sins. It may implicate other people as additional culprits, but it does not remove the responsibility of the person who acted. God asked Adam, “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Adam did not simply answer yes or no. Instead, he pointed to the circumstances surrounding him and to the woman God had given him. He explained how she influenced him to eat, much as this objection points to Adam’s brain and experiences. That excuse did not remove or reduce Adam’s guilt. It merely included the woman in the guilt.