Religious teachers for hundreds of years have been putting forth the idea that God made a conditional covenant with Adam, and thereby leaving the eternal destiny in the hands and disposal of the creature, the man Adam. This was not true. It is either true or false. If it is true, then the eternal destiny of Adam and the Adamic race rested entirely on the conditional act of Adam. If it is false, then the popular religious teaching, including that of Christendom, is guilty of teaching and preaching a far-reaching error.

Referring to the creation of Adam, the word says, "the creature was made by reason of him [God] who has subjected the same in hope." (Rom. 8:20) When God created and formed the first man he was made upright and without sin, but he did not possess eternal or immortal life; nor is it intimated anywhere in Scripture that by his first disobedience he would lose immortality or eternal life, as he had neither.

When God placed Adam in the garden, He subjected him to the fall, and informed him that when, or in the day he committed this offense of the divine command, he would die; that was the death of the Adamic man which "passed upon all men." (Rom. 5:12)

It is prevalent teaching, based on the first error, that when Adam fell he disobeyed a conditional commandment and lost the immortal life he regains in Christ. This is not true. Philosophers and theologians teach that Adam by his fall became "alienated" or "separated from the divine being and life of God." But Christ, the Son of God said: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (Jn. 10:10) Speaking of His sheep (v. 28) He said: "I give to them eternal life." Referring to this same life Paul wrote: "To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life." (Rom. 2:7) This word means deathless, uncorruptible, everlasting LIFE.

Adam in his best estate did not possess this kind of life, nor do the children of God possess it in their Adamic nature (Eph. 2:3; Rom. 7:18) From this and other related teaching of Scripture, it is evident that God the Creator did not make any such conditional covenant with Adam with a promise of life – either temporal or eternal FOR his obeying a command. Neither did God ever promise any of Adam’s posterity any life, blessings eternal FOR his obeying a commandment or law given since Adam’s fall. It was then, and remains God’s absolute sovereign right to both command and punish His creatures in consequence of any failure. He is never obligated any time or in any sense to His creatures.

Religious workmongers continually quote as conditional such scriptures as Isaiah 1:19: "If you be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land." This gracious promise was given to a sinful, rebellious, unworthy people, to be bestowed out of pure grace, and not in payment of any deserving merit for any service to God the Giver. So with all of God’s promises, commands, blessings, mercies and savings, - ALL of them were, are and shall be bestowed graciously – from, and out of His independent, infinite fullness. It could not be otherwise without reflecting upon His infinite sovereignty. This truth applies to all his creatures, whether angels, the redeemed elect or the non-elect reprobate.

It must and should therefore be clearly understood and freely acknowledged by every sin-convicted redeemed (no others can) that from Adam to the end, there are none in nature or grace – that could ever, by word or deed, be able to merit or earn the very least favor of Almighty God. Our Lord Himself made all this plain when He said: "Does he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. Likewise ye, when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants;; we have done that which was our duty to do." (Luke 17:10) For a long time I had regarded myself as an unprofitable servant; but I had overlooked the little word "all"; then I knew I was something less than that, for I had never done "all" He commanded, and even what was ever done by any one, was wholly by His grace.

Since this is the real truth on this very vital, all important matter, - how presumptuous then, is it for depraved sinners of Adam’s race to believe and teach others to expect they will or can receive any favor of God – either in providence or in grace – apart form His own good will and unconditional right to bestow it. This being so, how utterly presumptuous, pharisaical and confusing, the whole present workmonger system of men – both Arminian and Calvinistic! – in whatever form it is presented, whether a conditionalism for eternity or for time. It is difficult to believe those who hold and teach this error, have yet seen themselves for what they are before a holy, sovereign Almighty God.

This doctrinal truth and many others equally discriminating, and denied by the religious world, have been contended for in the Old Faith Contender.

Elder W.J. Berry

Old Faith Contender Vol. 58, October-December