The first two chapters of Genesis detail “the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that God made earth and heaven” (Gen. 2:4). These chapters declare that God created all things in six twenty four hour days; more precisely, Jesus is God and He’s the One who created everything John 1:1–4; Colossians 1:15–17).
Before Adam and Eve rebelled against God, He told Adam that if he eats of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he’ll die. Spiritually, Adam and Eve died the day they ate from the tree Genesis 3:6 c.f. Genesis 2:17). Genesis 4:4 records the second physical death after creation when Cain slaughtered his brother Abel. The first physical death was that of an animal as a result of God making garments out of skin for Adam and Eve’s clothing (Genesis 3:21).
The first two chapters of Genesis and Romans 5 are at the very core of God’s redemptive plan so that when His creation refuses to trust Him “He demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Evolution
Though there are many definitions of biological evolution, the United States Department of Education provides for a most basic understanding of the philosophy.
Evolution is the change in organisms over time that gives rise to new species. Development is the process by which a fertilized egg, or embryo, generates the cells, tissues, and organs of a new individual and assembles them into their proper form. Evolution produces the body shapes of the animal kingdom; development produces the body plan of individuals.
Evolution requires one generation begetting another. As time passes, older generations die and newer, “more advanced” ones take their place. The United States Department of Education illustrates this belief through their recommendation of “Teachers Domain” as a place for “science education.” One of their videos boldly proclaims, “If you keep looking back at your ancestors for about five million years you will arrive at the common ancestry we share with today’s apes.”
Romans 5
Writing about reconciliation with God through the death of Jesus Christ, Paul acknowledges the Genesis account of creation. Paul notes that sin entered the world through Adam and death continued to all men, because all men sinned (Romans 5:12).
In direct opposition to the philosophy of evolution and “Teachers Domain,” death did not occur until after Adam’s sin and neither did redemption through Jesus Christ begin until He was raised from the dead “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:21–22).
According Romans 5 one cannot simultaneously maintain faith in the theory of evolution and profess allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ because faithful adherence to evolutionary principles requires that one also believe that life forms died before Adam and Eve were created.
Adam is a man in history who rejected God’s command, thereby leading all people into sin which led to redemption in Jesus Christ.
John MacArthur states that:
Paul’s presentation of the doctrine of original sin in Romans 5:12–20 depends on a historical Adam and a literal interpretation of the account in Genesis about how he fell. Furthermore, everything Paul has to say about the doctrine of justification by faith depends on that. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Clearly Paul regarded both the creation and fall of Adam as history, not allegory.
Theological Significance
If Darwinian evolution is true, then God didn’t create anything. If God didn’t create heaven and earth, then there is no Adam and Eve and the Bible would be considered erroneous. If there is no Adam and Eve, then there is no disobedience to God regarding the eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If there is no eating from the tree, then there is no original sin against God.
If there is no sin against God, then people have deceived themselves and the truth is not in them, and they’re liars (1 John 1:6–9). If there is no sin, then there is no need for a savior. If there is no need for a savior, then Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection means nothing. If His death on the cross means nothing, there is no salvation from wickedness and God’s wrath (John 3:36) and no glory for God to be received.
If there is no God, there is no law giver. If there is no law giver, then every man is free to do what is right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6), and when laws are violated there is no “salvation by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life; ‘For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous’” (Romans 5:18–19).
Paul is consistent with his reasoning in 1 Corinthians 15:21–22 where he states, “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
If it is argued that death did not come by Adam, then it must also be argued that by Jesus there is no resurrection of the dead. Such an acknowledgment flies in the face of the price Christ Jesus paid for those who believe (John 3:16) in His act of salvation.
Some try to find a “middle ground” between evolution and creationism through the philosophy of “theistic evolution.” Theistic Evolution is a false gospel, and those who teach it would do well to consider carefully Paul’s warning that “if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:6–10).
Though a Christian’s belief in evolution is not an unpardonable sin, it does call into question their trust in God’s authoritative Word.
