Why Everyone Dies Since Adam’s Fall

Romans 5:13–14^b (NLT)

¹³ Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. ¹⁴ Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did.

Message

I. Sin Existed Before the Law (13)

See verse 13.

¹³ Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.

Before the law was given, they didn’t know what sin is. However, sin existed, just as verse 13^a says: “Yes, people sinned even before the law was given.”

II. Death Before the Law (14^b)

Also, before the law was given, people still died even without disobeying an explicit commandment of God (14^b).

III. Adam’s Disobedience and Its Consequence (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:6, 24)

As for Adam, he disobeyed (Genesis 3:6) an explicit commandment given in Genesis 2:16–17. After that, Adam eventually died because he lost access to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).

IV. Reason for Loss of Access: Moral Autonomy (Genesis 3:22)

Of course, he lost that access because God had to prohibit access to the tree of life, since he would decide good and evil by himself without consulting God (moral autonomy), as written in Genesis 3:22.

V. Universal Result: Death for All (14^b)

Since then, everyone has had no access to the tree of life and has died—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God (14^b).