Reflections on the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. 23 Aug 14 began a perhaps unbroken, orderly, and personal journey through my favorite written confession of faith. This will be my personal reflections on this beloved written codification of the Christian Faith which is according to a Baptist flavor.
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Chapter 6, Of the Fall of Man, Of Sin, And of the Punishment Thereof, paragraph 1: “Although God created man upright and perfect…”
Here we see the affirmation of man in his created glory. Adam and Eve were perfect. Here they are free to obey. SIN has not shut them up in their praise for God. Adam was created in communion with God. He knew nothing but love for God. He was made to be changed by sin, but before the Fall there was no sin in him. He was “upright and perfect” in every way. The fact that he was created in love with God did not make him a robot; it actually made him free.
Adam did not remain in this state. After the Fall, everything changed! Literally, we see mankind go from perfection to Genesis 6:5: “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” Romans 5:12 says that Adam’s fall impacted you also.
Jesus represents man, at the least, in the pre-fall state. In the greatest extent, Jesus represents what man will one day be after the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23. From the start of his life Jesus’ nature was not shut up under sin. His mother’s was, Joseph’s was, all other people were (Romans 3:23), but he alone can represent Adam in every way because he represents him “as he once was”- unsullied by evil.
Right now as you read this, in the truest spiritual sense, you are either represented in heaven by Adam (post the Fall) or by Christ.
I have been struggling with this matter, thanks for offering some clarity.
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