Death: The day you eat of it you will die (Genesis 2:17).

Adam did not die physically within 24 hours of eating the forbidden fruit (3:24). But as in English, death  is used both literally and metaphorically in Scripture (i.e. “I would die for that dress”). Unbelievers are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).   It's separation from God due to sin (Isaiah 59:2), it's spiritual death.  As with Adam, even the smallest sin disqualifies us from paradise (3:24).

If this seems too strict, we need to see God's perspective. Even from my own observations, we seem to have this tendency to define the sinner as 'someone worse than me.' In other words God should let me into heaven, but not that awful man across the street.  We minimize our own faults, maximize everyone else's, and we don't even live up to our own standards (Romans 7:19). After the disciples had walked with Jesus for three years,  He still needed to tell them  things they were still not able to bear  (John 16:12). How much truth can you bear, how much can I?  I have often felt that if the Lord showed me instantly everything in me that needs to be changed,   I would die of shame.

Coming back to paradise, think about it.  If we're going to be there forever and ever, how much rejection, judgement, back biting, manipulation, gossip, put downs, pride etc., etc. do you want to be there?  How much sewage do you want in a barrel of the finest wine?  If heaven is not perfect,  it would not be heaven! And nobody's  perfect, so we're all excluded. If we are to get there, we desperately need to be rescued and changed. We need a higher power! The good news is that God sent Jesus on a rescue mission. Because of free will however,  He won't rescue us without our cooperation.  It's called salvation.

Salvation translates us from “dead in trespasses and sins,” to “alive in Christ” (Ephesians 2:1). It involves three things,  justification (rescue from the penalty of sin -  Romans 5:1); sanctification (the ongoing rescue from the power and the pollution of sin - 1 Thessalonians 4:3);  glorification (rescue from the presence of sin - 1 Peter 5:12; John 11:24).  By analogy, a rescue at sea would involve being picked up from the ocean (justification), the journey to the shore (sanctification) and the arrival home (glorification). Actually, our cooperation on the journey home involves both death and resurrection.  Death: with the Help of the Spirit we are to put to death the actions and attitudes of our former life (death to self centeredness - Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:24). Resurrection: embracing the resurrection life of the Spirit (Philippians 3:10, 11).

Father,  we were dead is trespasses and sins, separated from You and  destined to stay that way for all eternity. “But God,” thank You Lord for Your  “buts,” but God “who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” We have been forgiven much,  help us to love much and obey Your commandments  (Luke 7:47; John 14:15). If You are not Lord of all, You are not Lord at all. Thank You Lord,  that You will destroy the last enemy death (1 Corinthians 15:26), so that in glory there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). And best of all Lord,  we will be like You (1 John 3:2), in Jesus  Name Amen