Niagara Falls Church of Christ

2011 Tennessee Ave.,  Niagara Falls, NY  14305

(716)285-6534 (716)285-6534 (for phone and fax)

James Lawrence, Herschel Walker - Elders

Eddie J. Cornelius, Minister Emeritus

Why Did Man Fall?

If we are to understand the process God uses to build strong Christians, we must understand the material He uses in this construction process and how this material came to be in its lost state. So, with that in mind, we begin by asking "Why did man fall?"

Many times the answer given to this question is too simplistic. Often we are told that man fell because he ate of the forbidden fruit. Of course man did eat of the fruit forbidden by God, but this is the effect, not the cause. So, why did man Fall? He fell because of bad choices.

Man's fall was not due to a lack of understanding or a lack of knowledge. Man simply chose to disobey God. This is the reason for all sin. Anytime man finds himself in rebellion against God, it is because he chose to rebel.

In the beginning God gave Adam one simple command: "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Until this point, it seems, man had not been challenged to exercise his free moral agency, i.e. his freedom of choice. God had created man with the ability to choose what he liked, what he did not like, what he would do and what he would not do. By establishing this law, God challenged the man to either please himself or to please God. Man chose to please himself.

God offered this same opportunity to Noah. In giving very specific and detailed instructions to Noah, God confronted him with a choice. Will I do just what God commanded, or will I seek shortcuts, look for an easier way of doing what God commanded. Thank God Noah chose to obey. We are told in Gen. 6:22 "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he." In obeying God, Noah saved himself and his household and all who have lived since the flood even unto today. God offered this same choice to Israel time and time again throughout their wonderings in the wilderness and when they finally came into the land of Canaan. Joshua put it to them this way in Josh. 24:15: "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Time and time again Israel failed until they finally were led away into captivity. God offers this same challenge to men today. Jesus simply says "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Thank God for those in His church today who have committed themselves to obeying His commandments. Thank God for those who say like Peter and the other apostles; "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). This, very simply put, is the choice: Will I obey God or man?