THE NATURE OF MAN by Emma L. Runck

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, Cal. · Sep 13, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 37.

THE NATURE OF MAN.

By Emma L. Runck

BY EMMA L. RUNCK.

THROUGH disobedience to the commandments of God, man became mortal, subject to death. When the woman listened to the voice of Satan, he gained control of her God-given power of hearing. Hence the warning to us, from God, "Take heed therefore how ye hear." Luke 8:18.

The tempter continued his work of deception: "Ye shall not surely die; for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods." Gen. 3:4, 5. Eve, with the active mind which God had given her, was quick to draw conclusions. She reasoned: God has immortality; if I eat of that tree and "become as gods," I will have immortality, and therefore can not die.

She accepted the words of Satan, and seeing that the fruit was good for food and pleasant to the eyes, took it, and by so doing yielded her powers of sight and touch to the enemy. In believing Satan, she disbelieved God; and in obeying him, she disobeyed God.

Nor did the work stop here; she gave to her husband, and he did eat. Then were the floodgates of wo opened upon the whole posterity of Adam. Entirely shut off from God, given over to the power of Satan, they soon began to realize the result of disobedience.

When man was created, God did not breathe into his nostrils an immortal spirit, his immortality was on condition of obedience to his Maker; for when the earth was destroyed by water, every disobedient person, "all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, . . . died." "Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." Gen. 7:22, 23.

We all have sinned and therefore all are subject to death. "None can keep alive his own soul." Ps. 22:29.

God "only hath immortality." 1 Tim. 6:16. But "as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself" (John 5:26) that we also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, who will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for immortality, He will give eternal life. See Rom. 2:6, 7. That for which we must seek we do not possess. Outside of Christ there is no hope of immortality, eternal life.

Every soul that does not accept the soul of Christ as an offering for his sin must give the life of his own soul. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Eze. 18:4.

Those alone who have accepted Christ and become obedient to the commandments of God can hope for immortality when Christ shall come to take the faithful home to dwell with Him eternally.

Before we can have eternal life, "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." 1 Cor. 15:53, 57. This victory is gained only through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alma, Neb.