An Historical SurveyThe Creator-God created the creature-man in such a
way as to encourage the free-flow of the active expression
of God's character in the behavior of man. The freedom for
such function is symbolized by the option of the freely
chosen "tree of life" (Gen. 2:9,16). In such a receptive
faith-choice man would allow for the grace expression of
God's activity, thus imaging God's character in visible
behavior. This ontological flow of divine Being expressed
within and through humanity was the Creator's intent, so as
to glorify Himself within His creation (Isa. 43:7; 48:11).
The fall of man into sin indicates the choice that
mankind made collectively "in Adam." It was a choice to
disallow the ontic flow of divinity expressed in humanity,
to sever that unique relationship of Divine Being expressed
in the human being. Man was divorced from the spiritual
unity of relationship he had with God, sacrificing his
spiritual identity, nature, image, etc., which were
contingent on that relationship. Instead man chose the lie of
independent determination of right, good, truth, etc., with
the fallacious epistemological understanding that he could
determine from his own self-centered perspective what is
true, good and right.