Sin

I think what actually anchors us experientially to the plan of God and the fact of the History and Plan of Redemption is the fact of sin and the existence of evil. This is something we can see in ourselves and see in the world. I think it's the best apologetic, in the practical realm, for believing in what is revealed in the Word of God, not that it is needed if you are regenerated, but it is there to be observed.

Adam in the Garden was truly innocent, yet he had the ability to sin (which he demonstrated by eating the forbidden fruit). He had 'ability to sin and ability to not sin.'

Fallen man is different. Fallen man now has ability to sin and *inability to not sin.* In other words, fallen man is incapable of not sinning. We have original sin in us from birth, and we actively sin the first chance we get. Did you steal that candy from your sister when you were two years old? Yes, you did. Broke the 8th commandment at two. Probably earlier.

Regenerated man is different from fallen man (and similar to Adam in the Garden, though not identical). Regenerated man still has ability to sin, but unlike unregenerated fallen man he now has *ability to NOT sin* (this is similar to Adam before the fall, yet regenerated man is not 'innocent' like pre-fall Adam). Not everything he does, in other words, is as 'filthy rags' to quote Isaiah. Regenerated man can actually struggle with his old, fallen nature and not sin. It's a struggle though.

Glorified man is in an unusual state, different from all the above including Adam in the Garden (glorified man is in a higher state than Adam was in in the Garden). Glorified man has *inability to sin.* That isn't just saying glorified man merely doesn't *want* to sin and holds himself back from it, it is actually a higher state where, kind of like we see in elements of the Olympian gods and goddesses, glorified man literally *can't* sin no matter what he does. Sort of like where higher centers only have positive and no negative.