Answer: The Bible teaches that Adam will be given a second chance to gain everlasting life because God has willed it so. But why has God willed it so?

Adam was created perfect mentally, and his trial was a just one, for he was placed amid a favorable environment in which obedience was both possible and reasonable; but when he faced a great temptation, because of his lack of experience, he failed. What was that temptation?

The Apostle tells us that Adam was not deceived – there was no ignorance involved. He knew that by eating the forbidden fruit he was violating God’s command, and that it meant death. But why did he do it, and in essence commit suicide?

The narrative in Genesis, chapter three, suggests that it was because of sympathetic love for his wife. Though he received a certain degree of enjoyment from the animals, he was without a wife, so when God gave him a wife, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, he fully enjoyed that sweet companionship. When she was deceived by the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit, he realized that he would lose her and that he would be alone again, so he decided to eat with her and die with her.

It would be just like our Heavenly Father to say: Adam, at the time you did that, you did not know fully what I could or would do for you, and what you might have had at that time if you had been obedient. Now, Adam, I intend to redeem you and your race. You will have a demonstration of my love, and after you have learned of the height and depth and length and breadth of my love, I will expect you to fully and perfectly keep my law and live forever, but if you do not obey, then you will die the Second Death and will never have another opportunity for restitution.

As for the rest of the human race, we could say that they got their one chance in Adam. When Adam sinned he was condemned, and the entire race who were in his loins shared his condemnation and death. On the other hand, with the exception of Christ’s Church during the Gospel Age, none of Adam’s descendants have even had one full and fair individual trial for life. This is why God provided Jesus, to redeem Adam and all of his children, so that they may have one full and fair chance during Christ’s future Mediatorial Reign.

During the Gospel Age, those who accepted Christ as their Savior were offered the privilege of consecrating their lives to God. Those who did so became spirit-begotten and came on trial for life. They sacrificed their right of gaining restitution with the world for the much higher privilege of gaining the divine nature as members of Christ’s Bride, if faithful. The difference between their trial and the future trial of the world is that the spirit-begotten have been judged by their intentions, their motives, their spirit. God graciously covered their human imperfections with the robe of Christ’s righteousness, reckoning them as perfect in His sight. In fact, if they had perfect bodies, they would perform perfectly. However, if they proved unfaithful to their consecration vows, they would go into the Second Death. Their one full and fair chance has been in this life.

The world, on the other hand, will be expected to eventually attain actual human perfection during Christ’s Mediatorial Reign, and demonstrate that perfection under trial – the faithful gaining eternal life on the earth, and the unfaithful going into the Second Death, having failed to take advantage of their one full and fair chance.  

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