Just what happened to Humanity at the original sin event? 

This is a huge question and we have plenty of answers that make sense and provide profound reasons for the need for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Loosing life with God is by far the greatest consequence, but I have always looked deeper to see if I could understand more practical consequences. One of my biggest questions is “How did original sin effect our ability to see and understand God’s spiritual realm?”

For example, in John chapter three, we have the private conversation between Jesus and the Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was a religious teacher and well versed in the teachings of the Old Testament. Yet in this conversation, Nicodemus was unable to understand the several profound truths that Jesus shared with him. Why? He studied the Old Testament, he was a faithful Jew. Yet he was incapable of understanding Jesus’ truths. I submit he lacked the capacity to do so. Remember the conversation:

“He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’” 3:2-4 NRSV

Nicodemus had no clue what Jesus was trying to say. He had no capacity to understand the spiritual meaning of Jesus’ teaching and could only see his words within the context of an earthly condition. Thus, Nicodemus is asking the absurd question about a grown man entering his mother’s womb a second time. He lacked the spiritual faculties needed to understand the teaching of Jesus. 

In losing its relationship with God, Man could no longer operate in its higher “spiritual” faculty of its soul. This left Man only able to operate in the lower faculty of the soul which utilizes the intellect, the ability to feel emotions and free will. When Adam Eve lost their relationship with God, Man lost the spiritual connection between God who is Spirit and their spirit or soul. In this connection, Man was able to receive knowledge about God and His ways and power for self mastery.

Living in this severed state from God, that St. Paul refers to as “living in the flesh” (1 Cor. 3:1), is to live only in the body and the lower function of our souls (intellect, emotions and free will). If we understand this reality, it makes total sense why the last and equally critical point of the saving plan of God was to give us the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who restores this connection when He activates His life in the heart and soul of a new believer. Who, through the faithful gift of their entire lives to Jesus, also receives the gift of the Spirit of God. 

St. Paul teaches us this in 1 Corinthians 2:7 He refers to this reality as speaking God’s Wisdom. 

“But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” NRSV

Look closely at his words following this text – 2:10-14.

“…these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God,so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom (intellect) but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. (Reconnected to Holy Spirit) Those who are unspiritual (Have no connection to Holy Spirit) do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” NRSV

Nicodemus had not yet received the Holy Spirit, thus, he was incapable of spiritually discerning Jesus’ profound truths about salvation. Jesus knew that he was seeking truth and gave Nicodemus real truths, knowing that he couldn’t understand yet would leave that encounter searching even harder to understand this “new teaching” that he heard. Jesus was fishing!

Later on, tradition teaches that Nicodemus would join our fellowship by giving his entire life to Jesus. In doing so Nicodemus received his “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” as he received Jesus’ gift of himself through the Holy Spirit. Thus, having been reconnected with the Holy Spirit and receiving the Spirit’s Fruits (Gal. 5:22-23), Nicodemus attains the “spiritual eyes” to see and understand the ways of God. 

There is no wonder why, in these later days, that there is a decline in the Church since any real catechesis on the Holy Spirit has been all but eliminated. Everywhere I go, I ask audiences when was the last time they received any serious catechesis on the Third Person of the Trinity? All I see are nods of agreement. 

Jesus told us that it was better for Him to leave earth SO THAT we could receive the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). If this is true then why are we not speaking, directing and encouraging our faithful toward the baptism of the Holy Spirit that John the Baptist prophesied? Isn’t this the “encounter” our Bishops keep saying that we need to lead the faith into?

Let each of us, in our own relationship with God ask our Heavenly Father to pour out His Holy Spirit into our hearts and set them on fire! Then, let us lead others to encounter the life of the Living God within their hearts!

Amen