How could Adam sin if he was perfect?

Adam was in the first stage of mankind' relation to sin. He was able to sin, and able not to sin, as Saint Augustine of Hippo taught in Latin "posse peccare, posse non peccare". This is the stage of man in innocency.

When Adam fell, and all mankind fell with him, we all are not able not to sin, "non posse non peccare". This is the state of the natural man after the Fall. Every one of us are born into this state. All of us sin, and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

When God saves the believer through faith in Christ, by his power we are able not to sin, "posse non peccare". This is the state of the regenerated man. But our sinful nature keeps us far from perfect...

When the believer dies and goes to live with Christ for life everlasting, we will be unable to sin, or "non posse peccare" as Saint Augustine taught. We will reach perfection fulfilled, which Adam could not do, only Christ could. O what a wonderful place the new heaven and new earth will be!

(for more, see The Four States of Libertas Naturae, at ReformationTheology.com)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)