Humans and animals hate death because sin and death entered the world through Adam's curse, making death an enemy every living creature instinctively shuns.
Les Feldick teaches that nothing died until Adam sinned; once the curse fell on creation, death and corruption spread to everything. Scripture says death passed on all men because all sinned and calls death 'the last enemy.' That is why people and animals naturally shrink from death, and why even believers who are ready for heaven still fear it.
Romans 5:12 — This verse explains that death passed upon all men because of Adam's sin, the root cause of our hatred of death.
1 Corinthians 15:26 — Scripture explicitly calls death an enemy, showing why every creature naturally shrinks from it.
Genesis 3:19 — The curse after Adam's sin includes returning to dust, connecting death to the fall of creation.
Romans 5:12 says, 'Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' This verse directly connects the presence of death in the human race to Adam's sin. In Genesis 3:19, after the fall, God told Adam, 'In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.' Death was not part of the original creation; it entered as the consequence of disobedience. Scripture also identifies death as an enemy. 1 Corinthians 15:26 declares, 'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.' The same chapter explains the connection between sin and death: 'The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law' (1 Corinthians 15:56). When sin is present, death stalks every living thing, and that is why humans and animals alike have a natural aversion to it.
Les Feldick teaches that humans and animals hate death because death was not part of God's original creation. He is convinced that nothing died — even in the animal world — until Adam sinned. Everything ate that which grew naturally, so nothing lost its life to support another species. When Adam sinned and the curse fell on the whole creation, death came with the curse (Clip 0). This matches what he calls the second law of thermodynamics: everything is dying, degenerating, and moving into a less usable state (Clip 0). Les defines death as separation. Physically, it is the separation of the body and soul (Clip 4). He says we all hate death: 'It just tears me up to see an animal die. We hate death' (Clip 1). Even elderly believers who say they wish the Lord would come will call for the doctor when their heart skips a beat, because there is still an awesome fear of death; that is normal because God made us not to want to be separated, body from soul and spirit (Clip 2). Les also connects the hatred of death to sin. He says death and sin are almost synonymous, because 'the sting of death is sin' (Clip 7). For the believer, death is actually glorious and on to something far better (Clip 5). But for those who are not in Christ, death is something indeed to be feared because it is going to something far worse (Clip 5). The only victory over this enemy is through the resurrection power of the Gospel (Clip 7).
Les Feldick says, 'I stand on the premise that until Adam sinned, nothing died. Death was an unknown entity.' He reasons that everything in the original creation ate that which grew naturally — herbs, fruits, and grasses — so nothing lost its life to support another species. When the curse fell, it fell not just on Adam and Eve but on the whole creation, and with the curse came death.
Les defines death as separation. In physical death, it is the separation of the body and soul. He quotes Romans 5:12, 'death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' He also points to 1 Corinthians 15:56, 'The sting of death is sin,' and says death and sin are almost synonymous. This is why death is so contrary to everything living things naturally want.
No. Les says even the best of believers who are ready to meet the Lord still have 'that awesome fear' of death. He gives the example of an elderly Christian who says, 'I wish the Lord would take me home,' but who calls the doctor when the heart skips a beat. He calls that normal 'because we don't want to be separated, body from the soul and spirit.' At the same time, for the believer death is actually glorious and on to something far better; for the unsaved it is something horrible because it is going to something far worse.
Les says religion, good works, and joining a church will not give victory over sin and death. Only the resurrection power of the Gospel through Jesus Christ can. He points to 1 Corinthians 15:57, 'But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'
Death Entered Through Adam's Curse
Les explains that nothing died, even in the animal world, until Adam sinned. The curse brought death to the whole creation, and after that everything began to die, degenerate, and become less usable.
Death Is Our Enemy
Les says everyone hates death, and even losing an animal is painful. He directly calls death our enemy.
The Normal Human Fear of Death
Even believers who want the Lord to come will call a doctor when physical symptoms appear. Les says this fear of death is normal because God made us not to want separation of body and soul.
Spiritual Separation from God
Les says a thinking person should also have apprehension about spiritual separation from God, just as we shrink from physical death.
Death Is Separation
Les defines death as separation; physically it is the separation of the body and soul, and he quotes Romans 5:12 to show death passed on all men.
Believers and Unbelievers Face Death Differently
For the believer death is glorious and on to something far better, but for those without Christ it is something horrible and far worse.
What the Bible Says About Sodom, Lot, and Judgment (Romans 1)
Well, remember, if you were with us when we taught Genesis chapter 6, murder was so prevalent that nobody knew how much of a life they could live until their life would be snuffed out. And we're getting closer and closer to those sort of things. So anyway, I think you can see why. I just as soon skip over Genesis 19. I don't like to teach it, but it's in the book, and we must.
The Sting of Death Is Sin
Les says death and sin are almost synonymous because the sting of death is sin. Victory over both comes only through Christ's resurrection.
Romans 5:12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
This is the key verse Les quotes to show that death spread to all humanity because of Adam's sin.
1 Corinthians 15:26: The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
This verse shows death is an enemy, not something natural or good.
1 Corinthians 15:42: So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
Les references this when teaching that the body, once it dies, goes back to corruption.
1 Corinthians 15:43: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
Les quotes 'it is sown in dishonour' while discussing our mourning and hatred of death.
1 Corinthians 15:55: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Les references this verse when speaking about death being frightening and Christ's victory over it.
1 Corinthians 15:56: The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
This connects the reason death is hated to the presence of sin.
1 Corinthians 15:57: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Les says the only victory over death's sting comes through Jesus Christ.
Genesis 3:19: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
The curse after Adam's sin makes death a reality for the human race.
Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Les references this verse when speaking of the old Adamic nature we are born with.
Because death entered through Adam's sin and is part of the curse. Les Feldick says nothing died until Adam sinned; after the curse everything began to die, and every living creature naturally shrinks from death.
Yes. Les says even the best of believers have an awesome fear of death. It's the way God made us, because we don't want to be separated, body from soul and spirit. For the believer death is glorious, but the natural fear is still real.
Les Feldick teaches that nothing died in the animal world until Adam sinned. Before the curse, everything ate herbs, fruits, and grasses, so nothing lost its life to support another species.
Watch the Teaching: Why Did Adam's Sin Affect All of Us? Romans 5:10-14