[540]Beyond question, the Scriptures show that Jesus, who in his prehuman existence was the Logos, left the heavenly courts, his life being transferred from spirit to human plane, took upon him the nature and form of man, and became Jesus for the very purpose of saving the people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21) He came that man might have life.  (John 10:10) He came and gave his life as a ransom, that others might live. (Matthew 20:28) He was rich and for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) When he was born as a man, the angels of heaven announced glad tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people, because the purpose of his birth was to redeem mankind and to restore to them that which had been lost. (Luke 2:9-11) If there is to be no restoration of man to his original state, then all these purposes of God in sending his beloved Son to earth must fail.  We know that God’s word cannot fail.

[541]It was the perfect man Adam who had sinned and by his sin lost the right to life and the blessings incident to a perfect human life.  The only means provided for satisfying that judgment and releasing mankind was by substituting another perfect human life.  The substitution of that one perfect human life for the other is called in the Scriptures the ransom-sacrifice.  God made the specific promise that he would ransom man from the power of the grave, and that he would redeem him from death. (Hosea 13:14) In keeping with this promise, his Word declares that ‘Jesus, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man’. (Hebrews 2:9) “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”—­1 Timothy 2:5,6.

[542]Unless, therefore, mankind has a full and fair opportunity to be restored to the perfect condition enjoyed by father Adam while in Eden, then all of these promises of Jehovah are meaningless and must fail.  If they should fail, such would prove that God is not all-powerful.  It would also prove that his promises are not sure; whereas the Scriptures declare:  “All the promises of God, whatever their number, have their confirmation in him; and for this reason through him also our ‘Amen’ acknowledges their truth and promotes the glory of God through our faith.  But he who is making us as well as you stedfast through union with the anointed one, and has anointed us, is God, and he has also set his seal upon us, and has put his spirit into our hearts as a pledge and foretaste of future blessing.”—­2 Corinthians 1:20-22, Weymouth.