What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?

Which Bible passages support this answer?

The Westminster Assembly attached these Scripture proofs to answer 19. Read them together and ask what each one shows about the answer.

1. Genesis 3:8, 10, 24

   ⁸Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard. ¹⁰The man replied, “I heard you moving about in the orchard, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” ²⁴When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life. (NET)

2. Ephesians 2:2-3

   ²in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the domain of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, ³among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest… (NET)

3. Galatians 3:10

   For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.” (NET)

4. Lamentations 3:39

   Why should any living person complain when punished for his sins? (NET)

5. Romans 6:23

   For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NET)

6. Matthew 25:41, 46

   ⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! ⁴⁶And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (NET)

What does this answer mean?

Through the fall, mankind lost communion with God, the close friendship Adam and Eve once had with him. All are now under God's wrath and curse. This brings the miseries of this life, death itself, and the pains of hell forever. The answer is sober, and it prepares us for the good news of question 20.

What can we ask our children?

1. What friendship did people lose in the fall?
2. Name some of the sad things that came into the world because of sin.
3. What does God do about this misery? (Read question 20.)