When God said they would die, he meant that they would be separated from him who is life. They lost their relationship and went into a state of what the Bible refers to as “alienation,” actually becoming “enemies” of God. As Paul puts it, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior” (Col. 1:21). The relationship and intimacy they had with their Creator was lost; they had become separated from him. They also lost their other primary relationship, the