How close can I get to God?

"It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen... In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ glorified is our brother" (White, Ellen G. The Desire of Ages, page 26).

I can hardly stand it--that we, in Christ, are closer to God than if we had never sinned at all. This blew me away the first time I read it. It blows me away just as much today, some 20 years after I read it the first time.

I have to admit, I would probably go a couple of rounds on this one with Mrs. White if we were to sit across the potluck table after church on Sabbath. If Adam had never sinned, we wouldn't have the potential to be as linked to the Creator as we now have? I understand that Jesus was human. I understand that He's still in human nature today. But weren't we created in the image of God? Wasn't Adam a lot closer to that image at Creation than we are today? Did he not have the capacity for growth and learning and relationship before the fall, perhaps even moreso than we now have?

Wasn't Adam the son of God, too?

Don't get me wrong... this is totally inspiring and huge, and it in now way diminishes the writing to me. Ellen White wrote based on her understandings, and her culture and time and circumstance influenced her writings as much as any biblical character's did for him. I just struggle with the possible implication that pre-sin Adam (and his sinless descendants, had history turned out better) couldn't have been as closely united with God as post-sin humanity can be. Seems to me that Jesus, God the Son, would have been just as much pre-sin Adam's brother as He is mine.

No fall--no one experiences death, including Jesus.

With the fall--everyone experiences death, including Jesus.

Wouldn't we be linked either way?

OK... too much time on this thought. The thought that I could be even as close to God as pre-sin Adam is pretty mind-boggling and gives me an incredible picture of the love and grace of God.