Genesis 2:15-17

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

-- Genesis 2:15-17


Commentary: Some say, including Satan, that GOD lied when He said man would die if he ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree because Adam and Eve remained alive. But they indeed experienced death. The Garden of Eden was GOD's first temple. A temple is where GOD dwells. GOD placed man in the garden, in His temple -- where GOD dwelt. This is the picture of life. When man disobeyed, GOD removed him from the garden, from the temple, from the place where GOD dwells. This equated to death, spiritual death. Therefore, Adam and Eve indeed experienced death. This is why all their descendants, including every person currently living, is born dead -- spiritually dead.  
This is why the perfect GOD had to come to our world and defeat death by dying on cross and rising from the grave. In this act of pure love, and by the power of GOD's Holy Spirit He can now dwell in His new temple, the temple of those who acknowledge he/she is born into death and is in need of a Savior, Jesus the Christ. This cannot be accomplished on our own, but only through GOD's power.