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A Hard Scripture to understand Rom. 5:18-19 “Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men , resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.” In context: The many are qualified by the judgment that came to “all men’. Paul is making a specific correlation to those who are made righteous by Christ. The free gift from Christ is to all who will act in faith receive it. Those who believe and follow Christ are the many who were sinners who are made righteous. This is not a general phrase for all made sinners will be made righteous which would promote universalism. In contrast, this second portion Paul is explaining of those who have received the free gift, these are those are the many who are made righteous. It means those appointed to eternal life (whose names are written in the lambs book of life will continue), the correlation of the term ‘many’ are the ones who are saved, who are the same as ‘the many’ who sinned. The "all men" of Rom 5:18, and the "many" of v.19, are the same people. The contrast is between the one representative for humanity (in Adam) and the one head of the new humanity (Christ). All of humanity shares is in what was ruined is able to be rescued, Christ offers it to all those who were ruined. This choice is exercised the same way Adam chose his ruination. Those choosing Christ make the choice to live instead of being in the continual state that will bring death being in Adam. Again the unclear scriptures are always understood by the clear Scriptures. One must believe to have salvation, it is a choice exercised by ones will to trust in the gospel, this happens at a certain point in time when a person is cognitively aware of their sinfulness, understanding their need of the savior. Again, this scripture is not so hard to understand if connected to the others of the same kind. What Christ did does lead to justification for all men ‘who believe;’ all of them! This is the qualification for salvation mentioned in so many other places. There is no universalism for salvation, but there is for being sinful. As Paul states in his teaching “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). Here is another scripture supporting all having sin. This Scripture is another comparative statement, it tells us everyone who was born has the sentence of death (because of sin via Adam), but everyone ‘in Christ’ will be made alive, and not have the repercussions of death. (In fact in a general sense, all will be made alive and judged where they will spend their eternity at the last judgment.) Again for one to be ‘in Christ’ to have this transfer of righteousness to them, they must believe in the gospel, which has the believing in the only God/ man dying for our sins and returning to life (Rom.5:1; 1Cor.15:22, 5:17; Gal.2:16; 3:26; Eph.1:12, 2:7-8,3:6; Col.2:5-6). There are those who say it not necessary to believe, that Jesus did it for all, which then negates all those Jesus and the writers of the epistles said one must believe to be saved. It is a non negotiable requirement. There are those who intentionally confuse the doctrine of salvation because they have a darkened understanding (a lack of faith). God teaches those who exercise faith. One is handed over to his own misconceptions in trying to figure out scripture on their own, depending on their intellectualism interferes with understanding by Gods Holy Spirit the simple message of salvation contained in the Word. If sin is not passed on then how did we get to be sinners? Do we just decide one day to disobey? Insinuating that it has nothing to do with our human nature, the Bible says over and over it does. Rom. 5:12 “through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” This is why he came by the only virgin conception in history, to bypass the sin nature being transmitted to him as a human, protected by the Holy Spirit in her womb. Scripture says only Jesus was without sin at conception and throughout his life, it was required by God for him to be his sacrifice. For only one without sin could die for sin. He being the lamb of God takes away the sin of the world; for all; past, present and future. Rom. 6:10 “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all” Christ has done was is necessary to repair what was ruined for every person born. Rom. 3:23-25 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith.” 1 John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” One cannot be saved nor possess salvation if they deny they have sinned, or no longer sin. For that is reserved for the day of transformation called the resurrection/ rapture. |
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