Have you ever wondered what Paul meant when he said that “sin is not imputed where there is no law”? (Rom 5:13). You are not alone. A reader recently emailed in this Bible and theology question:
What’s your interpretation of Romans 5:13?”
The question is short and sweet and to the point! People occasionally send me Bible questions or Theology questions, and I usually try to respond via email, and post my answer here on the blog for anybody else who might have a similar question.
Here is how I responded to this question about Romans 5:13.
What does Romans 5:13 mean?
By way of disclaimer, I have not done an in-depth study of Romans or of this verse in particular. Eventually (10 or 20 years from now), I will write a commentary on Romans, but there are numerous commentaries I need to write first, before I have the courage to tackle Romans.
Until then, here is my current view.
In the surrounding context (Rom 3:23; 6:23) Paul is explaining to his readers that the reason death reigns over all people is because all people have sinned. In other words, the consequence of breaking God’s law is death.
But there is a minor problem with Paul’s argument. Everybody knows that Adam broke God’s command to not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, so that explains why Adam died. And everybody knows that after God gave His Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, every single person on earth has broken the Law of God in one way or another (Rom 3:9-23).
But what about the time between Adam and Moses? God had not given any commands to those people. There was no written or spoken Law of God for them to break. Therefore, they couldn’t have broken any of God’s Laws because for them, there was no law.
And yet they still died. Why?
Paul attempts to explain why in Romans 5:13 and the surrounding verses.
His basic argument seems to be that although the people from Adam to Moses did not sin by breaking a command (as Adam did), they still suffered the consequences of sin (death). Why? Because in Adam, all sinned. Sin (and therefore death) passed down from Adam to all people (Rom 5:12).
That is the basic point of Romans 5:13, but let me explain it in more detail because there is something extremely profound in what Paul goes on to say.
Sin is Not Imputed
First, part of the problem in Romans 5:13 is the poor decision by some Bible translators to use the word “imputed.” The word Paul uses (ellogeo) is not the same word for “imputed” in other contexts (logizomai; Rom 4:11, 23-24). The only other place in the New Testament that ellogeo is used is Philemon 18 where Paul instructs Philemon to “charge” to Paul’s account anything that Philemon might owe.
In using ellogeo in Romans 5:13, Paul is saying that where there is no law, people cannot be charged with breaking it.
A modern example might help. Have you ever heard of anyone being charged with the crime of owning more than 10 books? Of course not, because that law doesn’t exist! People cannot break a law that doesn’t exist, and if it doesn’t exist, they cannot be charged with breaking it.
That is what Paul is saying in Romans 5:13 — People from Adam to Moses were not charged with breaking God’s Law. The reason they cannot be charged is because during that time, there was no law to break! Sin is not imputed, or sin is not charged, where there is no law.
But did people still sin? Of course they did.
They went against their conscience (which Paul talked about in Rom 1:18-32) and they most likely broke some of the laws of whatever government they were living under (Rom 13:1-7). But they did not sin in the same way Adam did by breaking a stated law of God, or the way that people who lived after Moses did, who also broke God’s stated laws. And God’s law is not retroactive either.
So Romans 5:13 does not mean that people did not sin. They did. But they did not break the Law of Moses, for it had not yet been given, nor did they break any written or spoken Law of God, for none had yet been given. But Paul’s point in the surrounding context is that these people still died, because sin and death passed down to all people from Adam (Rom 5:14).
No Longer any Imputed Sin
But here is where it gets crazy. In fact, after I say this, you might think I’m a heretic… Of course, the rest of this is highly speculative for me right now. I could be persuaded that I am wrong. So take the following with a grain of salt (or a cup of salt).
Paul goes on to say in Romans 5:15-21 that what happened in the sin of Adam was reversed by Jesus Christ. Jesus undid what Adam did. Jesus fixed what Adam broke.
Paul is pretty clear in these verses that just as sin and condemnation passed from one man to all people, so also, grace passed from one Man to all people (Rom 5:15).
Though sin passed from Adam to all people, I believe that this passage of sin stopped with Jesus Christ. How? Well, that is partly what Paul is explaining in Romans, but he talks about it elsewhere as well (cf. 2 Cor 5:21). Jesus became sin. He took on sin. He has cleansed the world of all sin. Yes, all people.
No, I do not believe in universal salvation. I am not a universalist.
I do not believe that people receive eternal life by having their sins forgiven. I believe that all sins, past, present, and future, of all people have already been done away with in Jesus Christ, through His death, burial, and resurrection. There is no longer any “sin issue” with God. He has been propitiated, satisfied, or whatever other theological term you want to use. Sin is not what keeps people out of heaven, for sin has been done away with. Today, sin is not imputed because Jesus has done away with sin.
The reason that not all people become children of God is because they do not have life. God’s life in us is the issue; not sin. We receive God’s life (also called eternal life) by believing in Jesus for it. This is what He promises (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47, etc.).
So what keeps people out of God’s family? What causes eternal separation from God? Not sin, for that has been done away with in Jesus Christ. Instead, people do not join God’s family and end up separated eternally from God because they never received God’s life through faith in Jesus.
In many ways, we are somewhat like the people who lived during the time from Adam to Moses. Sin is not imputed to us because Jesus has fulfilled the law and done away with sin. But like the people who lived from Adam to Moses, we still die. They died because sin and death did pass down to them from Adam. But what about us? If Jesus did away with sin, why do we die?
What About our Death?
One of the objections to this view is that although Jesus might have taken care of the sin issue on the cross, we all still die. Isn’t that proof that sin has not been taken care of? After all, wasn’t that Paul’s whole point?
Yes, this was Paul’s point, and he also is aware of this question, which is why he goes on in chapters 6-8 to explain what God has done about the death. I don’t have time or space to launch into that discussion, except to say that although Jesus has done away with the sin issue before God, there are still natural consequences of sin, and one of them is physical death. Though sin has been taken care of, our bodies still bear the marks and corruption of sin, and the only way to stop this from happening is to get new bodies, which will happen at the resurrection. But of course, if we understand Jesus and Paul correctly, death is not death for believer, but just another stage in our ongoing experience of the eternal life we have received from God.
Well, I hope I didn’t confuse (or concern) you too much.
What do you think of this explanation of Romans 5:13? Is it similar or different to your own views? Have you read this idea elsewhere?
Yup, I’d say you’re right! Creflo Dollar always teaches on what you said.
Jesus did take care of the sin issue on the cross. However the blood needs to be applied individually to each person that comes to Christ by faith in him. Much like in the book of Exodus with Moses. It is my belief that mankind became depraved as a result of Adam’s sin BUT will be eternally separated from God in hell because of his Own sin. Hence the time when he is morally responsible enough to make a decision to choose between right and wrong and like all people except Jesus, choose to sin.
Not true. As the author above said, all sin is done away with, so now to be sin conscious would be to make the cross of no effect. What makes your act of sin more powerful than Jesus’ act of becoming sin?
All sin was taken on by Christ. He became the eternal sacrifice that satisfied God’s wrath against it. But His wrath still falls on those who refuse to accept this sacrifice, and sin is still an ever-present danger. Even the elect can fall back into it… if they allow Satan to deceive them. If they do, all the righteousness they had before is gone.
Getting washed clean of sin comes with the repentance of the individual, on an individual basis, when they come to the cross. Only by accepting the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son are we cleansed of sin. All of scripture in the OT points to this, and the entirety of the NT makes this clear.
Jesus spoke constant warnings against sin and temptation… something that would be unnecessary if sin would no longer be a reality after His death and resurrection. Paul himself warned against any teaching that contradicted this truth.
Any interpretation of a scripture passage that goes against the rest of scripture is not from the Holy Spirit. Like a puzzle, each piece must fit where it was made to fit, and mustn’t become the subject of anyone trying to re-cut it to fit where they wish it to go.
The Bible is a beautiful grand puzzle, a gorgeous intricate tapestry, an astoundingly powerful orchestra… and every piece, each thread, and all instruments must work together and fit together to create a finished work that glorifies its creator.
To answer your question: “What makes your act of sin more powerful than Jesus’ act of becoming sin?” The answer would be: The denial of Christ’s sacrifice and it’s power over sin. Impenitence keeps one under the authority of sin and death.
I would say that sin leads people away from God and from the teachings of Jesus. It is not that sin leads to damnation (anymore), but rather, it leads the righteous away from God, effectively abandoning their faith in Him in the pursuit of earthly desires. That is what leads people to damnation.
Jesus said that the most important commandments were; love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Everything else falls into either of those areas.
If God eternally forgives us, then we are eternally cleansed of sin. But being forgiven of sin is meaningless unless you have faith in God and Jesus. Loving Him, worshiping Him and seeking to obey Him in all things. We may not realized that we have sinned but are still forgiven. It is our dedication to God and Jesus that brings us closer to Him.
Wolfie,
You are correct that the Bible is sometimes like a puzzle, with the pieces needing to fit together in a coherent picture.
I would say, however, that the supreme revelation of God that we see in Jesus Christ shows us that God is never angry or wrathful against sinners. Instead, He always loves and only forgives. Since this is so, we must perform some careful study on the texts of Scripture that seem to imply that God is wrathful and angry. If He is not angry at us (as Jesus reveals), then what are these other texts saying?
I am trying on this site, and through my books and podcast, to explain what these other texts mean.
Christ is our High Priest as such His actions, as a Jewish High Priest, operate the same way. The Jews were forgiven, as a nation, based upon the righteousness of the High Priest. If he was righteous, the nation was forgiven, if he was not, no atonement. Christ’s finished work HAS to be MORE POWERFUL than Adams sin. If Adams sin was imputed to us without our request or consent than Christ’s atonement, more powerful, HAS to effect ALL people without request or consent. IF we view things through a lens of equal justice and the punishmen reward system the entire world operates on. The Kingdom of Heaven does not follow laws of punishment reward. It oporates under grace mercy forgiveness kindness etc. Mercy triumphs over justice. That is NOT a human concept of justice. So if justice demands hell then after that judgement is made what is the effect of mercy triumphing over the justice?
Amen!! You are on point!!
Amen, but I have been wholly unsuccessful at trying to get believers of this false gospel to hear Jesus. They persist in the great delusion that God came down, lived holy, died and was risen all for his followers (believers) to remain enslaved to Satan. Of course it’s a LIE!
We are only justified by our faith in the person and work of JesusChrist. John said, to those who receive him, he gave the POWER TO BECOME SONS OF GOD…(John 1:12) and this is sanctification til he come!
Death reigned from adam to moses. What is the nature of this death? Is god referring to physical death or is he referring to spiritual death. What is the nature of spiritual death? According to Eph 2, the nature of death is to walk according to the course of the world, which means, not in faith. You are dead to the truth, and it/he to you. Death reigned from adam to moses because the law is schoolmaster to bring us to christ/the gospel. The law is therefore holy just and good. Your interpretation is without merit
Finally someone with some sense. unbelief in the work of Christ is a sin in and of itself so to say sin does not exist anymore is foolishness. Only the doctrine of election can explain fully how sin and grace exist together in this world.
I disagree, the handwriting of ordinances that was against us Jesus took it out of the way nailing it to the cross. when you believe the gospel and trust in christ as the only means of salvation, a new birth happens, the believer is BAPTIZED into the body of christ by the holy spirit and the flesh is cut away from the soul, this is the CIRCUMCISION made without hands and the operation of God.
the new creation is no longer in Adam but in christ. the new man is under the MINISTRATION of the spirit and not the MINISTRATION of the law. Read 2 Corinthians chapter 3. we have a spiritual birth and are guided and corrected by the holy spirit as well as chastened when we sin. the new created spiritual child cannot sin ever . the old man can and will sin. but cannot be condemned with the world. the new creation is “IN CHRIST” Flesh of is flesh bone of his bone. This cannot be reversed.
be blessed in loving spirit
You are very wrong about God has forgiven sin already. Why do scriptures such as Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-4, 1Peter 3:18-21 appear in the bible?
I have written about many of these texts elsewhere on this website. Just use the search area at the bottom of this page to learn more. You might also find an article I wrote about the “Two Kinds of forgiveness” in the Bible to be helpful.
You wrote:”I would say, however, that the supreme revelation of God that we see in Jesus Christ shows us that God is never angry or wrathful against sinners. Instead, He always loves and only forgives. ”
Friend, God has wrath towards sin. He does punish people. He is perfect love AND perfect justice. He has damned the rebellious angels and He has promised to send people who have not been washed in the blood of the Lamb into that same fire that isn’t quenched.
If He always forgives then hell is a made up place and the Word of God is not true.
first time reader, long time believer + 50 years. As usual the majority of believers in Jesus’ day just as today nearly 3000 yrs later still believe the lies they were, —
still being told by the church hierarchy.! Sadly they too are deceived into Not understanding the truth.
The issue is not sin, Jesus (God) satisfied that debt on the cross with the completion of the ritual sacrifice of himself for all mankind, & their sin. His utterance of “tetelestai” the word spoken by the high priest as the sacrificial lamb drew it’s last breath means,
“finished”. Jesus nor the Father are retributive, their is no such God damned, place as hell. Like so many other words the hierarchy leadership of the religious bastions corrupted with power lust over the less fortunate in education, wealth, station of life, purposely evil intentionally misinterpreted or demanded such mis- interpretation of words to create, maintain fear and thus control of the masses.
It has worked largely too.
“However God has always had a remnant of Holy Spirit filled, joyful, humble,
believers in every age to counter this thrust of the adversary. Anyway, in the end of this trial the whole of mankind from the garden to the entire cosmos filled with creatures of Jesus Christ, The Word Of God, made flesh, tempted in every manner like we are, yet without sin has/will deliver ALL of them,and us too, the
Father for His Glory, Honor,
as was the original goal in the first place.”
So there was no law before Moses?
Then please explain Genesis 26:5 “because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.””
In the time before the is your lights were enslaved in Egypt nothing was written down because it was passed on verbally. After the Israelites had been in Egypt for 400 years as slaves, they had forgotten everything that had been passed down verbally and so God had Moses write everything down to remind them of what was lost.
It sounds really good and I agree on most points. The problem I have (an you said so yourself that you might be wrong) is saying sin is gone. I know it sounds like it. Sin comes by the law, the law was done away with in Christ…sounds like a good explanation. People are saved by faith in Jesus and thus the ones who are not saved (by their faith) are judged by their works. So Sin DOES still exist for those who are NOT in Christ. We all know that sin still is, whether God imputes it to our “account” is a different story. He doesn’t for Christians but we still must confess and repent. Albeit he says in another place that if we don’t live in Christ and if we continue in sin then we should be put out of the church and we will be cut off of the tree of life. Jesus’ and Paul’s words. Sin is EXACTLY what keeps people out of heaven, for SIN is not obeying the Gospel–not believing that Jesus is the one and only Son of God who came to take away our sins, the promised one, the Messiah. Otherwise, you pay for your own sin…if you had no sin then God could not judge you and send you to hell even if you DIDN’T believe in Jesus. Sin exists, its evident every day. God will be a fair judge and your only hope is Jesus. One this point I am certain, and I am waiting impatiently for that day. I’m sick of this world and its filth. May God have mercy on all the children of Disobedience being led by the spirit of the prince of the power of the air.
The devil ‘believes and trembles.’ Please examine what Jesus and his true disciples taught, the 12, NOT the 13th. There are 12 foundations to HIS bride, Rev 21, NOT 13.
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2:26
Anna,
You might want to check out this post:
https://redeeminggod.com/even-the-demons-believe/
yes, I agree, because romans talks about sin is still the master or the world, but not Christians, because he have grace, romans 6:14- “for sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” we Christians, are under grace, but the people of the world, are still under the law.
I have to agree with Kim; “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
If it, sin, was no more why are we warned not to serve sin?
This does not imply that sin still exists! Whether in Christ or in the world! The entire body of sin was destroyed by the potent Lord Jesus Christ and so that ever since then, mankind will not serve sin! Sin is destroyed! The Lamb of God took it away and destroyed it!
No, all sin has been punished on Jesus, He was punished for our sin remember for the world the nonbeliever and believer now the issue is Are we going to accept what Jesus did for us or are we going to reject Him? Its so simple brothers and sisters! This brother who wrote this article is right he should have just put it in there, Jesus was punished for our sins so God can no longer punish anyone for their sin or He would have to apologize to Jesus His Son, this would help a lot of new believers to understand better lol over great article of Truth! Sin does bring consequences still definitely to us but we are not condemn by it! Romans 8:1 we are made righteous by faith in Christ not by us turning from sin that would be working for it and Jesus wouldnt get the Glory we would and because we didnt achieve it we can never lose our righteousness even in the midst of our sin! Thank you Jesus! Not a license to sin because sin does bring pain and suffering still to us! God is so Good to the world!
There are 2 components for entering the Kingdom of God: 1) repent which is a turning away from the self life without God to God and 2) believing intellectually and believing trustingly for salvation as per Mark 1:15.
I agree sin is no longer the problem. I believe the answer is found in Revelation 20:11-15. There will be two sets of books at the great white thrown. The first set contains all that we have done, and we will be judged based on what is there. But entry into heaven is not determined by what we have done, but according to the other book, the Book of Life. We get out name there according to the requirements in Romans 10:9-10. Have we confessed that Jesus is our Lord (boss), and believe God raised Him from the Dead. These have to be true heart felt commitments, and God knows our heart. If they are we are recreated spiritually for good works (Eph. 2:10), which lead us away from sin toward God’s predestined goal for us (Eph. 1:11).
Sin and what I believe to be the most. Important part of the mark of the beast ..to God I believe Jesus said it . (He used pork as an example) pork is not sinful in nature , however if you were raised to believe God says it’s axsin to eat(we either it be sinful in nature or not) it’s wether you 1. Believe eating pork will be looked upon as a bad/sinful act in God’s eyes 2. And believing this you do it anyway …. It’s how we treat Him that I believe we are all missing the point.
I live pork I’m Christian I don’t believe it’s sin to eat. I’m not sinning in my heart. Not in my mind . Not in my spirit.
John for is a firm believer you cannot eat pork on “Friday” he was raised to believe God Hayes Friday pork eaters …John doe loves pork sneaks a bite .. the repents all day and night
He sinned I did not. Why he knowing disobeyed a law of God ..in his heart of hearts he wanted it and did it thinking it was bad ..bad boy. That’s how God sees us now it seperates us in the end (that’s a talk for revelations)
The testimony of ONE is not valid. Can a will/testament/covenant be changed AFTER the death of the testator? God judged Cain for murder, Sodom and Gamorrah, the world of Noah’s day and the Israelites for not keeping the Sabbath BEFORE the law of Moses! God’s laws are eternal and immutable. Joseph said , ‘How can I SIN against my God!’ BEFORE the law of Moses. There is a difference between the Moral law and the Ceremonial law of Moses.
No one but Paul taught that ‘sin was not imputed’ and the whole world has followed after one who claimed Jesus was in the desert near Damascus. Jesus told his followers that if someone claimed he was in the desert to not follow that person because he would be visible from one end of the heavens to the other.
So Paul’s letters should not be included in the Bible?
Where does it say that God judged Sodom and Gommorah or even Cain concerning the Sabbath?
Never mind. I realized I read it incorrectly
Anna, you do err not knowing the scriptures. No where in the bible does it say God flooded the world because they did not keep the Sabbath. Paul was not alone on his travel to Damascus and was healed by God through the man named Ananias of Damascus. Why would you accept Matthias over Paul? Matthias decided upon by casting lots…Paul a direct revelation from the Jesus Christ himself and resulting in Paul being blinded? What does Matthias have to say about the Gospel? And why does everything written by Paul harmonize with the rest of the bible? Because they were all moved by the Holy Spirit. Throw away your modern rubbish bible and get the real deal KJV.
Jesus was punished a horrible death for the sins of the world the nonbeliever and believer so God the Father can no longer punish anyone for it or He would have to apologize to Jesus! Becareful not to be self righteous like Job which was why God allowed satan to do what he did to work out the self righteous mindset! Jesus told the Pharisees,” tax collectors and prostitutes will enter heaven before you do!” Why? Because as long as a sinner can admit he is a sinner and believes Jesus died in his place he is considered righteous!!! We are all guilty of sin so people need to stop acting self righteous like they dont actually commit sin anymore! Turning from sin doesnt make us righteous but turning to Jesus does by faith!
God chose Paul to unveil to Him the riches of Christ to the gentiles. All that Paul said were from the Lord Jesus! To doubt what Jesus disclosed to Paul the Apostle, is to doubt Jesus himself!
But like the man said. The person who interpreted chose a bad word to translate what another word meant. How many other words were badly translated? One wrong choice can change the whole meaning. And how many versions have been interpreted? Each interpretation is just someone’s personal opinion of what was said. That’s scary. How many knew what the original word was? I didn’t.
For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of [breaking] all of it , You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.Gal vs 5 vs 4 . and James 2 ; 10
Just wanted to add that Jesus IS God. Jesus is the Word Who was before the beginning. Jesus is eternal. God gave the promise of salvation in Genesis 3:15. Therefore there were no people “living before Jesus.” All had the promise of God. All had the choice to put their faith in God’s words. Even before sacrifices and the Law of Moses, mankind could choose to believe God’s promise. As to those who live in tribes without God’s Word, God has revealed Himself in the hearts of all men. Through general revelation, man can sense God’s existence and see His power. Because they glorified Him not, their hearts are darkened. God is not willing that any should perish, so I believe that God will reveal Himself to anyone who seeks to know Him better.
I struggle with the fact that people sinned in Noah’s time and that sin was counted against them in the form of the flood. Yet, Paul seems to be saying that sin was not imputed to them until the Mosaic Law. I am not convinced by the interpretation that says Paul is thinking of those who sinned against the law of their conscience prior to the giving of the Mosaic Law and therefore died.
The best I can derive is that Paul intends that sin is not clearly recognized as sin prior to the Law. We die because of Adam’s transgression foremost (corporate) but we also sin on our own (individual).
This is a good struggle to have. In my current series on the violence of the flood, I am arguing that God did not actually send the flood. The flood did come, but it was because of man’s sin that it came, and God only action in the flood was to rescue as many as He could from the flood.
It appears God sent the flood because of their sin.
“And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13)
“And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.” (Genesis 6:17)
Just believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be ok!
Thank you so much for posting this!
I am mostly tracking with you. I actually found this article because the fact that there is no law for those who are in and under grace I think we could argue we are made “perfect” because Jesus is working in and through us.
When we do not abide in him, we are missing the mark (sinning) not under the Law of Moses, but natural law. I am still developing this in my mind.
I really appreciate your article and I’m not (quite) disagreeing or completely agreeing. I just fleshing it out. I am going through Romans now with “fresh eyes” and I came across this, which I think backs up the idea of natural law. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. (Romans 2:12 ESV)
Keep thinking and studying. That is all we can do on such difficult issues.
Now I understand better as I was trying to answer a question on ‘Till when sin was in the world and what happened after that?’ Thank you for your clear explanation.
Romans 5:13 (in context) says that when we have faith in God to deliver us from sin, there is no law (to condemn us) because righteousness comes not by the law, but by faith. Evidence of the need for a blood sacrifice runs from Adam to Mt. Sinai. (Evidenced by both Noah and Job). Job 1:5 (written prior to Sinai) specifically mentions Job offering burnt offerings to God on behalf of his children for Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned…’).
Even before that, there is evidence of the necessity of blood sacrifice (Cain and Abel) for forgiveness of sin.
1 John 3:4 clearly explains that anyone who sins transgresses the law because “sin IS transgression of the law.”
So what does it mean that sin is not charged where there is no law? And, why does Paul belabor the idea of conscience early on in this epistle? Imagine this, you are driving down the road, ‘minding your own business’ when suddenly, you hear sirens and look into your rear-view mirror and see ‘the law’, lights-a-blazing, calling for you to pull over. At this point your heart skips a beat, because, your conscience is bearing witness that you MAY have done something wrong. When the ‘minister of the law’ approaches the window, he confirms what your conscience (suddenly awakened by the law) accused you of. Speeding.
The question isn’t “was I sinning when I wasn’t aware of the police watching over me?” Of course you were sinning… and when the law came, you were charged under it. It doesn’t mean the law didn’t exist just because you weren’t aware of it’s presence, nor did it mean that you wouldn’t be charged under it when the ‘minister of the law’ finally ‘caught up with you’. You saw the speed limit signs, but thought nothing of them until the minister arrived.
People get angry when their boyfriends/girlfriends/spouses/etc cheat on them. People get angry when things are stolen from them. Whether or not they know it they are bearing witness to the law… even if they don’t understand that it applies to them as well (looking at a man/woman with lust = adultery).
Your conscience (the speed limit signs) bore witness to this (speeding) fact, even before the police (minister), but when he came, he stripped away the foolishness of your actions to lay bare the reality of the matter. At this point, your ONLY hope in escaping judgment is an offering that the judge deems worthy of being able to pardon your sin.
I think we are in somewhat basic agreement on this. I am not saying anything about people today who might be ignorant of the law. I was only talking about people who lived before God gave the law to Moses. Now that the law has been given, it is in effect, even for people who do not know it.
I, myself, have wondered about this. But the nagging questions that remain in the back of my mind are… was Cain charged with murder prior to Sinai? God punished Cain… so if sin is not charged then God punished unjustly? And was a law not established about those who murder Cain would reap the Lord’s vengeance? If so, and the Bible contains no contradictions, what exactly did Paul mean?
I believe the Law was not given to THE WORLD. It was given to the Jews! Jesus abolished it and brought both Jews of the law and Gentiles without law to a common ground where Christ Jesus rules
Very good analogy!
Excellant
My brother, I have a problem with this teaching. There are a few reasons why. One is that there have been people who testify that Jesus has taken them on a pesonal visit to hell, to warn people about it. Some of what they witnessed there was that there are Pastors there and other believers who even quote the Bible there, who backslid and are in hell because of sin. There aren’t just a couple of people who have had this experience and all basically say the same thing. One can listen to these accts on youtube. One such person is Mary K Baxter. She wrote a book called, “A divine revelation of hell.” It’s absolutely scriptural that we can fall from grace. Look at Revelations 3:5, where it speaks about having our names blotted out of the book of life. What about the scripture that says without holiness no man can see the Lord? (Heb 12:14) I don’t think it’s everyone that believes in Jesus that is going to heaven. God says it’s those who are looking for His appearing (Heb 9:28) and those who are living holy. (Heb 12:14) We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. (Phillipians 2:12)
Whew! Lots of verses thrown out, and I cannot respond to them all, though I do have explanations for all of them that make sense in light of the full testimony of Scripture.
The bottom line is that the holiness we need comes not from our own works, but from Jesus Christ Himself, who gives it to us freely when we believe in Him for eternal life. This is the basic message of the entire Bible…. we are sinners and can never work ourselves into the perfect righteousness that God requires, and so God sent Jesus to live and die and rise again, so that whoever believes in Him might have eternal life (John 3:16; 5;24; 6:47; Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9, etc.)
This will mix up yr mind.all I am doing is jer 33:3 and prov3:5,6 because we can’t do it.only try jesus christ.God promise to show is all thing.I try to underrstand wat everyone is sayin.but only God can deliver us
Yes I have heard this taught. I think we have been so taught sin conscience that it has been imparted into us. But what Jesus did is SO much more than what the devil did in Adam. If what Adam did made us all sinners can you say what Jesus did made us all righteous? But we have to receive it by faith to have it. I have been pondering this when I heard it taught. John said behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away the “sin” of the world. My question is what is the sin of the world , unbelief? I better stop don’t want to go over. Keep bring the Word!!!
Mk,
Great questions.
I struggle with what Paul wrote there in Romans 5. I do think that Jesus took away the sin of the world, but I do not think that the righteousness of God is automatically given to all. For that, as you have said, we need to believe in Jesus. We have to receive the righteousness of God by faith.
Think of it this way: There was “SIN” written across the slate of our lives, but on the cross, Jesus wiped the slate clean. But a clean slate is not the same as righteousness. The word “Righteous” is written on the slate of all who believe in Jesus for it.
Jeremy, I think you are on the right track. I believe in universal forgiveness not universal salvation. I think many people think that salvation is the forgiveness of sins, but this is not salvation. Salvation is when we receive the forgiveness of sins,through faith in the FINISHED work of the cross. We don’t get forgiveness of sins when we believe. We just receive what has already been done for us through faith. Acts 13:38-39. Hebrews 1:3, I Corinthians 15:3, just to show a few verses. So many people cannot get past the idea that people are punished in hell because of their sins. They are in hell because of their unbelief in the FINISHED work of the cross. If I purchase a gift for you but you don’t receive it. Does that change the fact that it was still purchased. You just don’t receive the good of that gift. Read Numbers 13 & 14 when Israel came to Kadesh-barnea, they did not possess the land because of their unbelief in what God promised them, they had to do nothing to possess it just enter in through faith in what God promised. Another word that people are confused with is work or works. I cannot find in my concordance where work or works is ever translated as sin or sins. Work is(Ergon) in Greek and sin or sins is (Hamartia) in the Greek. In Revelation 20:13 ( and they were judged every man according to their works. ( To toil as an effort, deed, doing, labour.) Because they did not receive the work accomplished by Christ at the cross, they will be judged by their own works, self righteousness, labors. Matthew 22 parable of the wedding garment is an example of not being clothed with the righteousness of God in him (Christ) II Corinthians 5:21. This word works is the exact same word used in I Cor. 3:13, Ephesians 2:9, Romans 2:6, and is not sins. Because our sins were put away at the cross. God is no longer holding men accountable for their sins. II Corinthians 5:19 and I Corinthians 15:1-4 this is the gospel (GOOD NEWS) that we are to be proclaiming to mankind. And all that receive this good news are clothed with the righteousness of God in him (Christ). For so many years I had been fooled into thinking I had to do something to get my sins forgiven. This is a lie by Satan and men and keeps people in bondage not only before salvation but after trying to get their sins forgiven. Jeremy, keep up the good work. And to all others ( IT IS FINISHED) John 19:30 and also Luke 23:34 God answered the request of His Son to forgive us. Ephesians 4:32 ( for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Right. Many think that sin is the issue with God, and so if God forgives all sin, then all must be saved. But sin is not the issue with God, and even if it was, we don’t get eternal life simply because He forgives all sin. Eternal life is the reception of God’s righteousness in Jesus Christ, which He gives to all who believe in Jesus for that life.
Gloooooooooooooory!
Keep Pushing It Bro!
You Are too Much Sire!
You Are Richly Blessed!
This Is All I need for my Life!
Bless you greatly!
Hi Jeremy
Praise God that you are willing to post the truth of the scripture online for us to read.
When I read the scriptures I too see what you see about sin.
At our church so many people are confused and worried about loosing their salvation because of wrong teaching about sin and salvation.
I have been a christian for 55 year in August and I have heard so many sermons in lots of different churches. Most of them are always talking about sin and doing something to obtain our salvation. I keep thinking “hasn’t Jesus done it all”.
I love Jesus and have served him all of my life and know nothing can take me out of God’s hand……sin definitely can’t because the blood of Christ has stripped sin of its power.
Keep up the good work
God bless
Hannah
Thank you, Hannah. Yes, so many people are caught in a sin-management system of works. But as you point out, Jesus has done it all! May we be able to encourage more people to see the amazing truth of God’s love, forgiveness, and grace.
Although it is possible to argue that sin is done away with for all humanity from things Paul wrote, I ask ‘did Paul really believe this?’ If we look at Rom 2.3 we see that people who practice evil will be judged by God for doing evil. Did the person who wrote this really believe that all sin had been forgiven all people? Also Rom 5.16 says that the gift of grace will abound to many. v17 implies that forgiveness is limited to those who receive it. In v18 it does say all but does not this mean both Jew and Gentile? In v 19 it says many (Christians) again.
Brian,
There are, as you know, numerous ways of understanding Paul’s letter to the Romans. One is the way you have described it.
I would say say that the “judgment” of God on sin in Romans 2:3 is the natural consequences that come upon us in life as a result of sin. This seems to be supported in the context of Romans 1-2. Forgiveness does not mean the removal of all consequences for disobeying God.
As for Rom 5:16, this is an interesting passage, for Paul uses the same word “many” to describe how though Adam’s sin, sin passed to “many” (cf. Rom 5:15). Did Adam’s sin pass to all, or just to some?
But do really believe that Paul believed that the ‘judgement of God’ were the natural things that come upon us as a result of sin. If he meant this why didnt he say so. Paul says something very similar in Eph 5.6. I accept your point about Rom 5.15.
Jeremy, thanks for your treatment on this subject. I however have a confusion here. What happens to a Christian who sinned and died just immediately, what happens to him beyond the grave. For example, Kate repented and was born again. She afterward dedicated her life to serve God. This woman lived a consecrated life, preached the Gospel, gave generously toward God’s project, and helped many needy in her area. Many years later, she discovered that her husband was being unfaithful to her. He was having an immoral affair with another woman. She became offended. But the other woman kept coming, until one fateful night whenshe came to their house, and Kate picked a quarrel with her husband and the woman. On the long run, fight ensued and Kate used a rod on her husband by which he died instantly. The strange woman also hit Katel on the head with the same rod, and she fell to the ground. What do you think is her case beyond the grave? Thank you.
All sin is forgiven by God whether we repent of it or not. So in this case, the woman is still forgiven. If she believed in Jesus for eternal life, then she is justified and has eternal life.
Repent and be baptised for the remission of your sins. Act 2.38. Why do we need are sins remitted by baptism if they are already remitted for all people?
Remitted there means “release.” We are still enslaved, in bondage, or addicted to sinful patterns. Even though forgiven, we need to gain release from the damaging and destructive consequences of sin in our lives.
You seem to be saying (correct me if I’m wrong) that God has forgiven (in one way) all sin but that sin can be a destructive influence in our lives unless we get our sin forgiven in another way. Therefore the destructiveness of sin is not God personally judging us for sin but rather more an impersonal principle of the cosmos that is now operating in our lives. This then sanitises God from any idea that he is a God of wrath which can loom heavily in some forms of Calvinism. In Matt 18 Jesus teaches that God will hand us over to the torturers if we do not forgive others. Thus we might see the torture as impersonal and not God at all, but at the same it is God who has handed us over to be tortured.
Unfortunatley, many Christians do live a sinful lifestyle. Jesus came to save the world and part of His work was to deliver us from the bondage of sin. The people of the OT didn’t have any help, but they were required to live holy; and we are, too. He gave us His grace, the POWER to resist sin, so if we think we can continue and believe that we aren’t, we are without excuse on that Final Day. Our covenant with His is to obey…we can’t change it to fit our wishes. Please read Hebrews 10 in its entirety. Open your heart to really study verses 26 on.
Oh, the confusion that the policy of evil has wrought! So many need to rightly divide the word of truth in order to understand the scriptures and more specifically, God’s plan of redemption. Please research right division to understand the differences of the church, the body of Christ, and Israel of the Old Testament.
Understand that the word ‘death’ simply means ‘lifelessness’. As the apostle Paul states elsewhere ‘Christ is my life’, as the gosel declares ‘recieve life believe in Jesus the Christ’ .
It is helpful to read the word ‘death’ as the word ‘lifeless’ when studying the Word.
Jeremy,
Consider 1 John 1:8-10
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
especially verse 9 which talks about forgiveness.
This implies that sin is still present unless we repent of it.
You said
“So what keeps people out of God’s family? What causes eternal separation from God? Not sin, for that has been done away with in Jesus Christ. Instead, people do not join God’s family and end up separated eternally from God because they never received God’s life through faith in Jesus.”
The implication of that is, as long as someone has faith in Jesus, no matter how much they continue to sin, they will be part of God’s family.
This concept contradicts the verses I pasted above.
Apparently Jerome, much to our dismay, mistranslated this passage, adding “in whom” before “all sinned”; Augustine taught – and the church has largely upheld – a mistaken view of this text ever since.
Paul is *not* saying all sinned “in Adam” – i.e. it is *not* sin that is passed from generation to generation (that is, that the taint of sin was added to/imposed upon our human constitution). Rather, Adam *lost* something: specifically (and unambiguously) access to the tree of life (Gen 3:24) – and with it, perpetuity of life. He could not pass on to his descendants that which he no longer had.
Hence (“nevertheless”) all died. Death reigned even though sin was not imputed! Sin is not imputed (charged) – so why do we teach that it is?
The point here is *not* that we are *sinners* from birth, or even by virtue of being Adam’s descendants; rather that we all *die* because we are Adam’s descendants.
Death reigned until the giving of the law because individual human beings actually sinned (not “in Adam”). Literally, before the law, everyone sinned or was guilty of sin as a participant in the human economy, or the consequence of sin claimed the innocent’s life before they could themselves sin (righteous Abel may be one such example). The scripture simply says “death reigned.” We should stop imposing a teaching upon the text that is simply not present.
The receiving of the law provided a way to remove the guilt of sin, but it could not give us the new birth (and put an end to death). It could not give us the nature of the second and final Adam – only Christ can do that.
Thank you for an excellent explanation of this passage. I was preparing Sunday School material and came up0n this difficult passage, so an Internet query brought me here.
I’m still puzzled why Paul found it necessary to even bring up the point of sin not being imputed prior to the introduction of the law. Wasn’t it in Romans 2:14 he wrote that though the Gentiles do not have the law, the unwritten law in their conscience that governs their behavior and becomes the law to them just the same. Since Adam and Eve became their own gods when they invited the knowledge of good and evil into their minds, it became their judge.
I’ve always of the opinion that God gave the 10 commandments as part of his salvation plan to reduce fuzziness in man’s thinking; no more ambiguity, no more false pretenses, bring the most self-righteous to acknowledge their depravity to prepare them for the coming of the Savior.
So if sin is imputed to the Gentiles before Moses Law, why shouldn’t it be imputed to the Hebrews as well? I think Paul brought up this point unnecessarily. The goal of either laws, conscience based law to the Gentiles, and Mosaic law to the Jews, are to accomplish one thing: all men are guilty and are in need of the Savior.
Unless of course Paul is writing to the Romans audience who is very familiar with Mosaic law (though they are mostly Gentiles), so he was perhaps refering to the imputation of sins against Mosaic law. To me a Gentile, the imputation of sin is ever present because the voice of conscience is never ceases. But now praise be to God for my precious Savior.
Good effort. But you came off the rails by the end, which plenty of others have pointed out. Here’s another verse: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36
But what is the “wrath of God”? (I think I have a different understanding of it than you do).
Talking to Jews under the law. Not us!
“Jesus became sin. He took on sin. He has cleansed the world of all sin. Yes, all people. No, I do not believe in universal salvation. I am not a universalist.”
By definition, you are a universalist, “He has cleansed the world …” “All people.”
Without the Law, there can be no law breaking, right? You said so yourself.
“Sin is not imputed, or sin is not charged, where there is no law.”
So, Yahweh’s Law was only given to the Israelites, through Moses and to No Other People. Christ Himself said, I have NOT come but for the lost sheep of the house, or descendants, of Jacob/Israel.”
Further, “Go not into the way of the heathen, and into any city of the (non-Israelite) Samaritans, enter not; but go, rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
How much plainer does it have to be?
Christ was the Kinsman Redeemer. You have to be a kinsman to be redeemed, by a Kinsman Redeemer, right? Who are Christ’s kinsmen? The Israelites, not be confused with the jews, who are the imposters of Revelation 29, 3:9.
Most people seem to think that sin keeps us away from God. It doesn’t. A lack of righteousness does. God can forgive all the sins of all people in all the world, without a single one of them receiving the righteousness of God.
It does say in Isaiah 59:1-2 states that it is sin that separates us from God. I know the proper context is directed towards his people Israel, but wouldn’t that still stand true today?
Sin is not “imputed” IN CHRIST. You cannot separate redemption from the redeemer. That is the same as separating the cross from Christ. If you don’t believe me look up all the forgiveness and propitiation verses and you will see that JESUS IS the propitiation, Jesus IS FORGIVENESS, Jesus IS REDEMPTION, Jesus IS SANCTIFICATION. “If any man be IN CHRIST he is a new creation”!! “God was IN CHRIST reconciling the world to himself”!!
[Moderator’s Note: The rest of this comment was deleted. It was way too long to be posted on our blog and consisted of little more than numerous quotations from Scripture. If you want to interact with the author of this post, either (1) keep your comments concise, or (2) start a blog of your own in which you link to this post here to show that you are responding to it and then write a response which is as long as you want and quotes as many Bible references as you want.]
In 2 peter 2v5 we find the word unlawful, does this mean that they had no law or that they had law but were breaking it?
When a person becomes born again their nature change, we have God’s nature. When we were born in sin we had the devils nature and we sinned just like he sinned and it didn’t matter how much good we did, we were still sinners that sin. Well when you give your life to God you have his nature, a nature without sin, you can’t sin anymore because he lives in you and there is no sin in him and if he be in you, there is no sin in you because he destroyed sin once and for all, and you are pure just like he is pure; thats having fellowship with him because you are now the same. Remember sin is darkness and no sin is light, so if you still in saying you sin, you are still in darkness and there is no fellowship between you and God. 1john 3:1-9 tells you all about the clear difference of who you belong to. It says in 1john 3:8 whoever sins belongs to the devil and Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil which was sin.Think about this, right or wrong things is not sin, sin is a nature that you were born with, but when you confessed your sins he forgave you, and you became a new creature, old things have passed away and now you are a new person; and a new person is not the same, if you can still sin after being born again then what did he take away, don’t you know that his blood is so powerful that you don’t have to worry about sinning because it has been destroyed, he took it away . When God do something, he do it right he don’t have do it. We just have to believe that we are pure just like he is pure; he already said he took sin away once and for all, but no one believes that because they are too busy looking at the wrong things they do and they think that they are sinning again, you do right and wrong things weither you born again or not, but the difference is you dont want to continue doing wrong just because its not named sin anymore, why? Because you have God’s nature. Before you had Christ you were a sinner no matter what good or bad thing you did, well we have to believe now that we are born again that we are righteous, holy, and without fault and without sin in his eyes.
God killed sin in the flesh of Jesus on the cross as the Law to it. col. 2:14.
Romans 7:9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died. Sin no longer has any power over us.
we are not free OF sin, we are free FROM it. Now the just shall live by faith.
Wow. Definitely confusing the cause and reason in a portion of the article. The cause of our death and inability to have a relationship with God is our sin. Rom 3:10, 20, 23, 5:8 6:23 just for starters. The reason some folks never have a relationship is because they never personally accept Christ’s atonement. If folks don’t have a sin issue any longer than why did God use the word sin throughout the rest of the NT even when referring to believers. I can’t be certain but I’d like to guess a little too much reading and “studying” outside of the Bible has caused this theory. Stick with the Book and not out of a Book, friends.
I am not denying that sin exists or that sin is an issue. I firmly believe everything the Bible says about sin. I just have a different understanding than you do about what the Bible teaches regarding sin. I stick with what Jesus reveals to us about God and read Scripture in light of that.
12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, FOR THAT ALL SINNED:
13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come
I think Paul’s point is to make it clear that all from Adam to pre law are sinners. That is why DEATH was still happening to people pre mosiac law, and post Adams actual direct disobedience. BECAUSE the WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH.
So to me Paul was just making the point that DEATH is the proof that we are all sinners.
So even though they were not charged (in the same way)with sin as it is now post law(where now Gods requirements are laid down and made very clear). That did not and doesn’t negate that they/we are sinners
Personally I stumbled on the thought of what you have labeled universal forgiveness ( I didn’t have a name for it) when I was reading the book of John and John said” Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World”
This inspired my thought and made realise that THIS WAS THE GOODNEWS. I can go up to an unbeliever and let him know that his debt due because of sins have been taking away.
He would need to repent of rejecting this truth, and ask for forgiveness etc to now appropriate this personally into his account. SALVATION. Ie JUSTIFIED by GOD and RECONCILED with Him.
Now I also came across hebrews 3verse 12,1314,19were it says to beware of the deceitful nature of sin, which hardens heart, and leads to unbelief.
Unbelief is what stops a person entering the promise land of rest. Israel physically and us spiritually (heaven).
I believe that we are to not practice sin etc not becoz God will take away HIS salvation/ eternal life. BUT we will cast away our faith if we follow the way of sin because sins eventual end is unbelief.
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH .WITHOUT WHICH YOU CANNOT PLEASE GOD.
If you end up at unbelief it is you who will cast off salvation/JESUS as Esau did ( He cast off his inheritance)
The “work” of a Christian begins with Faith to recieve Christ , maintaining faith (done by allowing the santification process, walking on all the warnings of the scriptures of things to avoid and things to add to faith). In order to avoid the peril of falling for the the prowling lion who is after our faith(book of Peter).
Unbelief in Christ at any point in the journey is the issue. Not sin of itself. God sees our sin hence HIS corrections that come toHis children. BUT we are justified before Him because of the applied blood to our lives. Hence why He treats us as children and not enemies.(under His wrath) as John says. Why wrath because they didn’t believe in His testimony concerning His son. IE Unbelief.
Unbelief in Gods path to salvation is the sin.
Whether the unsaved thinking don’t need salvation, thinking their own righteousness will be enough, or following another teaching,philosophy,guru, leader etc as the way to salvation. It is all UNBELIEF. No faith, therefore no reward of it. The reward being SALVATION.
For us who are saved. God sees our current sins and corrects us BECAUSE His purpose with adopting us is to restore us back to our original purpose in Genesis pre sin of reflecting His image, which we have all following short of. That image is in His son JESUS CHRIST.
Hi, I also forgot to add, that the just have always lived by faith from Abel all the way to Abraham to Isreal and through the law. God has always only justified those who believed HIM in their time and He accounts their faith as righteousness. All others who fell under His wrath was primarily because of the sin of unbelief. Which hindered them from getting saved, and stopping their dead works.
So Cain, those who didnt enter the ark, those who didn’t listen to lot, those who didn’t apply the Passover blood. Until now when Christ was come into the world. SALVATION has always been by faith because Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world in Gods eye. But that was done physically at a particular time on earth. But God was able to offer salvation on the basis of faith, because the work of the lamb of God was available.
If we go through the hereos of faith. None knew the gospel as we know it but all are saved. Because their faith in Gods revelation in their time was accounted to them as righteousness/justification with God, acceptance/adoption.
Part of Israel’s call was to be a light of who Yahweh is so that the nations around could come to faith, through faith, by the Passover blood and then the sign of circumcision, which for us I believe plays the same role as baptism.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned”. Romans 5:12 NASB
A better translation would read:
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, ON WHICH all sinned”.
The Greek words here are EPH HO and the best translation of those 2 words is “on which”.
The question answered in the text is, why did those from Adam until Moses who violated no law, die ? If there own sins were not charged to their account then why did they die ? The answer is, they died because death was transmitted to them through Adam. When Adam disobeyed he became subject to all the ravages of mortality, corruption and death. That is the sphere in which sin lives. “Death spread to all men, on which all sinned”. Adam begat children after his own kind, in his image. Mortality, as the sphere in which death and sin operate, is an existence in which the main characteristic is a lack of vitality, a lack of the possession of immortality, incorruption and righteousness. To put it simply, it is a lack of life. Romans 5 is about life and death. Paul tells us that death came in through one man and spread to all men. He also tells us that death will leave through one man. Just as life is destroyed by death, so death will be destroyed by life. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death”. 1 Co 15:26. “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation (death) to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through one mans disobedience the many were MADE sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be MADE righteous”. Death spread to all men apart from their own works, as stated by Paul in Ro 5:13. It was because of the disobedience of one. Death will be destroyed for all men apart from their own works because of the obedience of One. Death came in by Adam and death will be destroyed by Christ. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”. 1 Co 15:22. At the cross, death was defeated and to believe any less is to cheapen and discount what was actually accomplished by the blood of Christ. “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile ALL THINGS to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven”. Co 1:19,20
‘Paul goes on to say in Romans 5:15-21 that what happened in the sin of Adam was reversed by Jesus Christ. Jesus undid what Adam did. Jesus fixed what Adam broke.’
But only for (verse 17) ‘they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness’, not for everybody.
Phil Almond
It seems as if people are always in debate over scripture due to relying on their own understanding to comprehend it.
Shouldnt everyone be praying/meditating and asking Jesus for answers, instead of relying on their own comprehension of things or reading the thoughts of what another faulty human thinks?
This is what most people do, including myself, but we still all come to differing views on Scripture. So what are to do about that?
I believe we have to keep praying/meditating til’ Jesus gives us a clear answer. We can go on & on in circles with our differing views and understanding of scripture but are we ever going to get anywhere doing that? I feel it just ends up in mass confusion and more questions. Why not go straight to the source and ask Jesus to give us the whole truth and show us the bigger picture, after all his truth is the only truth that can bring us into agreement and have an overall better understanding about what Paul meant.
Pray to God yourself and ask him to reveal to you his word on this. Once you get true revelation and knowledge from him, then man opinion don’t matter. Each individual has to have a personal relationship with Christ. Yes he gives up The Five Fold Ministry Gifts. But direct revelation from him is all you need.
Hi Jeremy
We should all have the same response to Salvation because we are all changed by the same Spirit. If our faith is in Christ and him crucified 1 Corinth 15: 1-4 Which is the Gospel according to Paul then we will see that it’s not arguing over scripture but it’s the message of the Gospel that has the power to save. Romans 1:18. If our object of faith is Christ then the Spirit has the power and the authority to transform us from the inside out. The Spirit can only work in the parameter of the Cross. After dying to self, Roman 6 being buried and raised with Christ to WALK in the newness of life through the Spirit Romans 8 there is therefore NOW no condemnation to those who NOT after the flesh but AFTER the Spirit. He is the 3rd person of the God head and he walks along side us and in us teaching us how to become more Christ like. Those who love God will believe what his Son came to do and we will hear his voice. We will be known by our fruits. This is a free gift to all who believe from Gen-Rev. Nothing has changed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice intering into the Holies of Holies being our mediator between God and man. When our faith is on ANYTHING other that Christ and him crucified, then the Spirit stops working from within. Galatians 3:5 says are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit are now made perfect in the flesh? God doesn’t walk away from us, however we can walk away from him. The Gospel is a message and the Gospel is the power unto Salvation to all whosoever will, let him hear. We are too busy trying to figure out how to be saved when all we have to do is believe that he died to pay the sin penalty. We were all doomed to eternal punishment even the OT saints UNTIL Jesus paid the sin debt. The mistake most make is thinking that the HS doesn’t convict of whatever in us that’s not Christ like thinking it’s the Devil When it’s actually the working of the Spirit. Man can’t save himself and if man wouldn’t of rejected the finish work of the Cross we would be living a totally different life right now BUT we didn’t. Israel rejected Christ- there is nothing new under the sun. We too are rejecting Christ. There is an appointed time of the end that his coming back but Satan comes first. Math 7:13-14 states that few will find this truth and listening to all your conversations above, it’s not about sin it’s about faith. Jesus plus nothing, Fighting the good fight of Faith.
Romans 12:1-2 being a living sacrifice allowing the Spirit to transform us by us keeping our eyes on Jesus. The HS co-bears witness to our spirit and walks along side us and in us. When Jesus see the Spirit the Spirit confirms he’s got this or he let’s Jesus know if we rejected him. There is no drive through Gospel that OSAS. This is walk that you choose because you love him because he first loved you. You want him in your life because you can’t live (literally without ) him. False doctrine is believing anything other than this truth. The messages of the Christ. Christ in you the hope of all glory!!
God bless you all. Keep your nose in the book asking the Spirit to show you truths. That’s the only way you’ll see it.
… and studying!
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
“So what keeps people out of God’s family? What causes eternal separation from God? Not sin, for that has been done away with in Jesus Christ. Instead, people do not join God’s family and end up separated eternally from God because they never received God’s life through faith in Jesus.”
What keeps a person with a serious sickness from getting well? Their sickness or not taking the medication that cures the sickness? The medication that cures their sickness and makes them well is available, but if they don’t take it they will suffer because of their sickness. Are lost people condemned for eternity because of their sins or not believing on Jesus? Yes. Both. If they don’t believe on Jesus they will be judged for their sins. Jesus died for all, but it only applies to those who believe. Those who don’t believe are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). They are lost because of their sins and they are condemned for eternity if they refuse God’s gift of eternal life.
1 Timothy 4
9. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
On question: if sin was not imputed to people living during the time from Adam to Moses, why did God destroy the entire human race by a flood in Noah’s day? It was because of sin. If sin was not imputed to them then God killed them unjustly.
Those saying God was unjust about the flood have it wrong!!
God was instead wanting to destroy the devil’s plan of corrupting man’s seed (humanity)
This was because the fallen angels (sons of God) existed before creation (before man) had intermarried with the human race (daughters of man) as a devil’s plan in order to stop, corrupt man’s seed which was God’s plan to that seed will bruise Satan’s head…..
Re revise the whole story, but confusion comes in where people interpret sons of God as man, in Job, the sons of God were not man, use Greek interpretations on them and see what you come up with
all scripture rest upon a personal understanding,but if we would let scripture interpret
scripture we would not have so much confusion amoung believers.
Well, yes, but everyone thinks that they are letting Scripture interpret Scripture. I think that myself.
I do believe the sin issue (God passing by sins leaving them unpunished) has been dealt with through Jesus Christ. I believe all judgement on was laid in Christ. That said, I currently believe we are still born a sinner (missing mark of Gods glory, fallen state, lacking life and inheritance from God) with the promise of salvation already solved and available for us to receive. That said, like you, I’m willing to be wrong. Curious, how do to you factor in Rom 14:23 and 1 Cor 6:9-18.. Just two passages that come to mind.
Existing of sin in this world is not that wonder! What makes me completely wondering.. Is this… Beginning of sin is from heaven.. With Lucifer… In onehand… Feels that the origin of Law is from heaven for how could God accused Lucifer being sinned if there is no such Law or standard.. Or maybe Law was enacted from that moment for maintaining the standard of all Angeles….i don’t know what your takes on my opinion?
Hi, the bible says that Abraham already knew the Law:
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
(1 Mose 26:5 KJV)
I haven’t read all of the responses but most of them. There are two things that stick out. We ARE under Law but not the law of Moses but the law of Christ which was the mark of the New Covenant Jer 31:31, This should be taken into consideration. Secondly there are numerous references to verses in the Gospels and though many of them are applicable, some are not Because Christ was born under the law and the New Covenant or Testament did not beging where it is divided from the Old Testament but in Acts ch 2 as prophesied by Jeremiah and Joel. The four Gospels are transitional books between the OT and NT. I know this will be a “New wrinkle in your brain” For some, As Andrew Wommack says but when you see this it suddenly is a no brainer! I don’t want to be long winded or I would elaborate, but just one instance. When Jesus had healed the leper He said Now take an appropriate sacrifice and go show yourself to the priest.
Jeremy, you did a thorough interpretation of this scripture and it agreed with my spirit. For the last few years, in light of Romans 5, I’m baffled by Gen. 7. What is your understanding of God justly sending the flood, when sin is not charged without law?
Gen 6-8 are some of the harder chapters in the Bible. The 10 plagues are also difficult for me. I write about the flood some in my next book, Nothing But the Blood of Jesus. I think that what might be happening there is that God is allowing Himself to become a scapegoat for the sins of the world, and especially (in this case) the natural disaster of the worldwide flood. One reason I argue this is because if it was God who was dealing with sin, He was terribly unsuccessful. The condition of mankind after the flood was identical to the way we were before the flood (cf. Gen 6:5, 11, 13 with Gen 8:21).
I’ve heard more than a few teachings that suggest that He flooded the earth because the nephilim-tainted bloodlines were out of control. The Most High already knew His son would have to be born and shed His blood, he also knew that blood would have to be pure. Allowing them to continue would seriously jeopardize or maybe even delay His plan of salvation. Now it seems that there were still tainted bloodlines after the flood but they weren’t as prevalent, were more contained. It was also suggested that that’s the reason for that looong genealogy of Jesus is Matthew…….to relieve or dispel any concern or accusation that our Savior’s DNA was too corrupt to satisfy the Final Payment for Sin.
Thanks for that enlightenment. So if God was not dealing with the sin issue(seeing as mankind returned to their wicked ways), it could easily appear like He is a mass murderer. I know He’s not. I know He’s just but there is still a missing link for me. Father sentenced the whole world to die, a dreadful death I might add(except the 8) yet sin was not the issue. I did not grasp the scapegoat part. Please expound some more, if that’s not too much ask.
Wow a lot of debate going on here. Many times portions of Scripture or verses like this cause Christians to split hairs. But here’s a thought. I wonder how a Chinese believer, deep in the village in China – that has never read this blog – listened to Christian radio programs – watched Christian television or been to Bible school would interpret this scripture? I think the question – comes down to more what is the fruit of life based on what we believe about scripture and the way we interpret it. For example – if one believes one-way, but goes home and beats his wife what does that say about his belief? Yet, if another believes another way, yet he goes home and treats his wife with love, what does that say about his belief in scripture? While we sit around debating such subjects. Let’s not get too hung up. But rather, lets go and live out what we believe – and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ and love one another as Christ is commanded us. God bless you all.
Hi Jeremy,
When you are studying this topic in-depth 10 or 20 years from now, please take another look at whether there was law from God in the time between Adam and Moses. There are several scriptural references that impute God had provided commands, decrees and instructions pre-Moses.
Cain somehow knew right from wrong. God warned Cain to be sure to rule over sin in his life. There can be no sin, if there is no law.
Noah and his sons were told to select so many clean and unclean animals. They knew what what He was talking about.
Genesis 20 tells the story of adultery in the time of Abraham. Scripture says that all in the land knew this was wrong and were afraid when it was discovered. God spoke to the king in a dream (v6) “…and so I have kept you from sinning against me.”
And then there is Genesis 26 where the Lord spoke to Isaac. Why?
(v5) because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.”
Love your commentary. Please continue to share your studies.
There is a lot about this explanation of Romans 5:13 that has helped clear up some confusion, but there are also some comments that I think are misleading. First, when Jesus “became sin” and died upon the cross, I tend to get the visual of Jesus acting as a spiritual sponge….so to speak. He absorbed the punishment of sin for all time there by providing us a path to God the Father. He did not, however, absolve the existence of sin in the world or in our personal lives. Even as children of God we still sucombe to the influences of our desires and will sin against God at times. And while our salvation is secure in Christ, the quality of our relationship with God can be damaged through the existence of sin in our lives. Second, if we do not accept Jesus as Lord into our lives, then we do not benefit from His work ok the cross. We would then choose to remain seperated from God, because it is only through Christ that we are declared righteous. Prior to Christ the only people who were righteous, were those who God declared as righteous. But I think it’s important to remember that they were not flawless. Sin is what seperates us from God as humans, and failure to accept Christ as Lord is what will seperate people from His family. But sin in a believers life will also create seperation in their relationship with God, and we can see evidence of this in human examples for anyone who has ever been a parent. If a person in a family violates the relationship, it doesn’t stop them from being family, but it does create a disruption in the family that takes time to repair. And we are blessed as believers and unbelievers that we are created by God who is loving, merciful and gracious to give us time to find our way to Him, or back to Him, to begin rebuilding and reconnecting as Father and child.
Yes, but whose righteousness were they saved through? The Torah has so many laws that no one Except Jesus could follow every one, yet He broke sabbath rules according to the Torah. We have no righteousness , we are filthy and so are our works. But it’s the righteousness of Jesus that lives in us and makes our garments spotless.
What you have said is true. However, this would mean that Sodom and Gomorrah will not be condemned on Judgement day. Since I thought about this I have been searching for scriptures that support this idea. And found Matt 23 where Jesus said “for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day”. This suggests Sodom would have repented had they known better?
Please let me know your thoughts
great article. Thank you! I would agree with you on this issue. To help clear something up for travis I wanted to say that the bible doesnt say that we wont sin, jus that sin is not imputed where there is no law.We still have the natural/temporal effects and consequence of our sin but it is not imputed in heaven. God said he is going to write his laws on our hearts,so the believer who sins still violates his conscience. As the bible says,when we do those things that please the Lord we have confidence he hears us and that we’ll receive what weve asked for.
You are very close it would seem to me. You are spot on considering the effects of sin in the world and its inhabitants. Christ came, Suffered and died and rose again, all for our justification. Paul handles this beautifully in II Corinthians 5 vs. 14-21. It’s called the Ministry of reconciliation. And it is this knowledge that relieves people from the curse of the law. Paul’s Ministry is righteousness without the law. Extremely important. There are four different reconciliations in Paul’s ministry all because the the sin of the world was placed on Christ. Consider Ephesians 2:11-18, and Colossians 1:15-23. Quite an enjoyable study and worth your time investigating this great gift. If anyone is outside the faith, believe now. By the way members of our Bible church have been called heretics trying to explain this. Cheers!
If I owe a debt, like an inherited debt for example, then I am responsible to pay it. But my circumstances dictate that I will never be able to pay that debt. Someone offers to fully pay that debt of mine, but I say No, I will deal with it. I am still bound and in debt. If I accept the offer, I am free! The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God dealt with the sin issue but we have to believe and receive it. We have to accept the gift. He paid the price. Will we accept it and live?
Jeremy, I regret I’m sharing this 4 years after the fact, but I hope it’s still of use to you. I’ve spent most of my study effort over the years on Romans. I also believe Rene Girard gives us significant insight to scripture. I’ve also read three of your books. I’ve enjoyed them and they led me here. What follows is what Rene Girard, James Alison, Gil Bailie, and Bob Hamerton-Kelly have helped me to understand about Romans, and chapter 5 in particular.
In response to the central point of Romans 3, which is that God freely justifies those who trust his faithfulness, as he vindicated the righteousness of Jesus’ trust of him, even unto death on a cross, by raising him from the dead, the question that arises is: “Is God righteous to justify simply on the basis of trust in his faithfulness? (What then of those under the law, and the need for the law?)” The parenthetical question is the implication, but Paul addresses it explicitly later. But his short answer is “Yes, God is righteous in his justification of those who trust him. In fact, that’s how he’s always justified.”
We then have Romans 4 where Abraham is the first witness. God justified Abraham on the basis of trust, overlooking Abraham’s past as a Chaldean idolater. God in his forebearance overlooked past sins. He was just in forgiving and justifying Abraham long before there was any law, and God was righteous to do so.
The next question then is that if there is no guilt where there is no law, why were people dying before the law? The reason people died is because they sinned. Ahh, but there was no law from Adam to Moses. How then was sin credited since there was no law? The first man Adam did break a law and, since that time, humanity has not had access to God as a model to imitate, and thus accurately image him. The only model of Godlikeness available after Adam’s conception of God was distorted by entering into rivalry with him was Adam himself. Adam became the image of Godlikeness every other human afterward had. Thus, as Paul says in Romans 1, the primary reason we fail to give honor to God is that we suppress the truth of God; we worship a distorted understanding of God; an idol. Even though no one after Adam broke a command like Adam, every human after Adam has sinned (committed idolatry) because the only image of God available to humanity has been Adam’s idolatrous distortion of him. The reason all men sin is because all men have a distorted conception of God where God is a rival who holds back from us. Adam believed God forbade the tree because he did not want man to grasp Godlikeness, whereby God would have a rival.
So this refutes the idea that all men sin because they inherited the sin gene from Adam. The reason all men sin is because they have a model to imitate who has an idolatrous understanding of God. Because we have made an idol of God (we sin), we do not trust Him, and we die as a consequence of our lack of trust (addressed at the end of Hebrews 3; sin is unbelief).
What Israel revealed is that even with the law, it did nothing to correct their idolatrous view of God as one who condemned unbelievers to death, as one who required blood to be appeased, and who justified on the basis of the law. But Paul says that Jesus was born of a woman under law, was condemned by the law, but was vindicated by God for his trust in God’s faithfulness. So not only did the law not justify the one who kept the primary commandment of the law perfectly, thus showing the sinfulness of those under it, and their inability to judge righteously, but it shows that Jesus was vindicated by God for his trust even unto death, apart from the law’s judgment, and that he was righteous in doing so. Thus God demonstrates his righteousness in the past in overlooking past sins for those who repent and trust him, like Abraham, and he’s righteous to justify now those who trust him like Christ; both apart from the law.
The other key point he makes in contrasting Adam and Jesus is the fact that we have two models to imitate. We can imitate the one man with the distorted conception of God, and thus disobey with the consequence of death, or we can be imitators of the other man who came right from the bosom of God with a perfect, exact conception of God, and who trusted his faithfulness in obedience, and received the gift of life.
Paul uses Abraham and Jesus to prove that God has always justified those who trust his faithfulness, in the past with Abraham, and at the present time in Christ (and all who trust like Christ), and that it has always been apart from the law, and he is righteous doing so. He then strengthens the point by challenging his readers to choose which representative model of God they will choose to imitate. Adam says that God holds back from us and can’t be trusted. Later Paul asks, “If in his love and faithfulness to the promise, and to those who trust him God hasn’t even held back his own son, how then could we ever believe he would hold anything back from us?”
Hope this is coherent. Blessings my friend.
I’ve been working on a Girardian based commentary for a while. You helped me quite a bit with Romans 9 by Re-Justification of God. Hope this is more helpful than my earlier post. Paul is defending the righteousness of God in justifying those who trust him, and doing so without reference to the law. He uses Jesus and Abraham as his two witnesses, and the irrelevance of the law as the reason me are “condemned” to die. No one lives or does by the law; men live or die because they trust God to be faithful, or they don’t. What follows is my excerpt:
Jesus, like all men since Adam, was a descendant of Adam; the son of ’adam or, the “son of man.” Yet unlike Adam, Jesus did not sin like every other son of Adam because Jesus trusted, obeyed and imitated a different model. The difference between Adam and Jesus wasn’t that Jesus was fully God and fully man, and therefore had a superhuman ability that humanity does not have, otherwise it would be impossible for anyone to trust like Jesus. If Jesus did something that only God can do, then trusting like Jesus is impossible for humans. But that’s not the point of Romans 5, and that’s not the teaching of the New Testament. The difference that Paul points out is that Jesus had a true understanding of God, and thus Jesus trusted God’s faithfulness leading to obedience in contrast to the distorted view of God that Adam had which resulted in disobedience.
Jesus is able to model trust and desire of God perfectly and thus be a faithful and genuine mediator of godlikeness to imitate. Jesus makes God exactly known as an authentic and genuine image, and we are able to imitate his trust of God’s faithfulness in the model he exemplified, which is different from that of Adam. Unlike every man since Adam, with or without the Law, Jesus did not imitate his father Adam; he imitated his divine Father, and thus has made him known. And rather than distrust of God as one who holds back, Jesus trusted God completely as one who holds back nothing.
And Jesus wasn’t justified or vindicated by the law, even though he was born under the law. Paul makes the point that Abraham trusted God and was justified before there was any law, and he goes on to make the point that even though Jesus was born under the law, he wasn’t justified by the law, but vindicated by his trust of God apart from the law. So the law didn’t justify Abraham (before there was a law) and the law didn’t justify Jesus (after the giving of the law): trust of God vindicated both as righteous. Thus God has always justified by obedience through trust and not by obedience to the law.
In fact Jesus was shown to have been a law breaker from a human perspective, and was condemned to death, and made a curse, according to the law. And yet God vindicated him as innocent. Jesus was justified by his trust in God’s faithfulness. God showed himself to be faithful. Those who imitate the trust of God revealed by Christ will, like him, be justified and raised from the dead.
So the point that Paul makes in Romans 5 isn’t that all men have inherited from Adam a genetic trait of sin, but that trust in God’s faithfulness, and justification by trust, were never by the law and always by obedience to the Father based on trust of his faithfulness. What Israel sought by the Law, righteousness and life, they did not attain. The reason why all men since Adam have sinned is because the model humanity has had to imitate distrusted God from a distorted view of his nature as one who withholds. Jesus was a descendant, a son of, Adam and yet, unlike Adam, Jesus did not sin like every other son of Adam because Jesus obeyed and imitated a different model. What Jesus reveals is both the true nature of God, his faithfulness and trustworthiness, and a model of obedience founded on a trust even unto death, that all men can imitate unto life.
Neither justification, nor sin and death, came by the Law. Sin and death were in the world before the Law, so it was not the Law that condemned humanity, but disobedience originating from unbelief; from doubting God. Just as justification came apart from the Law and by trusting God’s faithfulness, so also life does not come from the Law, but apart from the Law by trusting God’s faithfulness. The Law condemned to death those who are dead in their unbelief and doubt of God. Trust of God’s faithfulness, apart from any Law, results in justification, and life from the dead, for all who trust him; this is the way God has always justified, and this is why there has been death in the world for all men. The one man served as the universal model for the cause of sin and death; the other man serves as the universal model for access to justification and life, for all who believe. That is Romans 5:12-21 in a nutshell.
Mr. Jeremy Meyers thank you for this post. i was 100% on board with you until you spoke about universal salvation. while universal salvation is not in the scriptures. “the reconciliation of all things” Colossians 1:20 is. in Romans 5 the main point Paul makes in the whole chapter is that we had no say so about our birth. in the same way we have no say so in our salvation. the bible has no problem telling us that “ALL man will be saved” 1 Timothy 4:10 but it does say “especially believers” you are right where you say that CHRIST paid for ALL sins however especially does not mean exclusively. i am not here to argue with you or no one here i simply happened to stumble here on your site and i do not believe it was by accident. i believe in the sovereignty of GOD.
I have truly enjoyed this post and read about 2/3 of the comments. It has been a great study and point of conversation with friends.
I am surprised that John 16:8-9 was not brought up. “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me.”
When I read this, I see what Jeremy said in this article about sin no longer being the issue. It’s the belief in Jesus paying for our sins that is the issue. God’s wrath and judgment are still in the picture. But what is the basis of who receives it? Is it our individual sins? No. It’s whether or not someone accepts the Person who took sin as a whole. God put ALL sin on Jesus. Jesus paid for the sins of the world. For each believer and unbeliever. He didn’t become half the sins of the world. He became sin period. God made it so easy for us.
Brother this is spot on ~ the Holy Spirit has enlightened you and given you the greatest gift of critical careful commentary ~ looking forward to more of your interpretations 👍👊
Beautifully said, thanks
Your claim, that people from Adam to Moses didn’t have a law to break (as there was no law), appears false in light of Genesis 26:5:
“because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge (מִשְׁמֶרֶת, mishmereth), My commandments (מִצְוָה, mitsvah), My statutes (חֻקָּה, chuqqah) and My laws (תּוֹרָה, torah).” (NASB, Genesis 26:5)
Consider the following verses that speak about the role of law in defining sin:
“Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (AKJV, 1 John 3:4)
“Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.” (NLT, 1 John 3:4)
“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (NKJV, Romans 3:20)
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.””(NKJV, Romans 7:7)
Of particular interest, Romans 7:7 shows the error in solely relying on conscience to determine sin: “I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.””
Sin becomes incredibly difficult to define as soon as the standard varies, and a variable standard is exactly what you would have it conscience is the sole definer of sin. (Consider, for example, the murderer who isn’t convicted that his actions were wrong).
When I said that, I meant that there was no law of Moses. This is what Paul meant as well.
Are you saying that Law of Moses existed before Moses, and that Adam was aware of the Law of Moses as it is found in Exodus and Leviticus before Moses received revelation of this law on Mt. Sinai and before Moses wrote it down?
It’s because we KNOW God, there is barely a human left who has not at one time heard of God and what God is. So, knowing that there is a God gives us no excuse. Especially those that do know and willfully sin. Jesus took on all of God’s wrath, every sin, past present and future- and that’s why we are born again.
I believe that God gave me this revelation recently concerning why people died before the law was given. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of forbidden knowledge they sowed into their bodies the knowledge of both good and evil or you could say they were opened to the influence of evil as well as good. From Cain and Able we see a man influenced by the good “Able” and a man influenced by the evil Cain. Not saying that Cain was any different to Able they both had the same ability to chose but evil influence got the better of Cain and he killed his brother. OK when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit they corrupted themselves for God had not wanted them to have this knowledge he wouldn’t have forbidden it to them if he wanted them to have it. So Adam and Eve are corrupted with this knowledge in this condition God cannot allow Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life and them live forever in that corrupted condition. So, God removes Adam and Eve from the tree of life the only source of eternal life that God had placed on the earth in the beginning. Adam and Eve will now die having been removed from the only source of eternal life on the earth. When Adam and Eve were removed from the tree of life all mankind was removed from it also and this meant that they would also die. Adam and Eves children Cain and Able had no access to the tree of life either this meant they were destined to die as they were also removed from the only source of eternal life that had been placed on the earth by God. Why then is it then that all mankind have to die for Adam and Eve did in disobeying God? Adam is the seed carrier of all mankind all mankind exist in Adams loins but there is a problem Adam has corrupted himself in that he has sown corruption to his flesh by putting into his flesh what God had forbidden him to. Genesis teaches us that God made everything living with its seed within itself to reproduce after its own kind. Adam has the seed in himself to reproduce after his own kind mankind unfortunately Adam has corrupted himself sowing to his flesh what God has forbidden, now everything Adam reproduces will also be corrupted with the same corruption and therefore God cannot allow Adams children access to the tree of life either in their corrupted state and so this is why all mankind die in Adam 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22, “For as in Adam all die”, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. As Jeremy has written here in this article it cannot that men were dying for their personal sins before the law was given because when no law is given sin is not charged against the sinner. So think about this, everyone has been removed from the tree of life because they are born corrupted “with a sin nature” Psalms 51:5 Behold I was formed in iniquity in sin did my mother conceive me. We are all born from Adams corrupted seed that’s why we need to be born again of Gods incorruptible seed. We all need to be born again “spiritually” to ever see the kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. When we are born again it is a spiritual rebirth by the action of the Holy Spirit having received the incorruptible seed of God as truth in our hearts “that being Gods word” the Gospel the good news about his Son. When we are born again the flesh profits nothing it is only the spirit of man that is made alive to God your flesh remains the same and it is corrupt and so wars against the spirit of man yes even his born again spirit. God is a spirit and he deals with us as spiritual beings When we die we leave our corrupted bodies behind us as they cannot enter Gods heavenly realm in that state. God has made it that we all die because of Adams sin and the corruption we inherited from him a corruption that every man passes that corruption on through the flesh “via his seed which is corrupted seed” seed that is made by his corrupted flesh body. If you doubt this is true then I believe God gave me this example. Lets say you have two teenagers in your church and they are virgins I know that happens because we have had them in our church. Ok, so these two virgin teenagers get born again by the spirit of God so that they no longer have a spiritually sinful nature as Eph 4:24 says put on the New Man which like God is created in righteousness and true holiness. That’s your new born again spirit man that’s you, that’s who you are now, that’s the you that will leave your body upon death in Christ. OK so these two teenagers are born again and don’t have a sinful spiritual nature they have the nature of God. Well let me ask you a question if they get married and have a child will that child need to get born again sometime in its life to enter the kingdom of God? Of course the child will have to get born again but where did their child get its spiritually sinful nature from seeing that the child’s parents didn’t have a sinful nature as they themselves have been born-again. They did not have a spiritually sinful nature to pass on to their child, so where did the child get its spiritual sinful nature from when its parents don’t have one to pass on to the child? The answer of course is from the child’s parents flesh part that remains corrupted even though they are born again spiritually. And it is specifically the husbands seed that is made by his flesh body that is remains corrupted and so passes the sin nature onto the child. Notice something about Jesus birth he did not come from mans corrupted seed no Mary was instead made pregnant by the Holy Spirit of God “which is God” Mary’s egg in her womb was fertilised by Gods Holy Spirit “no I dont mean God had intercourse with Mary but Jesus was born of the incorruptible seed of God and not a mans seed and this had to be so. Notice something else scripture talks about Jesus being born of the water and the blood. Mary was a virgin and I believe that she remained a virgin sexually after the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, her hymen I believe remained intact. So when Jesus was born he was not only born of the birth waters but of the blood also. The blood that was shed when Jesus broke the hymen on his way out of the birth canal, therefore Jesus was born of Spirit the water and the blood. 1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7, For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8, And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. Grace and peace in Jesus name Alan.
I taught a whole series of studies on Genesis 1-4. You can listen to them by checking out the “One Verse Podcast.” They give my take on Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and how this action resulted in Cain killing Abel.
I like how you put that in simple terms. read it many times and pondered same questions. But you sum it up nicely. But I am a believer in all go to heaven. Not sure about all actually but most all. my reasoning is this. When Jesus said knowone comes to the father except through me. He was still alive and under the law. What I believe he was saying was not to establish a religion where everything goes through his name. And no other way acceptable. But he was referring to your point in that all sin was taken in his body the sins of the world, knowone comes to the father accept by his sacrifice for the world. And ofcoarse he would say accept through me because it was be that was the only one who could do it for us. God is love as in peter who wrote anyone who loves his brothers is known by god. God is love. Anyone who loves their brother is in God and god is in them. The bible also says there is only one life and that life is GOD. And through Christ’s sacrifice That life dwells in us all. If there is only one life a Man or woman could not be alive from another. God is in all through all and above all. I do think that the life of christ can transform us in that through the understanding that he dwells in us and we reach for a deep understanding of his Love, we can experience heaven on earth now ( the kingdom of heaven is at hand) To have faith, Life eternal, and freedom!! freedom to Love unconditionally. We can be saved from this hell on earth now or we can go home to god when we die. what a tragedy to not know what you already possess. This would send me to the gallows but my point is anyone, muslim Buddhist, athiest, or what ever else there is. I you have Love in your heart. If your Kind, if you have compassion, and you dont have these qualities on display 24/7- you have God and God has you. And all this was made possible by his one sacrifice that reversed what Adam set in motion
[The reason they cannot be charged is because during that time, there was no law to break! Sin is not imputed, or sin is not charged, where there is no law.]
There was/is a law, it was written on their/our conscience. The difference was/is that it is not put in the form of a covenant. Adam was under a covenant with God and he failed so that is the basis of our condemnation in a federal headship way as children of Adam. The law given at Sinai was a covenant which Israel broke over and over and so it eventually condemned them federally as a nation. God in His forbearance waited for the Messiah to come through them, as He promised, to fulfill what they could not. After that He did away with the nation as a means of covenant, which is why He destroyed their temple which was only a shadow of the living One. Christ is the New Covenant entered into by faith and this is also given in federal headship because of it’s covenant form. This is why John can say in 1st John that if we say we have no sin we lie, sin does still exist, but it is ‘covered’ by Jesus blood through faith. Even Paul said “of who I AM the chief of sinners”, present tense. There is no difference between the unbelieving sinner and me, the believing sinner, except by faith, which is a gift of God, I am no longer under the wrath of God.
Please study election in Ephesians chapter one and Romans Chapter 9. It is in a multitude of other places in scripture, but in Ephesians and Romans 9 it is the most clearly exposed. Election is the only thing that can explain why sin still exists today and SOME are not going to be eternally condemned.
Are you teaching once you are saved you can’t be unsaved?…..if not… once you are a part of the family God…then do you somehow fall out of it? and would that be by sin?
The explanation is very correct, I just want to add a little to make it clearer, the bible says that Death reigned from Adam to Moses the bible is talking about Spiritual Death not Physical Deathbecause people died between this period, but after Moses Spiritual Death stopped reigning because Jesus Christ has taken care of that. Physical Death is the last enemy that shall be taken care of.1 Corinthian 15:26.
Thank you for your explanation about sin is not imputed. I agreed with it and if I’m understanding my own pastor’s explanation on it then it seems as if he is agreeing with you also. I’m sure I’ll be back to your page for more explanations. Thank you and God bless!
It’s perfect and well understood. Radical grace
I want you to email me anything you teach
I love God, scripture and I’m stuck on this, God sent the flood, everyone except Noah and his family perished. Maybe it was because the people were so vile He could no longer look upon anyone but Noah? The world is that way again, but Jesus is our ark.
The Law was before the creation of the world by God. The Sabbath was since creation; seventh day. The was since forever and is forever. He is saying that without the Law, you wouldn’t know what sin is. Within that one commandment “thou shalt eat from the tree of good and evil” were consisted all ten commandments: “Thou shalt not have other gods before Me.” Eve and Adam wanted to be as gods, as Satan proposed, so they ate. “Do not take the name of the Lord God in vain.” Eve lied and said “He said we can’t even touch it (the fruit)” – lying upon God’s name. “Keep the Sabbath (seventh day) holy…” by the time they were eating of it, the Sabbath was already come upon them; for they were created on the sixth day. “Honor father and mother.” God is our Heavenly Father and they strictly disobeyed Him. “Do not commit adultery.” Serving other gods, in the Bible, is seen, by God, as spiritual harlotry or adultery. And so on. The Law brings recognition to sin; The Law was since forever. BECAUSE Eve and Adam broke the Law AND sinned, there is now death and suffering and automatically inherited sinful nature until all mankind- Until Christ’s Return and cleansing of the earth. Watch Pr. Bohr “Cracking the Genesis Code”, prayerfully, for more info.
Much sisterly love,
So profound. I love this. Have been having issue about roman. 5:13
Please can you explained about the class of people Jesus refered in Mathew 7:21. Are these people belivers?
So what keeps us out of God’s family? You are leaving out the ministry of the Holy Spirit… The spirit of adoption.. Being born again… the seal til the day of redemption
The result of Adam’s sin was having knowledge of Good and evil.. even without the law man continually did evil …. Which all man still possesses the ability to do… Adam did not contain eternal life with in himself he had to eat from the tree… Once he sinned God guarded the way to the tree of Life! ..now under the new covenant we inherit eternal life ..where as under the old testament they inherited land…
Also Romans says ..the things of God are clearly seen by the things He has made so man is without excuse! This is before the law and revelation of Christ ..this is Creation.. Everyone who ever existed on earth should have knowledge of God to some degree… But man perverts it..they change the glory of God!.then some do not retain knowledge of God,have a God rejecting mind , God rejects them…they then become the most perverted! ..where as Christ has to be preached to you by those sent in the power of the holy spirit… Faith in Jesus Christ comes by hearing! What should be heard? Repent! Change your mind! Jesus saves from the coming judgement! Believe!
Its brilliant and makes life more stress free and more joyful
I think you did well.
I like deep thinking, and have thought through this sin, and death thing.
You have filled in a few spaces for me.
The whole matter seems to me that we are trust in the completed work of Christ, that regardless of our understanding, know that He has written our name on the citizens list of heaven.
John plamondon
If we rebuild the law that christ destroyed by nailing it to the tree is his own body , we become law breakers.
The command of God is to believe in Jesus the son of God and to love one another as God commanded us in the new commandments to believe in the name of his son and love one another as he gave us commndment.
Jesus was born into the workd to testify to the truth , everyone on the side of truth listens to him.
If we are to love one another as he loced us we must have his testimony fullof grace and truth not moses law which brings wrath
I would add more good news
Some will be blessed who did not believe who are of the nations judged By Jesus for by human kindness they unwittingly followed the law of christ towards the least of the believers
God is the saviour of all men but especially those who believe
He who believes is not judged
As in adam all die so in christ all shall be made alive
Correct translation deletes the judgment seat of christ false doctrine
tous gar Pantos Hemas phanerōthēnai dei
He for all us Appeared as behoved
ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ
emprosthen tou bēmatos tou Christou
Before the Judgment seat the Christ
ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος
hina komisētai hekastos
that bore carried off & provided for Every one
διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς
dia tou sōmatos pros
For the sake of the Body In light of (advantageous for)
ἃ ἔπραξεν εἴτε ἀγαθὸν
ha epraxen eite agathon
What Continually done If and both good
εἴτε φαῦλον.
eite phaulon
If and both evil.
https://biblehub.com/thayers/3936.htm
https://biblehub.com/text/romans/6-23.htm
Jesus christ is the judgmrnt seat of God
And The very word Jesus spoke shall be the judge on the last day
He who believes in him is not judged.
I was told that the Bible teaches that divorced people cannot remarry. That they have to give up the wants of the flesh because Jesus is enough. What about people that do t find God until they are in their 2 NPD or 3 rd marriage? Does that mean they have to divorce or go to hell? Can a person really not he forgiven for marrying the wrong person and be punished the rest of their lives feel for it?
I thought that was a very excellent explanation of the same question I had. I started to wonder why Abel wasn’t the first sinless man. But me next question is although Abel was in a fallen body, wasn’t Jesus also in that same fallen body? I’m guessing that is why he had to defeat physical death, thus making the resurrection a crucial part in our salvation. Praise God! Thank you for your answer
Tony Evans has a similar outlook in his Tony Evans Study Bible. And you’re right, most Reformed protestant and Catholic Christians would think you’re a heretic. Your thinking is more in line with that of the Orthodox church and the Pentecostal churches.
Awesome message
Sorry but you still did not answer my question I got together with my couple before I receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior still not married by law but I do consider myself married by common law says when being together for more than 10 years didn’t sign no certificate am I still sinning or God forgave my past sin and I’m not consider a fornicator or adulteress anymore?
I believe Jesus has paid the price for all sins, He has satisfied our Holy God by His death. Why does it say in 1 John 1:8 if we say we have no sin we lie and the truth isn’t in us. Also, we need to confess our sins and turn from them. If we are all honest we know we still sin after accepting Christ’s provision for our sin.
Very interesting. Quite controversial at times yet factual and credible.
All I can say is thank you. You’ve cleared up some issues I’ve been mulling over.
So insightful, tell me about what it means when the bible says ……those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom
It’s a tough topic. My thoughts right now which may definitely be wrong are that people are either under faith or under the law, and the law represents justifying yourself by works. Either way, in this world all inherit the sinful nature which leads to our physical deaths (and ultimately spiritual if not saved). In the final judgment, those under faith are saved by grace. But those without faith are under the law (either the literal Mosaic Law for the Jews or the law that all men have in their hearts for the Gentiles). There’s no way to escape the law outside of faith. Our minds unavoidably operate under moral codes (a law of sorts) because we inherited that sense of right and wrong when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit. Those under the law seek to be justified by works in this case, and all who seeks justification by works will be judged by God and found lacking and full of transgression, and their wages is death sadly.
So the sin issue is only taken care of for those with faith. Those without faith operate under the law of works, and the sin issue remains just the same for them and the wages are unavoidably death. This is my personal opinion on the matter from studies.
You say” What causes eternal separation from God? Not sin, for that has been done away with in Jesus Christ. Instead, people do not join God’s family and end up separated eternally from God because they never received God’s life through faith in Jesus.” But refusing to believe in Jesus is sin. John 16:9 “Of sin, because they believe not on me;”
I enjoyed your article on Romans 5, specifically verse 13. Andrew Wommack follows this position. It makes sense to me, but I don’t think most people see it this way.
Overall, your explanation is not necessarily a bad one, as you make some good points. However, I take issue with “the sin of Adam was reversed by Jesus Christ”. I think it is better stated and presents a different view when understood as – Jesus satisfied God’s requirement for sin (i.e., Gen 3:21, “coats of skins”). Satisfied vs reversed – maybe a minor point, but I think presents a better way to view this. Also, “Jesus undid what Adam did” again I think, is better presented if just or only stated as “Jesus fixed what Adam broke”, which you rightly point out. “Undid” to me, implies that it never happened, which takes away from the thought of disobedience which “Jesus fixed”, repaired or satisfied – Not undid. This allows us to always understand how Jesus is indeed “the way, the truth and the life”, and absolutely necessary for salvation, vs. undid, as if it never actually happened, which of course it did happen, which in the way I view this, gives Jesus all the more glory for doing what we/mankind could never, ever have done.
I’m not upset, and I really appreciate your description of this somewhat complex point made by Paul.
This is absolute truth to the gospel that my soul understands. My heart leapt to read it so well stated. Thank you
Right on! Thank you. Many Christians read scripture according to traditions and they don’t really understand what the Word is saying. Thanks to Charis Bible College and some great teachers on the planet,used by Holy Spirit, the truth is being taught.
Wonderful we know were we stand and have peace
Read Genesis 26:5
I totally agree that Christ’s finished work undid the wages of sin. However how do YOU reconcile the Scripture that says “the wages of sin is death”? Traditionally this death is taight permanent seperation from God. That you go to hell. In prder to answer this question I believe you need to address the connection or non-connection of sin and hell.
My I suggest teading Douglas Campbell. He is the New Testament professor at Duke’s school of divinity. He has studied Paul and Romans for over 30 years.
I think this explanation lines up with God’s word. Sin is no longer a barrier because of Christ. And, being the just God that He is, He cannot demand more payment for sin after He accepted Christ’s payment. It really is finished.
Thank you for your explanation and linking it with other verses. I am also impressed and grateful that you did not restrict your explanation to verse 13 only, but you went further to explain the background in detail.
From Adam till now the fruit of Adams sin was the curse of death because of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. So as his fall because of his sin we all die and we do know Good from Evil. But because we died the death of sin in our baptism into the death of Christ then we now live without fear of eternal judgement of hell because we were raised up into His eternal life of justification before God. But we are still admonished to live with good conscience knowing Good from Evil so at judgement our life built on the foundation of the life of Jesus Christ will not be burnt up as if by fire but the good we have done in faith thru Jesus Christ will remain as precious stones as we live by faith thru the Holy Spirit. Those living from Adam to Moses were under the condemnation of their knowledge of Good and Evil as well as the law of the land. And because they knew the difference of good and evil God did punish them in several instances. God’s punishment of Cain, from the flood of Noah where the whole world was destroyed except Noah’s family, also the total destruction of Sodom. He did judge man I am just not sure about the soul part. The You are under Grace and NOT under the law is great till you read be perfect as your He is perfect and do not lend your members for evil and be not deceived these will not see heaven and and. Once and for all I am human and I do know Good from Evil for the in your face kind and I am going to die and I am going to slip again. I was baptized into Christ’s death and raised again into His eternal life but Oh My Gosh I have whiplash on this law stuff.
What is your belief 8 years later?
Thank you. This exactly what I brought up at our Bible study. You did clear up one point for me though. The sin issue is a stand alone issue. It no longer separates from God. In my mind, it was still tied to salvation. Perhaps because when we say the “sinner’s prayer” we acknowledge sinfulness and ask God to forgive our sins. Now I understand that what we should be doing is thanking Him for the remission (forgiveness?) of our sins since they are no longer a separating point for God. I am in complete agree ment with the idea that eternal life with Jesus is solely based on what we decide about Jesus Christ. Some times I as people: “So, what have you decided about Jesus?” as a conversation starter. My favorite response was: “He is my Lord and Savior!” This came without hesitation from a teen. Praise God!
So many Christians insist that scripture should be read literally. Yet, the Christian “understanding” of the story of Adam and Eve has nothing to do with what the story literally says. Sure, the author of Revelation wrote that the serpent is Satan. But Revelation was written hundreds of years, maybe a thousand years, after Genesis 2-3. I, for one, am not going to substitute “serpent” with “Satan” (even if just in my mind) just because a much later author was of the opinion that I can. Especially, since his Christian tradition interprets these chapters (if I may use “interpret” so loosely) completely differently than Jews traditionally have understood it.
First, read Gen 2-3 literally and there is no Satan in it. Second, the serpent told them that, if they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge…., they would die. The serpent was correct as God himself says later in 3:22. The punishment for their disobedience was not death but the curses God pronounced upon them. And Genesis 2-3 calls what they did “disobedience,” not sin. Are we going to read it literally or not? The reason God expelled “the man” from the garden is because of some concern he had that he might eat of the tree of life. Genesis 2-3 never claims that man was created immortal and ends with God removing man from the tree of life.
All of which is to say that there is no Fall of Man in the story of Adam and Eve. That is mostly a Christian belief. It is not what Jews believe traditionally. They do not believe we are fallen We do not sin because of any temptation by Satan or something Satan did to Adam and Eve in the beginning. The Jewish view is simply that we have a tendency toward good and one toward the bad.
I believe Christians should understand the way the progeny of the authors of Genesis have understood their own writings. They should stop thinking that they know better than the people who ancestors wrote Genesis.
I object to your statement that there were no laws or commands given until Moses, therefore the people could not be charged with violating the law. And this is my reasoning:
In Genesis chapter 4 we already know that God commanded the animal sacrifice as Cain violated that command by bringing vegetation – his first fruit as a farmer – instead of the instructed “firstlings of the flock and the fat thereof.” It states that God had “no respect” for Cain’s offering. So we can already see that God had given instructions to the first children of the world. Additionally, Cain creates that he would be put to death for murder. Obviously, murder was a punishable sin.
God said Adam and Eve would know both good and evil if they ate of the fruit from the tree of knowledge. I believe that when they ate the fruit, God put in their consciousness the knowledge of what is right and wrong before God. That is written in Scripture that even if the Gospel or the Word of God is not preached to someone, people still instinctively know the difference between right and wrong because God planted it within them.
Otherwise, I find that your reasoning of Jesus taking all sin and there still being natural consequences for doing wrong both truthful and believable. Furthermore, I believe that if we love Jesus, we will obey him. Jesus said that. That is also stated after Jesus went to heaven. In the book of James it says that faith without corresponding actions is dead, it is not faith at all.
For that reason I do not like people who say that “all you need to do is say a salvation prayer and you’re going to heaven.” I don’t believe it works that way. In fact, a man who was brought up in the Jewish faith and is now a Christian says that the Great Commission has been done wrong by modern Christians. We think they should say a prayer first and then tell them “what they’re getting into.” Instead, he said the verse actually says to teach them first so they have the correct information to make an informed choice. Teach, baptize the believers, then help them observe (disciple) all that Jesus taught them (including how to teach, baptize and observe…).
I didn’t say there were no laws. I was speaking of the Mosaic Law, which obviously did not exist until Moses.
I believe you are spot on! I’ve been doing everything I can to get this point made known and i’ve been bashed from every side because of this belief. Jesus did away with sin! I believe we still do wrong as we are learning the sanctification process, but I term our mistakes in Christ as “UNFRUITFUL WORKS.” Actions that do not benefit our growth in Christ.
In 1John 3:4 it teaches: Sin is the transgression of the law. In 1John 3:5 it teaches Jesus was manifest to take away our sins. Did Jesus take away the transgression of the law (which is sin) once He fulfilled the law? Yes… Scripture says Jesus took away the first that He might establish the second. (Heb. 10:9). Jesus took away the “Law of Sin,” and has given us the ‘Law of the Spirit of Life” in Himself through Grace. (Rom.8:2)
What happened to those who died before the law was given? Example: Those who died in the flood?
I have a question about your explanation of Romans 5:13. If what you say is true, that sin has been done away with for everyone, and sin is no longer the issue, then how come the Bible says that on judgment day men will be judged by their works? And people “receive” forgiveness when they believe. It seems to me that those who “believe” have forgiveness of sins. If a person doesn’t believe, they won’t receive the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection. What are the deeds an unsaved person will be judged by if all their sins have been removed and are no longer an issue?
Romans 2:12, ” 12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;”
Revelation 12:20, ” 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”
John 8:24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.”
Acts 10:43, ” 43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Acts 26:17-18, ” rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”
Sin is not an issue with the righteous, but sin is still an issue with God for the unrighteous:
“We also know that that the law is made not for the righteous but the lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murders, for the adulterers and homosexual perverts, for slave traders, and liars and perjurers – and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.” 1 Timothy 1:9-10
“He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. 1 John 3:7-8
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteous wickedness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteous wickedness.” Romans 1:18
When we are crucified with Christ, the law, sin, death, the devil is obliterated for us – the crucified who die daily (Galatians 2:20; 1 1 Corinthians 15:31). The live of the believer is lived in continual confession and repentance from sins and turning to God – a life of crucifixion of the ego, the flesh, the world.
I think you explained a believer’s freedom from sin perfectly. Jesus purged us from our sins “once for all.” For a believer to ask for forgiveness from sins after Christ has once purged them, they have not believed the sanctification which only Jesus could accomplish for man.
Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we “ARE” sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ “once for all.”
I believe you explained what I believe perfectly. I also like to add Hebrews 10:1-4. Because Christ has done away with sin, we as believers should not have a consciousness of sin. Hebrews 7: 19 states, Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Only Jesus perfected the believer by making them Righteous through faith in the work Jesus. It’s not by works of Righteousness we have done, but by His Mercy we have been saved from sin. (Tit.3:5)
Sin is still the issue. Although Jesus fulfilled the law and became a sacrifice for sins for the world, those that don’t believe are still in their sins. If people believe that sin is not an issue (which is highly dangerous to say) where is the need for mention of a savior? How can people know how to be freed from sin, if sin is not an issue. It is! Through natural birth we are born separated from a holy God. Born in sin. None of us even asks to be born. Without the knowledge of sin and the law we have no tutor to bring through Christ. Understanding that all have sinned, leads us to the saving power of Jesus Christ. Sin can still be an issue after conversion hence the term ‘carnal Christian’. Jesus has power over sin indeed. He has power over death indeed. Jesus is our propitiation for sin as well. But we have no power in and of ourselves over sin. Sin will be an issue until we reap the incorruptible body promised by the Lord. You will at least sin in thought daily. But we have an advocate with the father who is faithful and just to forgive us. Repentance is a lifestyle according to the Word of God. You have the repentance that gains you access to the Father where once you were separated, and you have daily repentance for the sin your flesh is still slave to. Sin is not done away with. It’s ever present. Our power over sin is the resurrection of believers into life. Our power over sin in this life is a shadow of what’s to come. That’s why we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world. I’m not writing this comment to condemn, but to edify. Peace and blessings to you in the name of our Lors Jesus Christ
So if people only go to hell because they reject Jesus and their sins no longer plays a part in judgment after the resurection of Christ, then you must believe that everyone gets the same punisment and there are none that have greater punishment than others? So Hitler gets the same as someone who lied a few times and died without being saved?Doesn’t sound very fair or just. Why would God say that people store up His wrath if it is all the same punishment (Romans 2:5)? What about Provers 24:12 “….“If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?”
Is Paul saying that Adam’s right standing with God was based upon his obedience to Law (the Law against eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil)? If so, then didn’t God institute a system in the Garden that would have given Adam bragging rights had he not disobeyed (Romans 4:2)?
Regarding Romans 5:12-13, it was Adam’s sin that God did not impute to the rest of mankind. Yes, all humans inherited Adam’s fallen sin-nature (holding them captive to death and the grave), but not his sin.
If we say for a moment that subsequent to Adam, there never was another sin committed by anyone at any time, humanity would still require a Savior to take away the sin-nature (stained) garment worn by all, inherited from the time a person is conceived. Thus, in this scenario, Yeshua provides (he is) the unblemished New Creation garment that a person puts on when they walk by faith according to God’s Living Word.
As a result of what Yeshua accomplished on the cross, the sin-nature attached to all, which otherwise would keep all humanity perpetually separated from God (the condition of death), has been dealt with. Mankind as a “kind” made in the image of God, has been reconciled to the Father, through the Son. Such is not synonymous with being exempted from the consequences of personal sin, including being cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. Whether the Lake of Fire and Brimstone is an ever-lasting reality, or an age-enduring reality (until the end of time) is another topic.
It is “not” the case that a person is unable to have faith (walk by faith in God’s Living Word) because they inherited Adam’s sin-nature. God’s grace has always made it possible to trust in Him. Noah walked by faith. Abraham had faith. Moses had faith. Etc… Even though each remained in bondage to the grave (they would still die and await their resurrection made possible by Yeshua’s victory over death), God saw them as already being alive (Romans 4:17).
Therefore, a person dies to God not due to Adam’s individual sin being imputed to them – which it is not. An individual dies to God because they commit personal sins (James 1:12-15) for which God holds them accountable. Sin reigns in death because in walking according to the flesh (death), the life of God and its power for righteousness is not being appropriated. Apart from God, (not walking according to His Living Word) a person will always sin.
If your explanation is true of Romans 5 and 13 how do you explain Hebrews 10 verse 26
I do appreciate the interpretation of romans 5:13, and do agree. however for the idea that Christ took all sin on the cross from every person and canceled all sin debt for every individual is wrong. the Bible clearly states that God will judge the world by their works, if at the last judgement there is no sin to punish then God cannot exercise Justice for sin in casting sinners into the lake of fire. also all the Scritpures that deal with the world being condemned are unnessicary. Christ satisfied the sin debt of all who would believe in Him, all others will have to suffer the consequences of their sin in hell. Christ said, “I lay down my life for my sheep” clearly stated; Jesus died for His sheep. God knew personally and intimately who He suffered for. because, “whose names who were written In the Book of Life before the foundation of the world.”
well digested, I never really got the detailed explanation like this, thank you for your time. God bless you IJN.
Roman 3:23, Romans 6:23, I John 1:
Jesus shed his blood to remove the penalty of sin, but only for those that put their faith in His work on the cross. We still sin, but now we have propitiation for our sin, Christ Jesus.
“He is faithful and just to forgive us of Sin if we confess our sins.
Paul talks about our continual battle with sin by our old nature.
An alternate opinion–and one is needed because this was poor reasoning–is that Jesus did provide payment for all sins on the cross, but that those who die outside of Christ will owe Jesus — He being the Judge –for their sins. Thus the “wrath of the Lamb ” earthquake in Revelation 6, for instance. A brother of mine believes this, but I am not sure. The problem with your reasoning here is that God doesn’t just “leave people alone” for sin, but pours out wrath upon them for sin. If the blood has not been applied because someone put their faith in Jesus Christ , it is no different from the people in Egypt who hadn’t put the blood of the Passover Lamb on their doors. The destroyer came in and killed their firstborn sons.
until the past few years I had been led to believe than any sin will warrant you to he’ll. thank God my son has been blessed to help me see the truth you just explained here. so many Christians live depressed and oppressed by believing what I did for so long. the devil likes it this way and keeps them blinded from receiving the full freedom we were given by Jesus taking full punishment of our sins once!! I have never felt more alive and assured of my salvation than I do after God opened my eyes to this truth. I commented to say that this explanation is very well explained and biblical to God’s word. I pray God allow me to share this along with His scripture to help Christians to live the joyous abundant life Christ means for us to live. Only Satan wants to keep Christians confused unhappy and in constant shame and guilt and doubt we are no good for the kingdom of heaven in that state of mind. As well as it will make you physically ill. Come to know the full freedom of salvation in Jesus Christ! Amen
This is an excellent comment on these verses.
My view on this is that, as we believe on the Messiah’s work without seeing it, so did those who believed on that work before seeing it.
As the events of Genesis were remembered and then recorded, it’s fair to assume that everyone had the chance to believe what God had said to the enemy in Genesis 3:14:
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel”
– This being the first reference to the gospel.
We believe God HAS sent our Saviour, they believed that God WOULD send their Saviour.
What you are speaking of is the sin nature.
Adam was hole as he was formed. He had all his parts and like God, he was male and female all in one. This was what being in the image of God meant: being male and female.
Later, God split the female gender from Adam, now Adam is not one anymore, he is no longer whole, but he is IMPERFECT, no longer a God, like His father and this, my friend, is the Sin of Adam: it is not an action, it is a nature. It is this new nature Adam took on after the split that caused Adam and Eve to err, mess up, sin. In Christ the body of sin (the man, the Adam) dies and a new one the Christ is born. At this time the law as well as the sin nature are gone and Satan are gone. This was accomplished in 70 C.E. ever sin the world has been free from sin, death and Satan. Eventually our physical body will die (not the person 1 Corinthians 15: 51) for us to put on the Christ, the divine nature!
Brother this is spot on ~ the Holy Spirit has enlightened you and given you the greatest gift of critical careful commentary ~ looking forward to more of your interpretations 👍👊
my question is;As a well defined preacher is it right to teach the congregation to obey the Laws given by Moses or we must not??
The evil one and the fallen angels also Judas are the only ones we know are going to hell. Everyone who rejects what Jesus done on the cross will be going there also, we will never know this side of Heaven what it cost the Father to send Jesus to die in our place, and to take the sin of the whole world on Himself. Jesus went to the lower earthly regions during His death the( bosom of Abraham,) where there was a great gulf between the lost and those under the old covenant awaiting Jesus resurrection. Romans 1 states that there will be no excuses on the day of judgement because of the beauty of creation, and the conscience of man knowingly doing good or evil. The First epistle of John states that there is a sin that leads to death, and that sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. At 24 I knew I was heading for hell, but God in His mercy saved me one night, alone in my bedroom I cried out to God not knowing I could be redeemed because I didn’t want to live anymore, and my life changed forever. On January 19th 2024 I will be 40 years saved. Justification redeemed from the penalty of sin, sanctification freedom from the power of sin, and glorification with Jesus, away from the presence of sin. There is more Gospel out in the world than there has ever been, yet the major churches have their numbers declining, people don’t want to believe in God, because they enjoy sin, there won’t be anyone in Heaven who hasn’t trusted Jesus as Messiah and Lord, and no one in hell who hasn’t rejected Him.
Luke 13:3
Adam and Eve ‘rejected’ God, in essence. God withdrew because they chose against Him and He removed His Spirit from them. So they no longer had eternal life, they died spiritually. So every human that was born from them was/is born spiritually dead. The problem with humanity then is that we are spiritually dead and we need to be resurrected, by the life that was lost in Adam. Jesus.
Everybody lies, it’s not ok to not be ok for oneself but what if another life is being threatened yet others are not helping besides the lord who do u turn to? Or what might be an action that can be forgiven if one feels theat there’s only one option left for not just thy self but others??
I stumbled on this page. I have been in the process of finding the true Jesus and what you just wrote is a lot of what I was coming to believe
Do you have any social media accounts I can follow
Thank you
when Jesus died on the cross for our sins it was prophetically. We’re to actualize by practical living. An adulterer, or an active sinner his sins separate him from God. Isaiah 59:1-2
The reason man dies is God said he would. “It is appointed unto man to die and then judgements.” That is when God hid the tree of life that was also in the garden. That tree is still not revealed to this day of the washing of the Eternal blood. Sin can be imputed to you by not forgiving others you will not be forgiven. God’s words. We are in this world to be seen by this world as disciples of the character of Christ. He is our instructor to his life in us, and how to live it. “For I am crucified with Christ never the less I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me.” We are to overcome this knowledge of evil, that has made us aware of sin by Satan’s oppressive powers to accuse guilt through the law. That is why we are under grace and not the law. Satan’s breath on our lives has to stop, because we are no longer transgressors. For it is the Eternal Son of God’s body beaten and bruised his blood shed for our transgressions and by his stripes we are healed. Healed from what? Healed from the curse of the law, the oppression of the law, the punishment of the law, and the poverty of the law. Thank you Jesus.
If sin was not imputed before the law of Moses, then why did God flood the world?
Thanks for taking time to bring clarification to the question of no law, no sin.
The presentation has some good points, but theme question is not clearly answered in my humble, I could be wrong.
My question is, what about all the evil that offended God from Cain to the giving of the Law of God? Sincerely I do appreciate your presentation!
A refreshing article in a sea of tradition and legalism.
2 Cor 5:19 means what it says. The WORLD’s sin is no longer imputed to the WORLD. A gospel that doesn’t contain this foundational truth of the Cross is not good news. Forgiveness and Justification are separate events. Forgiveness happened at the cross for all, Justification is gifted by faith to those who believe in what was FINISHED at the cross.
The “application” model is nothing more than an attempt by religion to keep sin on the table for reasons of manipulation and pride. There is no 4th party ‘forgiveness bank’ in scripture from which we must make a withdrawal.
There are only 3 parties involved, 2 of which are contained within the Trinity. The SON, The FATHER, and humanity.
Christ paid the price of sin (death) owed by humanity. God the Father accepted this payment. Debt forgiven.
Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
The blood was applied by Christ and accepted by the Father! Finished!
Propitiation was made for all. Not partial, limited, pending, etc.
Now that Christ has “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” Heb 9:26, justification is offered as a free gift from God, and can be received by faith.
A FREE GIFT cannot have conditions. Not before, during, or after it’s received. It can only be received. We understand this in our own experience of things free and gifted, yet many (hopefully unknowingly) make God a liar by assuming and implying conditions for salvation.
When we forgive someone, should we make their acceptance a condition of our forgiveness, or should we forgive them regardless of what they say or do? How dare anyone say unconditional forgiveness is true “Christian” behavior and then expect less from God?
Now in this same example, despite having forgiven someone, we cannot give them a gift if they refuse to accept it.
In the same way, Christ’s payment of the world’s sin removed the enmity between God and man allowing the free and clear offer and potential acceptance of His gift of salvation.
Resist the urge to add ANYTHING to a change of mind, faith, or belief.
The smallest condition is a seed that can sow doubt and uncertainty.
“Did I truly repent?” “Am I committed enough?”
I urge anyone who is struggling with this issue to test their soteriology against Scripture.
Case in point: Repentance (metanoia, metanoeo) means to change your mind. This to that.
Those Greek words do not implicitly contain the idea of turning from sin or a change of behavior from bad to good. If they did, the Septuagint would not use those same words in relation to God. God obviously cannot turn from sin. The use of these terms outside of scripture in the first century also bears this out.
Belief vs. unbelief. That’s the issue.
Keep studying my friends!
Keith
Very nice article! We all have to keep in mind that, even though Christ did away with sin by giving his life, it is still up to us to confess, repent, and accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior. If we don’t, we have no life with Christ.
When Adam sinned and brough death to all man, it seemed like a one step process. But when Jesus died to redeem us, it seems more like a two step process:
1 Jesus died to bring about redemption
2 We as individuals must repent, accept Christ as our personal savior!
With all this being said, the process of redemption seems to be a lot tougher since each individual have a part to play in their own salvation!
I just love this article!!
yes, personal sin is no longer the issue or the problem with the entirety of humanity. Jesus was awesome and continues to be awesome. Jesus work goes deeper than most Christians come to understand. he was the ransom, payment, debt, blood, atonement, life, truth, hope, Spirit Giver, the word, the light, the bread, the water,. he who knew no sin became sin for us 1 Peter 2:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, 1st Peter 3:18, one way I try to explain it to people is humans are idiots were doofus heads. and God being a Google times genius, he took care of everything. obviously we know what Jesus did and he reduced human responsibility to a positive thought of belief in faith. at that point God’s promises take effect. call on the name Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved X 1631. the Holy Spirit is omnipresent knows your heart knows when you’re going to respond positively and seals the deal. Ephesians 1:14 gives you a deposit of guarantee. so back to the original question. have we heard or been taught incorrectly in churches? yes many of them. but I agree with the author and that Jesus took care of Adam’s imputed sin by creating peace first Colossians 16 through 20. pieces available to all mankind already. and personal sin has already been judged thereby Jesus is waiting for the positive response of faith Ephesians 2 8 9 or the rejection Romans 1:18 through 32. because everything is finished John 19:30 tell the last day Jesus says it is finished and when he took his seat next to God absolutely it was fully complete and underway.
so if we continue to sin but believe in Jesus we can still go to heaven?…that doesn’t make sense. a person that does not stop sinning and does not repent will not enter heaven.
How is man saved?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I got about the same idea ex cept I still don’t understand their sins were not imputed to them