Lets continue the thought that man by nature is dead to God. When Adam sinned, with his posterity in his loins, they sinned with him and became dead
Rom 5:15
Definitely. But... is it possible that the transgression of Adam and Eve caused the Law (Law in concept) to be brought into existence which made all who would ever be born subject to its judgments? Even the name of the tree they ate of tells us much about it: it is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Only Law is able to demarcate good from evil and gives a knowledge of both to provide distinction and contrast between the two (good and evil); that is, the law gives "Knowledge". As a part of it, and inherent to the nature of man, is a desire to measure themselves and justify themselves by the achieving of it. Until law was brought to life, there was nothing to measure against nor to try to achieve, nor to be judged by.
In v13 we are told that sin was present in the world even before the transgression of Adam and Eve, but until that transgression, though present, sin could not be imputed.
[Rom 5:13 KJV]
13 (
For until the law sin was in the world: but
sin is not imputed when there is no law.
In principle, Paul was in the loins of Adam (as were we all) and thereby alive before the Law, but upon the transgression of Adam and Eve, he, and we, died spiritually. The commandment of Gen 2:17, was God's commandment not to eat from the tree, intended to warn/protect from the consequences of law. The tree is symbolic of Satan himself: its fruit, his, is the law.
[Gen 2:17 KJV]
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou
eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
[Rom 7:8 KJV]
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence.
For without the law sin [was] dead.
[Rom 7:9 KJV]
9 For I was alive
without the law once: but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died.
We are informed that Satan was as a tree in the garden of Eden: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
[Eze 31:9-11 KJV]
9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that
all the trees of Eden, that [were]
in the garden of God, envied him.
10 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because
thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;
11 I have therefore
delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.
Notice in v56, that death came through and by the Law and we also know that death itself began by the eating of the fruit of the tree, so sin and death are inexorably linked through law.
[1Co 15:55-57 KJV]
55 O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?
56 The
sting of death [is] sin; and
the strength of sin [is] the law.
57 But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who promulgate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil -- Satan's fruit-- will be destroyed
along with Satan because they (as were all Christians at some point), the offspring of Satan.
[Mat 7:19 KJV]
19 Every
tree that bringeth not forth
good fruit is hewn down, and
cast into the fire.
Christ, through His faithfulness, His faith, and His offering, takes those He saves from Satan's law: the law of the tree and its fruit.
[Rom 6:14-15 KJV]
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for
ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are
not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
The "one" (of v18) is Adam but notice nevertheless that the "offense" came upon
ALL to condemnation; that is, that the condemnation had already been imputed to all even before their birth: all ever born (those of v19) were "made sinners" before birth since it came because of Adam's action.
[Rom 5:18 KJV]
18 Therefore as by the
offence of one [judgment came] upon
all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life.
[Rom 5:19 KJV]
19
For as by one man's disobedience many
were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Notice that in v20, the "law" was not always in existence for man, but that Satan, Adam, and Eve, caused law to enter.
[Rom 5:18, 20-21 KJV]
18 Therefore as
by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life. ...
20 Moreover the
law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as
sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Christ took the ordinances -- the ordinances meaning the law -- and nailed them to the cross.
[Col 2:13-14 KJV]
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him,
having forgiven you all trespasses;
14
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
So, since death came from/because of the law, law's condemnation of sin and death (of v2 below), must be by one's attempt to achieve justification before God relative to law.
[Rom 8:2-3 KJV]
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death.
3 For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Coming full circle then, by the eating of the fruit, Satan, Adam and Eve brought law to life, that, by the existence of law immediately condemned everyone ever to be born -- however, for those so chosen -- Christ Himself, by Himself, removed them from law and its condemnation and judgment. Consequently, those who are left seeking justification by law, are following Satan by the works of law rather than of Christ who of Himself freed us from law.
[Mat 7:17-20 KJV]
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but
a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,
neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and
cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore
by their fruits ye shall know them.
I realize this post is probably very confusing as I am not the best of writers, didn't present things in the best possible way, and tried to pack a lot of stuff into it, but really wanted to get it out there. I'll reread and try to clarify.
