One claims that it is the consequence of Adam's sin we suffer but we are not guilty of his sin. Ezekiel 18:20.21 is given as proof. We are asked how we explain this. Another claims that we do not die because of Adam's sin, but that Ezekiel 18:4,20 shows that we all died for our own individual sin.
We need to 'rightly divide the word of truth' (2 Timothy 2:15, King James Version), else one can get matters confused. Indeed, many of the so-called "contradictions" many people see in the Bible are due to the fact that they fail to rightly divide what is being said, and thus they get scriptures tangled together that seem to be contradictory. We will here endeavor to try to untangle the confusion step-by-step. The truth-seeker should take time out to examine all that is presented and humbly pray for God's spirit for help in understanding what is presented.
First, we need to realize that Ezekiel 18:20,21 is referring to those under the Law Covenant, providing a picture of the coming judgment day. Second, we need to understand that the children of Israel were already under the condemnation of death through Adam before the Law Covenant had been given, along with all the world of mankind. Thus, Paul wrote: "For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren't like Adam's disobedience." -- Romans 5:13,14, World English.
Thus, we need to realize that from Adam up until the Law, all were already dying, although they were not actually dying due to personal sin, for we read that "sin is not charged when there is no law." Paul then explains that "by the trespass of the one the many died." Those who died before the Law had been given were thus dying due to the trespass of Adam, even though their sins were not due to disobedience of any specific law, as was Adam's. (Genesis 2:16,17) Thus, while individual sin was not charged upon those who died from Adam until the Law, they were counted, or made, sinners due to Adam's sin, as Paul continues to show. -- Romans 5:17-19.
Since all of Adam's descendants are "made sinners" due to Adam's sin, all do indeed share in the guilt of that sin, else there would be no death of embryos, infants, and babies who have never committed any personal sin for which to be condemned. When Adam and Eve disobeyed the just law given to them, through that disobedience mankind came to be condemned to death, and became, by nature children of disobedience, children of God's wrath. (Romans 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:2,6) Having become corrupted, crooked, none of mankind could make straight - justified - that which God had made crooked. - Ecclesiastes 1:15; 7:13.
It is claimed that if what is being called "original sin" is true, then either Jesus was born sinful, or he was not born as a man in the flesh. This actually puts forth a false dichotomy. We should also note that evidently the first sin, the original sin, was not that of Adam, nor even of Eve, but was that of the angel who had developed the sin of pride so as to wish to become like God. As a result, he told the first lie to Eve. (John 8:44) No scripture, however, says that we are condemned in Satan's disobedience. If we use the term "original sin" to describe what Paul presented, it would have to apply only to the human creation.
Jesus, however, was not actually a descendant of Adam. Jesus' physical body was specially prepared by God (Hebrews 10:5), for the very purpose that it would be sacrificed for sin (Hebrews 10:10,12). Thus, while in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7, Jesus was like Adam was before Adam became corrupted through sin. Jesus, while in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7), was crowned with glory as a man, a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9), but did not, as did Adam, fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23), not even once in his entire life, and thus he retained that crown of glory untarnished. Thus, due to his obedience to his God throughout all the days of his flesh (Philippians 2:8), he had something to offer to God to satisfy God's exact justice, and thus purchase mankind, so that, in the age to come, the dominion originally given to man will be restored. (Genesis 1:26,28; Psalms 8:3-8; Hebrews 2:6-8) Thus by his death, he gave up that sinless crown of glory as a human for all eternity, that he should taste death for every man. He died physically for our sin, offering his physical body with its blood (representing his human soul -- Leviticus 17:11; Deuteronomy 12:23, which soul consists of the body of dust and that spirit of life from God -- Genesis 2:7) to God to offset the condemnation in Adam. --Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 20:28; 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:19; John 6:51; Acts 20:28; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 8:4; 9:24-26; 10:10-14; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 3:8.
Jesus, however, was not actually a descendant of Adam. Jesus' physical body was specially prepared by God (Hebrews 10:5), for the very purpose that it would be sacrificed for sin (Hebrews 10:10,12). Thus, while in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7, Jesus was like Adam was before Adam became corrupted through sin. Jesus, while in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7), was crowned with glory as a man, a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9), but did not, as did Adam, fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23), not even once in his entire life, and thus he retained that crown of glory untarnished. Thus, due to his obedience to his God throughout all the days of his flesh (Philippians 2:8), he had something to offer to God to satisfy God's exact justice, and thus purchase mankind, so that, in the age to come, the dominion originally given to man will be restored. (Genesis 1:26,28; Psalms 8:3-8; Hebrews 2:6-8) Thus by his death, he gave up that sinless crown of glory as a human for all eternity, that he should taste death for every man. He died physically for our sin, offering his physical body with its blood (representing his human soul -- Leviticus 17:11; Deuteronomy 12:23, which soul consists of the body of dust and that spirit of life from God -- Genesis 2:7) to God to offset the condemnation in Adam. --Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 20:28; 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:19; John 6:51; Acts 20:28; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 8:4; 9:24-26; 10:10-14; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 3:8.
We should at this point note that if we claim that Ezekiel 18:4,20 shows that we each die for our own individual sin, not due to Adam's sin, this would mean that a baby a few hours old or a day or so old that died did so because that baby committed individual sin. Actually, Ezekiel 18:4,20 is not saying that everyone who dies has died for their own individual sin, but that those who are the under Law Covenant should not be put to death because of their father's sin, or anyone else's sin, but for their own sin.
We should also note that the Law Covenant through Moses was given to the Israelites with the promise that if anyone could obey that Law, he could live by means of that Law. (Leviticus 18:5; Nehemiah 9:29; Ezekiel 20:11,13,21) Jesus spoke of this as recorded in Luke 10:27,28, and Paul wrote about this in Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:12. In other words, if anyone could obey that Law, he would have been justified by the Law, and would no longer be under the condemnation of death in Adam. None of Adam's descendants, however, gained life under the Law; no man can could make himself straight, justified, by means of obedience to the Law. -- Acts 13:39; Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; 3:11.
However, by condemning all in the one man Adam, God could remain just and yet justify mankind (Romans 3:26) by means of the sacrifice of another sinless man for Adam and all who are dying in Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 9:14) This is the basis of Jesus' paying a debt, a ransom, to God for all. (1 Timothy 2:5,6) When Adam sinned, Adam and all his descendants became in "debt" due to sin; this can be illustrated by a man's own judicial system. If John owes Bill $1,000, and John cannot pay the debt, someone else could pay the debt for John. So if a third party, Peter, paid the debt to Bill for John, John would then be acquitted of any debt owed to Bill. In effect, this is what Jesus did, he came and paid the wages for sin (Romans 6:23) for Adam and all who are dying in Adam (Romans 5:12-19), although he himself was not a sinner. Thus, we should all be glad that all mankind are made sinners in Adam, for it is only by this means that we are provided a means of salvation from death. If any were to die outside of the condemnation, then there would be no sacrifice for their death, since there is only one sacrifice given for sin.
However, getting back to Ezekiel 18, those under the Law Covenant could be put to death for violation of many of its laws. Such violations would indeed be individual sin. Nevertheless, the execution of a death under the Law would not do away with the fact that their death would still be a death in Adam. Others who did not commit a sin that would bring an execution of death under the Law were permitted to live their temporal life, but still eventually died due to Adam's sin. If Ezekiel 18:9 is viewed as saying that one is justified and will live for eternity as a result of doing what is stated in Ezekiel 18:5-8, then we know that no one has by this means obtained such a justification, otherwise, we would see Jews today who are thousands of years of age walking around, never committing one violation of the Law Covenant. Paul tells us that no one has been justified by the Law. (Romans 3:20; 8:3; Galatians 2:16,21; 3:11,21; 5:4) Under that law, however, a son could not be put to death for the sin of the Father, nor could the Father be put to death for the sin of the son. Each would die for his own sin. Those who did commit sin that required execution were to be put to death, while others who did not commit such a sin were permitted to continue living.
None of this conflicts with the condemnation of all through Adam, nor with the ransom sacrifice of Jesus for all who are condemned in Adam. -- Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6.
For more related to this, see our studies:
How God's Son Condemned Sin the Flesh
Divine Economy in the Ransom
Jesus' Sacrifice for Sin
The Seed of David
No comments:
Post a Comment