(Continued-Chapter IX-Satan, The Kingdom of Darkness and Sin)

In Romans 5:15-17 we have a parenthetical discussion of the subject, which interrupts the main argument regarding the entrance of sin into the human family and its effects upon man. A reading of Romans 5:12-21, with the omission of verses 15-17, will show that the continuity of thought dropped in verse 14 is resumed in verse 18:

So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous. 20 And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly: 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 5:18-21).

In verse 12 the apostle began to draw a parallel between the transgression of Adam with its evil effects upon the race and the "one act of righteousness" of the Lord Jesus Christ with its blessed results for the human family. A comparison of verse 12 with verse 18 makes it clear that the apostle resumed in verse 18 the comparison begun in verse 12 but dropped in verse 14. In verse 12 he said, "Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world ..."; in verses 18 and 19 he declared, "So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life. 19 for as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous." Adam's one trespass had far-reaching effects--it brought death and condemnation to all men; the one act of Christ's righteousness brought the free gift unto all men to justification of life. The effect of the one act of Christ's righteousness was coextensive with that of Adam's transgression. One was all-inclusive as the other. According to verse 19 all men were made sinners by the one trespass of Adam. Condemnation came unto all men--the peoples of all races--by the one act of Adam's transgression. As stated above, Adam opened the door by his transgression, the power of sin entered the human family and with it came death, and all men were made sinners. On the other hand, by the one act of righteousness of Jesus Christ the free gift came unto all men to justification of life. To how many did the free gift come to justification of life? To as many as condemnation came through Adam's transgression--to all men, the entire human family. How can this be? Will all men be saved? The answer to the first question is that the Lord Jesus Christ tasted death for all men (Heb. 2:9). Christ the righteous died for the unrighteous (I Pet. 3:18). On this point, Dr. John A. Broadus declared, "Christ's atoning death made it compatible with divine justice that all should be saved if they would accept it on that ground; and in that sense He 'gave himself a ransom for all' (I Tim. 2:6), 'tasted death for every man' (Heb. 2:9; comp. I John 2:2); but His death was never expected, nor divinely designed, actually to secure the salvation of all, and so in the sense of specific purpose He came 'to give his life a ransom for many,'" In answer to the second question, believers only, I reply, will be saved (John 3:16; 5:24).

Continuing his discussion in Romans 5:19, Paul declared, "For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous." Does the term, "the many" in this verse have the same broad meaning which it has in verse 15? "But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many" (Rom. 5:15). In this quotation the facts of the context make it plain that Paul referred to the entire human family as being affected by both the trespass of Adam and the free gift of Christ. "The many" here embraces all men. But in verse 19 this same expression is limited to those who shall be made righteous--the saved. This point will be taken up and dealt with in Chapter X.

From this passage we learn that all men were constituted sinners by the one act of Adam's transgression. The sin which entered the world when Adam transgressed remained in the human family from that time and onward. But from Adam to Moses it wrought its deadly work, as seen above, even on all who did not sin in the same way as Adam did.

When the time arrived for God to step forward in His revelation to man, He gave the law to Israel through Moses at Sinai. What was the purpose of the law? the answer is that the exceeding sinfulness of sin might be revealed. Concerning the nature of sin and its deadly work in the human family let us consider the following quotation:

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet: 8 but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead. 9 And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; 10 and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death: 11 for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me. 12 So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. 13 Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good;--that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful. 14 for we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 so now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. 18 for I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not. 19 for the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practice. 20 But if what I would not that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. 21 I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin (Rom. 7:7-25).

In this quotation the personal pronoun, I, occurs more often than in any other passage of similar length. The Apostle Paul was the writer. Was he speaking of his own personal experiences and declaring that he was being dominated by sin? My answer is, No. The reason is found in verse 9 of this quotation: "And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." In round numbers, the law was given fifteen hundred years before Christ. If Paul were speaking of his own personal experiences, he was living fifteen hundred years before our Lord's birth--back in the days of Moses. If he were speaking of his own experience, he was indeed the oldest man who ever lived--as far as we have any information. But, since Luke in Acts 7:58 tells us that Paul at the stoning of Stephen was a young man, I know positively that Paul was not alive when the commandment came--when Israel was at Mount Sinai and Moses delivered the law.

If Paul was not relating his own experiences in Romans, chapter 7, why did he use the personal pronouns, I, me, and my? The answer is this: He was prophet as well as an apostle and used the prophetic method of speaking. For instance, in Psalm 16 David used the personal pronouns I, me, and mine, throughout. Nevertheless, in the last four verses, it is quite evident that he was not giving his own personal experience, but rather that of the Messiah. This position is confirmed by the fact that the Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, quoted these verses and interpreted them as the language of David concerning the resurrection of the Messiah (Acts 2:25-31). David, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn to him that of the fruit of his loins He would raise up one to sit upon his throne, foretold in this passage the resurrection of Christ. Nevertheless, he used the personal pronouns I, me, mine, and my. This is simple. Paul the prophet, the spokesman for God, projected himself backward--prior to the coming of the law--and spoke of himself as if he actually were living at that time. Thus ideally he placed himself in the historic past. He thought of himself as alive when Moses delivered the law. Then he recounted the effect that the law had upon his sinful nature.

Additional proof that Paul was not speaking of his own experience, but was in a figure transferring to himself the universal experience of man is seen in the fact that the apostle in another connection spoke of the victorious life he was living in Christ: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20). Let us remember that Paul wrote Galatians and Romans at the same time. To the Galatian brethren he asserted that he was living a victorious life in Christ. In fact, he declared that Christ was living His life in him. It is inconceivable to suppose that Paul would make a statement like this in writing to the Galatians; and then, in the Roman Epistle written at the same time, he would declare that he was living in defeat all the time. Paul was a truthful man and stated facts as they were. Moreover, he spoke the following words to the church at Thessalonica: "Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously and unblamably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe ..." (I Thess. 2:10). These two passages show that Paul was not living a defeated life. On the contrary, they prove that he was being led by Christ in triumph in every place.

How must we interpret the passage from Romans, chapter 7, quoted above? The answer is this: dispensationally. Let us remember that Romans 5:12-8:39 constitutes a single literary whole, in which the apostle discussed the matter of sanctification by faith in Jesus Christ. In doing this, however, he drew a parallel and at the same time a contrast between Adam and his transgression on the one hand and Christ and His act of righteous obedience on the other. The blessings flowing from the one act of righteousness on the part of Christ not only counteract the evil influences flowing from Adam's sin to those who receive the abundance of grace, but they abound more and more. In Romans 5:14 the apostle showed that sin, which entered with Adam's transgression, was in the world from Adam to Moses. During that time death took its horrible toll.

When Moses came, he delivered the law to Israel. What was the immediate effect? It brought the knowledge of sin, showing the exceeding sinfulness of sin. The coming of the law was the occasion of sin's becoming more active and displaying its true nature. That we might see and realize the true character of sin, I shall again quote Romans 7:14-17:

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin 15 For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 so now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.

According to this statement the law is spiritual but man is carnal and is in bondage, sold under sin. The reason for this statement is expressed in these words: "For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practice; but what I hate, that I do." The man who has such an experience certainly is impelled by a power other than that of his own will. But what is this power? The answer is found in this statement: "So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me." Sin, then, according to this statement, is a force, a power, a dynamic that drives people and forces them to do things that they would not, apart from it, do under any conditions. Moreover, it has a gripping and impelling force upon them, and at the same time a restraining power, so that it prevents their doing the things that they in their very souls would like to do. "For the good which I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I practice" (Rom. 7:19). The reader should notice carefully that the desiring and the willing to do the right is present, but the ability to perform is lacking. This statement is a most revealing one and must be accepted at its face value. This fact is what was uttered by the old Greek philosopher who said, in substance, that men did not need to be told what to do but needed the power to enable them to do that which they knew was right. Of course, he was in heathen darkness, but he had enough light from Him who lighteth every man coming into the world to realize the fundamental principles of right and wrong. Moreover, he realized that his one great need was ability to do that which he knew positively was right.

The law, then, was the occasion of the sinful nature's asserting itself and showing its diabolical character. It was a mirror into which man could look and see their great sinfulness.

In Romans 7:7-25, the apostle was discussing man and his condition during the Mosaic Economy. Those having the experience set forth in this passage realize that they are in the bondage of spiritual death (the result of Adam's sin). Paul, impersonating fallen man--still speaking as if it were his own experience, though it was not--cries out, "Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?" Instantly he asserts that this desired deliverance and freedom come through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Man had been in the bondage of sin under the law. It was making him wretched and miserable. He could not obtain deliverance. But now, since Christ has come, has won the victory over the powers of the unseen world, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, He offers deliverance to all who will accept Him. The apostle therefore, answering his own question as to the way in which deliverance will come, shouts "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord ... There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 7:25-8:1).

From this little survey, we can see that the three dispensations are clearly in view: The Patriarchal, from Adam to Moses; The Law Dispensation, from Moses to Christ; and the Christian Dispensation, from Christ onward to his second coming. Thus in our study of this section of Romans, we must keep clearly in mind these facts and realize that the apostle, especially in chapter 7, was speaking dispensationally, and was in a figure transferring to himself the experience of the man under the law, who was in a wretched, miserable condition and living a defeated life.

From the facts which we have gleaned thus far, we see that sin was in existence before the creation of Adam; that by Adam's transgression it entered the human family; that with it came death to all men; that all men became sinners by that act of rebellion; that the law proved a stimulus to arouse into greater activity this sinful nature which was in the soul of man; and that deliverance from this wretched, miserable condition is to be had only through the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is evident from what is here said of sin that it is a force, a power, a dynamic, a principle, that is dominant in the lives of all men, of all races, of all times--since Adam transgressed. It prevents man from doing that which he knows is right and which he wills to do and impels him to do that which he does not want to do, even that which he hates. It might appropriately be compared to the power of gravitation which was stated by Newton. This force was in the world and was a power affecting all material bodies, pulling them toward the center of the earth. But its real nature was never adequately known until Newton made his important, epoch-making discovery. This sin-power entered the human family and corrupted man's nature, but he did not realize the deadly power that it is until the law came. Sin then took on a new life. It revived, as the apostle has stated. Sin, therefore, is spiritual gravity, which pulls all men downward toward a life of sin and degradation and prevents their doing the things that they know they should do. It drives them to do things that they hate. While the soul is in an unregenerated state, it is under the power and domination of Satan and sin, "because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be ..." (Rom. 8:7).

Christians who are really regenerated by the Holy Spirit have access to the power of the Spirit of God which enables them to live the victorious life--when they are wholly yielded to Him and are implicitly trusting Him.

Though man in his unregenerate state does have this spiritual evil power in his very being, pulling him downward, we must not forget that he also has that light in his soul, "the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world" (John 1:9) and also a conscience which continually urges him toward God and the good (Rom. 7:25). This fact accounts for the moral characters and the philanthropic deeds of so very many people whose hearts have never yet been regenerated by the Holy spirit.

The Lord warned man that on the day in which he partook of the forbidden fruit, he should certainly die: "dying, thou shalt surely die" (literal translation). Man actually began to die on that day. The catabolic processes began to tear down his body. On account of his strong nature this destructive force was not able to wear down the anabolic processes (the building-up powers) until Adam reached nine hundred and thirty years. Evidently the forces of death were preying upon his body all the time. They are preying upon the body of each one and finally result in the physical death of every individual. Death is one of the grave results of the entrance of sin into the world.

Physical death was not all that came into the human family by Adam's transgression. Spiritual death was also a result. When Adam transgressed, he was sent forth out of the Garden of Eden. Cherubim were placed there, together with a flaming sword, to prevent man's returning to the tree of life, eating thereof, and becoming crystallized, figuratively speaking, in his sinful condition. Communion and fellowship with his Maker were broken off. His nature became corrupted. There was a great revolution which took place throughout his entire being. His heart became deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). David referred to the sinful condition of the entire race in the following quotation: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me" (Ps. 51:5). The psalmist did not mean for us to understand that his mother was immoral. On the contrary, he was simply stating the fact that his mother, together with all others of the human family, was in the fallen, depraved condition which is the result of sin.

This spiritual condition will culminate in eternal death for all who do not accept the redemption which was wrought for man by the Lord Jesus Christ. The way back to God has been opened since Christ abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (II Tim. 1:8-11). All whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life will be sent into that outer darkness from which they shall never return (Rev. 20:11-15).

8 Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God; 9 who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal, 10 but hath now been manifested by the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought, life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 whereunto I was appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher (II Tim. 1:8-11).

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 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 out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. 15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD

A mighty Fortress is our God,
A trusty Shield and Weapon,
He helps us free from every need
That hath us now o'er taken.
The old evil Foe
Now means deadly woe:
Deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight,
On earth is not his equal.

With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the Valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabaoth Lord,
And there's none other God,
He holds the field forever.

Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill,
They shall not overpower us.
This world's prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none,
He's judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.

The Word they still shall let remain,
And not a thank have for it;
He's by our side upon the plain
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife:
Let these all be gone,
They yet have nothing won;
The kingdom ours remaineth.
--Martin Luther.
(From Stories from the Life of Dr. Martin Luther, compiled by Frederick E. Tilly.)