Romans 5:13–14
Ever wondered how death slipped into our lives?
Paul’s tells us it all started with Adam’s original sin. But here’s the kicker: when Adam’s children and grandchildren died, was it because they sinned like he did?
“for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not counted against anyone when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come,” (Romans 5:13–14).
Before the law given to Moses game came into play, sin was already on the scene. But hold tight, sin couldn’t get chalked up against anyone without a set of rules.
Even so, death occurred from the Adam era to Moses’ time. You’d think, no rules, no problem. But that wasn’t it — it wasn’t their failure to keep God’s law that sentenced them.
Adam had free will plus a straight-up command not to eat from the tree. And, from Adam to Moses, the death kept coming. The deal was, they all paid the penalty because of Adam’s mess-up. His one wrong move had a domino effect on their mortality.
Catch this: what the representative — that’s Adam — did through one sin, ended up affecting each person after one by one. It brought death to everyone.
Paul says Adam is — a prototype, a lookalike, a preview of the real deal, Christ. It’s all about that representative concept. It’s what sentenced you, but also what got you a lifeline.
The representative principal is the cause of your ruin and the means of your salvation. All that are in Christ are affected by His atoning work on the cross.
For a devotion on Romans 5:15 click here.
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