In Romans 5:12 through 21 we find the Scriptural passage that Satan has used with almost 100% success to deceive the salvation-seeking masses into believing that Adam successfully injected his sin gene into every human being ever born, thereby making us sinners at conception. Do not forget to read Original Sin, key word–Original where is found the historical evidence that clarifies how verses 12 through 21 became church “truth” to the detriment of billions of people over the past 2000 years.

In verse 12 we find God, through the Apostle Paul, telling us that sin and death entered the world through Adam and, because of him, “DEATH PASSED UPON ALL MEN” (ALL BECAME SINNERS). Here is where Satan stepped in and turned God’s Truth into his (Satan’s) lie which has been “Bible Truth” ever since. Bible readers stop reading at this point in verse 12 and thereby miss the Lord’s point. All human beings did not become sinners because Adam sinned; ALL PEOPLE BECAME SINNERS BECAUSE “ALL HAVE SINNED”–HAVE BROKEN GOD’S LAW. Churchman contends that he sins because Adam’s sin had entered him at conception, thereby making sin “natural” and beyond his control. If that is the case, then Abel had to have been a sinner. If that is true, why did Jesus call him “… RIGHTEOUS ABEL” (Mat. 23:35). And what about Jesus Who would have carried Mary’s sin gene? Was He a sinner by way of conception?

In verses 15 though 21 we find Paul being “hard to be understood.” Using a combination of Missourian and Texan I will attempt to clarify his words. Bear with me. Just as the offense (sin–Law-breaking) of Adam affected many (because many sinned), “THE FREE GIFT” (JUSTIFICATION/RIGHTEOUSNESS) of God was offered to many. In verses 17 through 19 Paul tells us that EITHER RIGHTEOUSNESS OR SIN WILL REIGN OVER (RULE) THE LIFE OF MAN WHO HAS THE CHOICE OF THE TWO ALL-POWERFUL GIFTS. The “gift” from God is righteousness which ends in eternal life ,while the “gift” of Satan is sin which ends in eternal death. Man must choose one or the other. If man continues to sin following his so-called “salvation experience,” then he is a sinner (enemy) in the eyes of God regardless of his religiosity and churchivity. He who continues to sin following justification/being made righteous and converted while claiming to be a Christian is deceived, being neither justified, righteous or converted. He is a church Christian, not a Bible Christian. They are as different as light and darkness. For this reason God tells us in Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1 to separate ourselves from them so that He can be our God and we can be His people. We are to be IN the world but not OF the world. We are to be different from all others in “the church.” Read First Peter 2:9 where God’s true saints are described as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people who have come out of the worldly churches darkness and into God’s wonderful light. Because of this, all others in the church true saints who believe and obey God’s Word/Law.

In verse 18 Paul uses the expression “came upon” which means that something (judgment or grace) overtakes man and dictates how he lives his life–either in righteousness OR in sin. According to church sinners, Adam’s “gift” of sin dictates that all men are sinners from the instant of conception. However, the theory goes, the death of Jesus Christ awarded sinners eternal life if they would believe in Him and take Him as their Savior. The idea is that HE DIED TO REMOVE OUR PAST SINS, THEN ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO SIN AS OFTEN AS WE WISH. WE NEED ONLY TO BELIEVE IN HIM. NO HE DID NOT. HE DIED SO THAT WE CAN RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT BY WHICH WE OVERCOME SATAN’S TEMPTATION TO SIN. Jesus said that only those who OVERCOME HIM AS JESUS OVERCAME HIM will spend eternity with Him (Rev. 3:21). Read The Message of the Cross. Key word–Message.

Verses 19 and 20 are also much misunderstood. Contrary to near universal church opinion, man is not “made a sinner” by Adam’s gift of a sin gene. Man makes himself a sinner by disobeying God’s Word/Law/Gospel/Light/Truth, thereby proving his lack of love for his supposed Savior (Jn. 14:15; 19:17; 15:10). Satan’s sin is found everywhere. So is God’s grace. Man must choose whom he will obey–God or Satan, not God and Satan as sinners saved by grace would have us believe.

Verse 21 tells us that man’s choice is between God’s grace which results in righteousness and life, or Satan’s false grace which results in sin and death. As the apostle rightly says, it all depends upon whom man chooses as his LORD. Note he says nothing about choosing Him as his Savior. Why? Because Jesus is not our Savior during this life. He is either the LORD (MASTER/RULER) of our life or He is nothing in our life. Jesus speaks to the church’s “all-grace-and-no-Law” majority in Matthew 7:21-23 where He states that not everyone who calls Him their Lord has made Him their LORD INDEED. He states that only those who do the will of God will join Him in His kingdom. Many, He laments, will, on Judgment Day, remind Him of all the wonderful things they had done in His name (preached, cast out devils, built churches, etc.). “And then I will say to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU, DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO WORK INIQUITY (LAWLESSNESS).” In chapter 15 verses 7 through 9 He calls such people “hypocrites” who draw close to Him with their mouth and honor Him with their lips, but their hearts (minds) are far from Him. He says of such people: “THEY WORSHIP ME IN VAIN BECAUSTE THEY DID AWAY WITH MY COMMANDMENTS AND TAUGHT THEIR OWN COMMANDMENTS.” Such is the Truth concerning modern day Christianity. L.J.