The law of God's righteousness is LIFE GIVING!

 Where is God's law in your life? God's law isn't simply written in the Bible, His word to us. God's law isn't just on tablets of stone, or the many varied means of bringing it to be now- pictures framed on a wall, wooden art pieces set on tables, little cards of printed paper, computer screens, tables, phones. God's law goes beyond the tangible. God's law goes beyond even the spoken word. It was spoken and it was written, but it existed long before then. How do I know this? Because of this…

Isa_51:7  Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law

Knowing righteousness, is knowing God.

Ezr 9:15  O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous

Deu 32:3  Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 

Deu 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. 

God has existed from everlasting to everlasting, God's righteousness is from everlasting to everlasting. God's law is His righteousness. Knowing righteousness is knowing God's law and that law revealing God's righteousness needs to be in our hearts!  IN OUR HEARTS! 

What does it mean for a law to be in our hearts? It is a vital part of us, a part that gives us life! The law of God's righteousness is LIFE GIVING!

The people in whose heart is God's law.

Psa 40:8  I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Isa_51:7  Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

2Co 3:3  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 

2Co 3:4  And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Pro 7:1  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 

Pro 7:2  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 

Pro 7:3  Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. 

(Excerpt)

The Law and God's Throne. 

We read that "righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." Ps.  97:2. Righteousness dwells in his throne. It is the foundation of it. The law of God is righteousness, even his own righteousness. This is shown by Isaiah 51:6, 7, where God speaks of his righteousness, and says, "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law." 

That is, only they in whose heart is God's law, know his righteousness. 

Therefore his law is his righteousness. 

And the statement that righteousness is the habitation or establishment of his throne, indicates that the law of God is in his throne. He sits upon the throne of righteousness.

Evidence from the Tabernacle. 

The tabernacle built by Moses was for a dwelling place for God. 

"Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Ex. 25:8. In that sanctuary, in the most holy place, was the ark of the testament. This ark is described in Exodus 25:10-22. The cover of the ark was called the mercy-seat. Upon this mercy-seat were the two cherubim of gold. Within the ark, under the mercy-seat, were the tables of the law. See Exodus 25:16-21; Deuteronomy 10:1-5. Between the cherubim, upon the mercy-seat, and above the tables of the law, was where the glory of God was seen, and where God spoke to the people. Ex. 25:22. In 2 Kings 19:15 and Psalm 80:1 God is addressed as sitting between the cherubim. Therefore we learn that the ark of the testament,  with the mercy-seat, or the cover, was a representation of the throne of God. As the Ten commandments were in the ark in the earthly tabernacle, so the Ten Commandments are the very foundation of the throne of God in heaven. We may note, in passing, that since the earthly tabernacle was a figure of the true tabernacle in heaven,  therefore we are taught that the law as it stands in heaven, in the throne of God, is identical with the law as spoken from Sinai, and written on the tables of stone that were placed in the ark.

God's Throne and Sinai. We have learned that the law of God is the very basis of his throne. This is no more than might reasonably be expected, since the basis of any government is its law, and the throne simply stands for the law.

Mount Sinai, when the law was spoken from it, was the seat of God's law. It represented the awfulness of the law,  since no one could touch it without dying. The Lord was there with all his angels. See Deuteronomy 33:2; Acts 7:53. Therefore Mount Sinai, at the time of the giving of the law, was designed to represent the throne of God. 

Indeed, it was for the time the throne of God, the place whence the law goes forth, out of which proceed "lightnings and thunderings and voices" (Rev. 4:5), and around which stand "ten thousand times ten thousand,  and thousands of thousands" of angels. Here again we learn that the righteousness which is the habitation of the throne of God is the righteousness described by the Ten Commandments, just as they were spoken from the top of Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 20:3-17.

The Throne of Grace. But although the throne of God is the habitation of his law, that law which is death to sinners, yet it is a throne of grace. We are exhorted to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4:16. Note that we are to come to obtain mercy. Note also that the top of the ark of the testimony, in which were the tables of the law, was called the mercy-seat. It was the place where God appeared to speak to his people, so that the ark of the earthly tabernacle not only represented the throne where God's law is enshrined, but it represented that throne as the throne of grace.

Sin Abounds Grace Abounds More.

 

Made Righteous.

 

There Are No Strings.

That Eternal Choice.

 Evidence of our mortality.

Simply- we all die. The nicest and, the most awful people in the world both die. The brave, the cowardly, the upstanding, the degenerate, the young, the old, the innocent, the guilty, all die. Being given long life doesn't make you especially pleasant and seemingly deserving of that long life. And having a very short life doesn't make you a nasty person deserving of a short life. 

When God created mankind He created them as eternal beings. Yes, we were created to be eternal, all of us. Not a single one of us were born to be finite and that is why we all have the possibility of eternity. I said, possibility because while we were created to be eternal beings, that gift of the eternal was contingent upon our remaining united with the eternal God. We could not expect to be allowed eternity without the eternal, ever was, ever is, ever will be God. Separating ourselves from the Eternal God caused us to no longer warrant eternal life. When we chose self over God we chose to live by our own powers only to realize that we have none. Still today after six thousand or so years, many of mankind are trying to find something, anything, to grant them that eternal life of pure health and happiness. They've been trying to cure all illness, all disease, and trying to make even the accidental injury results a thing of the past. Trying, trying and trying without succeeding. Yes, they can put bandages on things, but it seems as if just as one illness has a cure, two or three new illnesses pop up to take its place. We want to be healthy, to be in the prime of our life forever, and this desire is only natural because it was what we were intended for. 

Bottom line- without the Eternal God- we have no everlasting good thing at all whatsoever. Our temporary life affords us the opportunity to choose eternal life. Our temporary life offers us a chance to reunite with our Eternal God. Because all of mankind has a choice, we are called to make that choice- that eternal choice. 

May we choose salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our eternal Savior, our eternal God!

We all have death promised to us.

We do not all have eternity promised to us, eternity is something we must choose and accept by faith in God.

(Excerpt)

The Condemnation.

5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

"Death passed upon all men;" or, as stated later, "judgment came upon all men to condemnation." "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. All have sinned, and, therefore, all are in condemnation.  There has not a man lived on earth over whom death has not reigned, nor will there be until the end of the world.  Enoch and Elijah, as well as those who shall be translated when the Lord comes, are no exceptions.

There are no exceptions, for the Scripture says that "death passed upon all men." For the reign of death is simply the reign of sin. "Elias was a man of like passions with us." Enoch was righteous only by faith; his nature was as sinful as that of any other man. So that death reigned over them as well as over any others. For be it remembered that this present going into the grave, which we so often see, is not the punishment of sin. It is simply the evidence of our mortality. Good and bad alike die. This is not the condemnation, because men die rejoicing in the Lord, and even singing songs of triumph.

All.

 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This is ENOUGH to condemn every single human being to eternal death. In fact it DOES condemn every single human being to eternal death. (Let me rephrase that just a bit, it condemns every mentally competent human being to eternal death- I'm a firm believer in the very young and mentally incompetent as belonging to God.) 

Our sins condemn us, but we are all, and I do mean ALL are given an opportunity find salvation from that condemnation. Not all opportunities are the same, some are very unique, but all have the chance to accept Christ Jesus as their Savior. 

(Excerpt)

Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. 

15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift; for if through the offense, so also is the free gift; for if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. 

17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 

18 Therefore as by the offense 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. 

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The Reign of Death. 

"Death reigned from Adam to Moses." That does not imply that death did not reign just as much afterwards. But the point is that Moses stands for the giving of the law; "for the law was given by Moses." John 1:17. 

Now since death reigns through sin, and sin is not imputed when there is no law, it is evident from the statement that "death reigned from Adam to Moses," that the law was in the world just as much before Sinai as it was afterwards.

"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." 1 Cor. 15:56.

There can be no sin imputed when there is no law; but wherever there is sin, there death reigns.

Adam a Figure. "Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come." 

How is Adam a figure of Him that was to come, namely, Christ? Just as the following verses indicate, that is, Adam was a figure of Christ in that his action involved many besides himself. It is evident that Adam could not give his descendants any higher nature than he had himself, so Adam's sin made it inevitable that all his descendants should be born with sinful natures.  Sentence of death, however, does not pass on them for that, but because they have sinned.

A Figure by Contrast. Adam is a figure of Christ, but only by contrast. "Not as the offense, so also is the free gift." Through the offense of one many are dead; but through the righteousness of One, many receive life. "The judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ." There is contrast all the way through. Everything that came through Adam's fall is undone in Christ; or, better still, all that was lost in Adam is restored in Christ.

"Much More." This might be taken as the key-note of this chapter. Not only is everything that is lost in Adam restored in Christ, but "much more." "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

And there is no chance of finding fault with the inevitable fact that we are inheritors of a sinful nature through Adam. We can not complain that we are unjustly dealt with. It is true that we are not to blame for having a sinful nature, and the Lord recognizes the fact. So he provides that just as in Adam we were made partakers of a sinful nature, even so in Christ we shall be made partakers of the divine nature.

But "much more." "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ." That is, the life of which we are made partakers in Christ is much stronger for righteousness than the life which we received from Adam is for unrighteousness. God does not do things by halves. He gives "abundance of grace."

By One.

 By one tempted human being sin passed unto all humans.

By one God in human flesh life is offered to all humans.

Before we start going off on how unfair it is that we personally are condemned by the actions of another human being, you have absolutely no idea whatsoever whether you would have succumbed to the same temptation that brought sin to humanity. You cannot say with any iota of truth that you could have kept from sinning, you just CAN'T. You can sit there and say you never would have, but where do you get your facts from to base that statement upon? Do you give into any temptations right now? Do you? Are you holding up the excuse that you can't help but give in because you were born into a sinful humanity? Stop right there, you have an Advocate with the Father, you have a Savior, you have hope, you are told to go and sin no more, and why would the Savior tell you to do the impossible? Can you, right this moment, think of an instance when by God's grace you kept from giving into a temptation to sin? Just one instance, do you have that memory? By the grace of God we can keep from sin. Only by the righteousness of God could Adam and Eve keep from sinning. They had to exchange the righteousness of God for the sin they committed.  We too exchange that same righteousness for every sin we commit.  We make a choice. To sit back and even believe for a single moment that you would not have done as Adam and Eve, well that is a fool's belief, a fool's excuse to place blame elsewhere, in fact anywhere other than on yourself.

Sin exists. Salvation exists. 

Fairness, righteousness both exist. 

*

A Series of Contrasts Romans 5:12-19

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 

13 (for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. 

15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift; for if through the offense, so also is the free gift; for if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. 

17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 

18 Therefore as by the offense 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. 

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

(Excerpt)

There is probably no passage in Romans [considered] more difficult to understand than verses 12-19. 

The reason is that there is so long a parenthesis in the midst of the main statement, and there is so much repetition of the same form of expression. There is really no greatly involved argument. In this study we shall not attempt to deal with every particular, but will note the main thought running through the whole, so that the reader can read and study it more satisfactorily for himself.

First Principles. 

It will be seen from verse 12 that the apostle goes back to the very beginning. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." There can never be any presentation of the gospel, if these facts are ignored.

Death by Sin.

Death came by sin, because sin is death. Sin, when it is full grown, bringeth forth death. See James 1:15. 

Jas 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 

"To be carnally minded is death." Rom. 8:6. "The sting of death is sin." 1 Cor. 15:56. 

There could be no death if there were no sin. 

Sin carries death in its bosom. So it was not an arbitrary act on the part of God that death came upon men because of sin. It could not possibly be otherwise.

Righteousness and Life. 

"To be spiritually minded is life and peace." Rom. 8:6.

"There is none good but one, that is, God." Matt. 19:17. 

He is goodness itself. Goodness is his life. Righteousness is simply God's way. 

Therefore righteousness is life. 

It is not merely a conception of what is right, but it is the right thing itself. 

Righteousness is active.

As sin and death are inseparable, so are righteousness and life. "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil." Deut. 30:15.

Death Passed upon All Men. 

Note the justice here. Death passed upon all men, "for that all have sinned." "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Eze. 18:20. And this is also a necessary consequence of the fact that sin contains death in it, and that death can not come in any other way than by sin.

The Conclusion.

It will be noticed that the twelfth verse begins a proposition that is not completed. Verses 13-17 are parenthetical; we must pass on to the eighteenth verse to find the conclusion. But as the mind would naturally lose the first part of the statement on account of the long parenthesis, the apostle repeats the substance of it, so that we may perceive the force of the conclusion. So the first part of verse 18 is parallel to verse 12. 

"As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men to condemnation." The conclusion is, "Even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."