ROMANS 5:12-14 THE REPRESENTATIVE The results of being justified by faith connects us with the Risen Lord Jesus Christ and dealt with our sins in a legal and just way. Now in these verses a new view of our salvation is the teaching that is presented. This is not dealing with sins as the "transgression of the law," but goes back before the law was given to when God's definition of sin was the refusal to be controlled - self-will (anomia). The representative of all humanity, Adam, our federal head, was made guilty of sin by his act of self-will. So, by his act, as our representative, we acted. We didn't have to wait to be born to get a sinful nature. Death takes place even in the womb. The sin-principle that has passed upon all humanity is that same self-will, and the condemnation because of it is a fact - a fore-gone conclusion. This is a legal act because of mans' choice. We are not justified only because the sins we have committed are dealt with, and we are forgiven of breaking the law. There is a more basic fundamental problem that has to be dealt with.
Every physical death happens because of one man's sin. When he acted in self-will, all have come under the condemnation of that sin because Adam was our federal head (representative). That has happened and we have nothing to do about that. We cannot help being who we are and we cannot avoid physical death, unless those who are saved are caught to meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture. The death-principle is, all have sinned because of one man's act, not our own acts.
So why did people die when there was no written law? It is because we have been made by God with the ability to make decisions. Death comes because of Adam's sin. That is why infants die physically in their innocence. Sin is not imputed to them because they are innocent of the law, even of the inherent nature of self-will. There is, however, a working in their hearts and the conscience within will eventually accuse them or excuse them. When the law written in the heart is trampled on by self-will, there is laid on them the consequence of spiritual death. Physical death is the result of Adam's sin. Spiritual death is the result of our own sins even if they don't resemble the sin of Adam. Physical death reigned as king in sovereignty because of Adam's sin. Yet Adam is stated to be a type of the One who was to come.
Condemnation has come by one, Adam, and so physical death awaits us all. Justification by faith has come by the One and our spiritual life is dependent on Him who came "full of grace and truth." In this teaching of the two representatives we are able to understand the principle of sin that brought physical death to all. But we are also able to understand there was One who was to come and has come. Even Adam knew about Him. He would bring the truth of spiritual life to us when, as our representative Man, we would be raised with Him, and in Him we would be made alive. When one has been justified by faith in Christ, he or she is no longer connected with the first Adam in which we were born, but with Christ who lives forevermore. Because He lives, we live also. Adam is a pattern as the representative of all created humanity. The Lord Jesus Christ is the representative of the new spiritual humanity.
It happened in one act when he chose self-will. The effects of Adam's choice remain with us still. Every person born has the same sentence of death. The results of that choice are on us till our very last breath.
But the physical act of death is not our greatest problem. Every human born has this dark self-will in them. We die because of one act on the part of one man. We live because One Man, the great gulf of sin did span.
There is placed within all, the ability to choose. Those who choose right win, and those choosing wrong loose. There is no escaping the sentence of natural death. But there is life eternal given to those who obey what God saith.
Death through Adam is totally beyond our control. The privilege of choosing new life is given to every soul. The blessing of eternal life comes to us as a gift. Which we can receive personally by taking gratefully it.
We cannot do anything about the wages of sin. That has passed on us and is on every one. When we receive Christ as our personal Savior - The blessing of spiritual life gives life a whole new savor.
Old Adam gave the savor of death to those dead. Because as our representative he is our federal head. The Lord Jesus Christ from heaven has opened a new door. And the life we have from Him is life evermore.
It is futile to mourn over our natural state. The life God gives us is so supremely great That no matter what befalls us because of our humanity What we have in Christ Jesus is good for eternity.
"O Holy God, it does seem most reasonable that when self-will has its way it separates us from Thee. It would be an awful state of affairs for us to be in conflict with Thee and Thy will forever. I thank Thee today for the Lord Jesus who did always those things that pleased Thee. I thank Thee that through Him coming to our aid, I find acceptance with Thee. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."