(12) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned – (17) For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (18) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. (19) For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

The great letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today a comparison is stated that by the offense of one (Adam) all are condemned, so by the righteousness of another (Christ) the faithful are justified and given eternal life. Paul is talking not just physical death but spiritual death in alienation from God. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners in our union with Adam who was the represented head of the human race and the proof that Adam’s sin affected all the human race is that death is universal. When Adam sinned all his descendants sinned. In like manner all of Christ’s descendants, born again spiritually through faith are identified with Him and counted righteous – not because of their own deeds but because of Christ’s deed.

Imputation is one of the great theological words that describes coming from another. In theological terms it means to make a real grant of righteousness to another on the grounds of the mediation of Jesus Christ. Another act of imputation is that of Adam’s sin to his posterity – to ALL of us. In Adam’s sin we stand under God’s condemnation BUT it is also the reason Christ Jesus came. Condemnation and death come by the first Adam – faith, righteousness, justification and life come by the last Adam, Christ Jesus. Evil existed before Adam sinned; the serpent was in the Garden with a sinful act and a sinful attitude. So Adam’s sin was not original but has to do with the origin of sin in the human race. The principle of collective judgment is found throughout the Bible.

We are condemned through no fault of our own but we are justified through Christ Jesus through NO merit of our own. We are saved by virtue of what Christ has done. What Adam has done affects our present lot but not our eternal lot. What Jesus Christ has done affects our eternal life. All who are in Adam are condemned. All who are in Christ are justified. The remedy for spiritual death is eternal life in Christ. The remedy for physical death is the resurrection of the body. There is no remedy for eternal death.