General Observations Series

I. The Source of salvation.

It is all of God! We have seen this in the first section of our study on the Savior. Every aspect of salvation is a work of God and all man can do is to believe and receive. This is what makes salvation an absolute certainty. Salvation is not something man must Do but something that has been Done for him by God. Salvation does not depend on works but by faith the work of Jesus Christ (Rom.4:4-5/Eph.2:8-10/2 Tim.1:9/Tit.3:5/etc.).

II. The Standing and State.

There is a difference between our Standing before God or what is call positional truth and our present state experientially. Our Standing or Position is as follows:

A. Imperceptible at the moment of salvation.

Positional truth is not felt, experienced or even understood by most when salvation takes place.

B. These truths cannot be Improved upon.

It it not related to growth or development. Positional truth is not progressive.

C. It cannot be Impaired by anything or anybody.

D. It is Impossible to be mixed with any human merit or worth or effort.

It is accomlished inspite of our total depravity.

E. It is Imparted only by divine revelation.

That is only by reading these truth in the Bible, can we come to know that they even exist. You do not discover them by logic, feeling, or intuition.

F. Positional truths are Imputed by God alone.

Man has no part in accomplishing these blessings. Man did not help in any way, it is soley a work of God.

G. It is Imparative that one exercise faith in God's Word to experience these truths.

As we count them true regardless of our feeling or experience the Holy Spirit causes us to experience them. The experience does not make them true or real but simple reckons upon their reality.

What are these truths - Reconciliation; Imputed Righteousness; Adoption; being Saints; Redeemed; Forgiveness; Crucifixion; Acceptance; new creatures; etc.

III. Sin.

A. Imputed sin. Rom. 5:12-21

By the teaching of Ro. 5:12-21, it is clear that all men are guilty because of the sin of Adam, who is the head of the human race. The argument from Rom. 5:12-13 is:

The result of Adam's sin is death. Personal sin is not imputed where there is no law, but death did exist even before the law and held sway over humanity who had not personally violated any specific law. Yet death, the wages of sin, came upon every person. Why? Because of identification with the original sin, the sin of our first parents. They literally died "in Adam."

Adam was the representative of the human race. This is not all that odd or unusual either logically or Biblically. If a player gets a penalty the entire team is penalized. Not the following:

1. Heb. 7:4-10.

The argument is that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek because his forefather Abraham had done so, and Levi who had not yet been born was in the loins of Abraham and thus he is said to have paid thithes to Melchizedek also.

2. Gen. 19:15

Lot's daughters were saved with their father.

3. Ex. 20:5-6.

Judgment and blessing is said to come to the children.

4. Deut. 1:37

The judgment of God fell on Moses along with the rest of the people.

5. Deut. 3:6.

At the command of the Lord the children perished also.

Look up: Josh.6:17-18,21; 9:24; 11:20/Deut.2:34; 7:1ff; 20:17/1 Sam.15:1-3.

We know that God is always righteous in all that He does (Gen.18:25), and that we are not more righteous then He is. To those who think such judgment is not just, lets remember that Adam was a perfect representative, meaning that if we had been in that garden we would have done the same thing - only quicker!

Imputation is a blessing because without it there would be no opportunity for God to show us mercy.

"For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all." Romans 11:32

"But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. " Galatians 3:22

I find it strange that those who have no problem with Christ righteousness being imputed to the believer, find Adam's sin being imputed to the human race offensive.

The remedy for this aspect of sin's condemnation is found in:

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." 1 Corinthians 15:22

"So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." 1 Corinthians 15:45

The remedy is the new nature (2 Cor. 5:17/Eph.4:24/Col.3:10/etc.). The Lord did not reform the old nature but crucified it and thus we are separated from its power (Rom.6:6-10), not its presence (1 Jn. 1:8).