Original Sin and Atonement

 Meditations on Romans

August 6, 2021

Original Sin and Atonement

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:17

Read: Romans 5:12-17

Today’s passage deals head on with two of the most crucial doctrines of the Christian Faith: Original Sin and Atonement. Original sin deals with who needs to be saved, and atonement deals with who gets saved.

Paul’s argument is that Adam’s legacy to the entire world is that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There have always been some dissenting views that Adam’s sin is not inherently passed on to each generation. However, this view was not widely accepted until the Age of Enlightenment. Since then the notion that humanity can be fixed through better education and forming good habits has grown and replaced the concept of original sin as the dominate worldview of Western culture. Nevertheless, the core of the Christian faith is that because of original sin, all people stand in need of a savior.

There are some who say the saving work of Christ is universal, and thus all people are already saved, even if they do not know of or accept their salvation. Others say that the saving work of Christ is predestined, or limited, to only those elected, or chosen, by God. The majority of Christian churches teach that while the saving work of Christ is universal, in that all can be saved, we receive our salvation through God’s grace by faith.

Five times between verse 15-17 Paul uses the word ‘gift’ to describe God’s grace. Reconciliation with God is neither a right, nor can it be earned. Right standing with God is a gift from God which can be received only through faith in what Christ has done to set us free from sin and death. (Romans 5:1-2)

My Takeaway: God intended for humankind to live eternally, and in close harmony, with Him. Sin interrupted God’s design for his human friends. Jesus Christ restored the breech, and through his self-sacrifice, humankind can once again dwell eternally with our Creator. The operative word here is can. The choice to respond to God’s love for us in Christ Jesus is ours to make.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.