In our last post the question was asked by Brother C. as to,

How the life of one could purchase the life of many?

 A.—By the rule of SUBSTITUTION

Rather than try each individual separately (the Lord knowing that they would all fail eventually for the very same reasons that Adam failed) chose rather to have all mankind represented in just one man, and in his trial. Thus Adam was substituted for the race as a whole, and through his trial, and his failure “death passed upon all men,” and ALL were counted sinners, even before birth, so the obedience of death in Christ justified ALL men to a return to life. Paul so expresses it in Rom 5:18,

“For as through the disobedience of ONE man, the many (ALL) will be constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of the ONE, the many (ALL) will be constituted (reckoned) righteous;” and, “as through one offense, sentence came on all men to condemnation (condemning them to death), so also, through one righteous act, sentence came on all men to justification of life,” justifying their living again.

Another way of looking at it is thus:

“Therefore as through one man’s offense the sentence (or curse) came (extensively) to ALL MEN resulting in condemnation (to death)…”

 Viz.

“The fathers (Adam) have eaten a sour grape (sinned), and the children’s (all of Adam’s children) teeth are set on edge (The nature of the fathers, being polluted by sin, therefore is transmitted to the children, who come under the same death sentence for having the same nature or disposition as the fathers).” Jer 31:29

or as stated in Rom 5:12

“…by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men…”

But God in his mercy foresaw the fall of Adam due to his inexperience with evil, and so provided a remedy, the “ransom”:

“For if through the offense of one many be (counted) dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” (Rom 5:15)

“…so also through one righteous act, the judgment or sentence to justification of life came (co-extensively) to ALL MEN.

B.—Shall we understand, then, that the resurrection of the dead is optional or compulsory on Justice?

A.—Christ having “tasted death for every man,” it is certainly compulsory on Justice to release the prisoners held for sin. Christ’s sacrifice having been accepted as “the propitiation (settlement) of our sins, and not of ours (believers) only, but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD,” ALL must go free, because God is just to forgive us our sins“—the price having been paid. (1 John 1:9)

B.—Does this imply universal, eternal salvation?

A.—NO, it implies the saving or salvation of all men from the Adamic death (the curse), but as many of them will be liable to the “second death,” on account of their own sin, it cannot be eternal salvation. The second Adam will eventually restore to the race all that it lost by the first Adam’s sin.

C.—Was everlasting life one of the things possessed by Adam before he sinned, and which he lost in death; and is it to be restored to mankind through Christ’s ransom?

A.—YES; his continuance of life, if obedient, is implied in the threatening of death if disobedient. Adam, when created perfect, was possessed of a perfect body, and with perfect arrangements for the continuance of the perfect life, in the trees (woods) of life, in the garden. This kind of life would have lasted forever had he continued obedient, hence was everlasting life, conditioned only on obedience. This was lost, and is to be restored to all mankind,–viz., perfection of being, or life and perfect provision for its everlasting continuance in harmony with God.

C.—Then this salvation cannot be what Paul refers to, saying, “The gift of God is eternal life.”

A.—Natural (human) life–everlasting–was originally a gift from God, but its restoration is not, strictly speaking, a new gift; rather it is an old gift returned. Life once possessed was lost, and is to be restored because purchased–paid for–by the death of Christ. The restored race, brought back to where they were before the fall, will have the advantage of knowing from actual experience the character and results of sin, which plunged our race into ruin. Then, with the knowledge of sin and its miserable results, gained during the present time, they may be considered superior to all temptation and sin, and, therefore, not liable to death. They will enjoy everlasting life in the same sense that Adam possessed it before the fall, and that angels now possess it,–viz., the right and means of continuing their life (by eating, etc., Psa 78:25), as long as they continue obedient to God’s laws.

THIS IS NOT the same, however, as IMMORTALITY–the new gift of God which the Scriptures assert to be possessed by God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ only, and promised only to those of the Gospel church, who overcome and become his Bride. This new gift was never known of before this Gospel age, “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” — (Eph. 3:5; see also 1 Cor. 2:10, and 1 Pet. 1:12)

IT “is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death (obtained the right to do so by giving “his life a ransom for all“), and hath brought Life, and Immortality to light through the Gospel.”–2 Tim. 1:10

Yes, our Lord made both things possible, the restoration of LIFE to mankind in general, and the attainment of the superlative degree of life–IMMORTALITY–by those who overcome and become his bride. It is of this great prize set before believers of this Gospel age that Paul speaks, saying: “God having provided some better thing for us.” Theirs will be good and grand (human perfection), but the bride’s portion will be far greater and grander (Immortality, the Divine Nature).–Heb. 11:40.

The character and exclusive application of this promise of the divine, incorruptible, immortal principle of life to the “little flock,” the “bride,” is shown in the following and other Scriptures:

1 Tim. 6:16: God “only hath immortality:” a life incorruptible, independent of any support, eternal (the word eternal merely expresses duration, nothing more: God is both eternal and immortal.–1 Tim. 1:17)

In John 5:26, Jesus gives his own definition of immortality, claiming that the Father gives it to him. “As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” He thus became a partaker of the divine (Jehovah’s) nature, a son of God–the “ONLY begotten” on that highest plane. And it is to partake of this same gift of God–“glory, honor, and immortality“–that his Bride is called.

According to his promise she is to become “partaker of the divine nature,” also–the same high plane of son-ship–“joint heir with Jesus.” She is to have within her “a well of water (life) springing up” (John 4:14), while the rest of mankind may come to the fountain to drink.–Rev. 7:17, and 22:17. Paul says of the overcoming church, “This mortal must put on immortality.”–1 Cor. 15:53.

Thus we see that the new gift is that held out for the bride– immortality–divinity: while that which the world will get will be the restoration of the former life. When the world is restored to perfect human life, possessing the knowledge of good and evil, as perfect obedience will be expected of them as was required of Adam.

C.—You seem to think there are no conditions to salvation, while the Scriptures mention them frequently.

A.—There are conditions laid down for attaining the high calling to joint-heirship and dominion with Jesus and immortality, but none for the recovery of the race from the fall, except the righteousness and acceptableness of the substitute.

Continued with next post.