Picking back up with the fact that most of mankind are walking dead because they believe not this Gospel of Christ which is the Truth of God and Christ's ontological essence of Spirit restored to man when man becomes receptive of Him. First through redemption wherein man becomes a seeker of the kingdom and the righteousness of God through the learning and teaching of the Holy Spirit, which Israel as a nation chose not to partake of because of unbelief. And then into Salvation through the revelation of all that took place beginning with the Last Supper on through Christ's ascension back into the heavenliest place again through our learning of Christ by our willingness to accept His yoke of Matthew 11 and His High Priestly prayer of John chapter 17. With all that said turn to Romans 5 and verse 12.
Romans 5:12a
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death (spiritual separation from the Living God, entered) by sin; and so death passed upon all men,..."
Death passed upon all men. And the reason is that every person that has ever been born, that spiritual part of them is dead. Dead as a seed which remains on a shelf (John 12:24) or remains hidden within mans soul asleep and waiting for Light and Life to bring Life back into it. The mystery of Genesis 1:1-3. Death and sin are almost synonymous. If there never would have been sin, there never would have been death. So death and sin almost become partners. When Adam sinned his spirit died, his soul became a sin-nature thing that can think nothing but evil, for out of the mouth and belly comes all sorts of evil and it is contrary to the Will of God, and the reason is because the spirit is counted as dead. It has not been planted in the likeness of a death which brings forth Life from Light. So this is where the human race is as Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 1.
Ephesians 2:1b
"... (you) who were dead in trespasses and sins."
Even good people are walking around spiritually dead. They have no connection with God whatsoever. They can't have because they are spiritually dead. Now reading the last part of Romans 5:12
Romans 5:12b
"...and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
And you come on down to verse 14.
Romans 5:14a
"Nevertheless death reigned from Adam (do you see how Paul puts the finger on it? Death didn't come in some place along the line, but rather it came in when Adam ate from that forbidden tree) to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression,..."
Now let's turn over to I Corinthians chapter 15 where again Paul brings out this same problem. Paul lays it right out here just what the crux of our problem is, and how we can overcome it, if we choose.
I Corinthians 15:45
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made (or created) a living soul: (that was back here in this first set of circles when Adam was complete) the last Adam (speaking of Christ) was made a quickening spirit:"
And how does man become complete? Believe or by receiving Paul's Gospel found in I Corinthians 15:1-4, the mystery or secret of Deuteronomy 29:29.
Before I progress within our study allow me to interject something fresh to our thought processes. This is this that from Seth on God has had one line through which He dealt with man and this is revealed not by Matthew but rather by Luke as revealed in chapter 3 as a line of righteous men and a few woman. Now I must stress that not all within this family line or family tree were righteous before God as God is concerned for the individual not the group as a whole. And this then leads to what I want to here reveal as we find it in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 24, which states this:
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” (compare with Philippians 2:16, 3:12, 14)
Though there are many who run the race that is to say a crowd, there is only one who receives the prize. This is a prototypical metaphor as Jesus run the race alone and stood out from the crowds as an individual and in like fashion did His disciples after Him including Saul of Tarsus who became Paul after his conversion. Each person feels safe within the crowd and he looses his individualism or identity within that crowd. But the crowd is not always in the right or Truth depending of its identity or direction of leadership (1 Corinthians 10:1-5). In other words there is NO safety in numbers except when the individual does as Christ did, separated Himself from the crowds. This is what we can learn also from those of His family line beginning with Seth and keep in mind that the righteous ones which were counted as such by God skipped generations. God has always been looking towards those who would become the willing ones, the seekers of His kingdom and His righteousness. Those in and through whom He can work. I'm sharing something my wife shared here: “Have you ever thought about what it means to be "part of the crowd"? Have you ever thought why Jesus was NEVER part of the crowd? What about the statement that the Apostle Paul said in 1Corithians 9:24, "Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain."
Or in Philippians where he says to "work out YOUR OWN salvation"? Too many focus on the "work out" but fail to understand the "YOUR OWN".
YOU are the ONE that God has called, and only YOU can answer that call! If you choose to be only a speck in a crowd thinking that you will have Eternal Life through them all, you are sadly mistaken my friend. Or if you think that to belong to a huge congregation is cool, and the pastor must really have it "goin' on" then you again are mistaken. In a crowd, there is error flowing like sweet wine that too soon turns sour!
The Crowd is Untruth! I ask you to please consider your salvation and not that of the crowd.....too much stays hidden in a crowd and you will most likely lose your individuality, and that is what God is looking for.....The single individual!! Will you, as that single individual, answer His calling and run the race to receive the prize???“
To which we add this which we find in 2 Corinthians 6:11-18 this: "O ye Corinthians [this can be said for anyone], our mouth is open to you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels [remember Acts 9:5 and the kicks against the pricks]. Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as to my children,) be ye also enlarged. Be ye not unequally yoked [as in the crowd the congregation or assemblage] together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God [know you not that your body is the temple of God if indeed the Spirit of Christ be in you, 1 Cor. 3:16 paraphrased] with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate [Deuteronomy 6:5], saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
Now we'll pick back up where we left off in Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians 2:1
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:"
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