“Now I am living no longer, but Christ is living in me; and that which I now live in the flesh I am living in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up on behalf of me” (Galatians 2:20).
The human race is not punished by God for the sin of Adam; that would be unjust. The facts of the matter are that the disposition to sin came into mankind and became part of his humanity through the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve. It is part of the character and fallen nature of everyone born of the seed of Adam since that time.
The human disposition to sin does not manifest itself in wickedness, immorality or obvious wrong-doing; it is far more subtle for that. The disposition of sin is the disposition to make decisions for myself, to be my own god; and this disposition is just as comfortable manifesting itself in a moral outlook as in an immoral outlook; sin is less wrongdoing and more wrongbeing, that is, being deliberately independent of God. The fundamental characteristic of my disposition to sin is my claim to myself; I own me.
This is demonic deception; I do not own myself; I have been bought and paid for; that is, if I have voluntarily entered into that covenant of which Christ Jesus is the mediator. For talking of Christ, the Word says that He was manifested to put away sin, that frail, human disposition to sin, by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:26). Therefore, if He has redeemed me and I claim His Blood atonement, I may no longer claim a right to myself, for if I live my life as I choose, then I am none of His and His sacrifice does not avail for me.
The fundamental principle of the atonement is that there must be two deaths; the death of Christ took place upon the cross; the death of self must take place daily (1 Corinthians 15:31).
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