Sin/Death on Adam VS Righteous/Life in Christ (Rom 5:12-16), Part 4/4

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re truly safe with God or whether one missed step could undo everything, we go straight to the fault line: is salvation a free gift received by faith alone, or is it faith plus something you do. We talk candidly about the modern pressure to add requirements like water baptism, rule keeping, church attendance, or lifestyle markers and why that turns the gospel into a negotiation. For us, justification by faith alone is not a slogan. It’s the only message that leaves Christ fully credited and the sinner fully comforted. 

We also slow down on what Jesus says about sin in the heart, where a single thought exposes how deep our need really goes. That realism sets up the beauty of the new covenant: God removes the heart of stone and gives a new heart, sealing believers by the Holy Spirit. Along the way we clear up a quick Bible reference mix-up, then expand into a bigger theme: God doesn’t patch us up, he makes us new in Christ. 

From there we define justification as a gracious judicial act grounded in Christ’s obedience and atoning work, and we explain penal substitutionary atonement in plain terms. We connect it to eternal security and the finished work of the cross, because if righteousness is provided by the Savior, there’s nothing left for us to pay. If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Transcript

Salvation By Grace Through Faith

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Told us in scripture that salvation is a gift of by faith.

SPEAKER_05 0:05

Right.

SPEAKER_03 0:06

So what do you what is your thought on that? Because I hadn't even thought of that, and that just has my mind spinning right now.

SPEAKER_05 0:11

I think that is absolutely true. Any anybody who but it's not just it's not exclusive to them. Because anybody who believes that salvation is is either in part or in full based on works, they are not believers.

SPEAKER_03 0:25

Right. Right. They're not believers.

SPEAKER_05 0:29

Man, oh man, that uh there's there's this there's this one guy who's who's who's made it his prize function in life to blabber and bloviate all over TikTok about how if you if you are saved by Christ, you still, if you haven't been baptized, you're going to hell. He's a liar. And if he believes, and if he believes that that a person who is who can't be baptized but is regenerate, that they can go to hell, that's a bigger crime. That's a bigger spiritual blunder. Anything, there's a reason why Paul in Galatians, there's a reason why he says, there's a reason why he says, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Nothing can be entered in. Justification is by faith in faith alone. It is the gospel of Christ, as we have said in Romans 1, verse 16, that is the power of God into salvation. There is nothing about an admixture of water baptism, circumcision, going to church on this Saturday or this Sunday or that Monday or this Tuesday at this time, wearing this suit, not drinking coffee, not drinking whatever, not smoking my cigar, none of these things have anything to do with salvation. A changed heart. So anybody who believes, so Nathan is right, anyone who believes that any work, any work, even if it's added to justification by faith, any work that is added to that is no longer justification by faith at all. And it means and shows and makes it evident that you have fallen from the very grace that you proclaim to have had. So the short answer to that, Sister Lisa, is yeah. Anybody who believes that they can work for their salvation. Because ultimately, everybody believes that their outcome in life, whatever it is, anybody outside of Christ, they believe that they are their own lords. Which means that they have written down and drafted their own prescription for their own salvation, whatever shape that takes. So the answer is yes. Only true blood-bought believers who trust in Christ, trust in God through Christ alone, by faith alone, grace alone, faith alone. Only they receive the seal that Sister Disciple was talking about, the seal of the Holy Spirit. And it cannot be achieved if works are any component to that salvation. And so those people will suffer and die in their sins if they do not repent. That's a fact, Sister Meg.

SPEAKER_09 3:35

And so I just want to say a couple

Where The Antichrist Passage Actually Is

SPEAKER_09 3:37

more things. And so, Sister Disciple, when it talks about in Revelation that the Antichrist is gonna sit in the temple and declare himself God, right?

SPEAKER_05 3:46

It's like what'd you say in the beginning?

SPEAKER_09 3:50

That he's gonna sit in the temple and declare himself.

SPEAKER_05 3:53

Go back before that.

SPEAKER_09 3:54

The Antichrist.

SPEAKER_05 3:56

No, before that. You said you said where? Where where did you say that was said?

SPEAKER_09 4:00

In in rev- he's gonna sit in the temple and declare himself God.

SPEAKER_05 4:03

No, you mentioned Revelation.

SPEAKER_09 4:05

Yeah, it wasn't in Revelation.

SPEAKER_05 4:06

No, it's not.

SPEAKER_09 4:07

Oh, it's not?

SPEAKER_05 4:08

No. Antichrist is not in Revelation at all.

SPEAKER_09 4:11

Oh, well, he the the the man of sin or something.

SPEAKER_05 4:15

Not mentioned in Revelation at all.

SPEAKER_09 4:16

Oh, okay. Well, that's I thought that I heard that. Well, anyway, I'll go back to my other point.

Sin And The Battle For Thoughts

SPEAKER_09 4:21

Back to sin. So when Jesus was talking about the gospels, and he brought sin into the heart, and he said, even if you think about these things, you have already committed murder in your heart.

SPEAKER_04 4:41

That's right.

SPEAKER_09 4:42

That's right. Think about how deep that goes when it comes to sin.

SPEAKER_05 4:46

Right.

SPEAKER_09 4:47

Like one thought would have would have done exactly what Adam did.

SPEAKER_05 4:52

That's right.

SPEAKER_09 4:53

And and and that is so deep because what the Lord was looking at was the heart of man. He came looking for the heart of man. That's right. That to me, that's mind-blowing. How many how many thoughts do we have? How many fleeting thoughts do we have that if we if that's why it says take every thought captive and bring it back under to the feet of God? Because this is how deep sin runs. Every thought. Every thought captive.

SPEAKER_05 5:25

I used to be pla look as a younger Christian, I used to be plagued, plagued with thinking that any absence of thought on godly things was a sin. And here's the thing: it doesn't plague me anymore, but I still believe it. I still believe it. And I believe that when we die and are glorified, I believe that whatever we're going to be, it is going to be completely consumed in our Lord.

Imagining Heaven Without Stray Desires

SPEAKER_05 6:07

There won't be these straying, fleeting thoughts. They're all going to be focused on whatever it, whatever the mission or whatever it is that he has us do there. And I have no idea. I would love to sit around with a lot of you and speculate and wax eloquent over these issues because it's fun to talk about. But I believe that we are going to be supremely subdued by Christ in every way and every thought, every deal, whatever happens in heaven, whatever happens there, we are going to be completely consumed by our Lord in a way that we have no idea of what that is like. No sin to spoke to be spoken about. No desire for spin for sin to be spoken about. It is going to be completely enveloped in divinity and loving it.

SPEAKER_09 7:06

Every second, brother.

SPEAKER_05 7:08

Every second. There won't be a stray moment left to sin. There won't be a single stray thought. None.

SPEAKER_09 7:26

We're going to have something new to worship every single day in eternity. For eternity.

SPEAKER_05 7:33

For eternity. It's like, you know, to never never be bored. No boredom. No routine. No monotony. No rote mechanics. You know? No, like, oh, this again. Nothing like that. It's like being born again every second. Remember when you first came to Christ, what that felt like? How the world looked? How everything changed? Imagine being born again every single second. Having that feeling of what you know about Christ and what brought him to you. I can't even begin to know what it is. Oh, I can't take any more of this. Can we get something new? Can we get the 2.0 version? Can we get the upgrade? None of that.

SPEAKER_04 8:34

It is blessedness in perpetuity.

SPEAKER_02 8:41

For the pet. You know, uh, I wanted to say something.

The New Covenant Heart Exchange

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Sister Meg said that God looks at the heart of a man. Well, there's something interesting we're told about the new covenant is that God removes our heart of stone. So there's obviously a problem with our heart. If God looks at our heart, we're in big trouble. He removes that heart and gives us a new heart. Now, here's my question to you. If our heart has to be removed, whose heart is it that he's putting in us? His.

SPEAKER_05 9:21

His own.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

Amen.

SPEAKER_05 9:23

His own. Absolutely. His own. And and and see, that's a good question. I like that. But it is, it's his own. It's a good one. Because we are all, think about it. This goes back to more, and this, and this is what validates what Brother Pat is saying. Because we are in Christ. We're in him. We are his body. And there's no part of any of our bodies that is not benefited by the heart. I'm talking about the anatomy. And he uses the heart to make us understand something about our spiritual nature. The heart of God that he puts in us, that he gives us, it us, it makes us all a part of his heart. His heart pumps that that blood through us. His own blood in a way. When you look at it, you see how making these connections make us really understand why God uses this language that we refer to as anthropomorphic, this language that he uses to condescend, to make men understand what this heavenly thing is. But it's a good question. It's his heart that he gives us. It's his heart that he gives us. And it's beautiful. Great, great, great question. And so it's still here in verse 16, and we won't get out of here, but I just want to make a few more comments on verse 16, and then we'll we will wrap

Justification And Penal Substitution Explained

SPEAKER_05 11:09

it up. This has been a great, great discussion, everybody. This has been a great one.

SPEAKER_04 11:14

But justification is the gracious judicial act.

SPEAKER_05 11:25

Judicial act, where God declares sinners righteous on the basis of the obedience of Christ and his atoning work. And the wonder of the gospel is that the same God who justly condemned sin in Adam, he now justly, and this is important, he now justly justifies the sinners through Christ. And so the righteousness that justification requires is not found in the sinner, but it is provided by the Savior. See, this is what unbelieving Christianity doesn't lay hold of. Our justification has already been garnered by the righteous work of Christ. He provided it. It wasn't in us, or there would have been no need to send him. And so, since it was a work completely provided by him, what can man come around and say that he thinks he needs to add to it so that he may take credit for his salvation? See, man thinks that salvation is a negotiation between him and God. News flash. There is no negotiation between God and man, between Christ the Savior and His people that He redeemed. There was no negotiation made. You were lost, dead, and hopeless. That's what you were before coming to faith. And so the free gift is not a suspension of justice as so many people take it. God didn't just suspend his justice upon you, but its fulfillment through the mediatorial work of Christ. That is what the free gift is. And his justice, as I said, was not suspended because God took the wrath, the justice that was due to us, and he put it on his son. Wrath was exercised against the sin of us all, all of us who believe in Christ, he took that sin upon him and suffered the penal substitutionary atonement, as Brother Nathan says. And as he says often. Thank you, Brother Nathan. He says it often. That brother never stops putting up, it always shows up on the chat feed. Penal substitutionary atonement. Every Christian should understand this. Christ became our penal substitution and atonement and atonement for our sin. Verse 16 reveals the immeasurable riches that come to us through Christ's redemption. Adam's act brought humanity into a state of ruin, utter ruin. But Christ's work reaches into that ruin and rescues sinners burdened with innumerable transgressions. And he takes them all upon himself. And he did so at Calvary. And unlike the dispensationalists that are out there in the world, they say, no, that's not going to happen until after the tribulation rapture happens. That's a lie. The transgressions that Christ that Daniel spoke about in 924, Christ has provided the remedy through his death. And that is when the transgressions were handled by him. That was when he made an end of sins. That was when he was anointed the most holy. That was when he shut up the vision and prophecy. He did all of that at the cross. Daniel didn't skip the greatest event in history. He didn't skip the greatest event in all of history and say, no, that's going to happen after the seven-year tribulation or during it. And like Lisa said, how could Christ say it was finished then? He put to bed the he put to bed all of that. All of the prophets, even by Christ himself, he said, All of the prophets spoke about me. Was not Daniel one of them? Revelation makes a reflection, brings us back. Christ makes a makes brings us back to Daniel 2, showing that Christ Himself, He is the ancient of days. He's the one with the white head, the white hairs as white as wool, and the eyes of flaming fire, and feet like burnished brass with the girdle down to the feet, who lights and keeps the church lit, trims the wicks, supplies the oil, the Holy Spirit. And he keeps that light burning because he is our great priest. And if you go back to the ancient temple, that's what they did. It was the responsibility of the priest to keep the lights lit. And that's what our Lord does today. Amen. That's what he does today. The gospel offers more than a return to innocence, it grants a positive standing of righteousness before the Most Holy God. We are not just restored to the condition that Adam possessed before the fall, but we are accepted in the righteousness of Christ Himself. Those who say that you can lose your salvation, they are saying that basically all Christ did was restore them to the place that Adam was in and gave them now the chance to do what Adam could not do. And they have the gumption to be able to say that, yes, you can lose your salvation, but I'm certain I won't lose mine. This is what they say. They're sure. Because they're going to be obedient to the law. When Adam fell, plunged the whole world into ruin by committing one act of sin. One act of disobedience. We're not restored. We have to be raised from the dead with a newness of life, given a new nature and a new will with that nature. The carnal mind is gone. And we have been blessed with the mind of Christ. The contrast between condemnation and justification is laid out here to magnify the greatness of divine grace and the perfection of the Savior's work. And yet you have Christians, unbelieving Christians, running around saying Christ didn't do that great of a job because I still have something I have to do to add to it to finish it. That's what they're saying. Where judgment, where God's judgment once stood against the sinner, there now stands for that same sinner a verdict of complete acceptance through our Lord Jesus Christ. Anything that anyone adds to what Christ has done diminishes from what Christ has done, and it leaves that person in a state of perpetual ruin until they come to their senses and are made to see and to understand that it is all of Christ. All of Christ. Nothing of us at all. He did it all. And there's nothing left for the sinner to pay. Nothing left. Nothing left for us to do but to obey. And that obedience that we obey is obedience to the faith. To maintain our believing. Which, it being a faith that is given to us, we shall never be left without it. Christ said, My sheep know me, I know them, they hear my voice, and they follow me. They don't contemplate following me, they don't think about following me, they follow me. And we follow our Lord, our shepherd, our shepherd, wheresoever he goes. Take comfort in these things. Take comfort in these things. And be provoked and be persuaded. Now we'll go in for last words for tonight.

Closing Encouragement And Christ Exalted

SPEAKER_05 21:12

Keep it simple, on topic, and try to glorify the Lord in that way. Remember that this live is going to be heard by other people, so make what you say counts because we want to be a blessing to anyone who's listening. So let me start with you, disciple. Your last word for tonight, sister.

SPEAKER_07 21:31

Hello, you guys. I just want to say thank you so much for inviting me on this panel and thank you all for the encouragement. I just learned so much from you all. And just each and every day, like I just see how depraved, like I am without Christ, and I'm sorry for now.

SPEAKER_05 21:55

That's all right, sister. That's all right.

SPEAKER_07 21:58

Like we did not. Deserve what he did on the cross for us.

SPEAKER_05 22:03

We don't.

SPEAKER_07 22:05

And every day I'm like, why me? But the thing is, I'm just grateful that God took me out of that dark place. And I always think about what Meg says when she uses when uh Lazarus and he said, Lazarus, come forth. And oh my goodness. And then I think of my name like Jesus saying, Angel, come forth. And I'm just grateful that God has like lifted the blindfold off of me and that I can see how abundant his grace, his mercy is, and his love. And uh yeah, that's pretty much what I got to say. I'm just so grateful.

SPEAKER_05 22:47

That's a lot, sister. That's a lot. I'm grateful for you. I'm grateful for you. And I'm glad you're here with us. And be feel free to come and with fellowship with us anytime you want, sister. Anytime you want.

SPEAKER_07 22:58

You're always so much, brother. Thank you, everyone.

SPEAKER_05 23:00

Always welcome. Michelle, your last word for tonight.

SPEAKER_01 23:05

I have to say that I'm very thankful. And you guys are all a blessing. And even though I hurt, but but it was for all the right reasons. And you know, Jesus doesn't bring in confusion and division. Jesus unites us and he has love for us. And if it wasn't for Jesus dying on the cross, you know, we would be stuck in that law.

SPEAKER_07 23:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

And like you said, Adam couldn't they couldn't even obey one rule. And I just think about me. I I for sure wouldn't I'd be going straight to hell.

SPEAKER_05 24:08

Yeah. Me too, sister. Me too.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

And I love you guys all.

unknown 24:15

All right.

SPEAKER_05 24:16

We love you too, sister. And we are continuing to pray for you.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 24:20

All right. Sister Lisa.

SPEAKER_03 24:24

Well, this was beautiful. This is such a comforting study. I am learning so much each and every time. Jonathan, may God always continue to use you for his glory. I mean, you are you're really gifted at getting these points across to all of us. And I just want to say something to you guys. And everybody on the panel knows this, obviously, but there may be someone who just needs to hear that the good news is such good news because it's certain, it's God's promise, it's Him taking the punishment we deserved, and it is, He said, it is finished, and we rest in Him. We we don't have to worry day by day to hang on to something. Christ gave us a gift and it is beautiful. Just accept it. Accept it. Fall at His feet, accept the gift of salvation and let Christ work within you. Don't don't try to work for yourself. That's all I want to say. Thank you so much. I love you guys all so very much.

SPEAKER_05 25:33

That's a mouthful of scissors. Good. Good is a really good word. Brother Pat.

SPEAKER_02 25:39

Jonathan, I hope you don't mind me sharing a little bit of a conversation I had with you today on the phone.

SPEAKER_08 25:45

Of course not.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Today I called Jonathan and to talk about some theological stuff, but as we do, we we share things with each other. And Sister Disciple, Jonathan, attest to what I'm telling you. Today I told Jonathan that my heart was that you would be here with us. And you've been in my prayers, and I've been desiring it so much because I know you have such a thirst for God's word. And just today I expressed that to Jonathan, and here you are. And so I just want to say it brings joy to my heart and praise Jesus. He's answered so many prayers as of late in so many of our lives. And I just want to say this. The people in this study have been very impactful. I've been noticing about what you guys have been doing on TikTok and the impact that you're having for the kingdom of God is actually amazing to behold. The power in which God's word is being proclaimed and the growth in which so many of you have shown. And praise to Christ. We can't hold him high enough. And can I say one last thing, Jonathan?

SPEAKER_05 27:22

Sure. Go ahead right ahead.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

There's no doubt in my mind that the reason why this group is able to proclaim the gospel so boldly is because we have a high Christology. We hold Christ as high as possible. And I just want to just sort of reinforce that can never change. We can never take our eyes off Christ. We must honor him in every area, in every interpretation of every verse in the Bible. It's about him. Any place that our flesh wants to make it about a physical nation or a self-help book on how to have a better marriage or relationships, that's evil. Right? God says, seek first the kingdom of God, and then these other things will be afforded unto you. So seek Christ first. Proclaim Christ first. And even if we raise Christ as high as we can with all our strength, with all our mind and our soul, know this, it's still not high enough.

SPEAKER_05 28:31

Yes, sir. Yes, sir, brother. Yes, sir. Absolutely. Sister Mariah.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

Beautiful study. I think that it speaks to our eternal security. It speaks to limited atonement. If you dive deep enough, right? We didn't touch, we touched deep, but it's deeper. We can all the word of God can always be penetrated. So, but also it's showing identity. Sin is just not something that we oops and we say, oh man, I then made a boo-boo. You know, it's it's something that it's who we are. And and sin was Adam was not made infallible, right? But he was made fallible. But the Lord Jesus Christ is infallible, and we have now, because of his righteousness and what he has done on the cross, been born of imperishable seed, incorruptible. And so when people are stating that we can lose our salvation, it's to say that Christ, again, is a liar and he has made us born again of perishable seed. And that just cannot be true. So righteousness is not something that you can level up on. We have the highest righteousness that one can obtain through Jesus Christ our Lord. I don't know how much more you can want or you can desire, but that which is in Christ, Jesus. So what a great study.

SPEAKER_05 30:08

I love that. You cannot, you cannot level up on Christ's righteousness. That's a great way of putting it, especially for this modern age. Great way of putting it. Sister Meg.

SPEAKER_08 30:22

This is one of those studies that really humbles you as a believer because you know we were talking about Adam and Eve. And it's it's one of those, it's not if you were Adam and Eve, you would have ate just like they did. As a matter of fact, we all did. We all ate that fruit. Every single one of us did. But out of God's kindness and his mercy, he did the same thing for us. We tried to cover ourselves with our own fig leaves, and then the sacrifice came, and the Lord clothed us in his righteousness. Because if we look at it, every single one of us come to naked before the Lord, just like Adam and Eve were. We all have to come that way because he clothes us with his righteousness, and that's the only way you get clothed. And the thing is, you have to come naked to get clothed, and so I thank the Lord that in my nakedness and all of our nakedness that we came and he clothed us in his righteousness, and I'm humbled, and I'm grateful.

SPEAKER_04 31:49

I get it. I get it.

SPEAKER_05 31:54

That's all right. That's all right.

SPEAKER_06 32:01

Well, thank you, Jonathan. This has been good. I as always I just been you know, thank you, Lord, for making your word flesh. Without Christ, we would have nothing. I just, you know, he breathed the breath in Adam, and he breathed the breath in us all. And we breathe every day because of him. It's his breath, not ours. And people do not understand that. I wish that they did. You know, I wish people could just see that it's all about Jesus. Every single thing that we do in this life is all about Jesus Christ. And I just thank God for everything that He gives us, and especially He gives me because it's me that He gives it to, and I appreciate it oh so much. I can't even explain it. But anyway, I just want to say I love everybody here and thank you for everything that you do. And I love everybody's words, they always go deep into my heart. And so I just want to say bless you all and have a