What would you say about many were "constituted sinners" through Adam's sin?
Romans 5;19 - For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be constituted righteous. (RcV)
I look at this as the same as "imputed." We are "imputed" righteous through Christ and in Adam, many (who had not sinned according to God's command not to eat from the fruit of the tree) were imputed as sinners. When the law came, it demonstrated that was just and applied sin individually, not just corporately.
Rom 5:13-14 NASB95 - 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Do you believe that plants die in order for them to have been eaten by the first man and women?
In giving Adam herbs and plant to eat before his sin, were those plants kind of seperated from living in order to be eaten?
No. Humans and animals have "the breath of life" and blood (the life is in the blood). The Hebrew term is Nephesh Chaya or "soulish life." The soul is the mind, will, and emotions. Animals have this, but plants do not. Plants are biological machines with no soul. Since plants don't have "life" as the Bible defines it, they cannot "die" as the Bible defines it.
I think the Law entered to make starkly obvious to man that his nature was one of sin.
That could certainly be one of the purposes of The Law. It makes a lot of sense. When it comes to the sin nature, I view death as the cause of the sin nature. Hebrews says:
Heb 2:14-16 NASB95 - 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.
Jhn 8:31-34 NASB95 - 31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, [then] you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
So it is our fear of death which enslaves us to sin and the sin nature. So in a very real sense, Adam's sin (and subsequent death judgement) was the cause of the sin nature. John gives us some more info:
1Jo 4:18 NASB95 - 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
I am cautious not to give "universal resurrection" as a parellel to "universal judgment" to go beyond man.
Insects, bacteria, even all vermin and animals of every type I do not see in a universal resurrection
I can't really say for sure. I think there will be a universal resurrection because the cause of the resurrection is not "individual" because the judgement was universal. It says:
2Ti 1:10 NASB95 - 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
By his appearing, not by his atonement, death, or resurrection, Jesus has ABOLISHED death (Adam's death judgement). To be abolished doesn't mean "changed" or "amended" but rather "repealed." It disappears. This makes sense because until Jesus, there were no innocent persons... but when Jesus appeared you finally had one righteous person and the universal judgement was no longer JUST. So it has to be repealed and in place of the corporate judgement, individual judgements must occur.
But I found it helpful that it is Christ Himself who is our righteousness.
We who believe have been made the righteousness of God in Him.
I agree. All we need is a distribution system to distribute the righteousness of one man to many. That is what the Abrahamic covenant is. It is the distribution system for Christ's righteousness.
Gal 3:6-9 NASB95 - 6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, [saying,] "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Rom 4:9-13, 16-18 NASB95 - 9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. ... 16 For this reason [it is] by faith, in order that [it may be] in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, [even] God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR SEED BE."
God preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to Abraham. When Abraham believed, God credited him AND HIS DESCENDANTS (SEED) with righteousness. That promise to give righteousness to the unborn descendants of Abraham was grace (unmerited favor) because they hadn't been born yet and had done nothing to earn righteousness. When we have the same faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we qualify as his descendants and heirs according to God's promise to make he and his descendants righteous.
Gal 3:26, 29 NASB95 - 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ... 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.
So Jesus' righteousness went to Abraham, and then all of Abraham's qualified descendants inherit the righteousness of Christ through God's covenant promise through inheritance.
Gal 3:14-18 NASB95 - 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is [only] a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as [referring] to many, but [rather] to one, "AND TO YOUR SEED," that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
Eph 1:13-14 NASB95 - 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.
Notice the inheritance of the Holy Spirit (circumcision of the heart) in Eph 1:13-14 is the SEAL of the righteousness of faith, just like in (see above) Rom 4:11 circumcision of the flesh was the SEAL of the righteousness of faith.
This Abrahamic covenant was the distribution system for Christ's righteousness, and it stood dormant for 2,000 years until Christ came and provided His righteousness into the covenant.
