For the Christian, who objects to having a representative in the fall and makes that objection

in principle saying, it is never appropriate for God to accept the representation of one person

for another, then you must not only reject any identification between you and Adam,

but you would have to reject equally any representation

of you by Christ. The principle of representation, dear friends, is at the very heart and soul

of our salvation.

Even when we vote to elect someone to be our representative in government, no one perfectly represents all of our wishes.

So how should we think about Adam in the garden?

And Paul's argument in Romans that Adam did represent us, that through one man sin entered the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned. This question gets to the heart

of the gospel, so I'm glad you're joining us this week on renewing your mind as we spend time

with Dr. Sprawl in the Book of Romans. Speaking of Romans, if you'd like to spend 2025 in Romans with R.C. Sprawl as your guide, then I encourage you to reserve your copy of the soon-to-be-released year-long devotional, The Power of the Gospel. With added application for each reading, you can spend a year walking

through the Apostle Paul's magnum opus, cleaning insights from Dr. Sproul's teaching and preaching ministry.

It'll ship in just a few weeks, and you can secure your copy when you give a gift of any amount

at renewingyourmind.org. Well, here's Dr. Sprawl in Romans 5, beginning in verse 10.

For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son,

much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Now we notice here that we have a comparison that is not one of equality.

He doesn't say on the one hand it was like this, and on the other hand it was like that.

He says, on the one hand, we have been reconciled through the

death of Christ much more than have we been reconciled through his life. And so the theme of

this verse has to do with reconciliation. The one absolute essential, precondition, necessary condition for reconciliation

between parties ever to take place is estrangement. Because without estrangement,

...