Identification With Christ
IDENTIFICATION
WITH CHRIST
Romans 5:12 marks a major turn in Paul's writing in the book of Romans. This turn is from sins to sin, from position to disposition, and from justification to sanctification, or we may say from salvation to life. After making such a turn, Paul begins to deal with our person instead of our behavior. In the first four and one-half chapters of Romans Paul was concerned with man's deeds, not with man himself, and the sin ful acts of fallen man were covered comprehen sively. He showed that we have been brought out of that fallen state into the realm of grace, where we may enjoy God. However, this was merely a change of state, realm, and position. As yet, there has been no change in man himself, in his na ture or disposition. Although man's deeds have been dealt with and his condition changed, man himself has not yet been touched.
Beginning with Romans 5:12, Paul deals with man himself. We must go beyond man's condi tion, situation, environment, and estate, for all these problems have been solved, and man has