1. The condemnation mankind inherits from Adam:

1. Only three places in scripture from Greek, katakrima. Romans 5:16, 18 v16 – “Again, the git of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. v. 18 – Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” And Romans 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This judgment or sentence is the most severe of the other forms such as “Krima” or “Krisis.” We suggest the Bible implies katakrima is a sentence to perish. We will recite some scripture to support this in John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Note! To believe, means those baptized or “children of God”. John 1:12 – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Note John 3:18! Given the fact the Amended believe condemnation from Adam is only mortality (not a sentence to perish), how could one explain v. 18? Are we to understand believers are not mortal? We refer to Roberts (probably the propagator of this error) in his last work “Law of Moses” p. 248 bottom of the page. “Christ required no justification morally, and the only other justification, which the Scriptures teach he did require, was justification by spirit from the condemnation of mortality resting upon his flesh-nature.” Also, p. 175 bottom of the first paragraph. “And what is death but the condemnation of sin? Christ did not sin, but he inherited the condemnation of sin in deriving his nature from a daughter of Adam, the condemned.”

Romans 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” When understood correctly, this verse harmonizes perfectly with the belief Unamended have always taught, i.e., “There is therefore now (subsequent to baptism) no condemnation to them in Christ Jesus.” Or, we are no longer under the condemnation or sentence to perish by reason of having been born in Adam. We have been set free from the Law of Sin and Death which is the condemnation. I Cor. 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die (perish?), so in Christ all will be made alive (immortal?).” Note! In this chapter, only the faithful saints are being considered when reference is made to the “change”. Remember! The Amended belief is the condemnation inherited from Adam is only “mortality and proneness to sin”. The simple explanation should be that saints are no longer mortal or prone to sin. However, we know this is not true. Therefore, the Amended have taken a vague position by saying baptism is only a provisional removal. The actual removal comes at one’s death (physical). Mistake! The Amended only see sin in its personal form, or committed sin. However, we can understand differently from the different sacrifices offered under the Law of Moses, i.e., the Burnt offering was never for personal sin but for sin and death which is a sentence to perish. Conversely, the sin and trespass offerings were required to remove personal sin.

The Bible refers to sin in at least five different forms. Not just personal or committed sins.

1. Constitutional sin inherited from Adam. Romans 5:12, 18-19. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
2. Sin of ignorance (personal) and self righteousness. Leviticus chapters 4-5.
3. Sin of trespass (personal). Leviticus 5:14-19. “The Lord said to Moses: When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, he is to bring to the Lord as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. He must make restitution for what he has failed to do in regard to the holy things, add a fifth of the value to that and give it all to the priest, who will make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven. If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible. He is to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. It is a guilt offering: he has been guilty of wrongdoing against the Lord.”
4. Sin of presumption. Numbers 15:30-31. “But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the Lord, and that person must be cut off from his people. Because he has despised the Lord’s word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him.” Hebrews 10:26 “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left."
5. Sin of omission. James 4:17 “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

The Amended do not recognize that mankind is under and law (of sin and death) which condemns them to perish unless they come under a different law (spirit of life in Christ Jesus) which will remove the curse and provide a hope of life everlasting. The Amended see the curse as only physical (mortality) and therefore can only be removed by a physical death. Why can’t they see that baptism is a type or figure of Jesus’ death on the cross? II Tim. 2:11-12. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us.” “And if a man is dead, he is free from sin.” I.e. the law of sin and death found in Romans 6:7. No more condemnation from the sin of Adam.

This brings up the question concerning those who shall “never die”, being alive when Christ returns. When do they “get out of Adam”? And, also, those saints who are resurrected are “mortal” when they come forth. Does this mean they still haven’t gotten out of Adam even though they did die a physical death? It would seem the Amended would have to believe in an “immortal emergence” to be consistent with their theory. Everyone is aware Brother Thomas taught this error but later learned differently and corrected this mistake. But, the theory of the “enlightened rejecter” will lead one to adopt this error and many others as well.

The bottom line of this false teaching by the Amended is wrested so they can resurrect, judge, punish, and consign to “eternal death” the “enlightened” who refuse to make a covenant with God. This would be impossible if man were to perish if he died outside covenant relationship with God (which is the case).

So therefore the false teaching by the Amended that condemnation is only mortality has been around a long time. Here are some documented examples.

1. “Law of Moses” p. 240. “Only where there is knowledge does ground of condemnation exist.” Are we to understand that all infants and young are not under the condemnation until they become old enough to understand God’s plan of salvation?
2. “Seasons of Comfort” p. 496. In this statement Roberts considers mortality all that is handed down from Adam to all his descendants. Quote: “Jesus, as the son of Mary, partaking of their common sin – caused mortality (for death entered into the world by sin – Rom. 5:12), he stood in as much need as they of that redemption from death, as the antitypical lamb of Jehovah’s passover.” We can see Roberts limited the death of Romans 5:12 (later in vs. 16 & 18 as condemnation) to only mortality.

1. Question! Does condemnation from Adam need to be atoned for? Yes! We might also ask, “How is condemnation really removed?” Going back to the beginning, we can safely say that God, through his mercy, had the condemnation of Adam and Eve removed by slaying the animals and covering their physical and spiritual nakedness (sin) with the coats of skin. These sacrifices were a figure of the death of Jesus on the cross by which Adam and Eve died with Christ. After all, God warned Adam that “in the very day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” So to be consistent and just, God carries out his judgment, but in a figure which God allowed as the reality.

We might ask, “Wasn’t mortality also at least a part of the condemnation?” If we look closely, we notice the pronouncement of dying (mortality) came later in Genesis 3:19. “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Since Adam and Eve were created “very good” and not under a sentence, a change of nature (to mortal) was necessary for God to carry out his sentence on Adam and Eve as well as all mankind.

The following are a few references which show that atonement was necessary for both physical sin (inherited) and moral sin (personal committed). Romans 5:16,18. “Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” Heb. 10:22, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Col. 3:9, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.” Ps. 32:1, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”

2. What does the term “atonement” mean? The English word is used only one time in the authorized version New Testament, found in Romans 5:11, “Not only is this so, but we alos rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” The N.I.V. translates the original word Katallage, “reconciliation.”

The word atonement itself does not infer at-one-ment as many believe. Atonement means simply “coverings” or “to cover” depending on the use of the word, i.e. noun or ver.

The dictionary definition is simply to make amends for a wrong, a sin or an injury. Also reconciliation. When used as a noun, the word atonement refers to the actual sacrifice. For instance Christ is our atonement or sacrifice to make reconciliation from the alienation inherited from Adam. Reference Rom. 5:10 “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled shall we be saved through his life!” Note! Vine’s Comments under Reconcile – Reconciliation. Also, note II Cor. 5:17-21 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

3. What all happens in the process of atonement? First there has to be a realization of the need for reconciliation to God because of the alienation inherited from Adam and the sins we have committed against God. This realization can only come through the reading and understanding of his Spirit Word. When this realization comes, one must begin his repentance from his old ways of sin and commit himself to serving God by obedience to his commandments.

The first act of obedience is to be baptized into Christ’s death in order to be reconciled to God. This baptism is a typical dying with Christ on the cross. II Tim. 2:11-12. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us.” Paul states in Rom. 6:7 that “when a man is dead, he is free from sin.” This death is also styled the “appointed death” recorded in Heb. 9:27. “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Also, Eph. 2:4-5 (Authorized Version) “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” and 11-13 – “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world; but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

4. What are the benefits of the atonement? Paul refers to the benefits of reconciliation by the atonement (sacrifice) of Christ in Rom. 5:9-11. “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Rom. 3:22-24 “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Col. 3:9-10 A.V. “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”

We have a hope of everlasting life according to Rom. 8:22-24. “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption for our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Heb. 10:19-23. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water, Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”