I disagree that they are “guilty” in Adam. Scripture makes clear that Adam’s judgement - death - (not sin) was universal. In essence, Adam’s sin caused a corporate judgement of death. For all of time until Christ, that judgement was just, because none were righteous. A single righteous person would necessitate a repeal of the corporate judgement in lieu of individual judgements.
Romans 5:12-21 (NASB) 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 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.
So clearly, we see that sin didn’t spread to all men, yet death did spread, and death did reign. This makes sense because God didn’t curse the earth with sin, but with death when he said, “for dust you are and to dust you will return.” This curse perpetuates. But notice why death spread, because all have sinned (many individual sins, not a single sin). Additionally, I think verse 13 is a better verse to support the salvation of children. Sin has no power to those who don’t yet have the ability to believe or understand the law.
The next part requires us to chart out the comparisons and contrasts. The scripture shows now how the sin & death compare to the free gift by grace of righteousness & life. Take special note about what the differences & similarities are.
15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So differences:
v15. Transgression of 1 person leads to death vs gift leads through one man leads to ?
v16. Judgement of 1 sin of 1 person resulted in condemnation vs free gift arose from many sins resulting in justification.
At this point you start to think about the one sin of Adam verses the many sins forgiven by the free gift. This begs the question: if we are all guilty of the one sin in Adam, to save us, wouldn’t we just need the free gift to forgive the one sin? If all of us are guilty only in Adam, and ANY ONE PERSON IS FORGIVEN in all of history, that would forgive the one sin thereby justifying all human beings who came after Adam as sinless.
So similarities:
v18. One transgression resulted in condemnation of all vs one act of righteousness resulted in justification of life to all
v19. One mans disobedience brought sin & death to many vs one mans obedience brought righteousness & life to many
So a picture logically emerges. Adam’s sin brought death into the world as a corporate judgement. This judgement remains justified because each of us has individually sinned & none were righteous so as to make the judgement unjust. That is until Jesus came & lived a righteous life (by the law). He was just & righteous and he died. This means Adam’s judgement for the first time was unjust.
It had to be repealed in lieu of individual judgements.
Acts 24:15 (NASB)
having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
John 5:28-29 (NASB) 28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
Revelation 21:7-8 (NASB) 7 "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the
second death."
So ALL PEOPLE are resurrected as a result of the repeal of Adam’s judgement in lieu of individual judgements. Because of Jesus, Adam’s judgement was no longer just, so it necessitated repeal of that death. Therefore ALL are resurrected, but not all will have eternal life. Our many sins, then (not the one sin of Adam) is what is covered by the free gift! Our faith and the resulting inheritance of Christ’s righteousness are applied to us in the 2nd, individual judgement.
), but I am not saying this to denounce @Iconoclast 's ultimate conclusion of all men sinning "in Adam". Instead I am saying this because his treatment of the passage itself was wrong.