“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Eph. 5:15).
“See then” refers to the immediate context that believers should “walk as children of light” (v. 8) as a bright testimony for Christ before the unbelieving world so that they might receive the way of salvation. To walk as children of light, Paul emphasizes that believers should not live in darkness like the world (vv. 11-13), so that our testimony may shine even more brightly and, by contrast, expose the darkess of the world.
The light of our testimony for Christ may be vast or small. We may light up one neighborhood, one home, one family, or even just as visitors to one hospital room, or our light might have a greater outreach depending on our circumstances in life. The light of our testimony may also be long-lasting or short-lived. It may be limited in time by a short life or a short time after we are saved before our home-going, or then again we may have many years to be a light for Christ, and our light might even continue shining after our home-going by virtue of the legacy we leave.
Faithfulness to be a light to the world that needs the Lord, wherever we are and however long we are here, is what God is most concerned about. It is God’s will that those with His light within them radiate God’s “goodness and righteousness and truth” (v. 9) from the Holy Spirit.
In light of these things, Paul wrote, “See then that ye walk circumspectly.” The term “walk” portrays our way of life, which unfolds in a daily, step-by-step process. Most often, when we walk, we do so to get somewhere, to reach a destination. The Christian walk also pictures steady progress toward a definite goal. And the goal for our lives and our daily walk is Christ: to know Him and to be more like Him (Phil. 3:10-14).
When Paul says to “walk circumspectly,” the word “circumspectly” means exactly, accurately, diligently, and carefully. The first half of this word—the “circum” in circumspectly—means around. For example, the word “CIRCUMference” refers to the distance around something. The second half of the word—the “spectly” in circumspectly—means to look. Think of the word “SPECtacles” which refers to eyeglasses through which one looks. Putting it together, “circumspectly” means to look around.
The idea is that of walking along a narrow path on the side of a steep mountain. Because a careless step could lead to disaster, every step is taken carefully, accurately, and with undeviating attention to the path. “See then that ye walk circumspectly” is in the present imperative in the original Greek, which means that it is God’s will that we continually walk carefully and pay close attention to how we live.
The believer’s daily walk in this world is one of resolve, honor, and courage. It is full of purpose and focus. We see that in this instruction to walk circumspectly. Walking circumspectly requires several things. First, to walk carefully as a consistent and faithful light before the world, we must rely on the Spirit and His strength by faith (Eph. 3:16), living by the truth of His Word, rightly divided.
To walk circumspectly is to live aware of the dangers around us that we need to navigate with care. The world, the flesh, and the devil are our continual enemies (Eph. 2:2-3). We must walk diligently so that our light does not grow dim through their influence and opposition.
To walk circumspectly further means being watchful for opportunities to honor Christ and make Him known. It means recognizing that God has placed us where we are for a purpose and that He desires to use us in the lives of those around us. As we walk carefully and attentively, we become more aware of the opportunities He provides each day to show His grace and let our light shine before others.
The believer’s walk is to be given careful consideration. It is to be the outgrowth of thought, purpose, and deliberate action. Life is made up of steps, events, and decisions. Walking circumspectly means keeping one’s spiritual eyes open to look around and consider the Lord and His will in each step we take, the situations we face, and the choices we make.
One who walks circumspectly surveys their circumstances and possible consequences before deciding, speaking, or acting. It is like the old saying, “Look before you leap,” which means to consider carefully the possible consequences before acting. Considering the consequences of our behavior in this passage is that believers are to “walk as children of light” before “the children of disobedience,” reproving the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:6-15). We do so in order that our careful, godly conduct might awaken them to their need for the Savior and lead them to the salvation He freely offers to all.
We are often asked what it means to be a “mid-Acts” dispensationalist. To answer that question, we first need to define what it means to be a “dispensationalist.
A dispensationalist reads the Bible as showing God’s unfolding plan across time, with Israel and the Church having separate but complementary roles, and prophecy (especially end-times events) taken literally. This contrasts with covenant theology, which sees more continuity (the Church as the fulfillment of Israel).
While dispensationalists in general see a difference between God’s program for Israel and His program for the Church today, they differ from “mid-Acts” or “Pauline” dispensationalists in three basic areas:
1. The biggest difference between a classic dispensationalist and a mid-Acts dispensationalist is when they believe the Body of Christ started. In general, traditional dispensationalists believe that the Body of Christ started at Pentecost with Peter, as recorded in Acts 2. Mid-Acts dispensationalists believe that the Body of Christ began with the Apostle Paul (either at his calling in Acts 9 or with his first missionary journey in Acts 13) and is based on his unique apostleship and revelations.
2. While both traditional and mid-Acts dispensationalists say that the Book of Acts is a transitional book, showing the change from the age of law to the age of grace, only mid-Acts dispensationalists are consistent in their interpretation. Traditional dispensationalists contradict themselves because, on one hand, they say that the Body of Christ started at Pentecost, but on the other hand say that those saved at Pentecost were added to the church which already existed, which was operating under the kingdom program for Israel. By contrast, mid-Acts dispensationalists say that the Body of Christ did not start until after the conversion of the Apostle Paul. This is consistent because it allows those who were saved at Pentecost—responding to a kingdom message—to be added to the kingdom church which already existed, and those saved after Paul to be placed into the separate Body of Christ.
3. Both of these differences (1 and 2) lead to the most practical distinction between traditional and mid‑Acts dispensationalists—where the Church today should go in Scripture for its doctrine of faith and practice. Because traditional dispensationalists fail to maintain a proper distinction between the kingdom program and the Body of Christ, they mistakenly apply the teaching of the Gospels and the General Epistles as sources of the Church’s doctrine today. This leads to contradiction and conflict when what is said about salvation in the Gospels (e.g., “believe and do” in the kingdom context) is applied directly to the Church today alongside Paul’s clear teaching of “only believe” (grace through faith without works). We clearly see this contradiction when traditional dispensationalists use John 3:16 in evangelism—but then define “believe” using Paul’s gospel—they are mixing two different dispensational programs and two different contents of faith. Scriptural consistency requires that we derive our doctrine of faith and practice from Paul’s epistles, while recognizing that all Scripture is profitable and offers valuable application.
It is instructive to compare the first Adam in the Garden of Eden with the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.
First Adam
Last Adam
1. Came from the earth
1. Came from heaven
2. Returned to the earth
2. Returned to heaven
3. Made in the image of God
3. Is “the image of the invisible God”
4. Yielded to temptation and sinned
4. Overcame all temptation and never sinned
5. Disobeyed God
5. Obeyed God
6. Brought the curse
6. Became a curse for us
7. Hid his face from God
7. God hid His face from Him at the Cross
8. Cursed with thorns
8. Crowned with thorns
9. Side was opened
9. Side was pierced
10. Died because of a tree
10. Died on a tree
11. Brought sin and death into the world
11. Delivers from sin and brings life
12. Brought separation from God
12. Brought reconciliation to God
13. Brought condemnation
13. Brought righteousness
14. In Adam, all die
14. In Christ, all are made alive
Our Need for the Last Adam
In Romans 5:12-21, the Apostle Paul teaches how mankind is arranged, is spiritually positioned under two headships: Adam and Jesus Christ. In this passage, we learn about the relationship of all humanity to Adam and the relationship of all redeemed humanity to Christ. There are two men, two actions, and two results. Paul contrasts the actions of each—Adam’s one act of disobedience with Christ’s one redemptive act—along with their results, which are credited to all people according to who their head is.
Adam, as the first man, was the head of the human race, and he acted as a representative of all mankind. When Adam acted, he acted in our place. Thus, when Adam disobeyed God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, his sin and its ramifications were passed on to all of us, his descendants. The impact of his decision was far-reaching and is ongoing in that we are all born under the bondage of sin. The curse of the Fall affects us all and is why all people have a sinful nature and die physically
What we need is a new, sinless Head over us. All of us are related to the first Adam, and being in Adam results in death, judgment, and condemnation. We need One Who can stand in our place and deliver us from Adam’s sin and give us life.
dam’s sin and give us life. The first Adam failed by disobeying God, resulting in death. We need an Adam who will obey God perfectly and pass righteousness and life on to all who are united to Him. This is what Jesus Christ came to do as “the last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45): to deliver all who are in the first man, Adam, that we might have life and hope.
Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, and He was “obedient unto…the death of the Cross” (Phil. 2:8) and paid the price for all our sins. At the Cross, “our old man”—our sinful, Adamic nature—“is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed” (Rom. 6:6). When we trust Christ as our personal Savior, that He died for our sins and rose again (1 Cor. 15:3-4), we have a new Head. At that moment, the Holy Spirit takes us out of Adam and places us into Christ, the Last Adam, and God’s righteousness is imputed to our account (2 Cor. 5:21), and we are given the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23).
Sin Entered the World
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world…” (Rom. 5:12).
Paul wrote, “Wherefore, as by one man,” and that man is Adam. This shows us that the account of Adam and Eve in your Bible is not an optional passage we may dismiss or doubt. Genesis Chapters 1-3 is historically and literally true. Adam and Eve were real people. And the Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, referred to these events in Genesis as unquestionable historical reality.
In this one verse—Romans 5:12—Paul answers some big questions in life, like why is sin universal, and why is death the experience of every person?
There is no way to explain the world apart from the Fall. It is impossible to understand the world as it is today apart from the reality of Adam’s sin and the curse that resulted from it.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam was clearly commanded by God,
“Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17).
However, in rebellion against God’s command, Genesis 3:6 states,
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Adam is the one responsible for the fall of the human race, not Eve. Eve was deceived when she sinned, but “Adam was not deceived” (1 Tim. 2:14). Adam sinned knowingly, fully aware of what he was doing. He sinned willfully against God. He placed his will above God’s and disobeyed the direct command of God.
It was through Adam’s fatal choice that sin entered the world. It was not the sins of Adam’s lifetime, but his one, first, original sin that plunged the human race and all the world into sin.
The tragic effects of Adam’s sin extended far beyond himself throughout the corridors of time. Sin entered and spread like a deadly plague throughout his progeny, the entire human race. This plague of sin has infected every one of us. It resulted in all of his descendants being born into sin and a fallen condition. As Psalm 51:5 states, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
By Adam’s sin and rebellion against God’s authority, his nature was corrupted. It resulted in a change in man’s nature from innocence to sinfulness, and Adam has passed down that fallen nature to all of his descendants. Because of this sinful nature, everyone has a propensity and inclination toward sin, rebellion, and self-will like Adam had. All of us commit sins because we are sinners by nature, the nature we inherited from Adam.
The use of the word “one” in “by ONE man” stresses the unity of Adam with all those who came after him. When sin entered the world through one man, Adam, sin’s corruption, curse, and nature spread to every member of the human race.
Death Entered by Sin
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin…” (Rom. 5:12).
We learn from Romans 5:12 that death is the consequence of Adam’s sin. Adam was not originally subject to death. The inauguration of death was the result of Adam’s sin. Sin and death are not two unrelated issues. They are connected. Sin and death reign together like a king and queen over a fallen world. Sin entered the world, and physical death is the result of sin. Death is the penalty and punishment of God for Adam’s sin (Gen. 3:17-19). Sin entered the world through the one act of one man, Adam, and sin’s consequence of death passed to all his descendants.
Adam was told very plainly by God that if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would “surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Thus, as God said, when sin entered the world, death entered the world. Death refers to separation, and Adam immediately died spiritually and was separated from God when he disobeyed Him; at the same time, Adam began to die physically.
We are born into a world of death, and we are each on our way to death. Our death ultimately is the result of the sin of Adam. His one act of disobedience as the head of the human race has resulted in physical death for all. When sin entered the world through Adam, death entered with it, and from that moment, death has reigned over all humanity. Romans 5:12 is foundational for understanding why the entire world is filled with sin, wickedness, pain, suffering, and death. It all goes back to Adam.
All Have Sinned in Adam
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12).
We have all individually committed acts of sin (Rom. 3:23). However, when Paul wrote, “for that all have sinned” in Romans 5:12, it does not refer to the personal sins we commit. In this verse, Paul looks back to the historical event of the entrance of sin and death into the world through Adam.
All three verbs in this verse are in the Greek past (aorist) tense: “entered…passed…have sinned.” What this means is that “all,” or the entire human race, is viewed by God as having sinned in the past in the one act of Adam’s first sin.
Romans 5:12 teaches us of the union of the human race with Adam. Adam is, as theologians say, the federal head of the human race, and when he sinned, all of humanity collectively sinned. Adam’s sin is the sin of all. Adam’s original sin is imputed to every individual, meaning that when Adam sinned, the guilt and consequences of that sin were passed on to the entire human race. His disobedience affected all who would come from him.
Death has “passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,” in Adam. The death of our bodies is universal because of Adam. Death is the result of sin, and because we all sinned in Adam, we all face the consequence of physical death.
To some, it may seem unjust that the consequences of Adam’s sin should extend to the entire human race. It might cause one to wonder why all mankind should suffer the effects of sin and death because of a choice made by Adam long ago.
Adam was not acting solely as an individual though; he stood as the federal head of all who would come from him. That is, when he fell into sin, the whole human race fell with him. And if any one of us were in Adam’s place and God tested each human being individually, I believe the result would have been the same; we also would have sinned as Adam did. My father, Pastor Paul M. Sadler, used to say, “If we had been in the Garden of Eden, we would have been pushing Adam out of the way to get to the fruit first.”
Death in Adam or Life in Christ
Although some struggle with the idea that the actions of one man could affect the entire human race, this same principle is at the core of the gospel. As sin entered the world through one man, God graciously also made salvation from sin available to the world through one Man: Jesus Christ.
Adam acted as the singular representative of the whole human race, and so did Christ. “He died for all” (2 Cor. 5:15). As all were made sinners by the action of one man, Adam, all can be forgiven and made righteous by the action of another Man, the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, when we trust Him as our personal Savior.
As the Last Adam, Christ is the Head of all redeemed humanity, and His action affects others. Through His obedience in paying for all our sins at the Cross and triumphing over death in the resurrection, His righteousness and eternal life are given to all who believe.
All humanity is either in Adam or in Christ, and each position carries its own eternal consequences. In Adam, we are sinners, resulting in death and condemnation. In Christ, believers are righteous, resulting in eternal life and justification. Or as Paul put it, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).
The consequences of Christ’s obedience extend as far as Adam’s disobedience; salvation from sin is available to every person. To be in Christ, you simply need to trust that Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Have you believed the gospel?
“I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and morning Star” (Rev. 22:16).
The Lord told the Apostle John that the message, testimony, and prophecy of Revelation was for “the churches,” meaning the seven churches in Asia Minor (Rev. 1:11). Revelation was written for the direct benefit of these seven future Kingdom churches who will go through the Tribulation. The book was not written to the Church, the Body of Christ, which is “delivered…from the wrath to come” (1 Thes. 1:10), referring to our deliverance from the Tribulation via the Rapture.
The Lord told John, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David.” Christ is, at the same time, both the ancestor (“Root”) and descendant (“Offspring”) of King David. David’s beginning came from Christ. As God, Christ is David’s Root and Creator. As man, Christ is David’s greatest and prophesied Descendant. In His earthly ministry, the Lord baffled the Pharisees with this thought of the Seed of David being David’s Lord (Matt. 22:41-46). As the Root and Offspring of David, Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the prophecies made to Israel regarding her King that would descend from David’s line (2 Sam. 7:12-13). It is He Who will establish God’s earthly throne and Kingdom forever in accordance with the Davidic covenant.
In this verse, the Lord Jesus also calls Himself “the bright and morning Star.” Numbers 24:17 prophesies of the Messiah, “…there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel.” Jesus Christ is that Star out of Jacob (Israel), and the Scepter out of Israel.
The appearance of the bright morning star heralds the dawn of a new day on the earth. When Christ, the Light of the world, appears at His Second Coming, it will herald the glorious dawn of a new day which is Israel’s great hope: the Lord’s long-awaited reign on the earth.
When John the Baptist came on the scene, he said that the Kingdom was “at hand”: “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is AT HAND” (Matt. 3:1-2).
Following His baptism by John the Baptist, when the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ began, He said that the Kingdom was “at hand”: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is AT HAND” (Matt. 4:17).
When the Lord sent out His twelve apostles, He told them to proclaim that the Kingdom was “at hand”: “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is AT HAND” (Matt. 10:7).
In the original Greek, the single word translated, “is at hand,” means to approach, to draw nigh, to come near. The earthly kingdom of Christ was fast approaching and drawing nigh in the days of John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus, and His disciples.
It was near because the forerunner of the King had arrived to announce the King’s arrival and to prepare the way before Him. Then the King of that kingdom arrived, and He taught Israel how to live in view of that coming kingdom, prepared Israel to go through the Tribulation, and explained His Second Coming to establish His kingdom at the end of the Tribulation. And the King gave Israel the teachings that she was to follow and live by under His reign.
Two thousand years have passed since then and that earthly kingdom still hasn’t started. Why? How could it have been “at hand” back then but still not have happened yet today? The Lord Jesus surely meant what He said, and He cannot lie (Num. 23:19).
According to the prophetic timeline, the literal Kingdom was indeed “at hand.” Centuries earlier, the angel Gabriel spoke to Daniel the prophecy of 69 weeks of 7 years—483 years—extending “unto the Messiah the Prince” (Dan. 9:25), which is precisely this point in Israel’s history, the four Gospel accounts, and Christ’s earthly ministry. After the Messiah would be “cut off” (v. 26) at the Cross, one final week would remain to be fulfilled (v. 27), referring to the seven-year Tribulation.
The 70 weeks will be completed “to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (v. 24). This refers to the everlasting righteousness of the Messiah’s kingdom, and the anointing of the Holy of Holies in the millennial temple by the blessed presence of the Holy One of Israel.
How near was the Kingdom? First, there was the three-and-a-half-year earthly ministry of Christ. Second, due to her rejection of Christ, one additional year was to be given to Israel to accept her Messiah, according to the Lord’s parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13:6-9). This was the year of the Holy Spirit’s ministry following His coming to Israel on the Day of Pentecost. Third, when Stephen was stoned, Israel’s rejection of her Messiah was complete. Before he was killed, Stephen saw Christ standing at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:56) and ready to pour out His judgment on Israel and the world in the seven-year Tribulation.
When you do the math—3 1/2 years plus 1 year plus 7 years—the Kingdom in those days was about 11-12 years from being established. Thus, the Kingdom being described as “at hand” was accurate. It was very near. Israel was told it was “at hand” by John the Baptist, Christ, and His disciples, because the Kingdom was legitimately being offered and it literally was drawing near in those days.
When Israel stumbled at the Stumblingstone and fell (Rom. 9:32-33), instead of bringing in the prophesied Tribulation followed by the Millennial Kingdom, God postponed these events, temporarily suspending His prophesied program. Israel fell in Acts 7, and then in Acts 9, Christ, by His grace, saved Saul of Tarsus, the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15) and called him to be the Apostle of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). Then began a “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:1-2), a program with the Gentiles, that had never before been revealed (v. 9).
For the last 2000 years, mankind has been living in the dispensation of grace. This dispensation will close with Christ’s return at the Rapture to catch away to heaven the Church, the Body of Christ (Rom. 11:25). At that time, the Kingdom will again be “at hand.” Following the Rapture, the seven-year Tribulation will take place. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will return to Israel at the Second Coming. After the Second Coming, Christ will establish His literal kingdom on the earth.
