The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Romans 5 is a transitional chapter, moving us out of Romans 1 to 4, concerning justification, and into Romans 6 to 8, which leads us into the beginning of sanctification.  Word statistics in the KJV confirms this fact because if you search for all variants of justification, there are 29 entries total in Paul's epistles. Out of those 29, 25 are in Romans and Galatians, and 4 entries in his other epistles. In Romans, 15 of the 17 matches are in chapters 1 to 5 and 2 in Romans 8. There are 8 in Galatians, because this letter is to do with correcting wayward understanding of salvation: see Gal.3:2-3.  My point is that we are educated in the understanding of justification in Romans, and then corrected in its practice in Galatians. So, barring these two books, Paul never teaches directly about justification again, because a believer, even by the end of Romans 5, should have settled on the truth of justification and moved past this serving of 'milk', into 'meatier' truths ...

Paul divides people, by the Spirit, into four classes: the natural man, the babe in Christ, the carnal believer, and the spiritual believer. All four of these are referred to in 1Cor.2:14-3:4 and they are classified by their ability to appreciate and assimilate “the things of God” as revealed in His Word. THE NATURAL MAN is unsaved and spiritual things are foolishness to him. THE SPIRITUAL MAN through diligent study of the Word, and with a sincere desire to obey it, has come to know God and Jesus Christ more and more intimately. BABES IN CHRIST and CARNAL BELIEVERS are saved, but cannot “discern” him, not being able to bear the milk, thus, they seek to know him through temporal things; through works, emotions, traditions, and ordinances. But he, having grown to spiritual maturity, is among those of whom it is written:  Heb. 5:14 “But strong meat [deeper doctrine] belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good...