What is the strongest argument of the federalists against the realistic concept of imputation?
That which is found in Dr. John Murray’s book The Imputation of Adam’s Sin.4 Dr. Murray says, “The analogy instituted in Romans 5:12-19 (cf 1 Cor 15:22) presents a formidable objection to the realistic construction. It is admitted by the realist that there is no ‘realistic’ union between Christ and the justified.”5 But this we do not admit, at least I do not. We who are born of Adam, and hence fell in him, are born of Jesus Christ in regeneration. Our carnal nature came by birth in Adam, our spiritual nature by birth from Jesus Christ. I do not deny the parallelism between the fall of Adam and the redemption in Christ, so clearly set forth by the apostle in Romans 5, but instead of this constituting the formidable objection to the realistic construction, in reality it establishes the view. We were born of Adam, were we not? and hence participated in his fall. Must we not then be born of Jesus Christ in regeneration if we are to participate in the justification of Christ? As we were rea
