Romans 5:12-21

You’re your father’s child

Welcome!

Would you open your Bibles to...

Rom. 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Pray

Intro

√ I don’t know what your home is like, but in our home when the kids get out of hand my wife says to me…

“That’s your genes!”

I can’t argue with her because she’s right! They act just like their daddy!

You can tell who a child’s father is by the way they act.

Ap. Spiritually speaking who we identify ourselves with as our father will be manifest by how we live our Christian experience.

√ In this section of scripture Paul helps to understand how it is that a sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ can be saved.

We understand from our study last week that somehow Jesus Christ became our substitute by taking our place on the Cross.

But how is that substitution possible?

That is, how does one Man’s death upon the Cross take all the sins of Mankind away?

Paul answers that question in this section of scripture. However, to understand these versus there are a few general truths which we must understand:

Note the repetition of the word “one”

“one” is used 11 times in this short section. The key idea we are to understand is our identification with Adam and Christ.

Note the repetition of the word “reign”

“reign” is used 5 times. Paul saw two men – Adam and Christ – each of them reigning over a kingdom.

Note the repetition of the phrase “much more”

“much more” is repeated 5 times. The truth revealed is that in Jesus Christ we have gained much more than we ever lost in Adam!

√ The Contrast

In short, this section is a contrast between Adam and Jesus Christ.

Adam; was given dominion over the old creation, he sinned, and he lost his kingdom.

Because of Adam’s sin, all mankind is under condemnation and death because we are Adam’s children!

Jesus Christ; came as the King over a new creation. By His obedience on the cross, He brought in righteousness and justification.

The cool thing is that Jesus not only undid all the damage that Adam’s sin brought about, but He accomplished “much more” by making us the very children of God!

Ap. That is, in Christ we have a new daddy!

Oh what a daddy we have! What follows in vs. 12 to 21 is a list of just how different these two men are.

When the world looks at you – who do they see as your daddy?

Adam vs. Jesus (vs. 12-14)

Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--

Rom. 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Rom. 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

√ Paul makes a very important point concerning the nature of human beings.

That is, we’re all sinners!

Paul points out that sin & death entered the world through “one man” and then spread to all that one man’s descendants.

Remember that we are all the offspring of Adam and Eve – the first humans.

Ex. “Sons of Adam” (Deut. 32:8) – referring to all humans.

Therefore, we all share a common ancestry and a common nature with our great – great grandfather – Adam.

We’re sinners – behaving like our “father” – Adam.

Ex. Irish Wolfhounds – all have bad hips – past down from their parents.

√ How can we sure that we’re sinners?

Ex. Non-Christians will often argue that humans are born basically good. How can we know whether or not that’s true?

Note vs. 14 - because we all die!

Death is the result of Adam’s sin and has been passed down like a genetic defect to all human beings.

Even, for those who did not willfully disobey God as Adam did!

Ex. Baby’s that die – no willful sin in their little lives – rather, they have a spiritual defect passed down from Adam.

√ Therefore, death reminds us that we are all in need of a savior! None of us can escape the consequence of Adam’s sin – because we’re all related to, or identified with, the first Man – Adam – we still have our “father’s” genes!

Offense vs. Grace (vs. 15)

Rom. 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

√ “But” - Paul contrasts the difference between Adam’s sin and Jesus’ gift.

Adam’s sin = many died

Jesus’ obedience = many received Grace (and life!)

√ “much more” – the superiority of the gift over the offense

The grace of Christ brings not only physical life, but also spiritual life and abundant life!

Jesus conquered death (Rev. 1:18) and will one day return to raise the bodies of all who have trusted in Him.

However, if He stopped there Jesus would only have reversed the effects of Adam’s sin.

But, He did “much more” in that Jesus gives those who trust in Him eternal life and an abundant life!

Ap. No other faith can do what Jesus does! The Christian testimony should be a life that is marked by Grace & Life!

Vs.

The Christian still living under the burden of sin and death.

Condemnation vs. Justification (vs. 16)

Rom. 5:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.

√ As we compare the two men, Adam and Jesus, we find that the results of their actions are also very different.

Adam’s one sin brought about condemnation and he was declared unrighteous before God. His one sin brought us all under condemnation and made us all unrighteous.

Jesus’ one act of sacrifice brought justification to all who trust in Him. That is, everyone who trusts in Jesus is declared righteous before God and is freed from condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

Ap. The Christian can sleep without fear of God’s judgement for we have been made perfectly righteous before God by the Blood of Jesus.

Death vs. Life (vs. 17)

Rom. 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

√ Because of Adam’s disobedience, death reigned in the human experience.

Ever read Genesis 5? So, and so begot so and son…

“And he died”

It’s depressing!

The divine point being made is that every one since Adam has died (except Enoch and Elijah).

But note, that Paul tells us in vs. 14 that people did not die from “Adam to Moses” for the same reason that Adam died…

…breaking a revealed law of God.

Rather, because sin was reigning in the lives of people (vs. 21), therefore, death was also reigning!

√ But, the great truth for us is that in Jesus Christ we are now part of a new kingdom where death no longer reigns!

“Much more” – for all of us who have trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior we now get to reign with Him!

When we were identified with Adam death reigned over us.

Now that we’re in Christ we will reign in life!

Also…

In Adam we lost our kingship, but in Jesus we will reign with Him as kings for all eternity!

2Ti 2:12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

Ap. For those who recognize Jesus as their new “father” we can live without fear of death.

Rev. 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Contrast with those who still live under Adam’s headship – living under the fear of death.

Disobedience vs. Obedience (vs. 18-19)

Rom. 5:18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

Rom. 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

√ Ever heard anyone say…

“I’m a basically good person, isn’t that good enough for God to let me into heaven?”

Here’s our answer to that question…

“No”

Please notice that Adam did not commit a series of sins, he just failed one time and that was enough to bring condemnation upon himself and all his descendants!

You see God is perfect and cannot allow sin into His presence. He created Adam to fellowship with Him in a perfect environment – the Garden.

Adam had only one rule…

Gen. 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

Gen. 2:17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

…and he couldn’t keep it. One act of disobedience resulted in contaminating the whole human race.

Let me illustrate it this way.

Ex. How many cockroaches in your lunch is too many?

One’s enough to toss the whole plate isn’t it?!

How much more that God cannot allow a person with even one sin into His presence!

√ Contrast Adam’s disobedience with Jesus’ obedience

Paul tells us that even as Adam’s disobedience made us all sinners, Jesus’ obedience made all who believe righteous!

Ex. Back to our cockroach!

Taking the cockroach off the plate won’t change my mind about what to do with the lunch – toss the puppy! It’s contaminated.

The great truth regarding the power of Jesus’ work upon the Cross is that He not only removes the sin (the cockroach - J ) He also makes us perfectly clean as if we’d never sinned (like there had never been a cockroach on the plate!)

Ap. Those living under Adam are trapped with a spirit of disobediance.

Versus those who live “in Christ” – who take on the new nature who’s lives are marked by obediance.

Sin vs. Grace (vs. 20-21)

Rom. 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

Rom. 5:21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

√ Paul closes this section with reference to the Law of Moses to reinforce what he’s been saying all along…

…that the Law cannot save us.

His point is that the Law came along after sin was already in the world. The purpose of the Law wasn’t to make sinners righteous – rather to show us how sinful we are!

Look at vs. 20

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound”

That is, the Law came along to show how bad we are and how much we need God’s Grace!

Reminds us that God has always dealt with Mankind in His Grace.

Ex. God dealt with Adam and Eve with Grace (coverings)

The patriarchs (Abraham and David)

The nation of Israel (brought back from captivity)

√ The great thing is that even as the Law exposed our sinful nature and our sins increased all the more…

…God’s Grace was “much more” than adequate to deal with it!

Ap. The person who has come under the headship of Christ takes on His character – a life that is marked by Grace.

Vs.

Those who are still trying to live by Law which only brings death.

Close

√ For the Christian please understand you live in a body that is subject to death and the temptation of the devil.

However, now that we have trusted in Christ we have changed kingdoms and now live in the Grace of God’s Kingdom.

Ex. There was a time in Israel when there were two kings

Saul sat on the throne, but David was anointed by God as the true king.

Those who trusted in David and followed him eventually shared his kingdom of peace and joy.

Those who trusted in Saul ended in shame and defeat.

Like David, Jesus Christ is God’s anointed King. Like Saul, Satan is still free to work in this work and seek to win men’s allegiance.

Sin and death still reign in the “old creation” over which Adam was the head.

But, grace and life are reigning in “the new creation” over which Christ is the Head.

The decision we must each make is to whom will we be subject.