Romans 5:12-21 Treason & Treasure

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I. Two Influencers.

A. Adam’s disobedience produced sin that led to condemnation which resulted in death and spread to everyone. (v.12)

1. The Influence of Adam: Treason (Sin & Death).

As federal head (representative) of the human race, Adam’s decision to disobey brought sin which has genetically passed to all creation and embedded itself in our DNA. Imagine the impact of this one act of disobedience. How sin effects the whole world, for all time, throughout all history. Sin is a disease that brings with it condemnation and death. The weight of it is more than anyone can bear. Many of us know the influence of sin upon our lives and it seems like a hopeless fate. It’s power, heighten by its friend Satan, cannot be overcome by anything we humans possess. None born from Adam have been able to overcome death. Death spreads itself through everything and everyone. The Bible tells us this...

The best illustration for the impact that Adam makes upon the world: Death spreads to all.

Numbers 19:22 NASB95

22 ‘Furthermore, anything that the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person who touches it shall be unclean until evening.’ ”

Leviticus 7:21 NASB95

21 ‘When anyone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or any unclean detestable thing, and eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people.’ ”

But you know this all too well. I don’t need to preach to you the impact of sin upon your life. You know its reality and how it effects how your heart, your thoughts, your physical body, your relationships, and the world in which you live. Yet Paul tells us that although sin appears to have total victory over our lives, that grace is greater than all our sins.

Pivot towards the other influencer- Christ.

Romans 5:15 ESV

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

B. Christ’s obedience produced righteousness that leads to justification resulting in life and which spreads to those who receive the gift of the grace of Jesus. (v. 15)

1. The Impact of Christ: Treasure (Justification, Righteousness, Eternal life).

A. Justification (v.16 & 18) and

B. righteousness leading to life (v. 17 & 21)

The gift is more abundant than that, it not only justifies the sinner- paying off the wage of sin, but the grace of God also gives those who are justified by the blood of Christ, a life that can be lived by the righteousness of Christ. The gift not only saves from sin but saves us to a righteous life in Christ. Now the scales are complete uneven and the gift is shown to be abundantly more!

The best illustration for the impact that Jesus makes upon our lives: He spreads life.

We see for the first time a complete undoing of the effect of sin and death in the life of Jesus. When death or dead vessels touch Jesus, instead of making him unclean, He makes them clean. This is seen in all the miracles that Jesus performed. But then we move to those who followed Jesus; His Disciples. How they wield this same power in the book of acts. The power of those in Christ are able to make what is unclean clean what is dying, alive, that even their shadow offers the life just by coming in contact with it.

Acts 5:14–16 NASB95

14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, 15 to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. 16 Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

Let’s Compare the Two Influencers:

Through disobedience we were made sinners

Through obedience we were made righteous

Through Adam death rules us

Through Christ life rules in us

Through Adam we are sick

Through Christ we are healed

Through Adam we are slaves

Through Christ we are free

Through Adam we have debt

Through Christ we have more than we can ever spend

Through Adam though we life we will die.

Through Christ though we die we will life forever.

Through Adam we live in the wilderness

Through Chris we live in a Kingdom

“And yet sin and grace are not equivalents, death and life are not equivalents, the Devil and God are not equivalents, but there is a boundless space between them.” - John Chrysostom

“The treasures of Christ vanquish the treason of Adam and to Grace goes the victory over sin.”

With one act of Adam our plight seemed sealed,

to die in death and no hope to heal.

But one act of Christ and all has been undone,

Because the father loves his one and only son.

And all who believe and hide in Christ

Will be given power over sin and find new life.

For the effects of Grace are greater still

then the sins of man that the law has revealed.

C. Application:

1. The Greatness of God (faith)- That He is able to do far more abundantly that we could ever ask or think or do for ourselves.

Ephesians 3:20–21 NASB95

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

2. Hope for the Sinner- A clean slate but also a new life not defined by the sin of old but produced by the righteousness of Christ. We are not defined by our sin when we have faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 2:10 NASB95

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB95

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

3. Love for our neighbor- If we possess a greater power that could stop the ruin and disaster of our friends, neighbors, family, and strangers. That would be the kind of love for our neighbor that would bring change into the world that we desire to experience. In fact, if we would love our neighbor in this way, to share the gift of God’s grace, we will be bring heaven down to earth.

Romans 13:8 NASB95

8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

-Fulfilling the law is what Christ’s righteousness does.

John 13:34 NASB95

34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Loving our neighbors makes us like Jesus.

4. The full life of the believer- towards holiness.

Many believers don’t always live into the fullness of the treasure of Christ. They are so blessed with the clean slate they have been given with their sins forgiven that they need move towards a life lived in Holiness:

You’ve discovered that the bus you’d been riding dropped you off at the corner of justification.

It was there that you sit on the bench thankful for the ride you’ve been given.

You haven’t realized that there is another bus that you should be taken.

Until a bus shows up with “Holiness” displayed as its destination.

It is because of Christ’s righteousness that is given to us that Christ can say to the woman at the well and to those who believe in Him, “Go and sin no more.”

And Peter, “Be Holy for God is Holy.”

Christ’s righteousness imputed to us, works in and through us to bring life that looks like the righteousness of Christ. You see how that works?

My Testimony Of how Grace is greater than all my sin and how the power of grace has changed my life:

My testimony begins in a dark and scary place.

In jail, on a bed, with tears on my face

Who am I that God would be mindful of me.

A sinner, a rebel, one who bears a felony

How is it that a Felon can succeed?

How can a slave to sin be freed?

For I do not deserve what God has freely given

Forgiveness, life, and sanctification

Yet here I am living a new life I can confess.

Amazed at how God turned my ruin into His success.

I have been transformed by the power of God’s Grace

And there is not one part of my life that it will waste.

I pray that Christ’s righteousness in me will be brought to completion

Until it does, this is what I’ll be preach’in

When you think, in your life, that “all is forsaken.”

Pray to God to restore the years the locus have taken?

For God’s grace has been greatly revealed

And God’s grace is greater still.