Grace Reigns

Introduction

I thought about breaking the rest of the chapter up into at least two more sections but as I looked at the structure of the chapter there was something that stood out to me. The first verse of our section includes a phrase that is repeated again at the end of the chapter kinda bookending the verses. much more the grace of vs 15 and grace did much more abound in vs 20. Sin, suffering, death and judgment are pretty bleak messages.

When we look at our world, things are very uplifting spiritually. Just this past week, a church in Dallas, the Cathedral of Hope, hosted a drag show Sunday.

The animosity and hatred between right and left politically is at an all time high.

While the percentage of those who get divorces is down to 41%, the percentage of those who never married doubled since 1995.

It can be easy to feel like God is losing and darkness is winning. On a more personal level, maybe you have fought over some sin in your life and it seems like there is no hope. Defeat is the only word that describes your walk with the Lord lately. Its depressing, discouraging.

Paul latches onto this theme when he compares and contrasts Jesus Christ and Adam in our text. In vs 14 Adam is the figure of Christ. We would call this an antitype- anti meaning opposite or against; a type is a divinely ordained picture of a later truth. So what Adam did to the human race, Christ can undo. Plunging us into sin can be reversed. The death, judgment and condemnation we all face as part of Adam’s family; can all be erased.

This morning we are going to look at a contrast and comparison that Paul makes between Adam and Christ and how Christ overcomes all the sin and suffering that Adam doomed us to.

Contrast between Adam and Christ

How many of you remember having to write a paper in high school doing a contrast and comparison between two things. When we contrast something, we are highlighting the differences between them; but when we do a comparison, we look at the similarities.

In Vs 15 Paul begins a paragraph contrasting Adam and Jesus. Take a look at the verse.

Romans 5:15 “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

Romans 5:16 “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.”

The words not as are showing us a contrast.

If I were to take Daniel and Joy and stand them side by side, I could say Daniel is not like Joy. Daniel is a man while Joy is a woman. Daniel is really tall while joy is shorter than Daniel. Joy has given birth to two amazing kids while Daniel thank God did not give birth.

Paul gives us four contrasts between Adam and Jesus in vs 15-17.

1. The act itself is different trespass/ grace vs 15

2. The consequences are different condemnation/justification vs 16

3. The number of sins involved is different one sin/ many offenses vs16

4. The End result was different - death reigned/reign in life vs 17

The act itself is different.

All of us face choices in life to do what’s right or whats wrong. Much of what defines us is the choice that we make in those moments.

A man who has been looking at pornography has a choice when he is confronted: will I lie or will I admit, confess my sin, repent and get help. Those choices define us.

Adam made a choice: he chose to eat the fruit that looked good, tasted good, and offered something he didn’t have even though God had forbidden it and so mankind was pierced through with sin and we all die. for if through the offence of one, many be dead. Through Adam’s offence which literally means to transgress, all of us die physically and spiritually.

But in Christ, we receive instead of death the gift of grace. At the beginning of the verse it is called a free gift. It has no cost, I don’t have to work for it. God offers it freely to all of us. Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The Consequences are different

Romans 5:16 “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.”

Adam put us all under judgment. Now you can go to a court and face judgment and still get off free, but that is not the case for us. In Adam, we are condemned. Judgment is already passed on us. John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

But in Christ, when we stand to be judged we are justified. We defined justification as being declared righteous by God earlier in this series.

The Number of Sins is Different

This may seem like a small point but it really isn’t. In vs 16 we are told that we were condemned because of by one. Now that phrase could refer to Adam and it probably includes that, but it can also refer to Adam’s transgression. Finish the sentence: by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offenses. The contrast is between the number of sins. How many sins did Adam commit before we were condemned? one sin. James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Adam only committed one sin and yet he was still guilty. How many times do you have to kill someone to be a murder and go to jail? Just once.

Throughout history, sins have multiplied. Adam wasn’t the only one who has sinned. Millions of people have lived on this earth and they have all committed atleast one sin. And lets be honest, we all sin nearly every day. So by the time of Christ, there were a lot of sins to forgive.

See if this illustration helps you understand why this is so important. Imagine, if Canada one day sent a rocket into the air and it hit a town in North Dakota. They claim it was an accident so the US overlooks what they did. But now imagine if for hundreds of years, Canadians and Americans had been launching missiles at each other. They would sneak across the border and kill people. The have launched embargo after embargo against each others. Which is easier to forgive: one rocket or the millions of acts of aggression committed between the two countries?

So by the time Jesus comes to die for our sins, we had wracked up quite a list of sinful aggressions against God. We had been enemies of God for thousands of years and yet he still died for us.

The End Result was Different

Romans 5:17 “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”

It is hard to live under circumstances that you feel cannot be reversed. Because of our sin, we were under an irreversible curse: death. Death reigned over us and he was a dictator. But those of us who have received grace and righteousness shall reign.

1 Corinthians 15:55 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” will be our triumphant cry someday because though the body dies, it will someday rise again. And the second death has no hold on us.

2 Timothy 2:12 “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:”

Comparison between Adam and Christ

The next section is a comparison between Christ and Adam. It may not seem like it because their is still a lot of contrast mixed in. Notice in vs 18-19 the words as…even so. As means like, in the same way, or in a similiar way. So even though it doesn’t look like it, Paul is making a comparison and it is important to pay attention to that or we will get sucked into the contrast. We need to ask what is the comparison he is trying to make? I am going to give you two.

Just like Adam’s sin brought judgment on us all; so also Christ’s righteousness brings the offer of justification for all vs 18

Adam’s sin affects all those who are in Adam, but Christ’s righteousness has an affect on all those who are in Christ. That word all, and many are important and we don’t have time today to get into the discussion on the meaning. Clearly this doesn’t mean that everyone will be saved because scripture is clear that that is not the case. But the offer of salvation is given to all. This is why the KJV inserts the words the free gift came.

Just like Adam’s sin made us all sinners; so also those who are in Christ are made righteous. vs 19

The second comparison is what the results are. All those in Adam were made sinners. There is not a person on the face of the earth who is not a sinner. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” but those who are in Christ are made righteous. In Jesus, we have all his righteousness placed on our account. So now I am righteous though I still have a long way to go before my life resembles what God has made me.

Grace is Greater than our Sin

Chapter 5 has been about the bnefits of justification and maybe this paragraph seems like it has departed from that theme but it really has not. Verse 20-21 are where I want us to land. As I pointed out in the beginning, this theme bookends the section we are looking at today. Paul reminds us that grace did much more abound. God’s grace is greater than my sins. Grace again speaks of all that God has done for us because of his love and favor for us. The benefit of my salvation is a reigning grace. A grace that conquers my sin and grace that is greater than my sin.

our sins they were many- the law enters to reveal and make us more guilty before God

the law reveals sin Romans 7:13 “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”

the law turns sin into transgressions Romans 4:15 “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”

the law provokes sin Romans 7:8 “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.”

Grace did much more abound- How great the grace that can forgive so many sins? We often have limits to what we will forgive. Jesus challenged this thinking in Matthew 18:21–22 “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” As big as my sin is and as many as my sins are, God still forgives.

Sin and death reigned over us in Adam, but in christ’s grace reigns in life vs 21

The chapter ends with a picture of grace reigning in life. Today my experience as a believer is that God’s grace is overflowing, God’s grace forgives and God’s grace is reigning in my life.

Conclusion

Your sins may be many, but God’s grace is greater. Sinner, there is no sin God cannot forgive. God will not allow his grace to be conquered by your guilt. If you come to him in repentance and faith, he will forgive you.

Christian, maybe you have fallen, maybe you are struggling with sin yourself. God’s grace is greater. Grace is the connection between chapter 5 and 6 where Paul is going to tell us how to conquer sin in our lives. There is grace for you. There is grace to conquer sin, there is grace to receive forgiveness, there is grace to live a holy life. There is grace to be brought near into the presence of God and be accepted by Him. No matter how dark your sin, God’s grace is greater.

I want to end with a quote from John Stott on this passage.

The Message of Romans c. Adam and Christ Are Compared (18–21)

Grace satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry with good things. Grace sanctifies sinners, shaping them into the image of Christ. Grace perseveres even with the recalcitrant, determining to complete what it has begun. And one day grace will destroy death and consummate the kingdom. So when we are convinced that ‘grace reigns’, we will remember that God’s throne is a ‘throne of grace’, and will come to it boldly to receive mercy and to find grace for every need. And all this is through Jesus Christ our Lord, that is, through his death and resurrection