Death In Adam Brought Condemnation To All Men

From Condemnation to Redemption: The Grace of God in Christ

Bible Passage: John 3:17, Romans 5:12–20

Summary: The theme explores how death and condemnation entered the world through Adam's sin, affecting humanity universally, yet highlights God's grace through Jesus Christ as the remedy for sin and death.

Application: This message can help Christians understand the weight of sin and the depth of God's grace. Realizing the seriousness of sin in our lives can lead to a stronger reliance on Christ for salvation and motivation to live transformed lives.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that while sin brought condemnation to all people through Adam, God's grace in Jesus offers redemption and hope. Believers are encouraged to embrace this grace and share it with others.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage illustrates that through Christ's sacrificial death, believers are offered salvation, contrasting with the condemnation from Adam. It shows how the entire narrative of Scripture centers on God’s plan for salvation through Jesus, redeeming humanity from the consequences of sin.

Big Idea: God's gift of grace through Christ overcomes the condemnation brought by Adam, offering hope and salvation to all who believe.

Recommended Study: Consider examining the theological implications of 'original sin' as described in Romans 5:12-20 within your Logos library. You may explore commentaries to understand the varying interpretations of 'death' and 'grace,' and how Paul emphasizes grace’s superabundance over sin. Look for resources that discuss the historical context of Adam in relation to Christ’s role in salvation to enhance your sermon preparation.

1. Sent for Salvation

John 3:17

You could highlight how God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn it but to save it through him. This sermon point emphasizes the transition from condemnation to redemption, focusing on God's active role in offering salvation to humanity. It's an invitation to accept Christ’s grace, leading to transformed lives. This point sets the foundation by showing God's heart of salvation rather than judgment, providing hope in the face of sin.

2. Sin's Severe Spread

Romans 5:12–14

Perhaps this point could outline how sin and death entered the world through Adam, impacting all humanity. It serves as a crucial understanding of our universal need for redemption, framing the problem of sin that Christ came to solve. Emphasizing sin’s pervasive impact helps the audience appreciate the gravity of God's grace and the necessity of Christ’s sacrificial act.

3. Grace's Greater Gift

Romans 5:15–17

Maybe explore here how the grace brought through Jesus far surpasses the trespass of Adam, offering justification and life instead of death. This point showcases the abundant grace of God, reminding believers that although sin abounds, grace abounds much more. Encourage the audience to bask in the overwhelming nature of God's grace, one that outweighs the condemnation of sin.

4. Redemption's Resounding Reality

Romans 5:18–20

You could conclude with the contrast between Adam's act that led to condemnation for all and Christ's act that leads to justification and life. Underscore the transformative power of Christ's work, encouraging believers to live out their redeemed identity and share about this hope with others. This point solidifies the promise of redemption and assurance in Christ, motivating a life rooted in grace. Condemnation= is part of legal terminology. When it is discovered that a crime has been committed, that the law has been broken, the process of investigation may lead to formal charges being levied against a defendant. The process of litigation leads to the outcome, a verdict of acquittal or guilt. The verdict indicates that the defendant is either free from or accountable to the law’s penalty for that crime. Thus the result is either vindication or condemnation. Condemnation can refer either to the legal status of liability to punishment or to the actual infliction of that punishment.

David L. Turner, “Condemnation,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, electronic ed., Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 110.

ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis). n. fem. redemption, release, deliverance. The act of freeing or the state of being freed from bondage, such as that of a prisoner or slave, by payment of a ransom.

Apolytrōsis represents the act of redemption or the state of having been redeemed.

Kenneth D. Litwak, “Redemption,” in Lexham Theological Wordbook, ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).