Season 5: More to Identity, Episode 1 (Romans 5:12-21) - Winners and Losers
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
In Jesus, we are now winners in life.
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning church,
Today, we start season 5 of this show we’re calling “There is More.” The title is based on the 2025 vision for our church - that is, what we believe God is calling us to focus this year. And this year, we believe God has more for us!
More in spiritual maturity.
More in growing His Kingdom.
More in growing our relationship with Him and each other.
And on Sundays, we’ve been working through the book of Romans, verse-by-verse, allowing God’s word to guide us in this pursuit of more. And we’ve been treating our time in Romans like a 10-season Netflix show; again, with us starting season 5 today. And the theme of season 5 is “More to Identity.”
Additionally, season 5 & 6 will be closely related. The next 8 weeks, as we study Romans 5-8, will intentionally be guided by two themes: Identity and Spirit-filled relationships. And as a preview, here’s how these two themes work together…
In following Jesus, it’s absolutely essential that we understand who we are - our identity. This is what Paul will focus on in chapters 5-7 (and even a little bit of 8).
But in chapter 8, Paul begins to talk about the Holy Spirit. And he’s going to say a lot. And we’ll study what he says. But we’re also going to use the theme of relationship as a framework for processing chapter 8 (or season 6). Because one way to summarize the work of the Spirit is, “He’s bringing us into relationship with the Father, while also knitting our hearts together with one another - strengthening the relationships within the family of God.
And here’s the thing, those relationships will suffer greatly if we don’t have a good grasp on identity. So, identity is important. And we’ll start talking about our God-given identity (Christ-centered identity) today…
And to help us, I’d like to talk about sports. This is not a surprise to anyone who calls The River Church their home church. Today, I’m going to be filtering what Paul says in Romans 5:12-21 (our passage) through a specific story, but in order to do that well… I have to clarify somethings…
First off, (and I don’t do this often), by the title of today’s sermon is “Winners and Losers.” Now, I recognize there’s a great potential for this title to be misconstrued. So, I need to clarify upfront!
Here’s what I mean by winners and losers. I’m using these opposites synonymously with the biblical concepts of “victory and defeat.” Now, I could just use those words, but it wouldn’t fit my opening sport’s story that I believe will help understand what Paul’s wanting to share in Romans 5…
Last year, I coached a 7-8th grade rec basketball team that was undefeated and won a championship. I apologize to all who’ve probably heard me talk about this team too much. It was just a fun time; additionally, sports is a great way to understand the Kingdom of God.
We hadjust finished the regular season. We get a bye week. And we’re at practice. We’re on one side of the gym. Another team is on the other side. They were a lower seed (barely got into the playoffs).
I’m drilling the team. Running them hard. Make them run the plays over and over again until they got them perfect. All while you can hear laughter from the other side. The other team is having fun. Playing shooting games. And I started to notice my team, as they were bent over, gassed, trying to catch their breathe, looked over with longing eyes, as if to say, “I wish I was having fun like that.”
And I don’t know what came over me in that moment. Probably my competitive spirit. But I looked at my team and yelled at, “Hey! Do you want to go play over there… or do you want to win?”
I know that sounds harsh. A little overboard. But it’s gotta be taken in context of my relationship with my team. Before the first game, I told them, “I’ve drafted a team that I think can win it all.
If you’re willing to work hard…
If you’re willing to buy-in and learn the plays….
If you’re willing to listen…
…I can promise you I will put you in a position to win a championship.”
They agreed. And they worked hard all year. And they knew how much I cared for them… coaching them, teaching them, spending time with them.
So… when I yelled at them, it wasn’t received as a harsh, uncaring master, but as a coach reminding them of their identity. They were winners. Their record proved that. And winners don’t practice like that.
We never played that other team in the playoffs. But what I can say… we beat every team in the playoff by 25 points more more. And we won the championship by 25 points against the other undefeated team.
And here was the secret sauce of our team…
We weren’t overly athletic.
We didn’t dominate by strength and speed.
We were a team that believed no one could beat us because we practiced harder than everyone else, we had a better plan, and we executed well.
In other words, we believed we were winners.
And that’s what I reminded them of at the beginning of the championship game, “The only thing you guys need to do is be yourself. If you play your game, we win.”
They were winners by identity. And because they believed it, they played like it.
Now, I want to be careful to not communicate the wrong message…
I’m not suggesting some version of “manifesting,” like if you believe it, it will happen.
Nor am I suggesting that working hard or doing all the right things is what God cares about.
I’m using this story to communicate one simple message: Identity matters. What you believe about who you are impacts how you live.
And that’s what Paul is teaching in Romans 5…
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a type of the Coming One.
Exegesis:
Exegesis:
No need to spend too much time here. We just spent 4 weeks studying this passage, looking at how when Adam sinned, it broke the world. Sin passed to everyone. We know that’s true because, the consequence of sin is death, and everyone died from Adam to Moses - to whom the law (which taught people what officially taught people what was right and wrong in God’s eyes) was given.
And look at where verse 14 says, “even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression.” That’s sorta confusing. Here’s what it means…
A transgression is to break a law or direct command. Adam received a command directly from God…
But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
Adam broke that command. His sin was a transgression. But transgression is only one kind of sin. The Bible does say sin is lawlessness, but this law can be written or unwritten. It’s anything that violates or rebels against God’s holy character.
Now, someone might complain, “How can we be held accountable for something we don’t know about!” And that’s a reasonable argument. There’s a sense where Paul agrees with that. In verse 13, he says, “but it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.” Then, why did everyone die from Adam to Moses?
Adam, the first human - if you will, was our representative, our team captain - he defined our identity by his actions. When Adam sinned, we were all “in” him. And in that moment, we were all infected.
Adam has cooties.
If you’re too young for that, Adam has the “cheese touch.”
His sin corrupted us all.
And ever since, we’ve been born sinners. That’s our default identity. We are losers.
Point number 1…
1) Adam’s sin brought death to everyone - we all lost (vv. 12-14).
1) Adam’s sin brought death to everyone - we all lost (vv. 12-14).
And since we’re sinners, our lives follow that identity. That’s why no one needs to teach people how to sin. We instinctively wrong God and hurt people. It’s who we are and what we do.
I have an 8-month old. She’s the most beautiful girl in the world. I love her. She’s my favorite child. But she’s a sinner. And no one had to teach her how to live this way. She was born this way. She was born on Adam’s team.
However…
…Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
In other words, there’s another team in the game. And Jesus is the captain. Paul continues…
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many.
Paul has good news - he has “gospel.” And that news is something special has happened. Something better than Adam. Better than cooties or the cheese touch. Better than a life of sin, condemnation, and a sentence of death. The grace of God has come. Something undeserved. A gift. And here it is…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
At the beginning of the rec basketball season, the coaches draft players based on their ranking. And once you’re drafted, you’re on that team for the entire season. No trades. You’re stuck. And your coach matters. There are plenty of kids who, based on who drafts them, respond, “Noooooo!!!!!” Because they know it’s going to be a long season. And there’s nothing they can do about it.
The first coach (or our Team Captain - think schoolyard pick) for mankind was Adam. Adam makes bad decisions. And his team loses. It’s their identity. And there’s nothing WE can do to get off this team. We’re stuck,
That is, until Jesus came. Then, something special happened. He has good news. He says, “I talked to the League Commissioner. And I’m now a Coach. And I’m offering you a chance to play for Me. You don’t deserve it. You don’t need to earn it. All you need to do is choose it. Take off the old jersey and put on my team’s jersey.” That’s a good deal.
Point number 2 is…
2) Jesus is infinitely better than Adam - He makes us winners (vv. 15-21).
2) Jesus is infinitely better than Adam - He makes us winners (vv. 15-21).
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
My friends. Jesus is a winner. He is victorious. He is the better Coach, better Team Captain, and His team wins. He’s undefeated. And He changes the lives of those on His team. You’re identity changes when you’re on a better team.
That’s what Paul is trying to explain to the Romans…
And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification.
Adam’s sin made us losers. But Jesus, the gift of God, made us winners… it justified us, it made it just-as-if-I-never-sinned…
If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone.
Your coach matters. Who you play for matters. It impacts your identity. When you play for a losing team - you are defined by defeat. When you play for Jesus, you are victorious. Your identity is a winner.
Also, I have to point out something ridiculously radical in verse 17…
When we were under Adam’s identity (sinners), death reigned over us. Sin/Death was our master. We were slaves. Again, a sort of identity statement.
But, something amazing happens in Jesus. Complete identity transformation. We move from slaves to… what does it say… we “reign in life.”
Do you see the shift? We are no longer sinners, but Christ didn’t just remove our sin, He made us royalty.
For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Now, it seems like Paul just keeps repeating the same thing. And he kinda is. Because Scripture repeats what’s important. Also, language wise… both Hebrew and Greek used repetition to express emphasis. They didn’t have capital letters, bold, or underline. Repetition was their way of saying, “This is important!”
It’s similar to me drilling my team over and over again on a play because it was important to our offense. And Paul really wants us to understand the importance of our identity.
You were once a loser under Coach Adam.
Now, you are a winner under King Jesus!
So, starting playing differently!
But that’s not all that’s found in verse 19…
Paul says, “by the one man’s obedience (Jesus) the many WILL BE MADE RIGHTEOUS.” Will be. Will be. Meaning… not yet. Over time. Progressively.
Have you turned from your sin, put your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but still struggle with sin? What happened?
Did the promises of God fail?
Were we not made new?
Was our old wicked heart (Jeremiah describes) not removed and replaced by a new heart and spirit hat loves God (which Ezekiel promised)?
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Say, “Past.”
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Say, “Present.”
For this is God’s will, your sanctification…
Say, “Future.”
Simply put, sanctification is the process of becoming holy - being more like Jesus.
We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
And here’s my point:
Because of Jesus, you are sanctified. You have been perfectly made holy. When God sees you, He doesn’t your sin, He sees His son.
But, God has sovereignly decided that sanctification be progressive too. Meaning, we don’t instantly become like Jesus. It happens over time.
Yet, one day, we will be completely like Jesus. It’s guaranteed. It’s part of our future.
Therefore, we must understand that sanctification is part of identity. Because of Jesus, we have been made holy, we are being made holy, and we will be made holy. Recognizing this 3-part process helps us understand our current reality.
When we sin, as a Christian, it doesn’t mean that’s still our identity. It used to be. But we’re not losers any more. To be clear, I’m not calling unbelievers losers. I’m describing the relationship we have with sin and death. Sin is not our master anymore. It doesn’t cause us to live in a perpetual state of sinning. It’s present, but it only describes our actions, not define our identity.
We are a new creation (sanctified). We are children of God. We are winners. Victorious over sin and death and reign with Him. That’s our identity. And it should change how we live!
But I’ll also point this out…
If this is what Jesus has done this for us - at great cost to Himself - how dare we believe anything else?
Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.
This passage is directed at those who didn’t understand their identity. They weren’t willing to take off their old jersey, even though Jesus drafted them onto His team. And when we do this - whether we intend to or not - it’s like spitting on the precious blood of Jesus, and walking over it with our dirty shoes.
My son works at Chick-Fil-A. He has chicken guts all over his shoes. He’s not allowed inside the house with them on. When we believe the wrong thing about our identity, it’s like spiritually walking over the holy and precious blood that saves us with our filthy shoes.
How dare we diminish what Jesus has done? Step on it like it’s trash… We must believe the right thing about our identity!
These are hard things to think about. But maybe the next couple of verses to finish up can encourage us…
The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The presence of a written law doesn’t change the universal presence of sin. But when the law is present, it doesn’t save us or help us be good; In fact, God’s law makes it clear that we’re in trouble and need a Savior!
I don’t know if you’ve ever done this, but sometimes, when I’m overspending, I don’t reconcile my bank account. It’s like I don’t really want to know how much I’m in trouble. Ignorance is bliss. It’s only after I finally do the books that I actually know I’m broke!
That’s what the law does. It tells us we’re spiritually broke - we’re losing. But what does verse 20 say?
Does it say, “When God’s law increased our awareness of our spiritual poverty, He then comes and says, “I told you that you’re a loser!” No, it says, “where sin increased, grace super-abounded!”
In our spiritual losing, the grace of God gives us good news, “I love you. I can fix all of this. I’ll make you a winner.”
This is your identity.
Response:
Response:
As we close (and the worship team comes up), just know this is just the beginning of the identity conversation…episode 1 of season 5…
Nevertheless, how can we begin to start thinking rightly about our new identity - like winners?
I have a couple suggestions:
Think about sin correctly. Sin is serious. It’s a problem. For those who haven’t placed their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, it’s your identity. Sin is the master. That’s why it feels like your trapped by it. That’s why you need a Savior.
And the gospel (good news) is, there’s a Savior who loves you and is willing to change everything. His name is Jesus. And all He asks from you is to turn from your sin and trust Him to save you. You don’t need to earn it. It’s a free gift. It’s God grace (undeserved). If you’ve never put your faith in Jesus, do that today.
But if you have, you still need to think about sin correctly. Your relationship with it is different. It’s no longer your Master, even if, at times, it describes your choices.
Your identity in Christ is a winner. You are victorious over sin because Jesus is victorious over sin, and You are in Him. He is your captain now. You’re on His team. You don’t play for Adam anymore.
This is so important, because what we think impacts how we live. If Jesus has saved us (by grace thru faith) and yet we believe we’re still sinners by identity, then we’ll wrongfully keep living that way. We’ll keep losing our battle to sin when we shouldn’t. We’re being sanctified! Becoming more like Jesus. Growing in spiritual maturity!
And for much of the church, that’s not happening because we’re thinking incorrectly about identity. We are not sinners. We are winners!
My son’s been getting ready for next year’s basketball season by training at a gym in Portland. The other day, they were playing 3v3 games and there was this kid who couldn’t miss. He was in the zone. If you’ve ever played basketball you know this feeling. When you’re so confident that it impacts how you play. Sometimes we say, “They’re on fire!”
Remember that old arcade game NBA Jam? We got to get one for the office (is that okay Anpu?). When you’re playing it, your player can get “on fire.” And when that happens, you can shoot from anywhere and you won’t miss. It changes the way you play…
That’s how we have to think about identity. In Jesus, we have a new identity. We are winners. So, we start living that way.
We don’t given into sin.
We don’t lose to sin.
That’s not who we are anymore.
Jesus has set us free.
The Holy Spirit’s power - which raised Jesus from the dead, resurrection power - lives inside us.
Therefore, we have the power to live victoriously in this life, because we ARE winners.
Finally, I think there’s a question that comes up when we talk about identity. We can ask, “Does it matter what I do?” or “Does it matter what I believe?” The answer is “Yes.” And I know, that can be confusing.
So, when you’re confused, what should you do? What does a player do when he doesn’t know the play or how to adjust to the circumstances he’s facing in the game? He asks the coach. If you’re confused about what to do next in your life, or what to believe… Talk to the Coach: Ask Jesus. Pray. Read His Word. Speak to His people. And be patient with God’s process of sanctification. Trust Him with your spiritual maturity.
We’re not done with this identity-talk. We’re just getting started. So, I’m looking forward to this season because I believe God is going to transform us in such a way that allows us to flourish in the MORE He has for us this year! Amen?
Let’s pray…
