Romans 5:12–21

How many of you like getting blamed for things you didn’t do?

Yeah no one does

Red Lines on the library books story.

Today we are looking at Romans 5:12-20 and a lot of our focus will be on the theological concept of imputation.

Imputation: The act of reckoning a legal debit or credit to an account. The term was used in Graeco-Roman legal language and was understood in secular commerce as “enter into the books”. - Easton’s Bible Dictionary

In Rom 5:1-11 Paul talks about The hope we have because of the work of Jesus on our behalf.

In 12-21 he examines 2 threats to that hope. Sin and death, and how Jesus Conquers those threats

Here is our first look at imputation:

The Sin of Adam #1 brought sin and death into the world effecting ALL people

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—

Adams Story Gen 1-3

A real man (Eve, a real woman)

They were created without sin and had the ability to choose to obey God.

God placed them in a beautiful place, were all of their needs could be met, where their work could flourish and they could live fruitful and satisfying lives, in relationship to God, without death.

God gave them law. Among those laws was to not eat the fruit of a specific tree.

Genesis 2:15–17 ESV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 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.”

Adam and eve chose to disobey God

The punishment was banishment from the presence of God “The Glory of God” - Spiritual death AND physical death

What was the big deal about eating a peace of fruit?

We do this with our own sin “whats the big deal about ___________”

We need to understand how bad sin is. Spitting in God’s face, shaking our fist at him. Throwing God off the throne and sitting ourselves on it.

To God sin is An abomination, angering, sickening, disgust, sadness

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

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.

Adam was our vicarious representative.

Adam stood in for all of mankind . When Adam fell, his fall effected his descendants, us.

“Imputed sin” Adams Sin is counted against us in that we have a sin nature, are separated from God, experience physical death, and we sin and live with the effects of sin on our lives.

Thats not fair. We don’t like the idea of imputation because we want to be responsible for only the things that we personally do. If you break the speed limit, I shouldn’t get a ticket also.

BUT even though it does not pass our gut reaction test, this is a reality of human kind.

When President Trump attacks Iran, I attack Iran. I may not agree with him, I may not have voted for him, I may feel like i would have done differently in his shoes but that does not change the fact that as an american citizen, i am tied to the things he does.

When my great great great grandparents moved to Lorain county from Connecticut

I still don’t like it. I still don’t think its fair. Why in the world is Paul even bringing this up in a conversation about hope?

Remember what hope is?

Hope: Certain expectation of a favorable future

To have that kind of hope, we need to be able to come to terms with the current reality.

True hope is not produced by ignoring, or pretending away the problems.

The reality As descendants of our father Adam, we are spiritually dead and physically dying.

The perfect work of Adam # 2 brings life and glory to all who believe

Romans 5:12–21 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.

Jesus Story

Humbled himself for a Miraculous virgin birth

Lived a life without sin

Experienced the same Temptations that Adam faced and we face but more extreme

Philippians 2:5–8 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

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.

Why compare with Adam? To see how great Jesus is in comparison

Jesus is not a jewish messiah he is for sinners of the whole world. Adam comparison takes it back further than Abraham all the way to the source

This is the good side of imputation: “The Life we couldn't live he lived for us. The death we should have died, He died for us. The new life we need, he gives to us.” - Paul David Tripp

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We’re just gonna touch briefly on these last two verses.

If all are sinners and because of Adam we are guilty before God with or without the law. What is even the point of the law?

We’re going to talk about this more in the next couple of weeks in Romans.

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

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.

5:20

BE Good,

vs this is exactly what I expect of you..

If my kids are wild in the store they sinned against the law of dad

BUT if i said do not chase each other up and down the aisles

Do not whine and beg. Walk beside the cart and don’t hang on it. If they specifically do all those things that is outright rebellion on a whole different level

Why do I give them those rules? So they know the expectations, for their safety, for the safety of others (including me), for our testimony. So that they begin to understand for themselves “ok this is what decent, considerate, human behavior looks like”

Morality can not be legislated

Morality can not be educated

So What?

All who are in Adam die - All who are in Christ Live Do you live like you believe this?

Sin is a big deal. Have you dealt with your sin?

Who do you need to pray for and tell?

Are you living your life in hope and joy or sorrow and despair?