Death in Adam, Life in Christ - Rom. 5:12-21
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Oh dear friend, there is no greater love expressed, at any point in history, than what we will talk about today!
This love we speak of is not a what, but a Who - and His name is Jesus.
And this love He proved is like the Amazon River flowing down to water one daisy.
If you will join me this morning, we are going to study Romans 5:12-21 today.
Romans 5:12-21
If you are a guest today, or maybe haven’t worshipped with us in a while, we are studying the book of Romans this year as a church family on Sunday mornings and we are learning how the righteousness of God is given to the unrighteous through faith in the Gospel.
This study to this point has taught us many crucial truths like:
(1:1-7) God’s grace brought us to faith - and real faith always leads to obedience.
(1:8-17) The unrighteous are declared righteous by God’s grace alone through faith alone.
(1:18-32) Mankind's willful blindness to the realities of our Creator has led to wayward beliefs which have led to wicked behavior.
(2:12-16) God alone is our righteous judge. Thankfully the gospel fulfills the Law and spares us from judgement and is therefore our only Hope!
(3) There is no amount of righteousness that we could accomplish to be right with God – we all stand guilty before Him. Thankfully, this truth is countered with the Gospel.
(4) We are made right with God by faith apart from our good deeds.
(5:1-11) Being at peace with God leads us to the peace of God. Therefore, we can rejoice in His provision and rest in His plans.
We know that God is at work in us and around us and that He can be trusted.
Paul concludes in vv. 6-11 of chapter 5, that there was a great exchange so that we could experience peace with God.
Ill: When I was a young boy, I remember seeing a commercial for something that was “free.” And so I asked dad for this “free” item and his reply was, “Son, nothin in life is free. It cost someone, something.”
And he is right.
The exchange that was required for our redemption was Christ.
The righteous for the unrighteous.
The holy for the unholy.
Perfect for imperfection.
Sinless for sinner.
Christ for you, Christ for me.
And in this exchange, Christ took our place.
And in today’s passage (Romans 5:12-21) we see very clearly why Christ came.
You see in Genesis 1 we learn that:
1. God is our Creator:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And because He is our Creator - He is the One who gave us life and being, He sets the parameters of life and we all will give an account of our lives to Him someday.
Not only that, but Romans chapters 1-3 teaches us that:
2. Humanity has rebelled against the Creator and deserves eternal punishment
10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
In fact, this sentence of guilty is a result of what we will find in today’s passage - the fall of Adam and Eve.
Further, we know that No one is exempt from the brokenness that resulted from the fall of Adam and Eve.
But,
3. Jesus came to give those who are dead in sin, life!
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
And although Christ came, as Luke 19:10 says, to seek and save those who are lost, the Bible teaches that:
4. We are called to respond in repentance and faith
Repentance means to turn away from our rebellion against God.It doesn’t mean that we bring an immediate end to our sinning, but that we’ll never again live at peace with our sins - because of it’s severity.
We are also to turn to God in faith.
Faith is reliance. It is a trust in the risen Jesus to save you from your sins.
So that in a nutshell is what this day is all about - God extending grace to the undeserving. And we are going to study that out briefly this morning in Romans 5:12-21
You’ll notice with me two main points in this passage:
1. The Curse of Original Sin (vv. 12-14)
2. The Blessings of Christ’s Victory (vv. 15-21)
First of all, we see the Curse of Original Sin (vv. 12-14)
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
v. 12 - Sin entered the world through Adam - and a result of this sin that entered is death. Therefore the sting of death has spread to all humanity because of Adam, and (according to v. 12) our own sin.
The personal, deliberate act of Adam plunged all the human race into physical and spiritual death. Therefore, all people are born spiritually dead.
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
vv. 13-14 support this understanding further, highlighting that Adam’s sin had such a broad effect because he was the one who would represent all humanity.
And as we learned back in chapter 4, how Abraham demonstrated faith apart from law, Adam demonstrates the existence of sin apart from law.
So for centuries until moses was given the written law (10 Commandments) death reigned because sin was present. God’s moral law has always been written on the hearts of humanity - this is why all of humanity is without excuse.
So, the curse of original sin is the sting of death that has extended to every generation. You and I are not exempt from the curse - because of sin, we deserve physical and spiritual death.
In Adam, we all deserve death. We all deserve eternal separation from God. We have broken the law of God that is written on our hearts, and we are without excuse.
Before a holy righteous God, we are unholy and unrighteous - the curse of original sin is everywhere and effects everyone.
HOWEVER, the story doesn’t end there!
In vv. 15-21 we see The blessings of Christ’s Victory!
15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1. There is a Stark Contrast between the Two Representatives
The first Adam failed - He broke God’s law and sin and death and condemnation spread to all men - and because of this, we are guilty too.
The final Adam - Christ - was victorious - He fulfilled the law, was sinless and perfect - and substituted His perfection for our imperfection - dying on the cross taking our place.
2. There is also a stark contrast between the two outcomes
(v. 15) But the free gift is not like the offense.
(v. 16) And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned.
(v. 17) By Adam’s offense, death reigned
(v. 18) Judgement came to all men resulting in condemnation
(v. 19) one man’s disobedience made us sinners
So the outcome of Adam as our representative was the reign of death, judgement, condemnation, disobedience and the label of sinner - of which we are all guilty.
Yet, through Christ:
(v. 15) grace was extended
(v. 16) the gift of this grace resulted in justification (being made right with God)
(v. 17) righteousness reigns in life
(v. 18-19) Through the obedience of Christ, many unrighteous will be made righteous
So, instead of the reign of death, judgement, condemnation, and sin - of which we are all guilty, Christ extended grace resulting in justification leading to the reign of righteousness.
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus brought victory over death, hell, and the grave to those who will respond in faith.
Now, Paul makes note in vv. 20-21 of the purpose of the law (10 Commandments of God).
That purpose is so that our offences may be increased or brought to a greater light. Centuries after the fall of humanity, God gave a list of principles to show us that we can’t be righteous on our own.
Ultimately, Christ fulfilled the Law and where the law of God showcases the boldness of your sin - v. 20 teaches that Grace is that much more bold.
The brightness of your failures pale in comparison to His grace.
And this abundance grace (according to v. 21) is through Jesus Christ alone.
As we gather on this Easter, don’t miss the point of the day or the point of this passage.
On your own - in your own goodness. In your effort to be a better person. In your striving to change - in your dependence on self - you are hopeless, because you are still in Adam. Sin and death reins in your life. The curse of original sin has engulfed and frankly you can’t change that. You are declared guilty, and the outcome of you staying in your sin is eternal death.
However, In Christ - there is victory!
The resurrection of Christ proclaims His unfathomable love for you. And although you and I don’t deserve it - Christ gives grace in exchange for condemnation and life in exchange for death.
Weekly Focus: