2020-05-03 Romans 5.12-14
Notes
Transcript
12 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.
13 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.
14 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.
I. The world as we know it today.
I. The world as we know it today.
12 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.
A. Adam sinned and brought death into the world.
A. Adam sinned and brought death into the world.
12 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.
Illus: When the Coronavirus first became real to us I wanted to answer the question that many people ask. How could God allow such suffering when he is both powerful and loving.
Here is the truth, one day the coronavirus will be in our rear view mirror, there will be something else.
The question of God’s power and love will continue to emerge. The question emerges when a hurricane flattens a city. It emerges when cancer ravages a child. It emerges when a young family struggles to conceive. It emerges when young men walk into schools with automatic rifles.
I have seen many run to say, that these are apocalyptic times… but I don’t think that is a fair or intellectually honest answer.
Health pandemics have been around since the beginning of time. Graveyards are filled with heartbreaking children’s graves. Natural disasters are as old as time. The pages of scripture are filled with women begging God for children. Violence has killed people throughout history.
We are living in normal days. Our days are an example of what we should expect out of this world.
Scripture teaches that when sin was embraced in this world, death took residence. We moved from a world of life to a world of death.
When something like the Rona, or a hurricane or cancer emerge, we as humans act as if they are odd, unusual.
We are living in very normal days produced by a world of death.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope
21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.
B. You sin and follow in Adam’s footsteps.
B. You sin and follow in Adam’s footsteps.
12 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.
Illus: Just as this world follows a pattern of death, as humans, the apple doesn’t fall to far from the tree.
Not only do we follow physically in the pattern of death set by the beginning of time, we follow spiritually in Adam’s footsteps.
It would be easy to look and blame all of this death on Adam. He makes an easy scapegoat. We would all love to play the victim card.
The problem though is that we are not innocent. Yes we are born with a sinful nature, and we make the most of that nature piling sin on top of sin.
Yes, we inherit our sin nature, BUT we also rebelliously live out that sin nature every day.
What Paul is helping you see at this moment is your own guilt.
The self righteous part of us looks and says, but I’m a good person.
The biblicaly honest part of us realizes that there is no one who is good, and we have all lived the ways of the world of sin and death.
14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.
15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
II. Death reigned.
II. Death reigned.
13 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.
14 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.
A. Whether you can label it or not, sin is still sin.
A. Whether you can label it or not, sin is still sin.
13 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.
14 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.
Illus: So… if a tree falls in the forrest and noone hears it, does it still make a sound? Of course it does.
If a human lives in a way that does not honor the authority and character of God and does not know it, is it still sin? Yes.
Before God gave the law, God still had a standard, we as men needed it defined.
When God gave the law it was a gift. Sin was already bringing death, God gave the law so that we could see what was bringing death to our lives.
God did not create the standard of right and wrong when he gave us the law, he defined it. God himself is the standard.
No matter whether it is defined or not, God has given every person what is necessary to know what the difference.
Look at what Paul says earlier in Romans...
12 All who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
13 For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.
14 So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law.
15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them
16 on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.
B. God gave the law so we could see our sin and see our need for Him.
B. God gave the law so we could see our sin and see our need for Him.
13 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.
14 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.
Illus: There was a greater purpose to the law than just showing us our failings.
The reason… with a sinful nature in you, even knowing your failings, you will still fail.
God gave the law so that you would be overwhelmed.
It is important to see the law of God and get to a place of desperation saying, I can’t do it!
God wants you to see you are a failure. He wants you to understand how broken you really are.
Why, because the law was not given without hope. The law points you to your brokenness, and your brokenness points you to God’s salvation.
It wants you to say, I am a descendant of Adam and death. Then… it takes you to the new Adam, Jesus Christ.
7 What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.
22 For in my inner self I delight in God’s law,
23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
III. Death will not reign.
III. Death will not reign.
14 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.
A. Jesus was a second Adam.
A. Jesus was a second Adam.
Illus: We started with a world of death. We talked about how God gave us the law to help us see how overwhelming sin in our lives. We talked about how every person is a participant in death because every person sins.
Are you ready for the good news?
Adam, death, the law, and a world of death are not the ends of God’s plans.
Jesus Christ was born in human flesh, lived the perfect life, died in our place, and conquered death through resurrection to become the perfect Adam.
Right now we are living in the consequences of Adams sins.
One day, when God will destroy this world of death… SO THAT he can recreate it and us in with Jesus Christ as the model. He is the new adam.
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 Like the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; like the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.
49 And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.