To Which Man Do You Belong? Adam or Christ?
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This passage forces us to ask one critical question- what is the nature of your relationship with Christ? Your answer to this question makes all the difference in the world.
Being in a relationship with someone can bring with that union several key advantages.
Illustration: Being someone’s pastor during COVID times was sometimes enough to gain me the privilege of access to that person’s hospital room. My position of pastor carried with it several key advantages.
This is the key thing you must ask yourself- with whom are you in relationship with? And what advantages or disadvantages does that relationship carry with it?
In Romans 5:12-21 Paul tells us that you are either in a relationship with Adam (the first man), or you are in a relationship with Christ (the second Adam). You either belong to Adam, which carries with it certain ramifications, or you belong to Christ, which carries with it certain ramifications.
To which man do you belong? Adam or Christ? And what ramifications does that relationship carry with it?
The ultimate aim of Paul’s argument in vv. 12-21 is to give proof that the believer is guaranteed future glorification, or future salvation from God’s wrath, or future eternal life.
The point that Paul picks up is found in vv. 9-10 of Romans 5.
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God- future tense
we shall be saved by his life- future tense
Speaking of that which is yet to come, final deliverance from the wrath of God come judgement day, and future eternal life- how do we know that believers will receive such blessings?
It all depends to whom you belong.
Paul is teaching us that all people stand in relationship to one of two men, whose actions determine the eternal destiny of all who belong to them.
What will happen to you one day when you stand before God as judge? Will you be saved from God’s wrath? Will you be be assured of eternal life?
How can you know the outcome of your eternal destiny?
There are several truths you must know and believe in order to confidently answer that question.
I. You must acknowledge that your relationship with Adam brings death (vv. 12-14)
I. You must acknowledge that your relationship with Adam brings death (vv. 12-14)
If you are to have confidence that one day you will be saved from the wrath of God, that you will be saved by the life of Jesus Christ, then you must acknowledge that your relationship or your union with the first Adam brings you death.
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—
A. Sin entered into the world through one man
A. Sin entered into the world through one man
Romans 5:12 (ESV)
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man
This is a reference to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
At the moment of Adam’s disobedience sin entered into the world. Before the fall sin did not exist anywhere. God’s creation was perfect- it was very good. But, that all changed when Adam and Eve took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Through Adam, through one man- sin came into the world.
B. Because of sin death also entered into the world
B. Because of sin death also entered into the world
Romans 5:12 (ESV)
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin
This is a reference to the curse.
17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Because of Adam’s sin God pronounced a curse on the entire creation. The ground itself is cursed, the plants and the animals are cursed. But, most importantly for our discussion- Adam was cursed. He was cursed to die- “you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Before the fall presumable Adam would have lived forever in perfect holiness. But after the fall God cursed the very nature of Adam. His nature became corrupted with sin and as a result of that sin corruption he was susceptible to death. There is certainly a reference to physical death here, but I also think there is a reference to spiritual death. Man is now tainted by sin and that sin brings estrangement from God and if not healed will lead to eternal death in hell.
C. Because of Adam’s corrupted sin nature death has spread to everyone
C. Because of Adam’s corrupted sin nature death has spread to everyone
Romans 5:12 (ESV)
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men
Everyone is physically connected to Adam. He is the father of the human race. There is only one race by the way. There are not many different races determined by one’s nationality or skin color. There is simply one race- the human race. And what determines you inclusion in the human race is your physical connection with the first man— Adam.
But through Adam death has spread to all men. When Adam sinned God cursed him. The nature of Adam was cursed and it became a corrupted sin nature. When God cursed Adam He effectively cursed the entire human race. All of the potential for the human race existed inside of Adam at the moment of the curse. And so everyone with a direct physical descent from Adam inherits by birth the same corrupted sin nature that Adam had. “Death spread to all men.” In other words, because you are physically connected to Adam, you are physically united with Adam, death has spread to you- you have inherited a corrupted sin nature.
Simply put you are a sinner by birth. You are not simply a sinner once you commit a sin. The Bible teaches that you are born a sinner because of you connection to Adam.
Aside: this is a very important verse for theology. It deals with what we call the imputation of Adam’s sin. There are several different ways of understanding this verse. I believe this way to be the best, but you can study it out for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
D. We know that death has spread to everyone because all sin
D. We know that death has spread to everyone because all sin
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—
All people are born with a corrupted sin nature. How do we know that? Because all sin. This bears evidence that their natures are corrupt. You are not only a sinner by birth, but you are also a sinner by choice. And your choice to sin demonstrates that you have inherited a corrupted sin nature from Adam, and that through Adam you have also inherited death.
Both physical death and spiritual death- because of your physical connection to Adam and your own choice to sin you have inherited death- that is estrangement from God, and if not healed it will lead to eternal death in hell.
Illustration: A. A. Hodge of Princeton used to illustrate this by saying “if dice, thrown 1,000 times, always turn up sixes, you say the dice are loaded. So with babies. They come into the world as thick as those flakes of snow today: and they always come ‘sin up’ . . . the dice are loaded.”
Application: Have you acknowledged that you are a sinner- both by birth and by choice? Do you understand that because of sin death has spread to you? Your sin estranges you from God and if your sin problem is not cured it will result in eternal death in hell.
In order to have confidence in the outcome of your eternal destiny you must acknowledge these truths. Have you done so? I’ve met people who believe that they are basically good.
The recent school shooting in Uvlade, TX.
Shortly before the shooter drove to Robb Elementary School and killed 21 people, he shot his grandmother in the face at their home, piercing her jaw and upper cheek.
The shooter’s tearful father said in an interview with The Daily Beast: “I just want the people to know I’m sorry man, [for] what my son did,” saying that his son is “a good person” who “stuck to himself.”
The truth is that none of us are good people! We are all corrupted to our very core with the sin nature- death and corruption has spread to everyone of us, and we all sin! We all deserve the righteous wrath of God for our sin. We must acknowledge this truth!
VV. 13-14 are transitional verses to guide Paul’s argument in the rest of the passage.
13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.
All people are sinners- they are born that way and they eventually willfully and knowingly choose to sin. Even those people who lived before God gave the Mosaic law were sinners. Sin was in the world before the law was given, yet sin cannot be charged to a person’s account when there is no law. Thus, some kind of law, some kind of moral code, existed in the days before Moses. Perhaps, as in Romans 2:14, when people who do not have the law, by nature (by their own conscience which reflects the image of God within them), do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the 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.
Nevertheless, even though the law was not given, death reigned from Adam to Moses. And because death reigned (ruled over people like a king) we know that sin was in the world. Even though those who have sinned since Adam did not commit the same kind of transgression that Adam commited. Adam’s transgression is unique and it qualifies him to become a type (an OT person who has a divinely intended function that prefigures in some way a NT reality). Adam’s transgression in some way prefigured some NT reality related to Christ. No other person’s sin was like Adam’s. In what way does Adam’s transgression prefigure Christ? And how does that help us to gain confidence in our eternal destiny?
How can you know the outcome of your eternal destiny?
You must acknowledge that your relationship with Adam brings death.
II. You must understand that the free gift of Christ is greater than Adam’s trespass (vv. 15-16)
II. You must understand that the free gift of Christ is greater than Adam’s trespass (vv. 15-16)
If you are to have confidence that one day you will be saved from the wrath of God, that you will be saved by the life of Jesus Christ, then you must understand that the free gift of God’s grace give through Jesus Christ is greater, in every way, than the trespass of Adam’s sin.
You must also understand how Adam is a type of Christ- this is very important for you to grasp. Paul is going to explain exactly how Adam divinely prefigures Christ.
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.
A. How does Adam prefigure Christ?
A. How does Adam prefigure Christ?
In what way is Adam like Christ? And why is it so important to understand this similarity?
Adam like Christ Illustration
Do you see the similarity? By ONE MAN’s trespass---the MANY died. There is a connection between the many and Adam’s trespass. So, by the grace of the ONE MAN Jesus Christ abounded to the MANY. There is a connection between the MANY and the ONE MAN. You are either connected / in relationship with / united to Adam (by physical birth) alone. Or you have a new connection, you are in a superior relationship, there is a far better union that you can enjoy. You can be united to Jesus Christ!
This truth hits at the heart of what Paul is trying to say in this passage. It is the title of the sermon—To which man do you belong? To Adam or to Christ? Are you in united with Adam or are you united with Christ? The ramifications of this question are profound! It will determine your eternal destiny. But key to note here is how Adam is like Christ. You can belong to Adam in a similar to how you can belong to Christ. Belonging to Adam has significant ramifications. Belonging to Christ has significant ramifications.
B. How is Adam not like Christ?
B. How is Adam not like Christ?
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.
Adam Not Like Christ Illustration
Notice how the free gift is not like the trespass. If you are connected to the one man Adam, and to his trespass (you have a corrupted sin nature), then your relationship brings death. The many died through one man’s trespass.
But, HOW MUCH MORE (idea is FAR SUPERIOR!) is free gift than the trespass. If you are connected to the one man Jesus Christ and to his free gift (you have received the grace of God and the free gift and the grace of Jesus Christ—far better!), then your relationship brings an abounding! We are not told yet what this abounding is. But notice the contrast— connection to Adam brings death. Connection to Jesus Christ brings grace—abounding grace!
And Paul’s point here is that the free gift of Jesus Christ is far better than the trespass. Adam’s trespass brings only death, but the far better free gift through Jesus Christ undoes the death of the trespass and abounds with God’s grace!
Look at v. 16
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.
Now Paul is going to compare the results of the one man’s sin and the free gift.
What are the results of the one man’s sin?
For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, lit. “for on the one hand judgement from one unto condemnation.”
If you are connected to Adam and his sin the results of that connection are judgement and condemnation.
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Everyone will stand before God in judgment one day. And if you are only connected to Adam and to his sins, if you have rejected God’s free gift of grace through Jesus Christ, the result of that judgement will bring condemnation. That is God will issues a guilty verdict. His righteousness and justice will allow for no other verdict. You will stand before God in guilt and He will condemn you to eternal death- you will be cast into the lake of fire forever and ever.
We just read about the lake of fire in our family devotions. Jesus describes the place in Mark 9.
43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.
47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’
The flip side is, if you are connected to Christ and have received the free gift the results of that connection is justification. That is, the moment you receive the free gift of God’s salvation he declares you righteous. He declares you NOT GUILTY.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Illustration: If you like the game of football, you have a choice to make as to which NFL team you want to cheer for. And you connection to that team will have certain consequences.
If you choose to become a Green Bay Packer fan you can have a reasonable hope that your team might win a championship. The Packer’s have won 13 championships in their history. The last one was back in 2010. I remember the day after the big game talking with some of my coworkers. They would say things like, “can you believe we won?” Their connection to the Packers brought them a certain amount of joy (however fleeting).
If you choose to become a Vikings fan however, you can look forward to a lifetime of disappointment. Twice in my lifetime the Vikings have come to the very brink of going to the championship game. The first time they missed a point blank field goal, and the second a certain quarterback through an interception in the 4th quarter that costs us the game. The Vikings have never in their history won a championship game! You connection to the Vikings brings with it a certain amount of hopelessness and despair. And yet, I’m still a Viking’s fan—thanks Dad!
This brings us back to our very important question- to whom do you belong? If you are connected with Adam it brings with it sin and death. It brings judgement and condemnation. If you are connected with Christ it brings with it the abounding grace of God and justification! To which man do you belong? Are you united with Adam or are you united with Christ?
How can you tell? What do you need to do be united with Christ?
And how can you know the outcome of your eternal destiny?
You must acknowledge that your relationship with Adam brings death.
You must understand that the free gift of Christ is greater than Adam’s trespass.
III. You must receive the free gift of righteousness through a relationship with Jesus Christ (v. 17)
III. You must receive the free gift of righteousness through a relationship with Jesus Christ (v. 17)
If you are to have confidence that one day you will be saved from the wrath of God, that you will be saved by the life of Jesus Christ, then you must receive the free gift of righteousness offered to you through a relationship / a connection / a union with Jesus Christ.
A. Death has already reigned through Adam’s trespass
A. Death has already reigned through Adam’s trespass
Romans 5:17 (ESV)
17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man,
If / then argument. What is Paul attempting to argue for?
If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through one man.
Paul is stating an observable fact of life. Because of the one man’s trespass death already has reigned through one man. That is an observable fact. It is demonstrably true that death has reigned. What do you mean? Everyone dies. It is a fact of life. Why do people die? Because of the curse. How did people inherit the curse? Through their connection / union / relationship with “that one man,” in other words because of their physical connection to Adam. Adam commited a trespass (he ate the fruit), as a result of the trespass God cursed Adam. Because we are in union with Adam (physically), the curse has already spread to all men, and therefore death reigns.
Paul is proving that being in union with Adam has affected everyone. Union to Adam matters!
B. Life will reign through Jesus’ free gift
B. Life will reign through Jesus’ free gift
Romans 5:17 (ESV)
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.
Paul has already demonstrated that it is possible, because of one’s connection with Adam, for death to reign. We already know that being in union with Adam caused death to spread and to reign to everyone. If that is true--- then how much more WILL (future tense) those who receive the abundance / overflow of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ!
If only one man’s trespass was able to effect everyone and cause death to reign, what can the one man’s free gift of righteousness and the overflow of grace accomplish? It will cause life to reign instead!
Illustration: When I was little my dad had a small 14 ft Lund fishing boat with a 25 hsp tiller motor on the back. I am not sure how, but that little boat and engine was able to pull those who were connected to it out of the water so that they could water ski.
Now my dad has a 19 ft Lund ProV with a 200 hsp motor on the back. If the little 25 hsp engine could pull those connected to it out of the water, what do you think the 200 hsp motor could do? How much more capable would it be. If you are holding on the the tow rope of that engine what do you think your connection to that motor could do for you?
Just last week I took Oliver out on my dad’s boat and we went tubing and skiing. As we were flying across the water at about half speed I asked Oliver, “Oliver, how fast do you think we are going?” Now when you are riding in a boat and you are bouncing on the waves and the wind is whistling through your ears, and the engine is roaring in the background, things feel a lot faster that they really are. So Oliver answers, “Umm, about 150.” We were actually going about 30 mph.
If the 25 hsp engine could pull people connected to it, how much more can the 200 hsp engine pull people connected to it?
If one man’s trespass caused death to reign for everyone connected to the one man Adam, how much more WILL the overflow of God’s grace and the free gift of righteousness cause life to reign for everyone connected to the one man Jesus Christ?
While the effects of Adam’s trespass, that is the reign of death, spread to all people, who is effected by the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness? Will everyone be effected by them? No- not everyone. Who will be effected? Only those who receive the free gift of righteousness. If you receive the free gift of righteousness which is available only through the one man Jesus Christ, then life will reign over you instead of death.
Have you received the abundance of God’s grace and the free gift of righteousness through the one man Jesus Christ? You receive this free gift through faith. By placing you faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation. You can do that right now- trust Jesus alone for your salvation. Ask Jesus to save you. Tell Him you want to receive his free gift of righteousness. Believe that he can save you and that life WILL reign over you for ever and ever.
Notice if you have received this free gift of righteousness, if you are now in union with the one man Jesus Christ, then the promise is- life WILL now reign over you. The assurance of your salvation is entirely dependent upon, not your ability, but your being in union with Christ. And all you have to do to be in union with Christ is receive his free gift of salvation through faith!
The assurance of your salvation is not dependent upon your performance, but upon your relationship with Jesus Christ! It is the overflow of God’s grace and the free gift of Christ’s righteousness that WILL cause life to reign over you. That is a wonderful promise! That is the beauty of God’s grace!
How can you know the outcome of your eternal destiny?
You must acknowledge that your relationship with Adam brings death.
You must understand that the free gift of Christ is greater than Adam’s trespass.
You must receive the free gift of righteousness through a relationship with Jesus Christ
IV. You must trust your future glorification to the obedience of Christ on your behalf (vv. 18-19)
IV. You must trust your future glorification to the obedience of Christ on your behalf (vv. 18-19)
If you are to have confidence that one day you will be saved from the wrath of God, that you will be saved by the life of Jesus Christ, then you must trust in the obedience of Christ on your behalf.
A. Saving faith is objective in nature
A. Saving faith is objective in nature
It is not about merely having faith- but what you put your faith in that matters for salvation.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
One trespass (Adam’s sin in the garden) led to condemnation (a guilty verdict) for all men.
So one act of righteousness (what is that one act?) leads to justification (a not guilty verdict) and life for all men.
What matters in saving faith is trusting in Jesus’ one act of righteousness. That must be the object of your faith! What is this one act of righteousness?
B. The object of saving faith is the one man’s obedience
B. The object of saving faith is the one man’s obedience
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.
One man’s disobedience (Adam’s sin in the garden) the many (everyone who is connected to Adam) were made sinners. Who is connected to Adam? Everyone. How? By birth. Just by being born and thus being connected to Adam you were made sinners!
Did you have any choice in being made a sinner? Notice the passive idea of this verb. You were made a sinner, how? It is your connection to Adam. You are connected to Adam by birth. You inherited a sinful nature when you were born, just as your parents inherited a sinful nature when they were born, and so on all the way back to Adam!
By the one man’s disobedience the many were MADE sinners!
But by one man’s obedience (what obedience?) the many will be made righteousness.
Here is your greatest need- you need to be MADE righteousness. You don’t make yourself righteous, you need to be made righteous by someone else. You have already been made a sinner by Adam, now you need a greater Adam, a second Adam, Jesus Christ to make you righteousness. You cannot do that on your own.
How is someone MADE righteous? By placing your faith in the one man’s obedience. By the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
What is the one man’s obedience? What must be the object of our faith?
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.
Illustration: Two different swing sets:
Cushing park- made of wood, older, the top frame beam moved around when I tried to swing.
Imagination Station- made of metal, newer, never felt the frame even give slightly when I tried to swing.
Which swing-set do you think I trusted more? Which swing-set became the object of my trust? Why?
The object of your faith must be Jesus Christ- specifically the obedience of Jesus- which was his death on a cross. When Jesus died on the cross, he did not die for his own sins. He died for your sins and for mine. He paid the penalty that we all deserve (death) for our sins, so that we would not have to die. This is why we can be justified. We can be declared not guilty because Jesus already paid the penalty for our guilt. He died to pay for our sins. And now he offers a free gift to us by his grace. He is offering you the forgiveness of your sins. And all you need to do is receive this free gift by faith.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
My friend, to whom do you belong? Do you belong to Adam or Christ? If you have never been born again, if you have never entered into a new relationship with Christ, if you have never been united to Christ I invite you to do that right now. Put you faith in Christ. Pray and tell Jesus that you want to receive his free gift of salvation. Tell him you are a sinner by birth and by choice, admit that you are deserving of death. Ask him to forgive you. Put your trust in his obedient work on the cross, in his burial, and in his resurrection from the dead.
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead and you will be saved.
If you already have trusted Christ as Savior- I want you to notice something very important in this text.
Remember our question?
What will happen to you one day when you stand before God as judge? Will you be saved from God’s wrath? Will you be be assured of eternal life?
How can you know the outcome of your eternal destiny?
Your connection with Jesus- your spiritual union with Christ- is the guarantee of your future glorification.
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.
Notice the future tense- much more WILL those … reign in life THROUGH the one man Jesus Christ. If you are united with Christ you WILL one day reign in life. Your future glorification is determined by your union with Christ!
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.
The many WILL be made righteous! You WILL be made righteous one day. Positionally God has declared you righteous. But one day practically you WILL be MADE righteous. You will be glorified. How? By the one man’s obedience. If you are united to Christ, you share in all of the benefits of the obedience of that one man. So, if you are united to Christ you can know for certain that his obedience will cause you to be made righteous one day!
Paul grounds our future hope in our union with Christ. If you understand this how much will that impact the way you live now? Next time we will dive into chapter 6 and we will explore more and more how our understanding of this vital union with Christ effects every aspect of our daily lives.
How can you know the outcome of your eternal destiny?
You must acknowledge that your relationship with Adam brings death.
You must understand that the free gift of Christ is greater than Adam’s trespass.
You must receive the free gift of righteousness through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
You must trust your future glorification to the obedience of Christ on your behalf.
To which man do you belong? Adam or Christ.
If you still belong to Adam- trust Christ today!
If you belong to Christ- think deeply and dwell richly on how your union with Christ impacts your past, present, and future.
What a wonder of wonders that I should be made worthy to be untied to Jesus Christ! He is my ALL THINGS. Anything good and worthy of praise comes from my union with Christ! He is my hope, my joy, my hope of life eternal. He is Jesus! Do you know him? Are you untied with him?