Untitled Sermon (4)

We are sinful, death-deserving descendants of Adam. Ask for a student volunteer to read Romans 5:12-14. Paul observed that death is everywhere. Ultimately, this death came from sin, and sin came “through one man”—Adam (Romans 5:12). Paul here referred back to Genesis 3, the story of how the world’s first humans disobeyed God. In that passage, the serpent deceived Eve to eat fruit from a forbidden tree, the one thing she had been instructed not to do. She eventually succumbed to the serpent, ate the fruit, and gave it to her husband to eat (Genesis 3:6). God cursed them for their disobedience (Genesis 3:16-19), and this curse lingers with us today.

Perhaps some of Paul’s readers would recall what Paul wrote earlier that “where there is no law there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). Adam and Eve lived, sinned, and died before God gave Moses the Law. Was Paul contradicting himself? Paul anticipated this objection by saying that “sin indeed was in the world before the law was given” and death along with it (Romans 5:13). The Law makes us aware of our sin, as we will see, but we are sinful either way. Because whether we have these rules or not, we are sinful, death-deserving descendants of Adam.

Paul’s discussion here is heavy, complicated stuff. Why do the actions of one old dead guy matter to me? In some way, Adam was a representative head for all humans, much like the President is the head of the United States or a CEO is the head of a company. Since he was the head, we all endured the consequences when he sinned. But make no mistake—we are no mere innocent bystanders. If we were in Adam’s place, we would have sinned too. And we prove our rebellion by actively sinning every day.

In all of this heady talk about theology, it is too easy to miss the painful reality to which these truths are pointing—namely that sin is real, and it pervades our lives and world. After all, we make bad decisions and act selfishly. We do what we should not and fail to do what we should.

And our sin leads to severe consequences. First, our sin affects our own lives. Sin pushes us away from God, enslaves us, slowly suffocates us, and deludes us to its true consequences. Second, our sin affects others. It ruins lives, severs relationships, creates painful wounds, and leads to unjust oppression. As a result, sin is ugly, painful, addictive, and distortive. Our lives and the world are messed up because we are sinful, death-deserving descendants of Adam.

In what ways are you sinful? Read and discuss the following passages: Romans 3:23, 6:23 and 1 John 1:8-10.

We can become righteous, life-receiving followers of Jesus through His grace. Ask for a student volunteer to read Romans 5:15-19. But God has not left us in our sinfulness. He has given us a new representative, Jesus, via a “free gift” (Romans 5:15). Paul next explored this free gift to show that Jesus is superior to Adam in every way.

He made his points with a series of specific comparisons. Many died by Adam’s sin, but many receive grace by Jesus (Romans 5:15). Adam’s one sin declared us guilty, but Jesus’ free gift declares us righteous (Romans 5:16, 18). Death reigned through Adam, but life reigns through Christ (Romans 5:17). Ultimately, Adam’s act of disobedience made all people sinners, but Jesus’ one act of obedience makes many righteous (Romans 5:19). Yes, we are sinful. But we can become righteous, life-receiving followers of Jesus through His grace.

Paul’s discussion of Adam in Romans 5:12-14 revealed the downside to someone being our representative—that we are condemned because of one man’s disobedience. But these verses reveal the glorious upside—that we can be restored by one Man’s obedience.

If Adam disobeyed and Jesus obeyed, we would expect these two actions to cancel each other out. But that is not what happened because Jesus is better than Adam in every way. First, Jesus is better than Adam because of who He is. Adam was a mere man, but Jesus was God become Man. Second, Jesus is better than Adam because of what He did. Jesus took away the penalty for our sins by absorbing on the cross the death, punishment, and condemnation that we deserve. Thus He created a new community of people. We no longer have to be under Adam; we can be under Christ.

Are you under Adam or Christ? In order for this truth about Jesus’ grace to have any significance for you, you must switch allegiances by turning from your sins and trusting Jesus. Paul later explained that “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” (Romans 10:9). You cannot earn this free gift, buy it, or deserve it. You must simply trust Jesus.

Have you accepted Jesus’ “free gift”? Read and discuss the following passages: 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Philippians 3:8-11; and Titus 3:3-7.

The Law shows us our sinfulness and our need for Jesus. Ask for a student volunteer to read Romans 5:20-21. In the previous section, Paul downplayed the importance of the Law. After all, sin existed before God gave the Law (Romans 5:13). But the Law is still important because it “came in to increase the trespass” (Romans 5:20). Paul does not mean that it makes us sin more; rather, he means that the Law reveals the extent of our sin. When we compare ourselves to God’s standards, we quickly realize that we fall far short.

But we are never too sinful for God’s grace. “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” Paul explained (Romans 5:20). And just as sin led to death, God’s grace gives us a righteousness that leads to eternal life (Romans 5:21). As a result, following the Law cannot save us. Instead, it shows us how much we need that “free gift.”

Perhaps you think you are a pretty good person. Maybe you mess up on occasion, but on the whole you are not that bad. To find out if your assessment is accurate, compare your conduct with the conduct required in the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20:1-17. Do you worship other gods—that is, do you give anything greater prominence in your life than God (Exodus 20:3)? Have you ever taken “the name of the LORD your God in vain”—not just by using it as a curse word, but by speaking carelessly about Him (Exodus 20:7)? Do you always “honor your father and your mother” (even when they are aggravating, out of touch, and controlling) (Exodus 20:12)? Have you ever committed adultery—which Jesus defines as even lusting after someone (Exodus 20:14; Matthew 5:28)? Have you ever stolen, lied, or experienced jealousy (Exodus 20:15-17)? If we are honest with ourselves, we fail this simple test at every point. We may claim to be good people, but the Law shows us that we are far more sinful than we could ever imagine.

But God’s grace is far more abundant than we could ever deserve. When we confess these sins to God, turn from them, and place our faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we can receive His grace. And instead of gaining death, we will gain Christ’s righteousness and eternal life. The Law shows us our need, and Jesus fulfills it completely.

In what ways do you fall short of God’s commands? How does this answer show you your need for Jesus? Read and discuss the following passages: Exodus 20:1-17 and Psalm 25:11.

Because of Adam’s disobedience, we are sinful and deserve death. But because of Jesus’ obedience, we can become righteous and receive eternal life. God’s Law shows us how sinful we are, and it points us to Jesus, our only solution.