The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 5:12-21)‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”

The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 5:12-21)

 
This week we will continue reading chapter 5 verses 12-21 as we ponder Death in Adam and Life in Jesus Christ – Life and Death…

Many theologians consider this to be one of the most difficult passages in the book of Romans. At first reading it sounds intensely complex – and in a sense it is indeed. But in another sense it's wonderfully simple and wonderfully clear. And I think by the time we're finished, you'll have this latter understanding too!
 

Adam: His reign of death

DEATH… First of all, it is important to note that twice in this passage the Apostle Paul repeats the phrase "death reigned."

 

It appears in verse 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 – Romans 5:14

It appears again in verse 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 – Romans 5:17

And in verse 21 it says “sin reigned in death.”

so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord – Romans 5:21

The major lesson that Paul wants to teach here in chapter 5 verse 12 to 21 is that “one” man – Adam – has wickedly affected so many. As you’ll remember, Paul described earlier in chapters 1, 2 and the first half of chapter 3 the awful “sin” nature of man. Then, beginning in the second half of chapter 3, all of chapter 4 and in the first half of chapter 5 (as we read last week), Paul told us how Jesus Christ has “justified” – saved – by His death on the cross all who come to Him in “faith!” 

 

To begin with, we learn that “sin entered the world” through “one man” and then “death spread to all men”

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned – Romans 5:12

Note carefully that it does not say that Adam originated sin. Sin had already existed prior to Adam. The Bible says the devil has “sinned from the beginning”:

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil – 1 John 3:8

We actually find Lucifer’s “original sin” and his resulting rebellious fall from heaven – often referred to as his sinful five “I wills” – brazenly outlined in the book of Isaiah:

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit – Isaiah 14:12-15

Therefore, sin predates Adam! We learn that Adam didn't originate sin, he “learned” it from the one who originated it – the “devil!” Adam merely introduced it into the human realm. That's why Paul says as by “one man” sin entered into kosmos or the human system – mankind. Adam was acting as an introductory point – an “agent” for Satan. Adam was merely a pawn in the devil's attack on God. To state it another way – Satan made the product, Adam just introduced it into the marketplace!

 

Essentially Paul presents Adam acting on behalf of mankind. After all, that is what Adam’s name means – “mankind.” Adam and his wife Eve had become one flesh and would soon introduce rebellion and evil into the entire human race – male and female. Adam therefore is not acting as an individual man – he is acting as mankind. Adam is the cause of “all” mankind becoming sinners. That’s why Paul also tells the Corinthian believers:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive – 1 Corinthians 15:22

Death came as the penalty for “sin” and is the unfailing fruit of the poison that entered Adam's heart. Solidarity and guilt must involve penalty. “Sin” and “death” will never be separated.

At this point, there are a couple of critical questions to consider pertaining to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ:

• Why did Jesus Christ have to be born of a virgin?
• Why did Jesus Christ have to bypass a human father?

Answer: Because if Jesus Christ would have been born through Joseph, He too would have become a fallen sinner! People often ask, "Is the virgin birth important?" Yes! Extremely important!

Then verse 13 says:

For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law – Romans 5:13

Here we see that “sin” cannot be charged – “imputed” – to one's account when there is no “law” available to obey. In other words – how can one be guilty for breaking a “law” if there's no “law” to break? Right?

And then verse 14 says:

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 – Romans 5:14

The main thought here is “death reigned” from “Adam to Moses.” So when God gave the “law” to Moses, did “all” people living before Moses “die?” Yes! Therefore, if “death reigned from Adam to Moses” then “death” is not a result of sin(s) – plural – and it's not a result of breaking a direct commandment. In fact, it's not even a result of violating a direct statement from God – because prior to Moses, the “law” did not exist. In the period of time from “Adam to Moses” there was no “law” and “death reigns” and they're not dying because they broke a “law” – So what is it that's causing them to “die?” The sin nature!

 

This period of history from “Adam to Moses” verifies that men “die” not because they “sin” – it is because they are born with a sin corrupting principle within them. And they're born into the world on their way to hell. But God in His marvelous mercy calls them to Himself! And the conclusion is that we “die” not because of acts of “sin” but because we bear the “sin principle” which ultimately kills us! It's like having cancer eating away at our body till ultimate death occurs. God is calling people back from Death to Life – That's His heart’s desire!

Jesus Christ: His gift of Life!

LIFE… Paul anticipates an argument might formulate and addresses it head-on. How is it that Jesus Christ – one Individual – can accomplish a work which is potentially able to save all men? In order to answer that question, Paul draws an analogy between “Adam” and “Jesus Christ” the “One” that brings us to the second part of Paul’s analogy throughout the balance of this excellent chapter:

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. 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. 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. 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. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord – Romans 5:15-21

The focus is no longer on Adam and his reign of death. Rather it’s now on Jesus Christ and His reign of Life!

This beautiful Truth now becomes the point of interest – the “free gift” of Jesus Christ! Adam's one act brought “sin,” “judgment” and “condemnation.” However, Jesus Christ's one act brought “grace,” “righteousness,” “justification” and “life” – “more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.” Therefore, the effect of these acts are antithetical to one another – the complete opposite! The analogy comes in the idea that one man with one act can affect so many and the effectiveness of Jesus Christ's “gift” is greater than Adam's “sin” offense – “much more!” What then is the practical use of this passage? It is the confident assurance that once we are saved by Jesus Christ we are in Him forever. And that Truth fills our hearts with everlasting “hope!”

 

The Apostle Paul gives five “contrasts” here in these closing passages as he presents Jesus Christ as the One who brings eternal life:

• Contrast in effectiveness = Adam's “offense“ & Jesus Christ's “Gift
• Contrast in extent = Adam's “condemnation” & Jesus Christ's “Justification”
• Contrast in efficacy = Adam’s “death” & Jesus Christ’s “Life
• Contrast in essence = Adam’s “sin” & Jesus Christ’s “Grace”
• Contrast in energy = Adam’s “unrighteousness” & Jesus Christ’s “Righteousness”

Where there was the “reign of death,” God came with His “grace” and overpowered death which is overruled by “life” for all who believe in Jesus Christ!

 

And don’t forget – the Apostle John also says that you can, beyond the shadow of a doubt, “know that you have eternal life”:

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God – 1 John 5:13

Praise the Lord!

 

In closing:

 

Corruption invaded the human realm in the Garden of Eden and no one can escape – no one!

 

As the Apostle Paul previously explained, from Adam on throughout human history, everyone has “sinned”:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23

And I would just like to remind you that we’re not sinners because we “sin.” No! We “sin” because we are sinners! We’re not liars because we lie. We lie because in our hearts we’re liars! One is not a murderer because they kill somebody, they kill because within the heart is murder. Jesus Christ said in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark that it's not that which goes into a man that defiles him, it's that which comes out of him – for out of the heart proceeds evil, murders and so forth…

 

Death is inevitable – it awaits us all. We can fear it or we can anticipate it. It can be the beginning of a worse death forever without God or it can be the beginning of eternal bliss in the presence of the living God! We were there in Adam – we sinned and we will die. But we can also be there in Jesus Christ with the payment of our sins made in His death and we can rise in His resurrection to newness of life. Which will you choose?

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment – Hebrews 9:27

Every one of us should bow before God in humiliating consciousness that we are vile sinners worthy of death. We must realize that apart from the work of Jesus Christ we would be doomed to eternity forever without God because He hates sin.

 

By the way, there are no “first degree” or “second degree” or “third degree” sins. Sin is sin. And one “sin” has potentiality beyond the power of human calculation! I contend that we need God's view of “sin” because it will only be when we get God's view of “sin” that we'll understand just how magnanimous is God's “grace” – AMEN!

Please continue reading verses 12-21 of the fifth chapter of Romans.

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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