Well, I invite you to turn to Romans chapter 5 tonight. Romans chapter 5, we come to a very crucial section in chapter 5 that I don't think it would be wise to break up, because we would miss the sort of flow of thought that is here. It's a little more dense than usual, but I think you'll see, hopefully if you can stay with the train of thought here, you'll see how wonderful a message is being given to us about the last Adam in contrast with the failure of the first Adam. So that's the explanation that's being given to us tonight. We'll pick up at verse 12 tonight at Romans chapter 5.
"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 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 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. 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. 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. 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. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness led to justification in life for all men. 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. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
And there we'll end the reading of God's Word.
Well, Paul has been making a remarkable claim about the atonement and the death of Jesus Christ. Remember what we considered last time: while we were still weak, while we were enemies, while we were helpless, Christ died for the ungodly. Christ died for sinners. What an amazing truth! We say so much. We speak so much about this. We speak so much about the death of Christ, what Christ's death is for us, that Christ has died for us. We talk about the Christian gospel, and inevitably leads to talking about the death of Jesus Christ. But we want to think a little bit tonight with Paul about what it actually accomplished. We want to go a little deeper into that and look a little more theologically at the death of Christ. What is the what is one of the great points the apostle makes about the death. of christ tonight think about what the heidelberg says that It's not a regular death. it's Not a regular death not just any death would do.
I was thinking of something like Psalm 49, that must have been a shocking statement for Israel to to: listen to "No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him. The ransom for a life is costly; no payment is ever enough." In general, that's true, isn't it? It's what we say in our Heidelberg: we can't provide atonement for each other. Everyone's a sinner. This is a great problem.
Well, I want you to notice the claim tonight here. Um, in verse 11 we back up just a minute if you'll notice in verse 11, actually verse 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, we shall be saved by His life." Now, that translation "by His life," I don't think is as helpful as it could be. What it should read is: we shall be saved in His life. In His life we're looking at sort of a great theme of union with Christ. We're looking at being in Him, we're looking at being in Jesus Christ, and what that means for us.
How did that happen? Um, what did the death of Christ actually accomplish? We've been we talk about things, you might say, subjectively: how I experienced them. I repent and I believe the gospel, and I'm justified in time by faith alone in Christ. I believe the gospel. Paul has been wanting to look at this more objectively. What actually took place in the transaction? What did it all mean for us? What was done in AD 30 when Jesus said, "It's finished"? What kind of transaction took place? These are the questions on his mind. He wants to make sure we have some understanding of this.
If you and I, you know, struggling to understand how the death of Christ, what it did for me back in AD 30 in the month of Nisan when he said, "It's finished," and he breathed this: last. Paul's having us think about this. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." When did Christ die? What happened? Well, you say, Romans 5.1, well it brought peace with God. Amen! "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God." Having been justified by faith but how? Um, this is a great question for Christianity to answer: Why did Jesus have to die? How is it even possible with the psalm that he died in the place of somebody else? He obviously is the only worthy one to do it. He's truly God and truly man. Well, you could say immediately that God's justice demands it. But what then did it accomplish? What did it accomplish? How could Jesus Christ give his life in exchange for ours when oh one else can do this for another? These are important questions that Paul is having us and taking us a little deeper into the death of Christ. And tonight he does something very simple for us. Even though that's a complex passage that I read, please stay with me. Don't go to sleep! It's not the passage that's boring. It would be Pastor gordon that's the fault here, okay? The passage is great.
Jesus was the federal head of his people, just as Adam was the federal head, if you will, of all the human race. So that Jesus did something for us, on our behalf, just like Adam did. Now, that's a very basic point that I think we can grasp and get tonight as we look at this.
And he begins that reflection in verse 12. Notice what verse 12 says: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, Adam, right? And death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned." That's remarkable: all sin, all sin!
Now, what happens here is is to sort of look at the structure. Paul begins a thought, and then he stops, and he it's not a tangent but he has things he wants to interject here and then he comes back to concluding it in verse 18. So verses 12 and 18 belong together really, but he has an interjection of some thoughts in between. It's kind of like what we do with speaking. It would be just this example tonight: "I'm going to preach to you all in Romans 5 tonight to explain the deep work of the death of Christ for you. Now, I know what some of you are thinking that this is going to be heavy, and we're going to get a big doctrinal lecture but I really want you to stay focused and do your best to pay attention, because if you do so, you'll be immediately encouraged in your understanding of your salvation. Therefore..." See? He does that kind of thing here. He begins something, he interjects some thoughts, and he comes back to the "therefore" to bring it together. That's important tonight to see the structure.
So he summarizes a main point, and we should get that first. He's explaining what the death of Christ means for us. What happened in the death of Christ? And he raises something to explain it about the nature of sin. How did you become a sinner? Well, there's a good question: How did we become sinners? How did sin enter the world? No one is born neutral. We have this inherited sinful nature. That's indisputable if we're awake at all to just how we are. This is so important.
Paul says this here: "Through one man, and through that one man's sin, death came upon all men. Because, notice, they all sinned." The curse that we experience of sin came by one man. One man. You notice this very important phrase at the end of verse 12: "Therefore, just as sin came in the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned." Now, if you're reading in the original, you know that the tense that's used here is stating an action that happened. We all did it. Aorist tense, if you will. We all did it. We all sinned. So what he's saying is, very simply: When Adam sinned, we all sinned.
Maybe for the boys and girls. I had someone explain this to me when I was a young child, and I said, first thing I said, I remember saying it. This has been used a million times by people, but, "Well, that's just not fair." And the teacher rightly said, "Well, Chris, would you have done better?" And I said, "I hope so." The reality is, I would not have. You would not have. We are no different than Adam. Uh, he's human nature, but think of it: in his state of perfection, all those things that he was tempted with, that he fell into we would have done no better. He was commanded to not eat the fruit that God had commanded him not to eat. And Paul is saying this: Through that one action that was our action when it happened, even though we weren't there with him the curse and the process of death began at that moment, because all sinned, all sinned in Adam. That's what he's saying here.
Sin was imputed to his it was reckoned to his account and the whole human race from that point on has been guilt, has received the same guilt and the corruption that Adam had. All we have done from that time is not only inherit that original sin, that original guilt, that corruption, but we have sinned. that That's been the course of history for everyone. Now, you don't begin teaching your children how to sin. Um, I remember maybe I've used this before when I brought my daughter home from the hospital, my firstborn daughter, um, she screamed so hard on the changing table. I mean, it was already a great victory that I was at the changing table, but I was. And um, I remember she was so angry the first day we brought her home from the hospital, and I yelled to Darcy, "Get in here! She's so mad at me! She's dying!" And then I handed the diaper to her because I didn't know what to do. I changed diapers. Darcy will say not enough, but you get the point. We come out of the womb. Home. David said, "In sin my mother conceived me."
Well, the curse and original sin original sin is that teaching that mankind is joined to Adam in both the guilt and the corruption of his first sin. Now, that's important. This has been fought all throughout history, this teaching. It's not been accepted. If we don't get this, we miss the entire comparison. Most people they really, today, really struggle with the notion that we're held accountable for Adam's sin. Most evangelical teaching on this says we're responsible for our own sin, not Adam's sin. And it, it comes about when we learn sin or commit sin personally. Adam made the choice to sin and suffered the consequences. And so that same thing is true for us: when we make the choice to sin and suffer the consequences. That's kind of standard Pelagian teaching. That's what the church has always wrestled with.
Pelagians believe that Adam's sin put us all in a position of being able to sin. But that's not what's said here. Notice that: When Adam sinned, Adam's sin was itself the sin of all people. Adam's sin in no way, Pelagius said, you know, in some of the later writers, made humans corrupt. But instead, over the years, sin just sort of gradually corrupts us, or it builds an addiction or holds us in bondage to it.
He proves this case tonight by making the case with regard to the reign of death. Okay, let's think about this for a minute. Now, this is where he breaks off for a second. He's anticipating objections here. He makes the point with with regard to the reign of death: Adam took the fruit and ate, and he represented us. It was a representative action. And remember what happened? Before the law was given, God said, "That in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die." Paul knows what some are going to say. But the law didn't come around till Sinai. No one even knew about sin. And Paul breaks the argument, knowing some of the discussions here, and he said, "You said he might have said you say where there is no law, there's no transgression Paul is interacting with that sort of thought for a minute in verse 13, and he says, "Yes, okay. Sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law."
Paul's making a single point by saying this: During the period of Adam to Moses, where the law of God was given, he says death reigned. Death reigned! How is that possible? If by the law sin is made known, they didn't have the law. Paul says death reigned. And he says, "Here's the proof that God held everyone accountable for Adam's sin: people died. Death reigned in that period till the law was given." So that we all sinned in him, and that sin was reckoned our account, and that's why we live in a world of sin and death. That same world of sin and death reigned the moment that Adam and Eve partook of the fruit. I mean, their son Abel was killed, murdered by Cain.
Now, why does Paul labor this point? The whole section, beloved, is to provide assurance for us. How is he doing that by raising this really important teaching tonight? Well, in Adam, death reigned. He represented us. What about those in Christ is his great thought, is his great concern. Notice verse 14. Paul says, "The first Adam was," the end of it, "a type of the one who was to come." That's a very important line. He was a type. In other words, when we study the actions of Adam, we look at Adam, and when we look at the actions of Christ, we see a parallel here it's representative.
Now, if you back up again to verse 10, look back again at verse 10 of Romans 5: "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—" now notice that the nuance that I'm making here in His life." Did you see that? We are saved in His life. That is so crucial. If you're getting anything tonight, it's this, I hope: In Christ, you were taken out of the old Adam, and you were put into His life by His life and death. This is what he's saying. There's been a transfer. You've been taken out of one atom and put into another atom That affects chapter six by the way, next time, where he talks about our relationship to sin: "Shall we continue in sin, the grace may abound?" and he says, "Heaven forbid! Why? That's impossible!" that we would go on doing that. Do you know why it's impossible for somebody who's truly been delivered and brought into has been saved? Why it's impossible for them to go on living in unrepentant sin? Because they've been brought into the last atom That's his answer. That's why he says, "You died with him. You were buried with him. And you were raised with him." So whatever his actions were he sees us so in union with him that's how we are represented. It's very important.
So there's two atoms in history, two heads of the the race in history. two of you might say these covenants in history there's a reason that in the pre-fall state they called this the covenant of works. I'm calling it the covenant of creation. It was Adam there representing us in that covenant. And in those covenant arrangements, then you have the covenant of grace. What those heads did in those covenants directly affected those whom they represent. They both represent us. Adam stood in our place in sin. And therefore, sin was imputed to the whole human race. Christ stood in our place as a type of him. And he represents his people. And whatever he did becomes theirs. You see? So just as it's true that we become sinners in Adam when we weren't there. He represents the human race. So whatever Christ accomplished, in the same way, is true for us. This is the argument he's making. you're taken out of the old and you're put in the new, the last Adam.
Now, this is spoken of everywhere. I think if you start listening to the scriptures this way, you'll see that this is the way that the apostle speaks. Think of this: "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." That's Colossians 3:3. That's talking union there. You might think of Galatians 2:20: "It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."
So the point I'm making here tonight, the point Paul's making here tonight, is that everyone! everyone was represented by the first Adam everyone And what did that result in? Covenant breaking. We broke the covenant. Hosea 6. And sin and death was imputed to us. It rained. And can anyone argue that it's raining today? I mean, it's the same problem. Because all sinned in him, all sinned in Adam. Um, I again stress: Adam's sin was the sin of the people, was the sin of the whole human race, an original sin. Uh, he represented. And let me just say that will be the basis when we get to the last day the great basis upon which we enter glory is which Adam you're in. Right? Everyone out there's in Adam. We're all in an Adam. Think of the person tonight who's living in darkness and rebellion and hates God, and they think, "I want nothing to do with God." They're in covenant relation with him. Oh yes, they are a broken covenant that demanded obedience. And they're held accountable for Adam's sin. And on top of that, all their personal sins. That's that's the arrangement. that That's the predicament everyone's in.
And that's why on that day you know, the, the books. Somebody asked me a great question today: "Well, there's two books in Revelation 20, on the last day, that are opened. There's one book that has the book of deeds, and there's others. That's the book of life. Those are the two atoms if you will. One is recounting their deeds, and everything is written down did they obey and the other are names written in the Lamb's book of life. That's the last Adam. That's what he's saying."
Now, all that for all those whom Adam represents, sin and death came. That's everyone! Now look at verse 15: "But the free gift this is this is just an overwhelmingly amazing statement 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—" now listen to this free gift. Let that set in. That was Romans 3 it's a free gift, free gift, free gift. You don't work for this. The free gift by the grace of God of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many. Whom he represented."
I just think that's a wonderful verse, beloved. The exchange works the same way. You might say, "Well, it's unfair that I have this great sin problem, and I can do nothing about is it unfair?" Well, we want to talk about what Christ did. What a free gift he gave you! Christ's headship is far more glorious than Adam's. Adam's brought sin. The free gift is so glorious it's hard to make the comparison, but he does it.
When Christ died, know what he did for you? Here's what happened: He canceled the record of debt against you. That's Colossians 2. He forgave all your trespasses. He reckoned you to be righteous. And because of his life, you'll notice that's said there so beautifully in this i'll come back to that. Um, notice verse for as by one man's 19 one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners; so by one man's obedience, the many will be made righteous." And it talks about the life of Christ that he lived for us, in our place.
The one man's the one sin of adam brought wrath and judgment and condemnation. But now Paul's saying, "You know what's so wonderful about the gospel? By faith in Jesus Christ, his life, his perfect obedience, his death covers you with his blood, and that results in a free gift being given to you a free gift of salvation through his life that has resulted in here we are great point of the book our justification by faith before the throne room of heaven. Never again to know condemnation."
See, this is why I kept saying to the death of Christ: doesn't make salvation possible that's how we've treated it. The death of Christ makes it actual. He's never going to pull you back out of Christ. You're either in one or the other. By faith, you're joined to him, and all of his benefits become yours.
So he says in verse 17: "Notice it. For if because of one man's trespass adam's death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the listen this great the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. That's what's given to us when Adam sinned. Death reigned. Sin and death today are all around us. When Christ came and reconciled those whom he represented represented us to the father think about that in the, as the mediator of the covenant of grace we receive something more glorious, so glorious it's hard to capture. We receive the gift of righteousness, free to us, so that in our lives we now reign in him. We reign in him. There's your rain verse for all the discussion about the reign of Christ. That's how we reign. We reign in him. We have life."
I think this is so important because Jesus spoke of this everywhere: "I have come that they may have life, that they may have it abundantly." "Whoever believes in me will never die." "I am the resurrection and the life." That when you come to me, you have life given to you. We are now in His life. We're not in the old Adam. You're brought out of that, and that changes the way we think. Chapter six as branches are grafted into the vine john 15 our lives are hidden in His perfect and complete righteous act for us. His act, like Adam's act, was his act was a success. Adam's act was a failure.
Now, okay, that's the interlude. Well, now we come back to verse 18. So put it all together. Let's read verse 12 and 18 together now, okay? I think you'll see it. Back to verse 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." And you'll notice the break there. Now verse 18: "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."
That's the conclusion that he's drawing. There have been two atoms in history. All people today live in one or the other. Those who have not believed in Christ stand guilty in the first and have to answer for their sins. Those who have come by faith to the mediator of the covenant of grace the last Adam in history, as he stands as the head of that covenant as you look to him, he covers your life by his act of righteousness. You know what that means for you right now? It means you're set free when you believe the gospel. This is what happens: you are transferred out. You are conveyed out of that atom and conveyed into His Son, the kingdom of His Son in love. He is a refuge and anchor for the soul. His free gift has abounded to you free gift it's free gift he's loved you with a saving love. He won't lose one of those whom he represented. You will not face his wrath.
Builds on it again: "Now the law came to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Grace has abounded to you all the more. So that as sin reigned in death, grace might also reign through righteousness, leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." You understand the blessing now? The death of Christ for you, what you've been conveyed out of, and who you've been brought into? In His life, He lived perfectly for you. He died for you. He fulfilled the covenant for you. And He wants you to believe Him. Wants you to trust Him. You have a free gift handed to you. Receive it! Receive it!
Maybe we'll end in verse 11. And if I end in one minute, that'll be the shortest night sermon you've ever had for me, okay? "More than that, we also rejoice in God through the Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation."
Stop working for it. Trust Him. Receive it. Enjoy Him. Enjoy your walk. Enjoy your new status. Enjoy what he's done for you as a free gift. Trust Him. Even your death is gain. What a Savior we have. Let's pray to Him.
Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for encouraging us tonight to understand the great plan and the covenant of grace, the head of that covenant who represented us. Thank you for giving us all that we need to have a perfect and complete righteousness because of the righteous act of your Son. Give us to believe that and to trust You. And as we enter into this week, when we face all the trials of sin and discouragement and difficulty, may we remember this great truth that we should rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we have received reconciliation, since we are saved in His life. Thank you for such a gift. In Jesus' name, amen.