Romans 5:12-21: Grace Reigns

[0:00] Once again, today's scripture reading, Romans chapter 5, verses 12 through 21. Please stand for the reading of God's word. 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.

[0:23] 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 is a type of the one who was to come.

[0:38] 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.

[0:51] 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.

[1:04] 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.

[1:16] 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 the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

[1:35] 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.

[1:50] This is the word of the Lord. You may be seated. Good afternoon.

[2:03] Once again, we are in Romans chapter 5. What a great chapter it is before us. We've looked at the first 11 verses on last week, and we continue on this afternoon in Romans chapter 5, beginning in verse 12.

[2:23] The theological import of what is before us on this afternoon is huge. Doug Moo in his commentary noted that this particular passage rivals chapter 3, verse 21 for its theological importance.

[2:43] Its significant lies in the fact that while Paul has dealt with, spoken of, the realities and the pervasiveness of sin in the world, up to this point, he has not traced the roots of sin in the world.

[3:02] The fruit of sin, as Paul has highlighted in Romans chapter 1, verses 18 through 321, in the lives of all mankind, Jew and Gentile, was evident then, and it's evident now, in our world.

[3:24] We don't have to scratch our heads and wonder about the presence of sin. It is all around us in our world.

[3:35] But what about the cause of condemnation? Where can that be traced back to? Why the reign of death in the world?

[3:50] In this world, and what does it mean for those who have been justified and reconciled? Well, the passage today helps us with those kind of questions.

[4:07] One of the things that we see here on this afternoon is that those who are reconciled can be assured of eternal life because of the reign of grace.

[4:22] While the reign of death is evident in this world, there is a countering dynamic in the reign of grace.

[4:33] The reign of superabounding grace of God through Christ more than overcomes the reign of death through our association with Adam.

[4:49] These particular things on this afternoon are stressed in the very verses that are before us. Paul is going to get to the practical implications of that in chapter 6, but he helps us to see the whys and the wherefores of the reign of sin in our passage.

[5:08] So, Lord, help us as we seek to understand this today. Amen. So, the key question, how did the sin so observable in the world and the lives of men and women and even children from all parts of the world in all walks of life?

[5:37] How did the sin, how did it make its way into our world? Where did it come from? When did it show up?

[5:49] Who's responsible? We see that in today's text. Three things. The legacy of Adam verses 12 through 14.

[6:04] The legacy of Adam contrasted with the legacy of Christ verses 15 through 17 and the superior legacy of Jesus in verses 18 through 21.

[6:22] What then about the legacy of Adam? Verse 12. Note. Therefore, just as Adam came into the world, excuse me, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin and so death spread to all men because all sin.

[6:48] these verses focus on what has been passed on to the human race from Adam. Though Adam is not mentioned in this particular verse, he emerges in the text, doesn't he?

[7:05] While there are good things indeed that have come from Adam, those things are not the focus of the text. Adam's legacy to those who followed him included the legacy of death because of sin.

[7:25] That's what's before us. Notice in the verse, Paul's word choice suggests that a comparison is coming. You see it? Therefore, just as sin came into the world, and you might be listening for and so, huh?

[7:45] Note, the answer, sin came into the world through one man. Huh? Adam is the man. Genesis chapter 2 verse 17 includes the specific command of God to Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

[8:08] This is what it says. The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and to keep it. And the Lord commanded the man saying, You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.

[8:31] For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Clear command from God in the beginning to the man and the woman.

[8:46] Adam. Adam particularly here. Genesis 3 6 and you don't have to turn to it, but it records the disobedience of Adam and Eve. This particular act of disobedience marked the entry of sin into the world.

[9:05] and the subsequent entry of death. First, spiritually, relationally, and eventually physically.

[9:18] the corruption caused by disobedience and death for disobedience has become the lot of all of humanity ever since that time.

[9:31] For the entire human race, in a sense, was present in Adam. Adam, at that point, was mankind. And when he sinned, in the sense that the future generations of humankind were present in his loins, at this point, again, Adam was the race.

[9:53] This principle of being, of the solidarity of the race is demonstrated in Hebrews where the, where Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek and it was in a sense in which Levi, who was the tribe from whom the priests came, paid tithes through Abraham to Melchizedek.

[10:19] And again, this particular verse, Hebrews chapter 7, verses 4 through 10, again, speaks about the solidarity of the race. But notice the final clause in verse 12 of our text today.

[10:30] It speaks of the spread of sin to all men. The penalty for this sin not only affected Adam directly, his penalty became the penalty of all who descended from him.

[10:49] All mankind, the seat of which was in him at that time, participated in this act through him. But not only that, the subsequent actions of all humans have validated their union with Adam because all sin and have sin fall short of the glory of God.

[11:11] Verses 13 through 17 appear in some way to be parenthetical because Paul really doesn't get back to what he begins in verse 12 until you get to verse 18.

[11:24] There he continues his thought. But verses 13 and 14 concern the reign of death, the universality of sin. Look there with me.

[11:35] For sin was indeed 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, breaking of the command, the transgression of Adam.

[11:57] And notice he adds as he goes into verse 15, Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Undoubtedly, some in Paul's audience associated sinning with breaking of the law.

[12:13] Paul corrects this particular notion with what he says here by helping them and us see that sin's presence in the world, this is what he's saying, preceded the giving of the law.

[12:29] Sinning including violating not specific commands commands like the one, not only specific commands like the one given to Adam or written down by Moses. So those were not the only kinds of sinning that could happen.

[12:44] There are violations, and you and I know the violations of nature, violations of conscience, violations of relationships, all which happened before the written law came down.

[12:57] Sin was in the world, but the system to account for sin and make people especially aware of it was not, at least not yet.

[13:08] That law hold had not been written down, had not been recorded yet. How then, how do you know then that sin was in the world before the law?

[13:21] Because death reigned in the world, that's what he's saying. Death exercised authority in the world. And if you would look in Genesis chapter 5, I love that particular chapter for several reasons, but it lists all of these men who lived all of these years, including Jared, Methuselah, all of those, you remember those Sunday school answers, all of those are there, but then it ends up, and he what?

[13:49] He died. And he died, lived a long time, but and he died, why did they die? Because sin was in the world, even though there was not a written code, but sin was present nonetheless.

[14:07] Death reigned over those even whose sin was not specifically like the sin of Adam who violated a direct command from God. Nevertheless, sin was in the world, and death was in the world as a punishment for sin.

[14:24] The presence of death validated the presence of sin. Look at the last part of verse 14.

[14:37] It sets us up for what's coming. There in verse 14, notice what it says, the transgression of Adam who was a type of the one who was to come.

[14:50] What he's saying, Adam is a type, he's a pattern of the one who was to come into the world. The reference of the one coming into the world is Christ. And there are certain ways in which Adam prefigured Jesus.

[15:06] Adam was the head of old humanity. Jesus is the head of new humanity. Just as Adam represented the entire race, just as Adam affected those who would follow, so would Jesus both were persons of universal impact.

[15:28] That is what he's saying. The scope of the impact is the same, universal. The quality of the impact, vastly different.

[15:42] The contrast are seen in the verses that follow. the legacy of Adam. What was it? Sin, death, and such is the heritage of the human race, which are, we are like him in nature, sinful.

[16:02] We are like him in action, sinners. We are like him in judgment, death. We've looked into the legacy of Adam.

[16:14] Now we turn our attention to the legacy of Adam contrasted with the legacy of Jesus in verses 15 through 17. Look at verse 15.

[16:27] Notice both in 15 and 16, you see it there? But the free gift is not like the trespass, verse 15. Verse 16, and the free gift is not like the result of the one man's sin.

[16:44] Contrast there. The free gift is not like the trespass. Here's the statement. The contrasts follow. First of all, what's the free gift? Notice in this particular verse, and from here on out, the mention of the word grace.

[17:03] You see it there? The free gift is not like the trespass, for if many died through one man's trespass, much more and there it is. The grace of God, the free gift of grace by one of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many and you see it on down, the abundance of grace in verse 17.

[17:23] You see it as far as grace abounding much more as in verse 20. Presence of grace. This grace, the word is charisma.

[17:35] It's a grace gift that comes from Christ. It's a gift that is freely given. And the free gift here seems to be the term for what is graciously given through Jesus for sin and work.

[17:50] Contrast is clear in this verse. Many died because of what Adam did, but in an even greater, more abundant way, through God's grace and the gifts that come through grace, which come through Jesus Christ, they have overflowed to many.

[18:10] Many died, but the grace of God through Christ overflowed to many. Here's the point. The triumphant work of Christ counters the death dealing impact of Adam's sin.

[18:27] It counters that. God's grace, the triumphant work of Christ being the channel for that. judgment. Look at verse 16. So in verse 15, judgment is contrasted with the heritage of grace through Jesus.

[18:43] In verse 16, condemnation is contrasted with justification. The free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin.

[18:54] How so? Judgment followed one trespass, following one trespass, it brought condemnation and subsequently death. But the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

[19:11] The contrast is between one and many trespasses. One person's action led to condemnation, Adam. The others, Jesus, to justification.

[19:23] Condemnation was based on Adam's trespasses. The free gift that flowed, followed many trespasses, brought justification again through Christ.

[19:34] What a surprise we have here. We would expect much condemnation on the basis of many trespasses, but it's a surprise. Rather than much condemnation, you've got justification through the grace of God through his son.

[19:52] Here's the picture. The picture is that of the overcoming power, grace that's brought through Jesus Christ.

[20:03] In every way, notice what you got here, in every way it seems like sin and death that come through Adam, they are checkmate, as it were, by the person and the work of Christ.

[20:17] Everything that Adam has done, here's Jesus, he's standing and he's providing something better, he's providing something redemptive. Isn't that the nature of God's grace through his son?

[20:30] That which is marred and scarred through Adam in our humanity, Jesus Christ comes with his grace and checkmates the very work of sin in your life and mine.

[20:46] Look at verse 17. The rain of death contrasted with the rain of life. Let me read it for you. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive, notice here it is again, the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

[21:12] Final contrast in verse 17. Through one man's trespass, death reigned through the one, but in an even greater way, will the recipients of abundant grace and the free gift of righteousness reign, rule, again, big word in the text, reign through one man, Jesus Christ.

[21:36] Through Adam, death became king. Through Jesus, we become kings. Or co-rulers, regents with Jesus.

[21:47] You see that there? Reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ. There's certainly eschatological implication here or the future time or the future reign of life, but there are also everyday dimensions of our being overcomers in this life, really living in and through Christ in us.

[22:12] the legacy of Adam. The legacy of Adam and Jesus contrasted with the legacy of Jesus.

[22:24] And finally, note in the verses to follow, the superior legacy of Jesus, they come into view. the legacy of Jesus is a legacy of overflowing grace.

[22:41] So then, here in verse 13, notice what it says, therefore, better, consequently, he's going back to what he began in verse 12, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

[23:07] So here's the deal, if you hadn't gotten everything else, he's going to summarize it for you. Here's the summary. He moves us to a more simple summary in the verses to follow.

[23:20] Sin entered the world through one man, Adam. One man, Adam's trespass, one trespass, that's Adam's, led to condemnation.

[23:31] We've seen it clearly. We've seen it demonstrated, we've seen it recorded, we see Paul wrote it down and it was so colorful and graphic in chapter 118 through 320.

[23:43] One act of righteousness, that's Jesus, led to the justification in life for belief, that's chapter 321 through 425.

[23:54] Condemnation, justification. One act of disobedience, by Adam, made many sinners, one act of obedience, by Jesus, many will be made righteous.

[24:09] The act of obedience was Jesus' work on the cross. He humbled himself, according to Paul in Philippians 2, 8, and became obedient unto death, even death on the cross.

[24:25] That was Jesus' act of obedience. Look at verse 20, what about the law? Paul explains the entry of the law. Now, the law came in to increase the trespass, but, again, sin in the world, the law comes in, huh?

[24:45] He explains the entry of the law. The law meant, law's entry meant the increase of trespasses to really magnify the issue of sin, to help people see it more clearly.

[24:56] but that was okay because for sin increase, so did grace. Grace that match the sin.

[25:08] I love the song that is in many hymnals, grace that is greater than all of our sin, marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt.

[25:25] yonder on Calvary's mount outpour, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilled. Sin and despair, like sea waves cold, threaten the soul with infinite loss.

[25:40] Grace that is greater, yes, great untold, points to the refuge, the mighty cross. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide, what can avail to wash it away.

[25:52] Look, there is flowing a crimson time, quieter than snow, you may be made today. Marvelous grace.

[26:03] Grace that is greater than all of our sin. Grace rose to the occasion. How has sin shown, how he has shown how sin reigned in death.

[26:19] In Adam all die, God be made alive. It is as the Lord would say, show me your sin, I'll show you my grace.

[26:35] There's no sin that's too big, no quantity too large, no sin so ugly that God's grace does not fit the occasion.

[26:47] and I don't care who you are, I don't care where you came from, I don't care what you've done. Jesus says, show me your sin, I'll show you my grace.

[26:59] And there may be someone here today trying to cover your sin, acknowledge it. Jesus says to you, sir, he says to you, ma'am, show me your sin, and of course he sees it already, doesn't he?

[27:15] But I'll show you my grace. God's grace rises to the occasion. Every time we've seen it in this text, and you can experience it in your life.

[27:28] This passage helps us to see that the reign of death is not the only option in this fallen world. If Christ reigns at this universal level as seen here, and he does, what are the implications at the personal level?

[27:48] If Christ, if the scope of his grace is so huge, so large, so universal, what about you? It's just right. There's a stake in grace for you, friend, through Christ.

[28:05] What we see here should encourage us. Christ is our living head, and his grace has triumphed gloriously. a world that includes various shades and colors of death.

[28:21] Have you seen them? Death at the hands of catastrophe and disease and disaster, and from the hands even of other people perpetrating sin and crimes against others amongst Adam's race.

[28:35] How can one then go from the reign of sin and death to the reign of grace and life? Don't you want to go there if you're not there?

[28:47] Aren't you glad that you're there if you are? How do you go? By embracing the very one who is life himself, even Jesus.

[28:59] Look at the last verse. So as death, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading where?

[29:09] To eternal life, and how does it happen? Through Jesus, Christ our Lord. Such, friends, is the power of the cross. We're about to sing that.

[29:22] Now really, if you've never sung this song before, I really want you to embrace the words. Take them to heart because it speaks about a dark day in history where Christ shed his blood for you where Christ was slain for you on Calvary, tried by sinful men, torn and broken then, nailed to a cross of wood.

[29:54] Musicians, won't you come even as I pray? Praise team. And as you sit there, if you haven't embraced the cross, don't you understand Paul's words?

[30:07] God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.

[30:23] Cross of Christ. That's where the power is. The power for forgiveness and redemption is there. Father, we praise you on this afternoon for your word from Romans 5.

[30:37] Now pray, Lord, that those of us who have been to the cross would boast therein and that boast would not just be a verbal boast, but it would be a whole life kind of boast that speaks of our union with you.

[30:53] Pray, oh God, that these truths about your abounding, overflowing grace would really resonate in our souls that we would embrace it anew and afresh.

[31:07] I pray, Lord, perhaps there's one under the sound of my voice who needs your grace in a big way, feeling the weight of their sin, but may they know that they can come to the cross and leave their burdens there, thus the power of the cross.

[31:24] We praise you for these things, Lord Jesus. And pray them all in your name. Amen. Let's stand and celebrate the cross.