So it's Romans 5, 12 to 21.
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 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.
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.
Well, I hope that over the last eight weeks that we've been looking at Romans, you've actually been swept up with Paul's excitement and more than that, confidence in God's gospel.
You know, doing some revision.
God's gospel is both God's powerful initiative to save rebellious, unrighteous people.
And at the same time, it's an awesome display of God's righteous character.
God, knowing the guilty failure of his rebellious people, both unwilling and unable to live in the light of his glory.
God provided a different pathway to glory, a different pathway to righteousness, at enormous cost to himself, Romans chapter 3.
And in the death of Jesus, which is at the heart of the gospel, both God's anger and the guilt of his people have been addressed and dealt with.
And the term used for that is that God's taken the initiative to justify or put unrighteous people back into full righteousness relationship with himself.
And all of that, chapter 4 of Romans, is offered as an incredible gift to be received through faith, which is just taking God at his word.
Simple trust that God's promise is true, that God has done for us in Jesus that which we could never, ever do for ourselves.
That is, make ourselves acceptable to God.
But there's even more reason for excitement and confidence.
Justification, Paul wants us to understand, is final and irreversible.
Get those two words.
Justification is final and irreversible.
Why?
Because it's initiated by God.
Because it's secured through the death of the Lord Jesus on our behalf.
It's all about what God has done for us.
And chapter 5, verse 1, then, Paul starts to work through the implications of the gospel or being justified by faith.
Both in terms of our legal status or how God views us legally now, and in terms of our own experience as justified people.
And again, every part of it, as we work through chapter 5, is about God's initiative, God's action.
And from that, our security, our confidence.
Justification is the opposite of condemnation, we see in chapter 5.
Instead of hostility and judgment, there is now peace.
Instead of falling short of God's glory or righteousness, there's now certainty of being with God and being like God.
Instead of estrangement, uncertainty, and fear, there's now limitless grace.
There's total acceptance as God pours his love into us, into our hearts daily.
Instead of suffering in judgment, there is joy in suffering, knowing that God will use our suffering to make us more like him.
Instead of wondering about God's love and commitment to us in our ongoing failures,
there is proof beyond doubt that having been reconciled while we're enemies of God,
then certainly God will do the easy task of keeping us as friends until we go home to be with him forever in heaven.
Friends, as we got to, we're coming up to verse 12 now.
As we work through chapter 5, there can be absolutely no doubt of Paul's total confidence
that believers, those who are new in Christ, are guaranteed salvation.
But the lingering question then becomes, the one that we're going to address this morning,
is Paul's confidence well-founded?
Is justification by faith in Christ's work too good to be true?
How can one man's sacrifice bring such incredible blessings to so many?
How can one man do something that makes so many newly and completely acceptable to God?
That's Paul's consideration in verses 12 through to 21.
Paul anticipates and addresses this question.
And he does so by taking the jewel of justification and turning it one more time.
So the sparkle of the brilliance of God's gospel is seen again in these verses.
Justification from a slightly different perspective.
And Paul's confidence is in perspective.
And Paul's point here is that gospel results happen the same way as did sin's results.
Now, what Paul's doing here is giving a perspective by comparing Adam and Jesus.
No doubt in Paul's mind, these were the two most influential people in history.
His intention here is to show how these two men,
and if you're following the outline in the back of your bulletin, you'll see it,
how these two men, their two actions,
and the consequences of their actions,
affected profoundly and eternally all those associated with him.
Adam's impact was disastrous for all who were associated with or followed him.
By contrast, Paul's point here is that Jesus' impact was incredibly beneficial
for all who followed him in history.
And that comes down to you and me here this morning.
So let's try and dig into the text now
and see if we can sort out this,
which at first glance I think looks very complicated.
It might be not so much that it's complicated,
it's just the argument isn't quite familiar to us,
but we'll try and get into that.
See, given our sense of individualism and autonomy,
which is, we are by nature part of Australian culture,
and it is driven by individualism and autonomy.
One of the outworkings of that is that we like to think
that we're only responsible for ourselves,
we're only responsible for our own actions.
And so Paul's argument here probably isn't going to be immediately familiar to us.
It may not even be acceptable to us.
However, I'm going to argue that the whole notion of solidarity
or being a representative of a group
is actually quite common in our culture.
We just don't necessarily recognise it.
So a historical one, for example.
In 1939, there was a radio announcement.
It was my melancholy duty to tell you,
this is the British Prime Minister,
it was my melancholy duty to inform you
that Britain is at war with Germany.
And as a consequence, Australia is also at war.
We were an empire nation associated with, tied to Britain.
What happens in England?
We live with the consequences here.
Or a little bit closer to home.
We're familiar with union leaders negotiating wages
and conditions and benefits.
They do so in a representative way.
What they negotiate out there,
all who are associated with the union
get those benefits applied.
The union leaders are representatives of a group,
those who are associated with the union.
They act on their behalf.
Now, that's essentially what's the argument
that Paul's trying to use here.
Look at verse 12.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man
and death through sin,
so death spread to all men because all sinned.
Adam was not only the first man,
he was also representative man.
He was the head of the human race.
He was the head of humankind.
His interactions with God and his natural environment
had direct impact on all those associated with him
down through the generations.
What do we know about Adam?
Well, as we're told here,
Adam acted in disobedience to God.
He did so as he deliberately chose
to assert autonomy from God,
aspiring to create his life in his own image,
create himself in his own image,
rather than be God's image bearer,
living under God.
That's what autonomy is.
The result of Adam's actions,
verse 12, death.
Both physical death
and also spiritual death,
which physical death pictures.
Spiritual death is separation from God.
Or verse 16.
Talks there, the language of verse 16
is that judgment and condemnation.
Adam, Adam's action.
Verse 17, the consequence.
The consequence applied both to Adam
and all those associated with him
down through history.
All those he represented,
all of humanity
who followed him in history.
Verse 17,
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.
Consequence of Adam's actions,
not only death for himself,
but death for all the generations
following Adam.
Since death,
or since Adam, sorry,
since Adam,
death has reigned supreme.
That is,
everybody dies
as a consequence,
a direct consequence
of Adam's rebellion.
Again, that's verse 18 and 19.
Then we say,
well, but why?
We instinctively think
that this doesn't sound right.
Well, the answer is
in verses 13 through to 17.
Everybody dies
because everybody is guilty
of sin or rebellion against God,
including those who died
long before the time of Moses
and disobedience to God's written law.
Let's read those verses again.
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.
Everybody dies
because, as I say,
everybody is guilty of sin.
Not necessarily guilty
in the same way.
Those who were before
the written law
weren't guilty of breaking the law,
but they were guilty of autonomy.
They joined Adam, as it were,
in his actions of autonomy.
The principle?
It's a solidarity principle.
All who were associated with Adam
share the responsibility for
and the consequences of his action.
Not only that,
they showed themselves
to be like Adam
in also failing to treat God
as he deserves
and failing to do right.
So, friends,
in different words,
this is the same argument
that we've already been through
in chapter 1, verse 18,
through to chapter 3, verse 20.
It's the same argument
viewed from a different angle.
And it's so unflattering to us.
But it clearly explains
the way we are,
the human condition.
It is our nature
to seek autonomy.
And autonomy
brings God's condemnation.
You see,
we've got a double problem
with sin
which comes out of these verses.
We're born
with a bad heart towards God.
That's something we've inherited
at where?
Down through the generations
from Adam.
We've inherited
the family nature
which links us,
as I say,
all the way back to Adam.
It's a natural disposition
to ignore
or rebel against God.
That's one problem.
But then we get
a second problem
because this bad heart
overflows
in bad actions,
in actions of sin.
People in every culture,
in every generation,
choose individually
like Adam
to disobey
or ignore God.
And so the rightness
of God's conclusion
is proven here
in that all people
are guilty
because all demonstrate
they have inherited
Adam's corrupted nature.
That's half of Paul's argument
as he deals with Adam.
The other half, then,
turns the focus on Jesus
because Jesus is also
a representative man.
Look at verse 14 again.
Death ran from Adam to Moses
even over those
whose sinning
was not like
the transgressions of Adam
who was a type
of the one
who was to come.
Adam's called
a type of Christ.
How so?
Well,
they're similar
in that
as with Adam's actions,
so Christ's actions
as a representative
of man
affect
those who are
associated with him,
those who follow
after him in history.
and we're told
in here
that Christ's actions
not only reversed
the effects
of Adam's sin
but did much more.
Verses 18 and 19.
Therefore,
as one trespass
led to condemnation
for all men,
so one act
of righteousness
led 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.
Christ's obedience
was willing,
was his willing
total
self-sacrifice
to deal
with the sin
of his people.
to two men
so far
Adam and Christ
two actions
disobedience
obedience
self-sacrifice
and the result
of Christ's actions
verse 16
justification
or restored
relationship
with God.
Verse 17
freedom
from the reign
of the power
of sin
to new life
under the reign
of grace
or under
the control
of grace
as God
saved people.
But even that
doesn't exhaust
what Christ's death
did.
He did far more
than simply
reversing the effect
of Adam's sin.
Verse 15
again,
we've read it before,
Jesus acted
in grace
as an undeserved
gift
and favor.
Jesus' death
not only secured
the removal
of condemnation
due to our
inherited
corrupt nature
but also secures
total forgiveness
complete restoration
renewal of
relationship
with God
all those things
that we've really
looked at
in the early
verses of
chapter 5
and chapter 3
and 4
as well.
So,
two men,
two actions,
two results.
Not only
a reversal
of condemnation
but a restoration
to be in the image
bearer that God
created us to be.
To be in relationship
with God
as he created us
to be.
To see the glory
of God
as he created us
for.
For
what a wonderful
thing Christ
has done.
He's wiped
clean
completely
the bad
track record
we have
due to our
own sin.
Even better,
he's acted
to renew
our bad heart.
The heart
we've inherited
from Adam.
He's poured
his love
into our
renewed heart
through the
Holy Spirit.
Guaranteeing
justification.
Guaranteeing
life.
Guaranteeing
for every
relationship
with him.
Why?
Because of
the solidarity
principle.
Because we're
associated with
Christ.
Because we're
in Christ.
And that
brings me to
the second
point then.
God now
views his
people
according
to their
solidarity.
So,
God views
every single
person who's
ever been
born or
ever will
be born
as naturally
in solidarity
with Adam.
That's what
this point
is.
Because Adam
was a head
of a great
humanity.
But friends,
God also
views
Jesus as the
head of a
great new
humanity.
The many
of verse
15.
Who are the
many?
The many
are those
we've already
come across
in the early
chapters of
Romans.
They are the
ones who
recognizing
they could
never be
righteous
in themselves,
gladly take
God's
righteousness
as a gift.
That
righteousness
offered in
Christ,
in and
through the
death of
Christ,
they take
it as a
gift.
Totally
undeserved
gift.
And in
doing that,
they move
from being
viewed by
God as
being in
solidarity
with Adam
to being
viewed by
God as
being
solidarity
with
Christ.
And as
Christ receives
life,
then everyone
in solidarity
with Christ
is guaranteed
life.
That is
the confidence
Paul has in
the gospel.
So Jesus
in a sense
is the
last,
well he's not
in a sense,
Jesus is the
last Adam.
There will be
no more
repeats.
The first
Adam
macked
things up
and every
person who
has ever
lived will
feel the
effects of
that.
The last
Adam,
Jesus,
has fixed
things up,
restored them
to what
they were
meant to
be,
and
guarantees
that all
in solidarity
with him
will enjoy
the blessing
of relationship
with God
forever.
Now friends,
I just want
to finish
up by
asking what
do we do
practically
with this
notion of
solidarity?
It's a
strange idea
for us,
I think,
but it's a
very powerful
one.
We'll see
more about
it next
week as
we move
into chapter
six,
this idea
of union
with Christ
or solidarity
with Christ
comes up
again.
But what
do we
do
practically?
Well,
I think
it's a
very good
thing.
We need
to own
both
Adam
and
Jesus.
Now,
the problem
is we
don't find
it easy
to own
Adam.
And I
think the
reason we
don't find
it easy
to own
Adam is
because we
know he
is too
representative
of us.
That is,
we look at
Adam and
we see his
autonomy,
and we
know jolly
well that's
exactly what
we're like
in our
heart of
hearts.
We find
it hard
to own
our bad
heart and
our natural
disposition to
autonomy.
We find
it hard to
admit that
we actually
want to
be God.
We want
to just
push God
to the side
and take
over control
and set
our own
destiny and
set our
own life.
But as
Christians at
the same
time,
we want
to identify
with Jesus.
We want
to be in
solidarity
with him.
We want
to be sure
of being
forgiven and
of getting
to heaven,
no matter
what personal
sins we
fall into
in the
future.
So,
there's a
dilemma.
The solution
is to own
both men.
And here's
how it
works.
As I own
Adam for
myself and
in myself,
then it
pushes me
to Christ
for the
very thing
I so
desperately
need and
the very
thing that
only he
can supply,
righteousness
or acceptance
before God.
So,
it's as I
am honest
in owning
Adam that
I see the
beauty of
what's offered
me in
Christ.
And indeed,
the more
I own
Adam,
the more
brilliant the
gospel is,
which is what
Paul's point
as he's trying
to develop
through this
letter here.
The gospel
is absolutely
brilliant at
every point
because it's
about what
God does
for us,
knowing that
we can't do
it for
ourselves.
As I own
Adam more,
as I recognize
more my
natural disposition
before I came
to Christ,
then I
appreciate
more that
I'm no
longer hanging
from the
buckle of
Adam,
the belt of
Adam.
I'm now
hanging securely
from the
belt of
Jesus
because he's
my only
hope.
So,
we own
Adam to
see Jesus
as our
champion.
and don't
we long
for a
champion.
We do
know that
concept,
don't we?
We long
for someone
to represent
us faithfully.
We long
for someone
who will
fight for
us.
We long
for someone
who will
value and
love us
enough never
to give up
on us.
We long
for someone
to be strong
for us
when we
can't be
strong for
ourselves.
We long
for someone
to succeed
where we
know we
only turn
up failure
repeatedly.
And we
know when
we own
Adam that
he's taken
us down a
disastrous path.
We've
crashed and
burned.
And against
that darkness
then we have
Jesus our
champion.
God
the picture
I like
here is
that
it's like
me when
I take
my grandkids
for a walk.
I hang
on to
their hands.
I mean
their hands
are just
lost in
my hand.
And they
can trip
and fall
over and
then they
swing from
my arm.
Sometimes
in their
silliness
they want
to pull
away from
me because
they don't
want to
go where
I think
they need
to go.
But I
hold them
firmly.
That's the
picture of
Jesus our
champion.
Knowing that
when I trip
up, when I
deliberately try
to pull
away, when
I in anger
think he's
taken me in
the wrong
direction, he's
got me.
He holds
me firm.
And that's
why my
friends, in
solidarity with
Christ, in
union with
Christ,
you can
have
confidence
in spite
of your
day-to-day,
moment-to-moment,
failures, and
discipline, you
can have
confidence because
you're in
solidarity with
Christ that
you are secure
eternally.
So hear that.
See, your
confidence is
not because
somehow you
suddenly become
perfect and
no longer
sin.
that would
just be
totally
unrealistic,
wouldn't
it?
It's not
because your
confidence isn't
because somehow
as a Christian
you've developed
the ability
now to produce
your own
righteousness and
top up your
righteousness by
your own
effort every time
you do make a
mistake.
That would be
crazy too,
wouldn't it?
That would be
against what we
know.
our confidence
is that God
views us in
Christ and the
benefits that
Christ has
secured, life
and resurrection,
being with the
Father in heaven
forever, are
ours.
Irreversibly.
my friends, it's
not perfection he's
looking for in
you.
It's looking for
total dependence on
Jesus' forgiveness
and righteousness.
It's looking to
your association
with Jesus.
It's looking, he
wants you to be
saying, Jesus is my
champion.
I'm not any
longer desiring to
be associated with
Adam.
I want to be and
I am associated
with Jesus and
he is my
champion, he is
my security.
Even as you
continue to fail to
do what is right.
So friends, the
final question here
is just simply a
very personal
question.
Is Jesus your
man?
Is Jesus your
man?
everyone here this
morning, to use
the phrase of a
Puritan, hangs
from the belt of
either Adam or
Jesus.
To be in
solidarity with
Adam is easy.
Just do
nothing.
You were born
with Adam's
natural disposition
and your
future is shaped
therefore by the
prospect of God's
judgment and
condemnation.
But to be in
solidarity with
Jesus is also
easy.
Just come to
Jesus, acknowledging
your total inability
to earn God's
favor or deal with
your guilt, to deal
with your bad
heart, bad track
record.
Trust him alone to
deal with your
sin, to change
you from the
inside out, to
secure a place in
heaven for you.
When you do all
this, God
guarantees,
absolutely
guarantees that
you're absolutely
safe and secure
in Christ.
With your
future shaped
and defined by
peace, life,
privileged forever
relationship with
God.
God's
love for you.
So who is your
man?
I know you're who
are going to be
to be with you.
I know you're not
immediately familiar
to us.
I pray that your
spirit might cut
through all the
words that are
written in the
page and are
spoken here this
morning and use
them, Lord,
reassemble them as needed
so that your people might benefit from
this wonderful reassurance
this wonderful confidence
knowing that we are justified
and therefore no longer viewed by you
as in solidarity with Adam
but now seen to be in total solidarity
with Christ
knowing that his actions
and the consequences of his actions
are ours also
life and righteousness
and forever relationship with you
help us Lord to be confident in that
in Jesus name, Amen