Romans 5:12-21

Romans chapter 5 is where we are this morning.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

I titled this sermon, I'm always jealous of pastors who have these clever titles.

! I'm not that creative.

So I thought I'd try to get creative with this one.

So I titled this one, Jesus is the one-upper.

Jesus is the one-upper.

He knows what I'm talking about.

The guys who, you know, you tell them something and they always one-up you.

Man, I just had a really bad night.

Oh yeah, well I didn't sleep for two days.

You know, that kind of thing.

Well, our text this morning, Jesus is the one-upper.

We've got a big text with a big topic and a lot to cover.

So I'm going to pray and then we'll dig in.

Father, we are so thankful for Your Son, Jesus Christ.

We are so thankful for the grace and the mercy that You have shown us.

And God, I pray this morning that we are more aware of that grace and mercy this morning.

That You make Yourself known to us even more.

God, I pray that the words that are spoken here will be Your words.

I pray, God, that I don't preach and teach from my talent, but I preach and teach this morning through the power of the Holy Spirit.

God, if there is any error in what I say, I pray that nobody remembers.

Not for my glory, but for Your glory, so that I do not stray anybody away from Your truth.

I pray, God, that Your Word would penetrate hearts this morning and that we would treasure Christ.

That we could sing, give me Christ or else I die forever.

Our lives would reflect those words.

Amen.

Pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So, it's been four weeks since we've been in the book of Romans.

So, what I want to do is give you guys a quick review.

And then we'll dig into chapter 5, starting in verse 12.

Romans chapter 1.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

This is a letter to the church in Rome.

So, Paul writes this letter to Christians.

Romans chapter 1, Paul lays out that everyone, Gentile specifically, are sinners.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

Everyone is guilty.

In fact, he says in chapter 1, verse 20,

so they are without excuse being that they are shown God's glory.

They are guilty no matter who they are.

They decide in chapter 1, as Paul is laying out the depravity of man,

he says that they worship the creation instead of the Creator.

Chapter 2, just so there's no judgment or just so there's no empty lines not filled out,

Paul addresses the Jewish people in chapter 2 and says,

Jewish people, you are just as guilty.

You are just as depraved.

So, we come to chapter 3.

Chapter 3 is the culmination of 1 and 2.

All are sinners.

All are guilty.

No one is righteous.

No one can do good.

That is chapter 3.

Isaiah 3 · chapter mention

So, we come to chapter 4.

Chapter 4 is a glorious chapter

where Paul lays out for the reader

that justification through Christ Jesus is only by faith,

not by works,

not by religious activity,

not by any good thing that you do.

It is through faith alone.

And it is a gift.

It is a gift.

So, in chapter 5, we get,

and he starts out with verse 1,

he says,

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, not only are we justified,

but that justification now gives us peace with God.

We are no longer enemies with God,

but we are on His side.

We are on His team.

We are loved by Him,

and He loves us.

Later on in chapter 5,

we rejoice in our sufferings.

We rejoice because we know what's to come.

And we know that it says in verse 3,

suffering produces endurance,

and endurance produces character,

and character produces hope,

and hope does not put us to shame.

In other words,

everything God does is for a purpose,

is for our good,

and justification is that motor that pushes.

We can rejoice in no matter,

in whatever situation,

because we are justified.

So, now we come to verse 12.

We're reading a big chunk.

So, let's start reading in verse 12.

We're going all the way to the end of the chapter.

Verse 21.

It says,

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

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.

Before we really dig in,

I want to take a minute

and speak to the men

here at Christ's Family Church.

The men who are members,

men who are not members.

Guys,

if you notice,

Paul speaks to Adam,

or speaks of Adam

and not Eve

bringing sin into the world.

Adam is held responsible.

Adam is the one who calls,

who God calls

in chapter 3

after eating the fruit.

Adam is the one who is blamed.

Now of course,

Paul is educated.

We know this.

We know he is a smart guy.

And he knew that Eve

ate of the fruit first.

But what he has done

is that he has shown

the weight and the responsibility

on the man's head.

Now of course,

this is not what the text

is talking about here this morning,

but we can draw this

from our text.

And I want to show you

quickly

this weight of responsibility

for men

leading your spouses,

leading the women

in your life.

Men,

we have an inescapable

responsibility.

There is no way out of it.

No way around it.

And when your wives

and my wife fail,

when they sin,

when they lose faith,

it is us

who are held responsible.

Adam is the one here

being held responsible

for bringing sin

into the world.

Young guys,

are you ready

to love your future wife

this way?

to take responsibility

for her?

To sacrifice for her?

To lead her?

To carry the weight

of this responsibility?

For me,

one of the scariest verses

in the Bible

is in Ephesians chapter 6

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

or 5

where it says,

Husbands,

love your wives

as Christ loves the church.

That's scary

because I fall

so short.

It leaves no room

for getting out of it.

Adam is the guilty one.

Of course,

Eve is guilty too,

but Adam gets the honor

and privilege

of being the patriarch

of sin.

So before we jump in,

I give that to you

this morning.

That's free.

Men,

you are responsible

for your wives.

Love them.

Guys,

if you're not married,

get ready

to love

your future spouse.

Know God's Word.

Love God.

Love Jesus.

I want to begin

this morning

in our text

by asking you

a question.

The question is,

if you died today,

I know what you're thinking,

it's not that question.

If you died today

and immediately

you were before God,

immediately you were

before God,

you were at

your judgment,

who would you belong to?

Would you claim

citizenship with Jesus

in His kingdom

or would you be claimed

by the sin of Adam?

That's your question.

Would you claim

citizenship with Jesus

in His kingdom

or would you be claimed

by the sin

of Adam?

See,

in our text this morning,

we find a comparison

between Adam

and Jesus

with the end result

being

that we have

assurance

of our salvation

because

even death

cannot keep God

from fulfilling

what He promises.

So we have

some similarities

in the comparison

between Adam

and Jesus.

The biggest is

that both of them

are what they call

federal heads.

Federal heads

of mankind.

Being that

each one

made decisions

that either

affected all

of mankind

or was done

representing

all of mankind.

Kind of like

the U.S.

president

sometimes will make

a decision

that affects

all the citizens

of the United States.

Both men

made profound

impact

on the world.

The difference is

is that one

didn't

obey

God

and the other

did.

So here is

our layout

this morning.

Here's where

we're kind of going.

We're going to talk

about Adam.

Then we're going to

talk about Jesus.

We're going to

talk about the

law and grace.

And I'm going to

end with four

concluding questions.

Okay?

So hang with me.

That's like

pretty much

the whole Bible

is what we're

going to hit

this morning.

So,

Adam,

here we go.

Adam,

verse 12.

Therefore,

just as sin

came into the world

through one man

and death

through sin

and so death

spread through all men

because all sinned.

Now as you know,

Adam is that one man.

Adam is the guy.

Adam brought sin

into the world.

Adam and Eve

chose to disobey God.

And the result

of their action

was sin

entering the world.

The world here

means all people,

all men,

everyone who will

ever live.

So,

how would you like

to be known

as the person

or responsible

for corrupting

all mankind

based on one

decision?

But that's the truth.

Their decision

was to

worship themselves

and not

obey God.

It started

with them

and it goes

all the way

through mankind,

through every

human being.

Every person

who has ever lived

has been affected

by Adam

and Eve.

Now some

would say

that Adam

and Eve

are just

fictional characters

of this story

of creation.

They're not real.

Well,

I'm here to say

if you don't believe

Genesis 1,

2,

and 3,

then you might as well

not believe

any part of the Bible.

Adam and Eve

are our great,

great,

great,

great,

great,

great,

and we can go on

forever,

grandparents.

They are related

to us

and their blood

has corrupted

our blood.

My great,

great,

grandparents

moved from

Italy to

America.

They were

100% Italian.

So that makes me

25%,

I think,

Italian.

Sin doesn't

work that way

though.

Sin doesn't

get less and

less through

the generations

so now

we're .00175

sinful.

We are still

100% sinful.

Things,

in fact,

are worse

than they were.

We deal with

diseases and

illnesses that

Adam and Eve

did not deal

with because

of sin.

So because of

one sin,

of one choice

by Adam and Eve,

the most heinous,

awful crimes

that you can think

of,

Holocaust,

genocide,

murder,

adultery,

abortion,

no matter what

it is,

are a result

of that one

choice.

All are in

effect of that

one sin.

That same sin,

that desire

that Adam and

Eve had

to disobey

God,

to crush

the Creator

and elevate

themselves.

back in the

Garden of

Eden is what

affects us

today.

Thousands of

years ago.

For this

day,

we worship

ourselves

more than we

worship the

Creator.

Flip back to

Romans chapter

Romans 1 · chapter mention

1 and I

touched on

this.

Romans chapter

Romans 1:24

1,

verse 24 and

25.

Paul is

laying out

the depravity

of man,

laying out

that all

people are

sinful.

He says,

therefore,

God gave

them up in

the lusts of

their hearts

to impurity,

to the

dishonoring of

their bodies

among themselves

because they

exchanged the

truth about

God for a

lie and

worshiped and

served the

creature rather

than the

Creator who

is blessed

forever.

is what we

do.

We worship

the creature

man made or

not instead

of the

Creator.

This is the

legacy of

Adam and

Eve.

Verse 12

tells us that

Adam brought

sin into the

world and the

result of this

sin is death.

So sin brings

death into the

world.

And of course,

there are two

types of death.

We have

physical death

where our

time here on

earth is over.

We also have

spiritual death.

So physical

death.

Flip back to

Genesis chapter

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

2.

You might want

to mark it.

I know it's

easy.

First book in

the Bible to

find, but we're

going to be

back at least

one other

time.

Genesis chapter

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

2.

Verse 17

tells us.

And God

says to

Adam, this

is the

curse after

the fall.

God says

to Adam,

because you

have listened

to the voice

of your wife

and have

eaten of the

tree of which

I commanded

you, you

shall not

eat of it.

Cursed is the

ground because

of you.

In pain you

shall eat of

it all the

days of your

life.

Thorns and

thistles it

shall bring

forth to you

and you

shall eat the

plants of the

field.

Verse 19,

by the sweat

of your face

you shall eat

bread till you

return to the

ground.

For out of it

you are taken

for you are

dust and to

dust you

shall return.

I'm sorry,

that's chapter

3, not

chapter 2.

I apologize.

I apologize.

2.

17 says,

but of the

tree of the

knowledge of

good and evil

you shall not

eat for in

the day that

you eat of

it you shall

surely die.

3.

19.

I just

read.

I apologize

for that

guys.

3.

3 repeats

what I've

just read.

The God's

command that

if you eat

of this

plant you

will die.

There is a

time when

we die.

It is a

result of

sin being

brought into

the world.

There is a

time and a

place to

die.

Some people

think that

you guys have

heard that

song,

there's a

time to

live and a

time to

die.

I think

it's the

birds.

I can't

be for

sure,

but you

guys can

correct me

later.

Some people

think that

they wrote

it.

In fact,

it's actually

from Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

It says,

for everything

there is a

season and

a time for

every matter

under heaven,

a time to

be born and

a time to

die, a time

to plant and

a time to

pluck up what

is planted.

We are going

to die

at some

point.

Physical

death is a

result of

sin.

for the

Christian,

this is

good news.

For the

Christian,

this is

comforting.

Now,

although there

may be

feelings that

you may

have about

leaving your

family and

friends or

not accomplishing

this or

that,

it is good

news because

to die,

as Paul says

in Philippians,

is gain.

It is good

because we

see Christ.

We will see

Christ in

all His

glory.

We will be

in His

presence.

The Lamb

who was slain

for my

sin will be

before me.

See,

the pinnacle

of the

Christian life

is not

here on

earth.

The pinnacle

of the

Christian life

is being in

God's presence

and worshiping

Jesus forever.

That's

the pinnacle.

So,

if we

believe all

Scripture,

if there is

nothing that we

have read

and we say,

no,

that can't

be so,

then Christ

is far

better than

anything this

world has

to offer.

He is far

better.

He has

accomplished

more.

And He

deserves all

our praise,

all our

worship,

and we

will be

excited to

be in

heaven with

Him.

So,

death will

be a gain

and dying

will be a

comfort.

But for the

unbeliever,

death is

scary.

Death is

the beginning

of eternal

despair.

Death will

be the

beginning of

eternal

separation.

Now,

some people

say that

when you

die,

you just

die.

Your clock

runs out,

the batteries

go dead,

you're it.

No,

nothing.

Well,

when you

die,

you're going

to be aware

of where

you are

and what

you're

doing.

It's not

the end.

It's not

an empty,

lifeless body

in the

ground.

Remember

the beggar

named Lazarus

and the

rich man?

I mentioned

it like

five or

six weeks

ago,

so you

probably

don't

unless

you've

read the

story.

A rich

man walks

by the

gate.

Lazarus

begs for

him,

begs,

begs,

please

give me

something.

And the

man continues

on.

They both

die.

The rich

man is

in hell.

In a

place of

torment

and

despair.

And he

begs

Lazarus,

begs

Abraham

to allow

Lazarus

to touch

his finger

to water

and put

it in

his mouth.

It is

horrible

where he's

at.

He is

aware

of where

he is.

But not

only did

sin bring

physical

death

into the

world,

but it

also brought

spiritual

death.

Genesis

3 shows

us what

spiritual

death

looks like.

Adam

and Eve,

the fall.

Then God

gives them,

curses

them.

Women,

labor pains

will increase.

Men,

work will be

hard,

difficult.

You're going

to die.

Physical

death comes

into the

picture.

And then

we get

to verse

22-24.

22-24

in chapter

3.

That is

correct,

I promise.

3.

22-24.

It says,

Then the

Lord God

said,

Behold,

the man

has become

like one

of us

in knowing

good and

evil.

Now,

lest he

reach out

his hand

and take

also of

the tree

of life

and eat

and live

forever.

Therefore,

the Lord

God

sent him

out from

the garden

of Eden

to work

the ground

from which

he was

taken.

He drove

out the

man and

at the

east of

the garden

of Eden

he placed

the cherubim

and a

flaming sword

that turned

every way

to guard

the way

to the

tree

of life.

God

pushes

Adam and

Eve out

the garden

of Eden.

He separates

them from

him.

It's a

picture of

spiritual

death.

Spiritual

death is

separation

from

God.

God

one

sin

brought

death

into

the

world.

One

sin

brought

physical

death.

Time

on

this

earth

and

spiritual

death

separation

from

God.

But there's

good news.

There's

good news.

While

humans

pursued

the path

of pride

and self

worship,

God

pursued

the path

of

redemptive

love.

Good

news.

Verse

14

says

in

Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapter

5,

the last

phrase,

it's like

the

transgression

of

Adam,

who was

a type

of the

one who

was to

come.

Adam is

a type

of Christ.

He is

the patriarch

of human

race.

No matter

ethnicity,

no matter

what language,

he is the

corporate head

of mankind,

but he is

only a type

because his

disobedience

led to

sin and

death.

There is

another

whose

obedience

affects

mankind

by giving

those who

believe a

new

citizenship,

a new

life.

And this

man,

as we

know,

is Jesus

the Savior.

So let's

talk about

Jesus for a

minute.

Adam

brought sin

into the

world.

Jesus

brings

righteousness

into the

world.

verse 15

through 17

is kind

of where

we're

hovering

this

morning

here

talking

about

Jesus.

Verse 15

says,

But the

free gift

is not

like the

trespass.

For if

many died

through one

man's

sin,

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.

In other

words,

how much

better is

the grace

of God

by giving

of the

free gift

through

Jesus

Christ?

That's not

a question.

It is

better.

It may have

sounded like a

question,

and I

apologize.

The

trespass

brought death

into the

picture,

and Jesus

erased

death.

Trespass

brought

death,

suffering

into the

world,

and Jesus

erased.

First

nine words,

the first

sentence of

verse 15

is glorious,

and praise

God,

this is

true,

but the

free gift

is not

like the

trespass.

Jesus

didn't

bring death,

He didn't

bring

condemnation,

He brought

hope,

life,

and life

everlasting.

This is

what Jesus

brings.

Verse 16

says,

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.

Jesus

didn't

bring sin

to the

party.

Adam

brought

sin to

the

party.

Jesus

brought

righteousness,

and that

righteousness

justifies.

We are

justified

because of

Jesus,

not

condemned.

Adam,

death,

and

condemnation.

Jesus,

life,

and

grace.

Romans

8,

1,

there is

therefore

now no

condemnation

for those

who are

in Christ

Jesus.

There is

no

condemnation.

Now,

there's four

words here

in verse

16 that I

want to

make clear

for everyone.

And maybe

as I read

through it,

you just

didn't even

think about

it.

Those

four words

but the

free

gift.

This

is nothing

of your

doing or

my doing.

This

is nothing

that we

have

deserved.

Romans

Romans 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4,

flip back

to verse

4.

Paul is

digging into

justification

by faith

alone,

not by

works.

And he

says in

verse 4,

now,

to the

one who

works,

his wages

are not

counted as

a gift,

but as

his due.

But he

just brings

in a real

life example.

If you

work,

you get

paid.

Clear.

You earned

that money.

But,

the grace

of God

is not

that way.

It is

a free

gift.

There is

no earning.

The

gospel

leaves

no room

for you

or for

me to

boast

in

ourselves.

We

boast

in

Christ,

absolutely,

but we

cannot

boast

in

ourselves

and

what

we

have

earned

or

done.

This

is a

good

thing.

This

is a

joyous

thing

because,

as I've

shown,

we're

bloodline

of Adam.

We're

related to

Adam and

our lives

are contaminated

because of

Adam.

We are

sinners,

have

sinned,

and will

sin.

We are

dead

without

Christ.

Lazarus,

different

Lazarus,

the friend

of Jesus

who died,

he needed

Jesus to

call him

out.

He was

dead.

He

needed a

free

gift

of

life.

It is

a free

gift from

the

creator

who we

choose not

to worship,

who do

not worship.

We

choose to

worship

ourselves

because of

who we

are.

The

free

gift from

the

creator

to his

greatest

creation,

mankind

created in

his image,

but who are

spiritually

dead.

So the

final

summation,

the final

conclusion of

these three

verses is

verse 17.

It says,

For if

because of

one man's

trespass,

death reigned

through that

one man,

Adam,

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.

Much

more,

much

better,

much

greater

is the

free

gift.

So we

have free

gift of

grace,

God's

righteousness

given to

us,

and over

here we

have

what?

Man's

trespass,

sin.

God's

free gift

is going

to win

every time.

That's

what much

more free

gift wins

every time.

to those

who will

receive the

abundance of

grace and

the free

gift.

Those who

believe.

Those who

believe.

So here in

this verse,

in verse 17,

we have God's

sovereignty over

salvation.

He has the

gift to

give.

And man's

responsibility for

salvation,

those who

believe,

those who have

received the

abundance of

grace.

righteousness.

It is all

through Jesus.

Not you or

me, but

Jesus.

He brings

righteousness into

the world so

that we can be

partakers of

this gift.

I think every

sermon should

have 2 Corinthians

5.21 in it.

If you don't

know it,

for our sake

He made Him

to be sin

who knew

no sin,

so that in

Him we might

become the

righteousness of

God.

Jesus, who was

man, but not

blood of

Adam.

Jesus, whose

life was not

corrupted by

sin, who knew

no sin, never

sin, sin had no

bondage over

Him.

This Jesus, the

Holy One, the

righteous One,

became sin for

you and for

me so that in

Him we might

become the

righteousness of

God.

The only way we

become the

righteousness of

God is by

His righteousness

He brought

into the world

to be given

to you and

to me through

free gift.

That is the

great exchange.

That is what

Jesus brings.

He is our

glorious Savior

and He gives

righteousness so

that we can be

justified.

Jesus is also

the second

Adam.

He is the

second Adam.

He is the

Christ, the

Savior.

Adam was the

first man.

He is the

patriarch of all

mankind.

Jesus is the

God-man.

He is the

patriarch of the

new mankind.

He is the

patriarch for His

church, for those

who repent and

believe.

Jesus came to

accomplish what

only He could

accomplish.

He came to

save sinners.

God.

He is the

God.

Because we will

always be

enslaved to

sin, to

corruption.

And what that

deserves or what

that is earned

is condemnation.

He came to

live, die, and

resurrect to

create a way in

which we can

worship God

again as we

were created to

do.

He is the

patriarch of

worshipers of

God, image

bearers of God

who bear the

righteousness of

Jesus.

He is the

second Adam and

there will never

be a third.

The book of

John, Jesus'

last words,

it is finished,

meaning there is

nothing else to

be done.

I have

completed this.

Adam's

disobedience

affected mankind.

time, Jesus'

obedience overcame

his disobedience.

Each made an

impact, but one

offers death

while the other

offers life.

Adam offers

condemnation.

Jesus offers

hope.

Adam offers

slavery.

Jesus offers

peace.

Adam offers

despair.

Jesus offers

joy.

Adam offers

failure.

Jesus offers

grace.

Adam offers

self-worship

and idolatry.

Jesus offers

redeeming

love.

Adam offers

eternal

despair.

Jesus offers

life everlasting.

This is

Jesus.

There was

one act

that led

to all

sinning

and

condemnation,

but there

is

an act

of righteousness

that leads

to justification

as Jesus

Christ on

the glorious

cross.

Let me

take a

minute here.

In verse

18, it

says,

therefore, as

one trespass

led to

condemnation for

all men,

so one act of

righteousness

leads to

justification in

life for

all men.

salvation.

That is a

hot topic.

I need to

clarify something

here.

Paul, by the

guidance of the

Holy Spirit,

does not mean

that all men

will be saved.

Okay?

So we're on the

same page.

I just want to

make this clear

to you.

This is not

universal salvation

for everyone.

He has gone

from in verse

12 talking about

all mankind,

universal mankind,

verse 12,

all men have

been condemned

because of the

sin of Adam.

And it

transitions through

verse 15 where

he talks about

many.

Verse 17,

those who

receive.

And then

verse 18,

meaning all

types or all

people.

So he's not

saying that all

people will be

saved.

He's saying

that the grace

of God and

salvation is

open to any

type of person.

so Jew or

Gentile,

rich or poor,

man or woman,

black or white,

African or German,

English or Muslim,

it does not

matter.

That is what

Paul is saying

here, not

talking about a

universal salvation.

Although Jesus

could do that

if he wanted

to.

The problem

is,

is if this is

what it's teaching,

then he has

already failed

because we know

people are

in hell.

Tricky.

So now I want

to talk about

the law for a

minute.

Verse 20 and

21.

The law

increases

grace.

Now,

verse 20,

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.

The law's purpose

is to show us

our sin,