Death in Adam; Life in Christ (Rom. 5:12-21)

Death in Adam; Life in Christ

(Rom. 5:12-21)

We are continuing our study of Romans. We are going to look at this passage in Rom. 5:12-21 and gain an understanding of the beginning of sin and the only cure of sin. Paul used an analogy of Adam and Christ to help us gain an understanding of sin and God's plan of redemption for man through Christ. Through today's study of this passage we are going to gain an understanding of where sin began, when sin entered this world, the consequences of sin to humanity, and God's plan to save men from sin. Today's sermon is “Death in Adam, Life in Christ”.

I. Adam (v. 12-14) “...just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned – v.12)

In the case of Adam, scripture says that “sin entered into the world”. But it does not say that sin originated with Adam. Where does sin originate? Let's look at scripture.

A. Through Adam – v.12a “sin entered the world”

1. Origin of Sin – The originator of sin is Satan. In 1 John 3:8 it says, “the devil has sinned from the beginning”. It doesn't say when the beginning was but it was before Adam and Eve sinned. In Ezekiel. 28, it talks of Lucifer's sin in the beginning (28:15 - “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you”), Lucifer's sin of pride and rebellion prompted him being cast out of Heaven; Jesus said of this in Luke 10:18, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”. Universally, sin was introduced by Satan, but sin in this world was introduced into the human realm by Adam; it began with him. In Genesis 2:15-17, Adam was given one simple restriction or prohibition and that was to not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But he disobeys God's one command and sins against God. Although Eve disobeyed first, Adam was held responsible because God had directly given His command not to eat of the tree and he was given headship over Eve and should have used his given position of authority to insist that they mutually obeyed God rather than allow her to lead him in disobedience. This act of sin changed his nature from innocence to sinfulness and that sinful nature was then passed on to all of his descendants (all humanity). The question that I have heard time and again is this, “why should Adam's sin cause me to be born sinful?” That's a good question and to answer that let's look at v. 12, it says sin entered this world through one man, Adam. Notice that it doesn't say sins but sin. That is singular because it is taking about man's sin nature and that nature was passed generationally and individually. Mankind is a single entity that are the descendants of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Adam represents the entire race of humanity and we possess the same sin nature and capacity to sin. Adam was representative of the whole human race; so when Adam sinned and his spiritual nature fell and became depraved then all of posterity received the same fallen nature. When Adam sinned in the Garden, he sinned not only as a man but as man. 1 Cor. 15 :22 says that “in Adam all die”, this speaks of the shared guilt of all mankind just like everyone was present with Adam and sharing in the very sin he did. If we didn't fall with the first Adam then we could not have been saved by the last Adam, Jesus (1 Cor, 15:21-22 - “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive”).

2. What is the meaning of sin? - There are a couple of words in N.T. Greek that are used to describe sin. The first is harmartia that shows sin to be pictured as “any attitude or act of man that does not hit the bulls-eye of God's glory target”¹(Romans 3:23 - “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”). The other word is parabasis which means “to overstep a forbidden line”. Sin thus describes man's inability to do right and his inclination to do wrong.² It shows our sin nature and our desire to willfully sin. Our sin or sinful nature is the root of our problem that was caused by Adam and our sins are the fruit of our problem caused by us. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. That is our nature.

B. Through Sin – v.12b “death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” - Not only did sin enter into this world through Adam but also the consequences of sin: death (Rom. 6:23 - “For the wages of sin is death”; Ezek. 18:4 - “The soul who sins shall die”). God warned Adam in the Garden that if he ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that Adam would die. If Adam had not have ate of that forbidden fruit then he and his descendants would have never experienced death. But Adam did sin and brought death to himself and all his descendants, mankind. Sin has brought three different kinds of death to humanity. Death is separation. The first death Adam experienced is spiritual. The moment he sinned he became spiritually separated from God. The apostle Paul reminds us of our lost condition in Eph. 2:1-2, we he describes us before Christ as “dead in our trespasses and sins”. The second death that has resulted from sin is physical death. It is separation from human beings. At the moment Adam sinned, the process of physical death began. Although he did not immediately die, he did become subject to death. We are all subject to death, we all will die and we have seen all have that others have died before us.

The third kind of death from sin is the worst kind kind of death and it is eternal death. This death is the eventuality of all who die without Christ. It is eternal separation from God. Not only eternal separation from God but also eternal torment in hell. Through the disobedience of Adam all have been born sinners and condemned. Through Adam, all are under judgment, condemnation, and subject to death reigning over all their lives because Adam sinned. And we are no better than Adam, it even seems that mankind has slid further into depravity than ever. But it is not hopeless. Our omniscient (all-knowing) God knew even before He made the world that when he made us that we would sin. Because of that, our Triune God purposed to provide salvation to us.

II. Jesus Christ, the second Adam. (v. 15-21)

This brings us to our Lord Jesus Christ. The promised salvation of mankind. In Rev. 13:8, it gives Jesus a certain title and it is this, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. The purpose and plan of God to bring glory to Himself by providing salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God had so lovingly and graciously purposed to save us through the death of His Son Jesus Christ. God chose to save us and to reveal His love even before the beginning of the world. God gave hope to Adam and Eve in Gen. 3:15 by promising the Seed that would crush the head of the Serpent. To Moses and Abraham and David and all the O.T. Saints the promise of the Messiah who would save them from their sins. To the time when He did come and die at the appointed time for the salvation of our sins (Rom. 5:6 - “when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly”). Where Adam had brought sin, death, judgment, and condemnation; Jesus brought righteousness and life (vv. 15-19, “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense (Adam) many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned (Adam). For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act (Jesus) the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous”). Adam brought sin and death into this world and Jesus Christ brought righteousness and life into the world (1 Cor. 15:21-22 - “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive”). Jesus brought to us the free and abundant gift of grace into this world. We can see the abundance of grace that Jesus has provided in verse 15, “much more the grace of God” and verse 17, “much more... abundance of grace” and in verse 20, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more”. Whatever had been lost in Adam, God had provided even more grace. We, as repenting sinners, have received much more in Christ tan we ever lost in Adam. Christ not only has reversed the curse of death by forgiving and cleansing from sin, but He has also provided the way for saved men to share in the righteousness and glory of God. Even though in Adam sin increased but through Christ grace abounded even more.

We can see in this analogy of Adam and Christ, that in Christ is the answer and remedy for sin. There is no other way of salvation but in the person and work of Christ. Our sin left unresolved, will bring death to us in our body, soul, and spirit. If we are born again in Christ by putting our faith and trust in Christ then we will receive abundant grace and eternal life. But if we reject the free and abundant grace of God through Jesus Christ then we will not only die physically but eternally, we will be eternally separated from God in the fiery torment of hell. When we face eternity, we will face it as a child of Adam or we will face it as a child of God. In Adam is death, in Christ is life. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” - John 14:6.

1Willmington's Guide to the Bible

2Willmington's Guide to the Bible