Adam and Christ
April 28th, 2008 • Posted in Messages/Sermons • 699 viewsRomans Lesson 9
ADAM AND CHRIST
Romans 5:12-21
Key Verse: 5:17
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
In the preceding passage, 5:1-11, Paul gave a brief account of the incredible benefits of those who are justified by faith in Christ. We who have been justified through faith now have peace with God and unlimited access to the grace of God. We now can truly enjoy peace, hope and joy in our daily lives, even in times of trouble, because we know that nothing happens to us without God’s foreknowledge and that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him. (Ro 8:28) Most of all, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and continues to work to transform us into His glorious image. These are not small blessings, and they became available to us through Christ Jesus who gave himself as an atoning sacrifice on the cross. But someone might have asked, “Wait a minute! How could one man’s actions affect the entire human race?” So Paul began his argument about the relationship between one man’s action and all of humanity.
In today’s passage, Paul gives a series of comparisons between the first man, Adam, and Christ, and between Adam’s sin and Christ’s obedience in order to emphasize the magnitude of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. However, Paul’s arguments in this matter are very hard to follow. It’s possible for us to get lost in the process of analysis. Yet, this passage is known to be one of the most profound sections in the Bible. It provides extremely important theology of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. I heard that a pastor who was also one of the leading Bible scholars in the US preached on this passage every Sunday for seven months. I hope I can also do that. Let’s see. But as of now, let us pay attention to what Paul was trying to say about the surpassing grace of Jesus Christ, trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
FIRST, ADAM, A PATTERN OF THE ONE TO COME (12-14)
Read verse 12. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” In this verse, Paul talks about what went wrong with the entire human race from the outset of history. There were many things to talk about, the existence of evil and the devil’s temptation and Mrs. Eve’s contribution. But Paul mainly focuses on one man, Adam, the sin of his disobedience and its effect on the entire human race. Verse 12 is based on Genesis Chapters 2 and 3. When Adam sinned by disobeying God’s command not to eat the fruit from the true of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 3:6), sin entered the whole world. And Adam’s sin brought death, and in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.
In fact, as the consequence of Adam’s sin, just one act of disobedience, the entire human race, along with the whole universe, was put under the curse of God. Death began to reign over all humankind, both rich and poor, educated and uneducated, male and female, young and old. This is so true that we don’t need to prove. People die every day and everywhere. Death is universal. Although many may die at the end of their long lives, some die at early stages in their lives. We all die someday. Death brings so much pain and sorrow. When I was young, I really loved my mother. I felt sad because she had to suffer so much. I felt even more sad when I thought about her dying and turning to dust. I said to myself, “meaningless, meaningless.”
Why must everyone die? Why does death reign over the entire human race? It’s because sin entered the world though Adam’s disobedience. We say that some one died of cancer or car accident. But we all die because of sin. Death is a serious consequence of sin. Medicine, science or technology cannot solve the problem of sin and death. The devil tempted Adam through Eve, lying to them that even if they ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would not die, but they would even become like God. But when they ate the fruit, they died both spiritually and physically. Through the disobedience of Adam, sin entered the entire world and death came to all men with sin.
We sin every day. What is sin? What is your concept of sin? Many people think that sin is doing something wrong against the laws, rules and our consciences. I am sure that most of us at some point stole candy and lied about it. How many of you didn’t do anything wrong in your whole life, never lied even once? But if we think that sin is just doing something wrong, we cannot fully understand what Paul was trying to tell us.
Saint Paul said that in regard to keeping the law, he was faultless. But sin is more than just doing something wrong or being imperfect. How does Paul explain it? Sin is like a deadly virus that attacks us. In the gospel narratives, sin is often compared to leprosy. Look at verses 13-14. “For before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.” The Ten Commandment was given during the time of Moses. Before the law was given, people lived according to their own standards or consciences. Some people didn’t even feel guilty because they didn’t have the law of God. Yet, they still died. Death was universal even before the law was given. What does it mean? It means that people died because they were contaminated by sin even though they didn’t even know about it. The law was added so that we may be aware of our sinfulness.(5:20) As Adam was exposed to sin and died, so were they exposed to sin and died, and we all died spiritually because we are also contaminated with sin through Adam.
What Paul was trying to say here is not the definition of sin. He was trying to explain one man Adam’s effect on the entire human race as our representative. Adam was the first man on earth, whom God created in His own image (Imago Dei) and in His own likeness (Homoisosis). (Gen 1:26-31) God also breathed His breath into his nostrils and Adam became a living being. Although it was very unfortunate that Adam wasn’t able to obey God’s command perfectly, we cannot deny the fact that Adam was the head of the entire human race. In light of God’s redemptive history, Adam is not just the head of the old humanity, but he is also a pattern of the one who was to come as the head of the new humanity, namely Christ Jesus. (14b)
In fact, in the Scriptures from Genesis to Malachi, the ultimate hope was that someone who would solve the problem of sin and death was coming, breaking their dominion and setting us free. Think about Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Like Adam, the one who was to come would be the head of a new humanity. According 1 Corinthians 15:45, Jesus is the last Adam who will represent not just the Jews but all humankind. In verses 15-21, Paul both compares and contrasts Christ with Adam, in order to show that God’s grace through Jesus is far superior to the power of sin and death through Adam.
SECOND, DEATH THROUGH ADAM, LIFE THROUGH CHRIST (15-21)
Read verses 15-16. “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: the judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.” In these verses, Paul mainly compares Christ with Adam through each of their achievements. What came to the entire human race through these two representatives was totally different, in complete contrast with one other. What came through Adam? Through Adam sin, condemnation, death and final judgment came to the entire human race while through Christ the gift of God, God’s grace, justification, the gift of righteousness and eternal life came to those who believe in him.
God didn’t just forgive our many trespasses, but he also gave us overflowing blessings of new life, peace, joy and eternal life in heaven. Through his death on the cross, Jesus reversed the effects of Adam’s sin and brought overflowing grace to us, one blessing after another. What Paul was saying here is that the work and effect of Christ is far greater than the work and effect of Adam. The grace of God that is in Jesus Christ is far greater than the scope of our sin and shame.
In verse 17, it’s even more clearly explained. Read verse 17. “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign I life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” Here, we also must pay attention to the word “reign.” The word “reign” is repeated twice in verse 17 and 5 times in verses 14-17 and 20. The word “reign” is one of the key points in Paul’s arguments. Sin reigns, death reigns, grace reigns and we reign. When we are in Adam by nature, death and condemnation reigns over us. No matter how alive and beautiful we may be, we are doomed to the power of sin and death. The moment we are conceived, we are already dead spiritually and begin the process of dying physically. Do we have any choice? Not really. Why not? It’s because we are under the reign of sin and death.
However, when we are in Christ by faith, death has no reign over us any longer. Instead, grace and justification reigns over us. When we are in the grace of Jesus Christ, we will live in triumph over the power sin and death in our daily lives. We are dead in the first place not because we actually committed sin but because of what Adam did in the garden. We are alive not because of our obedience to the law of God but because of what Jesus did on the cross through our faith. We both sin and do many good works as well. Yet, Paul is saying that what really affected us is not what we do but what our representatives had done for us. This is somehow unfamiliar concept. Justification is not about what we do. It’s a matter of acceptance of what Jesus had done for us. Let us explore this further.
Read verses 18-19. “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” On the one hand, one man Adam’s disobedience brought condemnation and death to the entire human race. On the other hand, one man Jesus’ obedience brought justification and life to the entire human race. It is as if Adam passed on a terrible shocking disease to us, injecting a deadly virus that kills us. But Jesus came to us and brought life.
Paul again emphasizes that Jesus’ death on the cross was an act of obedience. His death on the cross was not an easy decision to make. God was making him drink the cup of suffering and death for our sins. God made His Son Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us, putting all the poison of sin upon himself and letting him to be completely separated from Him through death on the cross. In the Garden, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) Jesus was nailed to the cross, the symbol of shame and curse. Jesus was cursed in our place. The horror of his death on the cross was clearly expressed when Jesus cried out to God on the cross, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabach thani!”, which mean ‘My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me!” Christ, the Son of God, was abandoned to death because of our sins. Yet, through this one act of obedience, Jesus solved the problem of sin and death. As a result of his obedience, many who had been dead in Adam are made alive in Christ. This one act of obedience brought so much blessing to the entire human race, especially to those who believe in him. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:21- 22, “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam we all die, but in Christ all will be made alive.” The question is under whose reign are we living? Adam or Christ?
When Jesus was hung on the cross, along side him were two criminals. One hurled insults at Jesus by saying “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” but the other criminal rebuked him, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Lk 24:39-43) All human race in history is related to Adam by their birth. As a result, sin, death and condemnation reign over them. We are like the two criminals on the cross. But we can be related to Christ by believing in what Jesus had done for us on the cross. And as a result, we receive all the blessings and benefits from God through Jesus Christ, our new representative. We, as Christians, are interrelated to Adam and to Christ. According to Paul’s teaching here, our condemnation and justification have something to do with our inter-relationship with Adam and Christ, not on what we do.
Fundamentally speaking, we go to heaven, not because we behave better or work hard for God but only because we are related to Christ through our faith in Christ Jesus. We cannot save ourselves with any means of religion, philosophy, technology, intelligence or wealth. They are not able to save us from the power of sin and death. Only Christ is able to do this because he died for our sins and rose from the dead. All we need is faith in Jesus Christ. That’s what justification by faith alone means. But this might have upset a lot of Jewish believers in Paul’s time when they heard Paul’s teaching of justification by faith alone.
That’s why Paul again says in verses 20-21. “The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Are we saved by doing good or keeping laws and regulations? No. Whose reign are we living under? Adam or Christ? All of us falls in one line or another. If any of us here never received the grace of God through Christ, then sin and death are still reigning in us, dominating everything we do. But if we have received the grace of God in Christ we have been freed from the disease of sin and we are God’s beloved children who can enjoy the incredible blessings from Him now and forever. We have become a new creation, we are in a new world, the world of God’s grace and mercy.
We are not perfect. We make mistakes. We are tempted. We also fall. We are often overwhelmed in our daily struggles against sin and temptation. What should we do? Give up and get drunk. No. We need to get up again by faith. What we must learn from this passage is that we should not give up hope. We should get up again.
We fall again and get up again. Proverbs 24:16 says, “The righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.” The wicked are those who have no faith in God’s grace. We need more faith and confidence in God’s grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. Sin and despair often come like the waves of sea, threatening our soul with complete loss. We feel ashamed to come to Jesus again and again with the same kind of sin. But we must know that the grace of God is far greater. Without the grace of God, we cannot sustain our life of faith. We need the grace of God more and more, not less and less. We don’t need to live under the reign of sin, shame and death any longer. We are justified, we are God’s children. This will never change. When we are troubled for any reason, we should know that God is not pushing us. We must believe that even our troubles are working to make us more like Jesus. There is victory in Jesus, there is hope in Jesus, there is joy in Jesus. May we fix our eyes on Jesus Christ our Lord and let him reign on us with his abundant grace as we learn to surrender to him.
