Not Like Adam

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 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.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul began this paragraph in vs 12 with “just as” with the idea in mind of a comparison between Christ and Adam.

Note this problem goes back to Adam. that means it is a problem for all Adam’s children which includes every human. and the solution is Christ who is the last Adam so the solution is for every human.

So in comparing we see how Christ is like Adam and how he is defiantly not like Adam. So lets just read those first three verses one more time

Romans 5:12 NKJV

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Paul stops his sentence in verse 12 to clarify this phrase “all sinned”

Romans 5:13 NKJV

13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

So to clarify he identifies those who lived before the Law and points out that he does not mean those who break the Law of God when he says all sinned because before the Law sin was not imputed which means sin was not put tho their account. If you do something bad even if its really bad but there is no law against it then no judge can sentence you, he can’t condemn you if you have broken no Law yet in verse 14

Romans 5:14 NKJV

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

So the condemnation of death was over those who had not broken any law and had not sinned like Adam.

which means when he say all sinned he is not talking about sins against God’s law he has something bigger in mind namely that when Adam sinned one sin of disobedience all sinned in that one transgression because we were all in Adam.

and then he make this comment which on the surface seams out of place “who is a type of Him who was to come”

That is as he is making the point that death reigns on all even those all did not sin like Adam he wants us to remember Adam is a type of Christ.

This work of Adam in condemning all to death is crucial to our understanding of the work of Christ in justifying all.

It is not because of out individual sins that we die and it is not because of our individual acts of righteousness that we have life in Christ. The deeds of two people are all that is being considered here the work of Adam and the work of Christ. So Adam being the first man was a type of Christ in this way .

But immediately following this statement of likeness Paul wants to show the contrast.

So Adam is a type of Christ but here is how they are not alike.

The Nature of Their Work

Romans 5:15 NKJV

15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Paul emphasises the one man many died and the one man grace abounded to many one for many one for many.

So again the work of one Adam and the work of one Christ is what is in view here. But we can also get from this the one Man Jesus Christ in the only means of the grace of God.

he is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by Him.

We were looking at a verse this week in our Bible Study on Tuesday

Acts 4:10–12 NKJV

10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Romans 5:15 NKJV

15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

The Offence

Disobedience

Selfish

The Free Gift (Eternal Life Rom 6:23)

Grace of The Father

Grace of the Son

Obedience

Sacrifice

This contrast is clear but there is another way in which the offence in not like the free gift in this verse and it is found in the phrase much more. We saw it first in verse 10

Romans 5:10 NKJV

10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

how much more certainly

so if by one mans offence many died how much more certianty will the grace of God abound to many through the one Man Jesus Christ

But we also noted a couple of weeks ago that much more means super abundance. So if the one offence of one man Adam could bring death on many how much more super abundant is the power of the Son of God to bring grace and everlasting life to many through one righteousness sacrifice.

The second way that Adam is not like Christ

The Effect of Their Work

Romans 5:16 NKJV

16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.

First note the distinction of the one offence and the many offences. Judgement came from one offence in Adam but the free gift came from many offences and resulted in justification Adam’s one offence created the problem but the superiority of Christ the super abundance is that he redeems us from not only the one offence in Adam but the many offence that we have committed because we are also sinners.

But the main point here is the results Adams offence resulted in condemnation that is death. Death was given sovereignty over all mankind through this one man. But this death is far deeper than physical death, this death is spiritual death, condemnation, damnation, eternal death in hell for all was the result of Adams offence.

The work of Christ, on the other hand, was the free gift of himself as out sacrifice for our many offences which results in justification for all who receive this gift.

The Ultimate Conclusion of Their Work

Romans 5:17 NKJV

17 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.)

The Work of Adam

Causes death to reign not just from Adam to Moses as in verse 14 but death continued to reign from Moses until today. We live under the tyranny death. People die, death is waiting for us all. No one can avoid it no matter how rich or how powerful you may be in this world no one can get out from under death’s rule. It reigns over us.

on the other hand

The work of Christ in different and again is super abundant. Much more those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness not only get out of the tyranny of the rule of death as if that were not enough in itself, much more they themselves will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

The work of Adam made us sinners but the work of Christ makes us righteous.

Two things just quickly to note here. 1. in is through One, Jesus Christ. We reign only through one Jesus Christ it in through Him and only Him. There is no other one there is only Jesus.

And 2. only those who receive abundance of grace. The free gift is offered to you. You can come out from under the tyranny and fear of death brought on you by the first Adam and you can be born again under the last Adam you can be justified, forgiven, made righteous, and reign in Christ. But you must receive the gift and that is done by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I invite you to simply believe in Jesus this morning. Faith happens in a moment. It’s not a prayer that you repeat or a card that you sign. It’s not church membership or even baptism.

It is a moment when God opens your eyes and you can see the truth and you say yes that is truth Jesus is truth and you see the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus so much so that you repent or turn from your ideas and belief and sins and idols and say I want to follow Jesus. Have you done that this morning? If you have received the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.

Related Media

Related Sermons