The Ultimate Do-Over
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Opening ILL: Do-Overs and Instant Replay
When I was a kid, one of the highlights of the holiday season was going over to my grandma’s house and playing backyard football with my cousins from Montgomery, Michael and Eric. I remember whenever thing didn’t go our way, we would call out one phrase that had the power to undo everything that had just happened: “do-over.”
Once we called that out, usually have a lot of arguing and fighting, we would undo the last play and try it all over again.
A few weeks ago, my 7-year-old nephew James took the do-over to a whole new level while playing backyard football with a friend.
James returned a punt for a touchdown, but his buddy objected, claiming James ran out of bounds, which he probably did.
Instead of calling “do-over”, James suggested they do an instant replay and see if he had stepped out of bound. Since no one was actually filming the game (which I find hard to believe given that fact that my sister films and photographs everything her son does), James picks up the ball and runs back where he started from, then runs in slow motion, this time, never coming anywhere close to the “sidelines.”
His little buddy watched closely and concluded, “Well, I really thought you stepped out of bounds but I guess you didn’t!” (I am tell you, you have to watch little James, he is sneaky.)
Transition: Unfortunately, we know that in real life there is nothing we can do to undo the past.
We all have things we wish we could undo, whether it be our actions or the actions of others.
No “do-over” or sneaky “instant replays” can undo our sinful choices.
This is a major problem because our sin puts us in the path of the righteous wrath of God.
Is there any hope for a spiritual “do-over”? This morning, from God’s Word, we will see that Jesus’s death undid Adam’s deed.
TURN: (5th in NT btw Acts and 1 Corinthians) Romans 5
In his letter to believers in Rome, Paul has exposed the guilt of all humanity as descendents of Adam and as sinners by choice. But Paul also revealed God’s plan to redeem sinners by grace and through faith in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Today, we will see that Jesus undid Adam’s deed.
READ AND PRAY: Romans 5:18-21
18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus’s death undid Adam’s deed.
Jesus’s death undid Adam’s deed.
18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone.
SO THEN AS THROUGH ONE TRESPASS THERE IS CONDEMNATION FOR EVERYONE- born in Adam, condemned in Adam as we have continued his legacy of sin
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.
SO ALSO THROUGH ONE RIGHTEOUS ACT- Christ’s death on the cross
THERE IS LIFE-GIVING JUSTIFICATION- status given to those who believe at conversion which allows us to stand before God at final judgment and live
FOR EVERYONE- not that all people will be justified and saved from judgment, but all could be justified by faith
Remember the context of Jew/Gentile conflict within the church at Rome: not just Israel, or the righteous of Israel, but anyone who will believe
13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
EVERYONE WHO CALLS
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES
Through Adam’s sin, all who are born in Adam (everyone) are condemned.
Through Christ’s sacrifice, all who are reborn in Christ (everyone who believes) are saved.
19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
FOR JUST AS THROUGH ONE MAN’S DISOBEDIENCE THE MANY WERE MADE SINNERS- ‘many’ here is not a limited number but, in effect, all
Remember: we are not sinners because we sinned, we sin because we are born sinners in Adam
Adam’s disobedience and corrupted nature, led to our corrupted nature and our disobedience.
SO ALSO THROUGH THE ONE MAN’S OBEDIENCE- Paul speaks of Christ’s death as an “act of obedience” and as a “righteous act”
8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.
Whereas, Adam disobeyed God’s command, Christ obeyed God’s will.
THE MANY WILL BE MADE RIGHTEOUS- future tense: referring to eternity
Judicial Righteousness: our justification will be ratified at judgment
We will be officially declared right with God, based on the righteousness of Christ
Moral righteousness: we will be made perfect and holy in glory (not in this life)
23 to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,
RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE MADE PERFECT- God will make us into who He has already declared us to be (righteous)
6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
STARTED A GOOD WORK IN YOU- sanctification or growth in this life
Adam’s act of disobedience made us unrighteous.
Christ’s act of obedience will make us righteous in glory.
Transition: If made righteousness come by faith, it’s reasonable to ask what is the purpose of the law fits into the picture.
20 The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more
THE LAW CAME ALONG TO MULTIPLY THE TRESPASS- ἵνα indicates God’s purpose
God’s purpose for the law was not to distinguish Jewish righteous from gentile unrighteousness (as many Jews contended), but to make Israel more conscious of its solidarity in sin with the rest of Adam’s offspring.
20 For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.
15 For the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
The law was never intended to provide salvation but to convince people of their need for it.
BUT WHERE SIN MULTIPLIED GRACE MULTIPLIED EVEN MORE- overwhelming the effects of the massive build of humanity’s sin
ILL “grace, grace God’s grace, grace greater than all our sin
In this case all of humanity’s sin over all of history: past, present, and future
21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
SO THAT JUST AS SIN REIGNED IN DEATH SO ALSO GRACE WILL REIGN- in Adam, sin is in control (reigns)
In Christ, grace is in control
THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS- in two ways...
The means of grace are the righteous act of Christ’s death and Christ’s righteousness imputed to those who believe
The effects of grace are we are declared righteous before God and are made perfectly righteous by God
RESULTING IN ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD- only by the grace of God in the atoning work of Jesus (death and resurrection) and only through faith can one be transferred from the domain of sin leading to death to the domain of righteousness leading to life
Jesus stood in our guilt so that we might stand in His innocence.
In Adam, sin overwhelms life, resulting in eternal death
In Christ grace overwhelms death, resulting in eternal life.
Transition: In this way, Jesus’s death undid Adam’s deed.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Closing ILL: We can’t call “do-over.”
If one receives a speeding ticket, it won't help to say to the judge, "I've driven many times within the 55 mph limit. Surely my many good deeds will make up for the one bad deed."
If one robs a bank, it will not get you off the hook to point out how much money you gave to charity.
If one commits murder, it would do them no good to plead, "If you let me off this time, I promise never do it again. Just give me a do-over."
The judge would reply, "The law demands that those who break it must pay the price.”
The only hope we have of ever getting the “do-over” we desperately need is through the gracious death of Jesus. It was on the cross that Jesus paid our penalty so we might be set free.
Only Jesus’s death can undo Adam’s deed.
Gospel Connection: Have you personally experienced the “do-over” that only Jesus can give you?