The Curse Reverser
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Opening ILL: Do you know the answer?
After a particularly tough history test, Timmy and Mark were asked to meet with the teacher, Mrs. Wallace after class. The boys were kind of nervous because they could tell from the look on Mrs. Wallace’s face that she was not happy. When the other students had left the room, Mrs. Wallace look the boys in the eyes and said I know you cheated on that test today. Timmy and Mark glanced at each other before going into full denial mode. “We didn’t cheat! We would never cheat on a test!” The teacher insisted saying, “I know you cheated.” When the boys continues to deny it, she handed their each of their tests back to them. “Mark, read your answer for #12.” Mark read “I don’t know the answer to this question.” Then asked “What’s wrong with that? What does that prove?” Mrs. Wallace then turned to Timmy, “Timmy, read your answer for #12.” Timmy read, “Me neither.”
Transition: Today, we’ll learn the answer to the question we were left with after last week.
We have been born under the curse of Adam.
We have inherited Adam’s sinful nature
And we continue in his wretched legacy by living in sin.
Every single man, woman, and child who has walked the earth, apart from Jesus, is sinful by birth and sinful by choice.
Is there an answer to this curse or are we doomed to face the judgment of God?
This morning, from God’s Word, we’ll see that Jesus the curse reverser.
TURN: Romans 5 (5th in NT, btw Acts and 1 Corinthians)
In his letter to believers in Rome, Paul exposes the universal guilt of all humanity and reveals the Gospel, God’s plan to redeem sinners by grace and through faith in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.
Last week, He explained that humanity desperately needs reconciliation with God because we’re all sinners by birth, born in the likeness of our father Adam.
Today, Paul tells us that Jesus came to reverse the curse of Adam.
READ: Romans 5:12-17
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. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift overflowed to the many by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. 17 Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
PRAY
Jesus reversed the curse of Adam.
Jesus reversed the curse of Adam.
14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One.
HE IS A PROTOTYPE- the pattern setter
Adam set the pattern of one man representing humanity and altering the identity and the destiny all, as they are born with Adam’s sinful nature.
OF THE COMING ONE- Jesus would come after Adam to repair the damage done by Adam, reversing the curse by becoming a second, superior Adam
Christ became the representative of those who believe and have been united with Him in His death and resurrection by being born again, this not in Adam but in Christ.
Transition: Though He would follow the pattern of Adam, Christ would reverse the curse of Adam, bringing redemption to fallen man.
In Christ, our guilt is exchanged for grace.
In Christ, our guilt is exchanged for grace.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift overflowed to the many by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ.
BUT THE GIFT- root: grace, “gift of grace”
The death and resurrection of Christ described earlier...
“Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6)
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)
10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!
IS NOT LIKE THE TRESPASS- Adam’s original sin
FOR IF BY THE ONE MAN’S TRESPASS THE MANY DIED- “the many” means all people
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.
Those born in Adam, are born in the guilt of sin.
HOW MUCH MORE HAVE THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE GIFT OVERFLOWED TO THE MANY BY THE GRACE OF THE ONE MAN JESUS CHRIST- Christ’s act is far more potent than Adam’s act
“The act of grace does not balance the act of sin; it overbalances it.”
“The many” refers to those who believe in Christ.
Those reborn in Christ, are set free from the guilt of sin by the grace of God.
Transition: In Christ, our guilt is exchanged for grace.
In Christ, our condemnation is exchanged for justification.
In Christ, our condemnation is exchanged for justification.
16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification.
AND THE GIFT IS NOT LIKE THE ONE MAN’S SIN BECAUSE FROM ONE SIN CAME THE JUDGMENT RESULTING IN CONDEMNATION- “and the gift is not like the condemnation that came through the one who sinned”
Those born in Adam, are condemned to face the wrath of God’s judgment as sinners.
BUT FROM MANY TRESPASSES- “after many trespasses”
Despite the initial sin of Adam and generations of sin that followed
CAME THE GIFT RESULTING IN JUSTIFICATION- the gracious death and resurrection of Christ lead to those who believer being declared right before God
Instead of being declaring guilty as we deserve.
Those reborn in Christ, have been given right standing before God as those clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
Transition: In Christ, our guilt is exchanged for grace. In Christ, our condemnation is exchanged for justification.
In Christ, death is exchanged for life.
In Christ, death is exchanged for life.
17 Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
SINCE BY THE ONE MAN’S TRESPASS DEATH REIGNED THROUGH THAT ONE MAN- reign is to control completely as king
Those born in Adam, are born under the power of sin and death.
Physical, spiritual, and eternal death
HOW MUCH MORE- denotes certainty, as certain as death is grace
WILL THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE OVERFLOW OF GRACE- abundant, more than enough, but must be recieved
AND THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS- judicial righteousness, that is right standing with God, declared by grace through faith
REIGN IN LIFE THROUGH THE ONE MAN JESUS CHRIST- speaking of believers as reigning in life, victoriously over death
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
Those reborn in Christ, share in our resurrected Lord’s victory over death.
Transition: In Christ, guilt is exchanged for grace, condemnation is exchanged for justification, and death is exchanged for life.
In these ways, Jesus reversed the curse of Adam for those who belong to Him.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We were born sinners, under the curse of our father Adam. This why Jesus said...
3 Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The only way to escape the curse is to die and be reborn in Jesus Christ, by trusting in Jesus who died on the cross taking the punishment that we deserve for our sins and rose again.
Closing ILL: George Whitefield
George Whitefield at the age of 16 became deeply convicted of sin. He tried everything possible to erase his guilt through religious activity. He wrote, “I fasted for 36 hours twice a week. I prayed formal prayers several times a day and almost starved myself to death during Lent, but only felt more miserable. Then by God’s grace I met Charles Wesley who put a book in my hand which showed me from the Scriptures that I must be “born again” or be eternally lost.” Finally, Whitefield believed and experienced the transforming power of God’s grace.
Gospel Connection: Have you been born again by faith?
Alternative Opening:
ILLCancel culture
Over the last year or so, a new phrase has been added to our vocabulary: “cancel culture.”
Cancel culture is the idea that if you find something in someone’s past or present that is judged to be offensive or immoral, those responsible should be cancelled, that is, boycotted, have their voices silenced, or maybe even lose their jobs.
Personally, I’m not a fan of cancel culture. For one thing, it’s not consistent.
We all have said, done, and thought things over the course of our lives that bring us shame today.
For cancel culture to be consistent, it would have to cancel all humanity for all time.
Transition: Cancel culture may not be consistent in its judgments, but God is.