Grace Enough

"Grace Enough"

Romans 5:12-21

Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Introduction:

I. The Guilt That We See

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

a. The source of guilt

Paul states that Adam is the "one man" who is the source of all sin and therefore death by sin. As the first created human being Adam is our representative.

By one man sin entered v. 12

By one man many be dead v. 15

By one man came condemnation v. 16

By one man death reigned v. 17

By one man judgment came v. 18

b. The scope of guilt

Paul makes the point in the first three chapters of Romans that all men are guilty.

Romans 3:9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,

10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

13 "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."

14 "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."

15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their paths are ruin and misery,

17 and the way of peace they have not known."

18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ESV

"What was one act of disobedience in the head has been converted into a vital and virulent principle of disobedience in all the members of the human family, whose every act of willful rebellion proclaims itself the child of the original transgression." Jamieson, Fausset & Brown.

Death passed upon all men v. 12

Many be dead v. 15

Judgment came upon all men v. 18

Many were made sinners v. 19

II. The Grace That Is Shown

You need to understand something very important about God. He delights more in giving pardon than in punishment.

a. It is amazing grace

2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

The story of 'Amazing Grace' is found in the Bible, heard in the hymn and demonstrated in the lives of countless followers of Christ. The hymn, first titled 'Faith's Review and Expectation' was written by John Newton whose story is as amazing as the Grace that was his salvation. He began life as the privileged son of a sea captain, became a slave and a slave ship captain before becoming a servant of Christ.

John's mother, a fragile but determined woman, dedicated herself to his education. She taught him to read and write and fervently prayed that he become a minister of the Gospel. By the time John was four she had taught him to read the Scriptures and recite hymns from 'Divine and

Moral Songs for Children' by Isaac Watts. When John was only six years old his mother died. His father remarried and John was sent on to boarding school. He was a good student who, by age ten, could read Latin and showed a keen interest in mathematics.

When John was eleven his father took him to sea. He spent six years with his father on several voyages. John's father was a well respected man and captain who sought and secured several positions of opportunity for his son. But John, who was becoming increasingly rebellious, methodically squandered them all. Through his fathers influence he began several voyages in positions of authority only to be demoted to common seaman. He strayed so far from his mother's spiritual teaching that he began influencing others away from deeply held beliefs. His life had so degenerated that he was often disliked and distrusted by officers and crew alike. He ran from his father's support, ignored his superior officers authority and fell so far from his mother's dreams that he became known among sailors as "The Great Blasphemer."

During one of these voyages, at John's request and to his new captains relief, he was allowed to accompany, and became a partner with, a slave trader from West Africa. His partner was married to an African princess who took an instant disliking to John. During one of his partner's absences he fell gravely ill and his partner's wife took advantage of the situation. John found himself enslaved, brutalized and begging for food. Ironically, the other slaves were his only source of mercy. He was eventually rescued, at his father's urging, and began a return journey to England. On this journey John once again earned the disdain of captain and crew. This was the voyage, however, that was to change John's life in ways that he could not imagine. He began to wrestle with his conscience during a violent storm in March of 1748. After seeing a shipmate washed overboard, feeling a resignation to death among the crew and discussing their situation with his captain, a plea rose from within him: "If this will not do, the Lord have mercy on us!" As he shouted he wondered; could there be any mercy for one who profaned the Lord's name as effectively and deliberately as he?