ROMANS 5:12-20. TRACING OUR ANCESTORS.
INTRODUCTION: TRAVELLING THROUGH ROMANS WE HAVE SEEN TWO EXTREMES. 1. NEGATIVE EXTREME AS PAUL HAS TAKEN US INTO THE DARK VALLEYS OF HUMAN DEPRAVITY INTO THE GUTTER OF THE FALLEN WORLD AND HE HAS EXPLAINED NO MATTER WHO WE ARE WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE, MORAL OR RELIGIOUS, WE ALL HAVE SINNED 3:9, 3:23 AND HAVE FALLEN SHORT OF GODS GLORY.
2. PAUL HAS ALSO SHOWN US ANOTHER EXTREME THIS TIME POSITIVE BY TAKING US TO THE MOUNTAINTOPS OF GOD’S GRACE AND LOVE TOWARDS US IN CHRIST 3:24, 5:8 POINTING TO GODS ATONING WORK UPON THE CROSS AND AS A RESULT OF THAT WORK MANY ARE ABLE TO BE RECONCILED AND ENTER INTO THE MARVELLOUS BENEFITS OF GOD.
CHRISTIANS ARE BENEFICIARIES OF CHRIST’S WORK, ONCE ALIENATED, NOW RECONCILED TO GOD. PAUL WRITES AS A BENEFICIARY AS HE INCLUDES HIMSELF AS ONE WHO HAS BEEN ADOPTED INTO A NEW FAMILY AS HE WRITES IN THE FIRST PERSON PLURAL 5:1 - 5, 8,9,10, 11. PAUL WANTS US NOW TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR SALVATION IS NOT ONLY ONE OF FORGIVENESS BUT ONE WHICH GIVES US A RADICAL NEW POSITION AND A NEW STANDING BEFORE GOD IN AND THEOUGH CHRIST.
• IT WAS WINSTON CHURCHILL WHO ONCE SAID, “SO MANY OWE SO MUCH TOO SO FEW.” BUT IN THE CASE OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, BUT IN THE CASE OF THE SCRIPTURS TEACHING "SO MANY OWE SO MUCH TO JUST ONE PERSON JESUS CHRIST.”
NO DOUBT PEOPLE ARE ASKING HOW CAN THE DEATH OF ONE MAN ATONE FOR SO MANY? SO PAUL USES THE FOLLOWING VERSES V12- 21 IN GIVING AN ANALOGY BETWEEN ADAM AND CHRIST BY CONTRASTING THEM HE DEMONSTRATES THE PRINCIPAL THAT, MANY CAN BE AFFECTED FOR GOOD OR BAD BY THE ONE PERSONS ACTION. AND AT THE SAME TIME HE POINTS TO THE SUPERIORITY OF THE WORK OF CHRIST OVER THE WORK OF ADAM HOW MUCH MORE V15,17,
PASSAGE BEAKDOWN: V12 -14 ADAM- JESUS INTRODUCED V15 -17 ADAM – JESUS CONTRASTED V18 -21 ADAM – JESUS COMPARED.
WE HAVE BASICALLY SEEN TWO FAMILIES AT WORK IN OUR WORLD, ONE IS CHARACTERISED BY SIN AND GUILT AND DEATH THE LATTER IS CHARACTERISED BY GRACE, FAITH AND ETERNAL LIFE. THIS IS HOW THIS SECTION IS TIED IN TO THE OTHER HE WANTS TO SHOW WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM OUR ROOTS AS IT WERE, HOW THE ONE EFFECTS THE MANY. HOW IT’S ALL POSSIBLE. SO PAUL V12- 21 BEGINS TO TRACE OUR ANCESTRY.
THIS WEEK I HAVE BEEN WRITING AN ARTICLE FOR THE HERALD CELEBRATING THE CHURCHES ANNIVERSARY ON JUNE 22ND WE WILL BE CELEBRATING 145 YEARS OF THIS PART OF THE CHAPEL BEING OPEN BUT IN FACT ITS HISTORY AND FOUNDING FATHERS/DAUGHTERS GO BACK EVEN FURTHER ABOUT 300 YEARS TO THE 17TH CENTURY. TRACING ONES ANCESTORS IS HUGELY POPULAR THERE ARE WEBSITES DEDICATED TO THE WORK, BUT WHY IS THERE SUCH A PASSION TO TRACE OUR ANCESTRY? ITS GIVES US ROOTS - A SENSE OF IDENTITY, BELONGING TO SOMETHING GREATER THAN OURSELVES.
WHAT IS THE LARGEST ANCESTRY IN THE WORLD? HOW FAR CAN WE GO BACK? WELL WIKIPEDIA THE ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA STATES: THE LONGEST FAMILY TREE IN THE WORLD IS THAT OF THE CHINESE PHILOSOPHER AND EDUCATOR CONFUCIUS (551-479 BC). THE TREE SPANS MORE THAN 80 GENERATIONS, AND INCLUDES MORE THAN 2 MILLION MEMBERS. AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT INVOLVING MORE THAN 450 BRANCHES AROUND THE WORLD WAS STARTED IN 1998 TO RETRACE AND REVISE THIS FAMILY TREE. THE LATEST FINDINGS WILL BE PUBLISHED NEXT YEAR (2009) BY THE CONFUCIUS GENEALOGY COMPILATION COMMITTEE TO COINCIDE WITH THE 2560TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THE CHINESE THINKER. THIS LATEST EDITION IS EXPECTED TO INCLUDE SOME 1.3 MILLION LIVING MEMBERS WHO ARE SCATTERED AROUND THE WORLD TODAY.[1]
BUT THERE IS A LONGER AND OLDER FAMILY TREE THAN CONFUCIUS? IT’S A FAMILY TREE WHICH SPANS EVERY HUMAN GENERATION SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CREATION IT CAN BE TRACED BACK CHRONOLOGICALLY THROUGH THE BIBLE TO AROUND 6000 YEARS AGO AND EVERY HUMAN BEING THAT HAS EVER BEEN BORN ON THIS PLANET INCLUDING YOU AND ME BELONG TO THIS ANCESTRY. WHO AM I TALKING ABOUT? ADAM THE FIRST FATHER OF ALL HUMANITY
1. OUR ANCESTRY IS CONNECTED TO A HISTORICAL ADAM V12 – 14
V12 . ONE MAN ADAM
ALTHOUGH HIS NAME IS NOT MENTIONED HERE IT IS IMPLIED THAT PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT ADAM WHO IS THE FEDERAL HEAD OF THE HUMAN RACE, ALL OF US WITHOUT EXCEPTION IN OUR HUMANITY ARE CONNECTED TO HIM. HE WAS THE FIRST HUMAN BEING CREATED AND ALL HUMANS HAVE COME FROM HIS LINE EVER SINCE.
1. PAUL IDENTIFIES ADAM AS A HISTORICAL PERSON NOT A MYTH IF HE IS NOT HISTORICAL HIS WHOLE ARGUMENT COLLAPSES AS HE DRAWS CONTRASTS BETWEEN ADAM AND JESUS AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES IF ADAM IS NOT THE FATHER OF ALL HUMANITY (OUR REPRESENTATIVE) THEN OUR REASONING FAILS. IF THE DISOBEDIENCE OF ONE MAN DID NOT BRING THE WHOLE DOWN THEN IT IS POINTLESS TO ARGUE THAT THE OBEDIENCE OF ONE MAN (CHRIST AS OUR REPRESENTATIVE) CAN SAVE THE MANY. TO REJECT A HISTORICAL ADAM IS TO REJECT CHRISTIANITY AS A WHOLE.
A HISTORICAL ADAM WAS NO EMBARRASSMENT TO THE APOSTLE PAUL ROM 5:12,14 1COR 15:22, 45. 1TIM 2:13 JESUS BELIEVED IN A HISTORICAL ADAM MATTT19 :4 HAVEN’T YOU READ THAT IN THE BEGINNING THE CREATOR MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. ALSO LUKE THE HISTORIAN POINTS TO JESUS HUMAN ANCESTRY BACK TO ADAM. LUKE 3:38.
2. OUR ANCESTRY IS NOT CONNECTED TO APE: EVOLUTION IS A LIE : IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN AND YOU BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION, THEN YOU NEED TO SERIOUSLY RE-CONSIDER YOUR THINKING BECAUSE IF EVOLUTION IS RIGHT THEN ADAM IS NOT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS HE IS AND CHRIST IS NOT WHAT HE SAYS HE IS THE LAST ADAM. YOU CANNOT DENY GEN 1-3 AND THE CREATION – FALL ACCOUNT THEN GO ON TO BELIEVE IN JESUS BECAUSE JESUS HIMSELF BELIEVED IN GEN1-3. TO CONSIGN ADAM AND CREATION ACCOUNT TO MYTH AND EMBRACE EVOLUTION UNDERMINES 1. THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE 2. THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN AND 3. COVENANT THEOLOGY THAT GOD DEALS WITH HUMANITY THROUGH A COVENANT HAVING SOMEONE TO REPRESENT MAN IN A COVENANT FIRST ADAM 2ND CHRIST .
ACCOMMODATING EVOLUTION IN YOUR CHRISTIAN FAITH IS REALLY UNTENABLE POSITION – IT FALLS DOWN - BECAUSE YOUR SAYING THAT YOUR ANCESTOR WAS NOT ADAM BUT APE, AND THAT’S NOT BIBLICAL BECAUSE THE BIBLE DOESN’T SAY THAT WE EVOLVED FROM SOME LOWER LIFE FORM BUT WERE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, IN THE BEGINNING IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.
EVOLUTION TEACHES THIS EARTH IS BILLIONS OF YEARS OLD AND THAT DINOSAURS ROAMED THIS PLANET LONG BEFORE HUMANS AND THERE WAS A MAJOR CATASTROPHE AND DEATH -BLOODSHED AND DISEASE AND THEN HUMANITY EVOLVED. HERE THE THEISTIC EVOLUTIONIST COMES ALONG AND SAYS THEN GOD CREATES A PERFECT WORLD ON TOP OF ALL THIS MESS AND CHAOS.....IS THAT REASONABLE?
CERTAINLY NOT! IT’S NOT THE ORDER OF GOD’S CREATION ACCOUNT BECAUSE GOD CREATED EVERYTHING OUT OF NOTHING, EVERYTHING THIS PLANET, HUMAN AND ANIMAL ACCORDING TO ITS KIND (EVEN DINOSAURS) AND IT WAS GOOD AND THEN SIN CAME INTO THE WORLD AS A RESULT OF THE ONE MAN AND THEN DEATH BUT NOT DEATH BEFORE ADAM. THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION UNDERMINES THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF CREATION AND THE TEACHING OF JESUS I BELIEVE IT UNTENABLE AND DANGEROUS POSITION TO STAND UPON AS A CHRISTIAN UNDERMINING TH AUTHOIRY OF SCRIPTURE.
2. IF ADAMS IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE THEN SIN AND DEATH REIGNS. V12 -14
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY THEY’RE IS SO MUCH EVIL IN THIS WORLD? AND WE CANT POINT THE FINGER EITHER AS WE SO OFTEN DO THINGS WE KNOW ARE WRONG AND WE REGRET, WE ALL MESS UP. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY WE ALL FACE ILLNESS AND ULTIMATELY DIE? THE ANSWER IS FOUND RIGHT HERE V12 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.
ALL OF US BELONG TO ADAM WHO COMMITTED THAT FIRST SIN BEFORE GOD EVEN THOUGH HE HAD THE FREE WILL TO REMAIN OBEDIENT HE FAILED GOD AND HIMSELF AS A RESULT DEATH CAME FROM THE TIME OF ADAM – RIGHT UP UNTIL THE PRESENT DAY. SIN – DEATH – BRINGS SEPARATION FROM GOD.
WE ARE IN IT TOGETHER - HUMAN SOLIDARITY
ADAMS SIN IS THE CAUSE OF THE SINFUL LIFESTYLES AND ACTIONS WE SEE TODAY IN OTHERS AND OUR SELVES; HIS SIN IS THE CAUSE OF THE 100% DEATH RATE IN OUR WORLD STILL TODAY. WHEN HE SINNED WE ALL SINNED V12, 15, 17, 18. PAUL IS NOT CONVEYING THIS IS WHY WE SIN TODAY- THAT IS TRUE BUT WHAT HE IS TRYING TO CONVEY....
IS THAT ADAMS SIN IS OUR SIN: PAUL IS SAYING THAT ADAM IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY. WE ARE CONNECTED MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER AND TO ADAM.
FOR EXAMPLE DAVID CAMEROON IS TO THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY WHAT GORDON BROWN IS TO THE LABOUR PARTY THEY ARE BOTH LEADERS. THE PARTY MEMBERS ARE CONNECTED TO ITS LEADER ITS LEADER IS CONNECTED TO ITS PARTY MEMBERS. IF THE LEADER FALLS IT EFFECTS THE PARTY AS A WHOLE THE PARTY STANDS AND FALLS BY ITS LEADER.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE RECENTLY IN THE EUROPEAN CUP FINAL 2008 WHEN JOHN TERRY MISSED THE PENALTY ON BEHALF OF CHELSEA TT EFEECTED THE WHOLE TEAM. THEY LOST COLLECTIVLY.
ADAM REPRESENTED US ALL, AS A RESULT WHEN ADAM SINNED WE SINNED.. BIBLICALLY ITS SEEN IN THE FOLLOWING TEXTS: HEB 7:9 -10 LEVI WAS IN THE BODY OF ABRAHAM JOS 7:1,11 ACHAN STOLE TREASURE FROM JERICHO –ISRAEL WAS INCLUDED ACTS 4:27. THE CRUCIFIXION WAS NOT JUST PILATES WORK BUT OUR TOO HEB 6:6, IF WE TURN AWAY WE ARE CRUCIFYING THE LORD ALL OVER AGAIN.
SO NONE OF US ARE ABLE TO SAY WHY I SHOULD BE BLAMED FOR SOMETHING SOMEONE ELSE DID......LET’S BE HONEST WE ALL MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES ; BUT THE FACT IS YOU WERE THERE, WHEN ADAM SINNED YOU SINNED YOU WERE IN THE BODY OF ADAM YOU CAME FROM HIM. THIS IS OUR HUMAN SOLIDARITY.
V13- 14 HE EXPANDS THIS CONCEPT SIN WAS ALWAYS IN THE WORLD BEFORE THE LAW BUT SIN WAS NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT SO FROM THE TIME OF ADAM TO MOSES DEATH REIGNED EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO LAW, PEOPLE SINNED BUT THERE WAS NO LAW TO PRONOUNCE THEM GUILTY, YET DEATH REIGNED. SO THEY WERE STILL SINNERS BECAUSE DEATH COMES AS A RESULT OF SIN. THEY DIED BECAUSE WHEN ADAM SINNED THEY HAD ALL SINNED IN ADAM TOO AND SO DID EACH ONE OF US.
MORE IMPORTANTLY IT MADNESS TO DENOUNCE ADAMS FALL BECAUSE THIS PICTURE OF REPRESENTATION IS THE EXACT SAME PRINCIPLE THAT BRINGS US OUR SALVATION IN CHRIST V15 WHICH WE ACCEPT ON THE REPRESENTATION PRINCIPLE AND WE CAN’T EXPECT THE LATTER WITHOUT THE FORMER! AND WITHOUT THE LATTER THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR THE FORMER. (ARE YOU WITH ME)
SO WITH ADAM AS YOUR ANCESTOR - YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, THEN SIN AND DEATH REIGN IN YOUR LIFE. AS A RESULT OF THE ONE MANS ACT COMES SIN AND DEATH AS A RESULT OF THE ONE MAN SACRIFICE COMES ABUNDANT GRACE AND LIFE JESUS CHRIST BECOMES THE 2ND ADAM OUR NEW REPRESENTATIVE WHEN WE REPENT AND BELIEVE. BECAUSE ADAM WAS A PATTERN OF ONE TO COME V14 -15- V17 –V18 -V19.
1COR 15:22, FOR AS IN ADAM ALL DIE, SO IN CHRIST ALL WILL BE MADE ALIVE. V45 AS IT IS WRITTEN THE FIRST ADAM BECAME A LIVING BEING, THE LAST ADAM, AND A LIFE GIVING SPIRIT.
3. IF CHRIST IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE ‘HOW MUCH MORE’ CAN WE REIGN IN LIFE.V15 - 21
THESE VERSES ARE ALL ABOUT CONTRAST OF ADAM TO CHRIST OUR RUIN IN ADAM IS IMMENSE BUT OUR SALVATION IN CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY. V9 10 15, 17, 20 THE PHRASE ‘HOW MUCH MORE’ MUCH MORE TURNS UP A NUMBER OF TIMES
THESE PASSAGES ARE TELLING US AS A RESULT OF ADAMS ONE ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE CAME SIN AND DEATH TO US ALL 12A 18A 19A CONTRASTED WITH CHRIST’S ONE ACT OF OBEDIENCE CAME ABUNDANT GRACE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LIFE 18B 19B TO MANY.
THE WRITER IS TELLING US CHRIST’S DEATH UPON THE CROSS V9-10 HAS ESTABLISHED A NEW REIGN IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO REPENT AND BELIEVE.
• A REIGN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS DUE TO JUSTIFICATION 5:17 - 19
IT WAS ADAMS DISOBEDIENCE TO US THAT CONSTITUTED US SINNERS IT WAS CHRIST’S OBEDIENCE THAT CONSTITUTED US AS RIGHTEOUS. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOW IMPUTED TO US (ITS LEGALLY RECKONED TO OUR ACCOUNT) WE ARE JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD AND RIGHTEOUS IN HIS SIGHT.
• THOSE WHO SERVE TIME ARE ALWAYS EX CONS THE AUTORITIES WILL RETAIN A RECORD BUT BEING JUSTIFIED MEANS IN CHRIST GOD NO LONGER HAS ANY RECORD AT ALL. ALWAYS
SO WHEN THE DEVIL / OR SOMEBODY TRIES TO UNDERMINE YOU STANDING BEFORE GOD AND TELLS YOU YOUR NOT GOOD ENOUGH WHY SHOULD GOD EVER ACCEPT YOU? YOU NEED TO TELL HIM I KNOW I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH... AND ON MY OWN I WOULD NEVER MAKE IT... BUT CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS BEEN IMPUTED TO ME.
• A REIGN OF GRACE LEADS TO ABUNDANT LIFE V17
• JESUS SAID I HAVE COME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY
WE IN CHRIST REIGN IN LIFE - IN THE PRESENT: HERE IS AN AWESOME PROMISE IN CHRIST:
a) ETERNAL LIFE IS OURS... IN THIS LIFE IN THE PRESENT EPH 2:4-6 - AND IN THE FUTURE INTO ETERNITY A BELIEVER IS GIVING A 2ND CHANCE AT LIFE TO LIVE IT TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL AND PURPOSE IN CHRIST.
b) WE REIGN OVER SIN AND ITS POWER, ROM: 6:14 SIN IS NO LONGER OUR MASTER BUT CHRIST IS OUR MASTER.
c) WE REIGN OVER DEATH AND ITS THREATS HEB2:14 -15 JESUS HAS LIBERATED US OVER THE FEAR OF DEATH.
d) WE REIGN OVER SATAN’S ATTACKS JAM 4:7. WE CAN FLEE FROM HIS ATTACKS
THIS WHAT IT PAUL MEANS WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT ‘REIGNING IN LIFE’ WE NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES - WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS IN THIS LIFE BECAUSE WE ARE NO LONGER FOUND IN ADAM BUT IN CHRIST. ROM: 8 37 – 39 PAUL WAS REIGNING IN THIS LIFE WHATEVER HAPPENED BECAUSE HE WAS IN CHRIST AND THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOU IF CHRIST IS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE WE TOO CAN REIGN IN LIFE DESPITE OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
BUT REMEMBER THIS IS JUST THE ‘STARTER’ TO THE ‘MAIN COURSE’ TO COME BECAUSE WHEN THE LORD RETURN OR WE ARE CALLED HOME TO GLORY WE SHALL EXPERIENCE FULLY WHAT IT MEANS TO REIGN IN LIFE!
CONCLUSION
SO HAVE YOU TRACED YOU ANCESTRY? ARE YOU STILL IN ADAM? IF SO I PLEAD WITH YOU TO COME OVER TO RECEIVE THE ADOPTION PAPERS FROM THE WORD OF GOD AND BY HIS SPIRIT AND ENTER INTO CHRIST’S ANCESTRY AND BE PART OF HIS FAMILY WHICH HAS REGAINED FREEDOM FROM SIN DEATH AND THE DEVIL FOR HUMANITY AND IS REIGNING IN ABUNDANT LIFE WITH A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ONCE MORE.....AMEN .
