DEATH THROUGH ADAM, LIFE THROUGH CHRIST
Romans 5:12-21 (p785) March 3, 2013
INTRODUCTION:
Some of my favorite memories in recent years have been mission trips to New Orleans, Joplin, MO. And I am going to share a trip with our amazing students in the Dominican Republic.
I love the bonding dynamic that takes place between people who serve together, sweat together, I personally believe it captures the essence of the “Koinania” fellowship mentioned in the book of Acts….The group dynamic is something powerful and wonderful in scripture…the Jews understood this dynamic better than we ever will…unless maybe you’re from the Hills of Eastern, KY or the Mountains of West Virginia…you remember the Hatfield’s right? You remember the McCoy’s? At one time in our history each individual identified himself more with the group than he did as an individual.
Maybe you get a little glimpse of what I’m talking about because you’ve been part of a group, or a family, and the group or family became very very important for your survival or health…
When the apostle Paul mention the things of the flesh he could have confidence in…the things he could brag about he says…”Circumcised on the 8th day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews.” (Phil 3:5)
Jewish people in Paul’s day do not think like Americans in the 21st century…We struggle for independence and personal glory…the Jew always thought of himself as a member of a group…the people of God, the tribe of Benjamin…a Hebrew.
So when the apostle Paul writes his letter to the Romans…this philosophy …this Jewish way of thinking comes through…He’s writing “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints. (Rom. 1:7) And although he writes to individuals, like Philemon, Titus and Timothy…it’s always so the group….the church can be strengthened…Paul is a leader in the truest sense…He loves individuals, but always keeps his mind on the “Church” …the group…
In Romans chapter 5 he is doing just that, so he begins with
I ONE MAN INFECTED THE ENTIRE GROUP
We’ll look at the “therefore” a little later, but our text begins…”Sin entered the world through 1 man, and death through Sin and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
Here’s a quick Rick paraphrase…”Adam became infected with sins fatal disease...and that disease spread to all of us.”
It doesn’t seem fair does it…I’m not accountable for Adam and Eve’s sin…but I inherited their sinful nature…a fallen nature…as we studied in Romans 8…a sinful nature to the core. As a group…mankind of sorry also womankind)…”The result of one trespass was condemnation for all men” (v18)
Genesis 1: 27 reveals “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.”
How did He create man? Gen 2:7 says “Out of the dust of the ground, God breathed into him the breathe of life and he became a living being.”
But the completion of Man was only found in woman…”For Adam the man) no suitable helper was found. So God caused Adam to go to sleep and while he was asleep he removed one of his ribs, and woman was created from the man’s’ rib “(Gen 2: 21, 22)
The image of God created in mankind is never complete until Adam and Eve are formed as one…don’t believe …Look at this verse…in just 2 verses
Genesis 2: 24-25 (p 2)
“In the image of God he created him….male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)
The woman isn’t an afterthought…the woman is the completion of God’s image in mankind. It’s the reason a man leaves his father and mother and it’s the reason he is united with his wife and they become 1 flesh.
And when Adam and Eve were in the garden….beautifully and perfectly created by God…In His image…they are naked (naked) and there is no shame…no guilt…no self focus…NO SIN
So when our text in Romans 5 says “Adam was a pattern of the one to come.” (V 14)
We get an idea of what life with God is like before Sin…Adam and Eve, care takers of God’s creation, no sin, no guilt, no shame with each other and more importantly before God….they bore his very image together. Created to live forever in this perfect relationship, this is God’s schematic; it’s His template, His pattern.
But Adam and Eve had something very different than any idea of God’s creation…a right to choose and an eternal soul…and they both choose disobedience…only one law in the garden…Do Not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden, the tree which produces the knowledge of Good and Evil…if you eat its fruit you will die!.
Enter the serpent, the dragon, the evil one, Lucifer, Satan…The Devil…Rev. 20:2 says they are 1 and the same…listen to the trespass that opened the door to sin…the “disobedience of the one man”…the place were sin would take the throne and reign for years and years in the Kingdom of death…
Genesis 3: 1-3 (p 2)
Why did the ancient serpent choose Eve? I don’t know…there are many opinions…she is the person that creates oneness with Adam…sexually…she is created with all the differences that make her female, but perfect…but for whatever reason she is deceived, she is tempted and lied to…she lets temptation be followed down the path of desire, desire becomes disobedience, Sin…a simple sentence says, She gave some to her husband Adam who was with her and he ate too.” (Gen 3:6)
No big fanfare or struggle…no fight for obedience…”Just I’ll have some too” and they had their eyes opened, they realized they were naked…and they hid from God after making some quick clothing from leaves..by the way, they made them for themselves…Adam made his, Eve made hers…self consciousness, self focus, selfishness has now walked through the door into mankind’s heart…and it will be a house guest that never leaves. Sin always does what the original one did…
1) It makes us self protective
2) It makes us hide from God
3) It makes us afraid of people we love
4) It makes us blame others for our action (she, the woman you gave me did it...the serpent deceived me...)
Because you did this you will die…
Death came to all men… (The group, the tribe, the clan.) Death reigns, judgment followed sin…and brought condemnation to all men, through the disobedience of the one man (and woman) the many (all human kind for ever) were made sinners.
Our text says that death reigned from the time of Adam and Moses… (See it in verse 14) even those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, the pattern of the one to come.
Remember Moses received the law of God…written by God…Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy have section, or are in their entirety…the Law, the rules, the precepts of God Himself for His people. The first 5 books of the O.T. are called the Pentateuch…Books of the Law” Five books Pentateuch (Greek)
The Old Testament is called that because it is the record of God interacting with His creation through the Old covenant ...His people had a written code, the Law…when they broke the law, they had Priests to intercede and offer the appropriate sacrifices…sin was never erased or forgotten…the sacrifices just postponed judgment unless a sin was deemed worthy of immediate punishment…death, and there were many of those kinds of sins…a Holy Perfect God had strict rules of protection for that Holy relationship…He had to…He’s HOLY. 39 books from Genesis to the Italian prophet “Malach”… Just kidding (Malachi) all reveal the interaction between a perfect God with a plan and His very imperfect, stubborn, sinful dying people (The Group)
I don’t know how sin was identified from Adam to Moses…Adam knew God’s heart, so did Eve as they spent time with Him in perfection before the fall…but God’s word says in our text)
“For before the law was given Sin was in the world…”
Since, I’m running out of time let me get to the encouraging part…the entire purpose of Paul writing Romans 5 (and the entire letter).
‘God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, over flow to the many” (V 15)
“One Act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men”. (V18) You see
II ONE MAN BROUGHT A CURE FOR THE ENTIRE GROUP
When the law was given sins became more specific…more sin was identified, so more sin occurred…Sometimes it was like a “Wet Paint” Sign…you might not think of touching that wall until someone stuck a “Wet Paint” sign on it…But after you see that sign…every part of you wants to touch it and see if it’s wet…That my dear friends is a great description of our fallen nature, where sin reigns in death, where sin increases…
So God’s cure
“Grace”….Grace topples sin’s reign…
The “righteousness” (a perfect life, one that faced every temptation like us, but never fell) brought eternal life… (v21)
Who did this for the entire Human Clan? Paul almost shouts it…”Jesus Christ our Lord”
The Jews were suppose to be expecting this righteous ruler…He was “Messiah” “The anointed one”…The Hebrew writer says to this group (the Jews) “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, for those who as called may receive the promised eternal inheritance...Now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
Jesus knows who really answered His call…just like Peter, James, Andrew and John, real disciples have answered the call…”Come follow me”….do real disciples mess up, stick their feet in their mouths…want to call down thunder and destruction on their oneness…”Yeah”, “You bet!”…back then and right now…But Jesus really calls…and true disciples…really answer…Like sheep and a shepherd.
Listen to how Jesus answers the question about spiritual people who get it…and religious people who don’t (And maybe the disciples are still pretty worldly thinkers at this time.)
John 10: 1-6 (p748)
Who doesn’t understand? The Pharisees (the guardians of the Mosaic Law), the disciples, the Jewish crowds..? This story is for the Pharisees…it’s told to answer a question about being blind…spiritually, still guilty of your sin…
Listen…He pushes home the point.
John 10: 7-21 (p748)
Cutting through the caustic judgmental legalism of the Pharisees…Jesus says, “I know my sheep…I’m the good shepherd, my sheep know me, they recognize my voice, they listen to my voice...but you do not believe because you are not my sheep! (V 26, 27)
The very reason the Pharisees would not, could not recognize the Promised One standing right in front of their very eyes, even healing physically blind men right in front of their eyes is …”Grace was not an option from them.”
Being in right standing before God came through keeping the law, obeying the rules…for them the rulers were more important than people…working your way into God’s presence was the only way…Its ironic that they bound God’s word to their heads and wrists in little boxes called phylacteries…But they could not recognize the word of God in the flesh.
Each of these Pharisees were sinners…each of us have broken God’s law…It doesn’t matter whether you’ve broken it once or 10,000 times…it’s broken…you are separated from a perfect God who pronounced judgment on Sin…It’s wages are death…from Adam to the Cross….every sin’s punishment was postponed, rolled over until Jesus, the “Gift of Grace”, the gift that brought Justification…The act of righteousness by the totally righteous one.” Put a new King on the throne…Death has been conquered by resurrected life, “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Right now, at this invitation you have the opportunity to accept God’s gift, live in His grace, and inherit eternal life.
