Great Reasons to Choose Christ!
The Book of Romans
Romans 5:12-21 (Read 8-21)
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - May 29, 2016
(Revised November 24, 2020)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to Romans chapter 5. For context tonight we will begin reading at vs. 8, but our main focus will be on vs. 12-21. In these verses God will show us some of the most important reasons why everyone should choose to receive Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives.
*But Christians, also keep in mind that God chose us before we chose Him! This is one of our most comforting discoveries about the love of God: He chose us before we chose Him! In Luke 19:10, Jesus is the Son of Man who came "to seek and to save that which was lost.''
*Jesus also told a parable about a shepherd who went searching for his lost sheep. In Luke 15:4-7 the Lord said, "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." Then in John 10, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who even laid down His life for His sheep.
*God chose us before we chose Him! In Ephesians 1:3-7, Paul said this to all Christians:
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4. just as HE CHOSE US in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5. having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6. to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
7. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
*God chose us before we chose Him. But we still have a choice to make. Remember what Joshua told the Children of Israel in Joshua 24:14-15:
14. "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!
15. And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.''
*We still have a choice to make. Jesus confirms this truth in Scriptures like John 6:35. There the Lord said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
*People must choose to come to Christ, to believe in Him. And tonight's Scripture shows us some of the most important reasons why everyone should choose Christ. Please think about this as we read Romans 5:8-21.
MESSAGE:
*Pastor and author Brian Waite wrote a book called THE DAY I MET GOD. In this book Pastor Brian told of how he came from a long line of losers, people who made all kinds of terrible choices in life.
*Brian told about a statue in New Hampshire erected to the memory of a General Waite from the Revolutionary War. But it's not what you might think. This General Waite abandoned his troops in the middle of a battle and ran away from the front lines.
*Then he got so lost in the dark night that both the general and his horse froze to death. That statue was a warning against being a foolish coward.
*Pearl Waite was another man in Brian's family line. Pearl had a great idea, and invented crystallized gelatin. His wife even gave it the name of "Jell-O." Unfortunately, Pearl Waite sold the patent for his invention for just $25.00. (Another source said he sold it for $450.) The man who bought the patent for Jell-O turned it into a multi-million-dollar product, but Pearl Waite died broke.
*Well, we have all made bad choices in life, some a whole lot worse than others. But in 1981, Brian Waite made the best choice anybody can ever make. That year, Brian opened his heart to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. He gave his life to Christ.
*For the first time, Brian had real purpose and peace. He strongly resolved to break the chain of foolish choices and defeated living that had defined the men of his family. Brian married a godly woman, and later answered God's call into the gospel ministry.
*He served as an Army chaplain overseas, and he kept in close touch with his parents. Both of them were atheists, but over time, Brian's new life convinced his parents that his faith was real. Both of them were convinced that they too could have a relationship with God. And it took 15 years, but Brian Waite's mom and dad also trusted in Christ as their Lord and Savior! (1)
*Brian and his parents made the best choice anybody can ever make in life: They were saved because they chose Christ! And tonight's Scripture gives some great reasons everybody should choose Jesus Christ.
1. FIRST: CHOOSE CHRIST BECAUSE JESUS GIVES US LIFE INSTEAD OF DEATH.
*Jesus Christ gives us life instead of death! But where did death enter the picture? God's Word shows us in vs. 12-14. And here Paul said:
12. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned
13. (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
*God's Word tells us that sin entered into the world by one man, and Paul was talking about Adam.
*By the way: If you throw out the Creation story in Genesis, you also have to throw out the New Testament, because Paul definitely considered Adam to be a real person. Of course, throwing out the whole Bible is the ultimate goal of the skeptics. And the devil has been attacking the Word of God from the very beginning.
*But Adam and Eve were real people. They are every bit as real as we are, and they sinned in the Garden of Eden by eating the forbidden fruit.
*In some ways it seems like a small thing to us. It was just a piece of fruit. But that act of rebellion against God led to every other sin and every heartache this world has ever seen. It also led to every death.
*Because of Adam's sin, we were all born with the fatal flaw of sin, dangerous, deadly sin. Our sinful nature is a core part of our being. And by ourselves there is nothing we could ever to escape it. So, without Jesus Christ, death reigns over us all.
*But Jesus wants to give us life! And we see this truth at least 3 times in tonight's Scripture.
-First in vs. 17 where Paul said: "For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign IN LIFE through the One, Jesus Christ."
-Then vs. 18 says: "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification OF LIFE.
-And in vs. 21: "So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness TO ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord.
*Jesus Christ wants to give eternal life to everyone! And He will give abundant, eternal life to everyone who believes in Him and receives Him as Lord and Savior. As the Lord said in John 10:10, I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
*During World War II, a relief worker told of going into a war zone, and holding a glass of milk up to a child. The hungry little boy's eyes got big, and they seemed much bigger because of his thin, little face.
*Remembering the days when a cup of milk had to be shared by many children, the little boy asked, "How much can I drink, Ma'am?" The relief worker was greatly moved by his question, and she replied, "Drink as much as you can, son, -- as much as you can." (2)
*Jesus Christ says the same thing to us! There is no limit to the life He wants to give us! Again, Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
*Choose Christ because He gives life instead of death.
2. AND CHOOSE CHRIST BECAUSE HE GIVES GRACE INSTEAD OF GUILT.
*Verse 12 reminds us that all of us are guilty. Here Paul said, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned."
*Except for Jesus Christ, all people have sinned. We are all guilty. But God gives grace to all who will trust in Jesus. Listen for the Lord's grace in vs. 15: "But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the GRACE of God and the gift by the GRACE of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many."
*We also see God's grace in vs. 17: "For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one (that's Adam), much more those who receive abundance of GRACE and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."
*Then in vs. 19-20, God's Word stresses grace again:
19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
20. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, GRACE abounded much more.
*Where sin increased greatly and multiplied, God's grace super-abounded even more. That's the idea behind the original word: God's grace overflowed beyond measure. And there is no telling how much His grace overflows on us every day, because we all have sinned more times than we know.
*Choose Christ because He gives grace instead of guilt.
3. AND CHOOSE CHRIST BECAUSE HE GIVES JUSTIFICATION INSTEAD OF CONDEMNATION.
*Jesus Christ gives justification instead of condemnation. In vs. 14-19, God's Word compares the first man, Adam to the Lord Jesus Christ. And here God compares the condemnation that came from Adam's sin with the justification that comes from Jesus Christ.
*This is a crucial contrast, so please listen starting in vs. 14. Here Paul said: "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come."
*Adam was an Old Testament "type" or "figure" of Jesus Christ. Adam was sort of like an Old Testament picture of Christ, and there are others for sure.
*In 1 Corinthians 15:43-49, Paul made the same kind of comparison between Adam and Jesus. There, Paul was talking about our resurrection as Christians, and he said this about our physical bodies:
43. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
44. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45. And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being.'' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
47. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
48. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
49. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
*In a very real way, Jesus is the last Adam, and here in Romans 5:15, there is a huge difference between the two. Paul said, "But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many."
*In other words: Adam's sin brought death to all men, but Jesus' sacrifice on the cross made His eternal life available to everyone who would put their trust in Him.
*Paul continued to compare and contrast in vs. 16: "And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification."
*Here we see that judgment and condemnation came on all people by only one sin: Adam's sin. And if you know the story from Genesis 3, then you know that Adam's wife Eve was actually the first person to eat the forbidden fruit.
*So why did all of the judgment come from Adam's sin? Somehow, our sin nature must be passed down from fathers to their children. Our sin nature is not passed down from mothers, but from fathers to their children. I say that because the only person who was ever born without a sinful nature was also the only person born without an earthly father: And that is Jesus Christ.
*Please listen to this part of the Christmas story from Luke 1:30-35:
30. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
32. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.''
34. Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?''
35. And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."
*Here in vs. 16, judgment and condemnation came on all other people by only one sin: Adam's sin. But God's free gift of justification through Jesus Christ covers many sins!
*Then in vs. 17, the first Adam brought death, and the last "Adam," Jesus Christ brought life: "For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."
*Death reigned over all people because of Adam's sin. But all who receive God's gift of abundant grace reign in life because of Jesus Christ!
*Next in vs. 18, the first Adam brought condemnation on all men. And the last Adam, Jesus Christ, brought justification to all who would believe in Him: "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life."
*And in vs. 19, the first Adam's sin made us sinners. But Jesus' righteousness makes us righteous, if we believe in Him: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."
*Christians: All of our righteousness comes from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! That's because there was no way for us to ever receive His justification and life, if Jesus didn't take our condemnation and death. That's how much He loves us!
*So, choose Christ because He gives justification instead of condemnation.
4. AND CHOOSE CHRIST BECAUSE HE GIVES SALVATION INSTEAD OF SLAVERY.
*This is God's message for us in 20-21, where Paul said:
20. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
21. so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
*"Sin reigned in death" or "to death." Without Jesus Christ, sin is our ruler, and we are its slave. But we don't have to be slaves! We don't have to be slaves, because Jesus came to set the captives free!
*And if we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, vs. 21 tells us that God's grace reigns in our lives. Jesus Christ sets us free from the slavery of sin, and gives us His salvation.
*But again, it took the highest price to set us free: It took the Lord's suffering and death on the cross for our sins. That's why Hebrews 2:9-10 says:
9. . . We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
10. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
*Hebrews 2:14-15 also says:
14. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15. and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
*And Hebrews 7:25 says: "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them."
*Imagine what it would be like to be held captive by someone who hates you. Tom Sutherland knew. On June 9th, 1985, Tom was kidnapped in Lebanon by Islamic Jihad terrorists. He was not released until November 18th, 1991. Tom was held hostage for 2,353 days.
*There were other hostages, but much of the 6 years, Tom was in solitary confinement. The captors made up the rules as they went along. And the slightest infraction of those rules brought a rifle stock to the stomach, or a punch to the face of the bound and blindfolded hostages.
*Their food, such as it was, was served with insects crawling on it. Sometimes the prisoners were pulled aside and lied to about being released, only to have that false hope crushed again and again.
*On some days Tom could hear a radio that the guards had tuned-in to the BBC. And every day he would strain to hear the news, hoping and praying that he might hear his name, hoping and praying that he had not been forgotten.
*Tom never did hear his name, but he was not forgotten. And after 6 long years he won his freedom. Tom's wife was able to join him for the flight home. And as they were getting off the plane, Tom was amazed to see lights and TV cameras.
*At the airport there were reporters, people holding signs, and a huge crowd. Tom turned to his wife and said, "Jean, look at all these people. There must be a celebrity on the plane with us. Look around and see if you can spot who it is."
*Jean replied, "Honey, they are all here for you! It's you! This is all for you!" (3)
*It was a great celebration of freedom. But it was nothing compared to the celebration up in Heaven when someone is set free by our crucified and risen Savior.
CONCLUSION:
*Everybody ought to choose Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives. It's the best choice anybody can ever make.
*May God help us to help them make this most important choice of all. Let's ask Him to help us as we go to God in prayer.
(1) Sources:
-Brian Waite, THE DAY I MET GOD - compiled and edited by Jim & Karen Covell and Victorya Michaels Rogers - Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2001 - pp. 115-120 - My Source: Sermons.com sermon "Time to Pull the Weeds" by King Duncan - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - 2005
-WXXI - "More Great Homes of Rochester" - https://www.wxxi.org/houses/moregreathomes
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jell-O
(2) Adapted from Jerry L. Schmalenberger, St. John's Lutheran Church, Des Moines, Iowa - www.sermonconnection.com - Source: SermonCentral sermon "Rejoice in Hope" by Roy Fowler - Romans 5:1-11
(3) Sources:
-Sermons.com sermon "Advent 1: Let Us Go Over to Bethlehem and Find the Faith of Christmas" by James W. Moore - Luke 2:15-20 - 12/01/2002
-Wikipedia - Thomas Sutherland (academic) 05/28/2016
-New York Times - "Ex-Hostage Joyfully Returns to the U.S." by DIRK JOHNSON - November 26, 1991 - http://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/26/us/ex-hostage-joyfully-returns-to-the-us.html
-Chicago Tribune - "Ex-hostage Thomas Sutherland Amazed At HBO Movie's Realism" February 20, 1993 - By Tom Jicha, Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. - http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-20/entertainment/9303183144_1_thomas-sutherland-mccarthy-and-keenan-hostages
