24. ROMANS CHAPTER 5 VERSES 9-21 - MESSAGES IN ROMANS – CONTRASTS OF SIN, DISOBEDIENCE, GRACE, LAW, TRANSGRESSION, DEATH AND LIFE; ADAM AND CHRIST - MESSAGE 24
In our last message we looked at reconciliation, a great word of the Christian faith, and then we moved to the reckoning or imputation of sin. From there we moved to a new section we began, but will finish today. That is a passage of contrasts.
Our faith in the Lord is precious, but a faith that is nebulous, floating in space unhinged, is no faith at all. That is why Romans is one of the fundamental books in the bible. I will not say it is the most important of the New Testament books, but the remainder of the books would not be as rich if it was not for Romans as it is the doctrinal platform for every other book. Have you ever heard the expression, “Romans is the Gospel according to Paul?”
Last time we left off just having introduced the contrasts Paul makes to conclude chapter 5. We did this one –
CONTRAST ONE – ADAM AND THE ONE TO COME
{{Romans 5:14 “Nevertheless DEATH REIGNED FROM ADAM UNTIL MOSES, even over those who had not sinned IN THE LIKENESS OF THE OFFENCE OF ADAM who is a type of Him who was to come.”}}
Adam was the first man through whom sin entered the world but he was a type of a greater Adam who was coming, and that was our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we move to the other contrasts.
CONTRAST TWO – TRANSGRESSION OF SIN, AND THE FREE GIFT OF GRACE
{{Romans 5:15 “THE FREE GIFT is not like the transgression, for if by the TRANSGRESSION of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the GIFT BY THE GRACE of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many;”}}
The ending of this verse is a lovely one. Through the gift of grace of the Lord Jesus, all who come to faith in the Lord are made alive. Paul does not say that directly but the theme is developed as we go along.
What is contrasted here is transgression and the free gift. They are vastly different. By transgression Paul is meaning the entrance of sin that brought about penalty and death as the reward of that penalty. He says many died, but that expression means all have died.
Stated plainly, the trespass or transgression was the deviation from the known will of God, the path of righteousness. The free gift is not like transgression, grace providing eternal life to the believer whereas there is eternal death to the transgressor. Adam it was who transgressed and so many have died to a relationship with God because all are sinners. The contrast is seen in God’s free gift, springing from His grace, and the grace of that One Man, who is Jesus Christ. Adam’s transgression resulted in death but much greater in effect was God’s matching grace through the One Man and that has abounded to the free gift of salvation for so many.
As I have stated many times now, absolutely wonderful words are being supplied in Romans, great words of doctrine, and words of application to the Christian life. Grace is one of these, the unmerited favour of God shown to sinners who were under the penalty of transgression, so that He might raise them up from the claws of hell to the heavenlies. That is grace, real and powerful!
The word “Man” is used for Jesus here and that is continuing His position as the Second Man or the Second Adam we briefly considered last time. There is an interesting touch of deity here with “THE GRACE OF GOD and the gift by THE GRACE OF THE ONE MAN,” Jesus being both God and Man. I think we can say here God the Father and God the Son. I like to think of it that way.
We were sought by grace; saved by grace; are kept by grace and will be received by grace into heaven. What a horrible thing it is when a man or woman thinks he and she is important in the kingdom of heaven. You are nothing, just a putrid sinner saved by grace. Then we have those such as the unbelievers, the mockers, the persecutors, the Islamic terrorists and agitators and members of the ABC in Australia, who spurn the grace of God and trample it underfoot as a filthy thing. Great will be their condemnation.
CONTRAST THREE – TRANSGRESSION AND JUDGEMENT (AND) FREE GIFT AND JUSTIFICATION
{{Romans 5:16 “and the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned, for on the one hand the JUDGMENT arose from one transgression resulting in CONDEMNATION, but on the other hand THE FREE GIFT arose from many transgressions resulting in JUSTIFICATION.”}}
Adam’s sin led to judgement because he was condemned. Condemnation is always opposed to blessing.
At this point we will take stock of the situation. There is a distinct contrast we have reached. On one hand when we consider Adam’s place in all this, we know that through that single act of disobedience; that one transgression of the stated will of God, judgment upon that one sin was pronounced. The result of that, was condemnation that has passed to all Adam’s descendants for all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God for all share a similar condemnation.
Now, on the other hand, the free gift we have been mentioning, springing from God’s grace, is unlike that which resulted from Adam, the one who sinned. The free gift arose from multiple transgressions (Adam suffered condemnation because of one), meeting them face on with the ability to provide full justification, overcoming the condemnation through Christ’s blood.
In this section of Romans Paul says a lot about the free gift. You know, God could have made us work for salvation, even to pay some high price in some sort of sacrifice. There are those who do penance thinking it brings them into favour with God. Some even crawl over glass and go on pilgrimages and deny themselves to spend their lives in monasteries. That is all in the category of working for salvation. I know there are several who whip themselves for their sins. All that makes a mockery of God’s free grace.
Some studies back we looked carefully at justification, and that is a beautiful position to be in, to know you are delivered from your sins, that deliverance being a free gift,
CONTRAST FOUR – THE REIGN OF DEATH AND THE REIGN OF LIFE
{{Romans 5:17 “If by the transgression of the one, DEATH REIGNED THROUGH THE ONE, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness WILL REIGN IN LIFE through the One, Jesus Christ.”}}
Now we come to the singular aspect of all this. The distinct contrast is between Adam and Christ. Because of the transgression of this man Adam, death gained dominion and has reigned through that disobedience of Adam. Much greater the gain will be for those who are recipients of the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness. They will have dominion, and reign as if kings in their lives, all this being possible through the One, Jesus Christ.
Adam was the federal head of the physical creation and Christ is the federal Head of the new creation. What the first head lost, the second Head gained; what the first head lost, the second Head reinstated (we speak of life).
The two powerful words here of God’s action – and not one inkling of human depravity even to be considered – are grace and righteousness. It is abundant grace and free righteousness, nothing of ourselves. Sinful – but repentant souls – have been brought into this glorious position through no act of their own merit of “goodness” but through dependent faith in the One who did everything for them.
I know it is not popular in these modern times to consider Adam (that is, man) as the head of creation and it is called sexist and a whole lot of other things but that is the way God established creation. The feminist movement is not of God, and today in my nation, and elsewhere we see affirmative actions where women are totally equal to the extent there must be an equal representation in parliament of men and women. The injustice of this system against males is sickening in some areas such as the Public Service, and teaching, and many other areas. In fact, to state it exactly, socialist governments have placed feminist women in all manner of positions with authority over men.
The rejection of the role of men parallels the rejection of the Head of the new creation. All I can say about it, is that in the end, God will be proven correct. The institutes of men will fail and disappear and Christ will reign as King over His new creation both in the Millennium and eternity.
CONTRAST FIVE – CONDEMNATION TO DEATH AND JUSTIFICATION TO LIFE
{{Romans 5:18 “Then so as THROUGH ONE TRANSGRESSION there resulted condemnation to all men, even so THROUGH ONE ACT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS there resulted justification of life to all men,”}}
Nothing impure or sinful or defective is able to endure the holiness of God. It is burnt up in the light of the purity of God and therefore is utterly condemned. Satan was condemned because of his sin and cast from heaven. Why God did not eliminate (destroy to oblivion) Satan is a mystery I can not answer.
Adam was condemned which means he faced death both physical and spiritual; he was banished from the closeness of God’s presence because he was guilty. What is true of Adam is true of every individual. We are all sinners, lost and condemned.
So then, beginning to sum all this up, we reach the following conclusions – firstly, one transgression of Adam has resulted in condemnation to all men. This is because all have sinned, and all have inherited Adam’s sinful nature, and therefore share in his condemnation.
Secondly, one act of righteousness on the part of the Lord Jesus has resulted in justification to eternal life to all men (only on the basis of saving faith). This is because the Lord Jesus was made sin for us who knew no sin, taking our condemnation that we might be declared righteous in God’s sight through the operation of faith that has put righteousness on our account. Those who are declared righteous are justified from all things.
How great is the God of mercy and grace who can pardon and justify and bring a person into a righteous relationship with Himself. That is the magnificence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
CONTRAST SIX – DISOBEDIENCE PRODUCED SINNERS; OBEDIENCE PRODUCED RIGHTEOUSNESS
{{Romans 5:19 “for as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”}}
It was through just one man’s disobedience - when Adam resorted to his own dependence, and chose to do what God had forbidden - that all mankind through him have been constituted sinners. Because Adam refused to listen to the voice of God, he has headed up the sinful race of human beings.
By contrast though, the obedience of one Person, and we refer to the divine Son of God who in obedience to the Father’s will went to the cross as a reconciling sacrifice; by His obedience, many will be made righteous. The full realisation of that will be known when all those constituted righteous will be gathered as one and will be seen as the righteousness of God in Him.
In the last four verses we have the “one – One” contrast right through. It is about what one lost and what One gained or restored. The strong contrast here is disobedience and obedience; and sinners and righteous ones. The obedience of Christ meant the cross and the awful time when the spotless Son of God became the sin bearer.
The Holy Spirit is being very exact here to make these contrasts plain. We must know WHAT WE ONCE WERE and WHAT WE NOW ARE. There can be no confusion about that. I find it little benefit having “some faith” if that faith is not understood. Preachers are not clear enough these days making that distinction, but by doing so, they will support their people’s faith.
CONTRAST SEVEN – LAW AND GRACE YET AGAIN
{{Romans 5:20 “The Law came in that THE TRANSGRESSION MIGHT INCREASE but where sin increased, GRACE ABOUNDED ALL THE MORE,”}}
In order to highlight the reality and nature and seriousness of sin, rules of law were constituted, taking the place alongside sin, setting out right and wrong and penalties. The Mosaic Law in particular did this, but by drawing awareness to sin, it promoted sin in this sense that men went out of their way to break the rule of operating law. It is the old outworking of disobedience inherited through Adam.
So, all the time, law and the Law were increasing the transgression of law and moral absolutes. Transgression was augmented by law because the sinful nature was stimulated by law to break the rules. Sin was increasing in repeated acts of disobedience to law, but when that happened grace matched it, but more than that. Grace super-abounded and even more than that, super-abounded with more left over.
Not one of us can understand the insidious nature of sin. It is devious and so corrupt. However what power is contained in the grace of God, that it accommodates all our needs. Not only will grace “match” the increasing aggression and sinfulness of sin, but it will ride over that abundantly, grace upon grace. Never forget this beautiful passage – {{Ephesians 2:5-8 “even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.”}}
CONTRAST 8 – DEATH and ETERNAL LIFE; SIN and GRACE
{{Romans 5:21 “that, as sin reigned in death, even so GRACE MIGHT REIGN through righteousness TO ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord.”}}
This is the end of the contrasts before Paul moves on to another section, so it is a concluding statement wrapping all that preceded it. Sin commanded death – in full control. Grace more than combatted sin to produce righteousness. Paul is most careful with the Spirit’s leading to end with the One who made all this possible. That of course is our precious, wonderful Lord Jesus Christ!
Sin reigned as absolute monarch over the human race as the distinctive feature of depraved human beings. It was a reign though, that produced death, for sin destroys. But through the Lord Jesus Christ things are different. Through Him it is grace that reigns and the grace of God activated the way of forgiveness and acceptance. God has marked righteousness on the accounts of believers and that righteousness channels God’s grace that it may dominate all the way through in provision of eternal life. It was grace that worked our salvation and it is grace that will oversee it right through into eternal life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
That ends this deep and doctrinal path of Chapter 5. The Lord bless you all.
THE FREE GIFT IS SUPREME ROM 5:14–21
Verse 14 - The 1st contrast (Adam and the one to come) Adam - ? sin and death; The coming One ? life
Verse 15 - A 2nd Contrast (the transgression and the free gift). Transgression ? many die; Free Gift ? many live (grace)
Verse 16 - A 3rd Contrast (transgression free gift). One transgression ? judgment and condemnation to all; free gift ? justification
Verse 17 - A 4th Contrast (transgression and grace/gift). Transgression ? death reigned; grace and righteous gift ? life reigns
Verse 18 – A 5th Contrast (transgression and act of righteousness). Transgression ? condemnation to all; act of righteousness ? justification of life to all
Verse 19 – A 6th Contrast (disobedience and obedience). Disobedience ? men became sinners; obedience ? many made righteous.
Verse 20 – A 7th Contrast (Law and grace). Law ? increased transgression; grace abounded even more over sin.
Verse 21 – An 8th Contrast (sin and grace). Sin ? death; grace ? righteousness ? eternal life.
