GRACE TRIUMPHS OVER HUMAN SIN -- OUR SOLIDARITY WITH CHRIST ASSURES OF GOD'S GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LIFE EVEN MORE THAN OUR SOLIDARITY WITH ADAM BROUGHT SIN AND DEATH
(The Adam Bomb: the Effects of One Man)
1. (:12-14) Adam's Sin Had Grave Effects Upon Us --
Our solidarity with Adam brought universal sin and death
a. The invasion of sin into the world thru the one man Adam
b. The inevitable consequence of death (and condemnation)
c. The pervasiveness of sin and death (and condemnation v.18)
What is the nature of our Solidarity with Adam? various attempts to explain our link with Adam's sin:
1) Seminal / Genetic View -- stresses our natural, physical, genetic descent from Adam
2) Representative (Federal) View -- Adam acted as our representative
Regardless of whether we view Adam primarily as our representative or as the father of our genetic makeuup, etc.
we are indeed connected to him. When he sinned, it had a dramatic, unravelling effect upon all of us. In effect, after Adam sinned, what we would choose to do would be completely predictable--all of us would want to choose sin just like Adam.
Therefore, because of Adam's sin, in effect we all are sinners by nature and choose to practice sin and deserve to die.
d. The illustration that proves the point -- What was the situation before the law from the time period from Adam until Moses? (when there was no clear, direct, outward command from God; Eve's sin was not as significant because she derived from man and because she did not get the command directly from God)
2. (:15-17) CHRIST'S GRACE HAS GREATER EFFECTS UPON US -- THE RESULTING RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LIFE FROM OUR SOLIDARITY WITH CHRIST ARE EVEN MORE CERTAIN IN A MUCH DIFFERENT SENSE
a. Christ's Grace -- a Free Gift (Illustr.: Queen Eliz. pardoning woman who had sneaked into her quarters to assassinate her)
b. Righteousness assures us of Reigning in Life
no reason to fear death; we will be everything God wants us to be--not by our own efforts but by God's grace
What does it mean for something to reign or rule? -- (Illustr.: smallpox reigned over early settlers until vaccine discovered)
c. Christ's Gracious Gift of Righteousness is a Surpassing Gift
d. Christ's Grace must be Received (v.17)
3. (:18-19) Adam or Christ Will Solely Determine the Effects in Our Future -- our future destiny hinges upon one action from one man
(Illustr.: row of dominoes -- first one falls leads to all the others fall in predictable fashion; in reverse video, if the last falled domino were to rise upright, so would all the others in that row of faith)
4. (:20-21) The Purpose of God's Law is to Magnify Our Sin and His Surpassing Grace.
Magnify = make sin and grace more abundant and more clear
Why did God give the law (His commandments) if we are unable to keep it?
a. To provoke our sinful nature to evidence itself more specifically and clearly in defined acts of transgression;
to make our sinfulness more abundant and more clear
b. To provide the opportunity to demonstrate God's surpassing, abundant, victorious grace -- Grace Triumphs Over Sin (the Christian's freedom from the dominion of sin, the law and death are developed in chaps. 6-8)
