MANKIND IS NOT IN CONTROL
Romans 5:12, 17-19 - February 29, 2004
ROMANS 5:12,17-19
12Therefore, 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—
17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Dearest Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
Do you like to be in control? That is probably an easy question. There are many times we like to be in control as much as possible. But when we look at our lives and the big picture in this universe, we soon realize that many times we are not in control. When we are driving we need to be in complete control. We don’t like to run into the ditch or run over stray animals or drive too fast. As we drive that is in the realm of our being in control.
But when we look around us, we realize we can’t control much else. We can’t control the weather. We can’t control the future, and that list goes on. The Lord reminds us, as much as we plan and like to think we are in control, in the book of James we are reminded: "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (JAMES 4:14). Thus, Scripture describes our lifetime. In the big picture of things during our lifetime, no matter whether our life is long or short, it is like a mist in comparison to eternity, and in comparison to the rest of the world.
Today, our text reminds as Paul points out that mankind is not in control. We are not in control since Adam and Eve first sinned, because by mankind’s disobedience, this brought into the world sin and death. Thankfully, mankind is not in control concerning salvation, for God’s plan of salvation through His Son Christ Jesus and His perfect obedience provides grace and life.
MANKIND IS NOT IN CONTROL
I. Mankind’s disobedience brings sin and death.
II. Christ’s perfect obedience brings grace and life.
I. Mankind’s disobedience brings sin and death.
As you heard the reading of our text this morning, you probably have already picked up on the discouraging parts. It is almost 50/50 of the discouraging parts compared to the encouraging parts. The discouraging part is the fact that our world is no longer perfect. The discouragement is the fact that sin is in this world and is very much alive and well. Verse 19 reminds us: 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners. One man disobeyed; and because of that, the world became sinful. It uses the word many that sometimes some take that word and say, "Well, not everybody is a sinner. Some are good." Only many were made sinners. But Paul explains so there is no mistake. Verse 18 says: 18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men. Trespass, sin, disobedience are all the same. Now, he says not just for many, but also for all. That word "many" meaning all men suffer the result of the disobedience of the one man. He wants to make that point very clear.
So our text began with that word in verse 12: 12Therefore, 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--. No one escapes. No one is born into this world sinless, but full of sin. Then he says: 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man. The results of sin are very obvious--death came into the world. When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden, the Lord’s plan for them was that they would live there forever, because it was already perfect. It already was heaven on earth, but they disobeyed. Perfection came to a crashing halt. That is the one man who disobeyed. That one man who committed sin is our very first parent. Since that time just as sure as we are passed earthly traits from our earthly parents, whether the previous generation or generations before, you and I have inherited sinfulness. Sinfulness has been passed down from Adam and Eve to every generation and will be until the end of time.
We cannot dismiss or disguise sin as just a sickness or bad behavior. We cannot explain it away by saying the rest of the world is doing, so what is so bad about it? Sin is alive and well. We see it in our society. We see it in the way our nation reacts. Those who stand up for the truth on national TV are considered extremists and right-wing Christian radicals when they speak against same-sex marriage. Yet, homosexuality is another sin. It is another sin that the world tries to sweep under the rug, a sin that the world tries to dismiss and disguise and cover up. Scripture reminds us we are sinners: "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins" (ECCLESIASTES 7:20).
Because of Adam and Eve, we are out of control. We are born with sin. Sin infects us all. Sin affects us all. Sin has defected the world and all of us living in this world. Sin begins very early on, doesn’t it? The Psalm writer, actually David, in Psalm 51 says: "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (PSALM 51:5). David writes, "There is when I began sinning. Even before I drew an earthly breath outside the womb, I was a sinner." David says, "I was a sinner from the moment of conception." In this way the Lord shows us is when life begins. As soon as life begins on this earth, at the very moment of conception, there is sin attached to it; and there is no escape.
We have no control and sin is alive and well. Sin is a word that many in our world around us do not like to hear. How do we know that sin is here? We know because our text says sin is here, disobedience is here, and death is here. Again, no one in this world ever escapes death, which is a result of sin. Adam and Eve were going to die now, because the world was no longer perfect. Who wants to live in this world especially when it is so imperfect, especially when we are so imperfect, especially when we have feelings of hatred and anger and rage because of sin? Sometimes those feelings and emotions are just like the text points out, "We are out of control." The Prophet Ezekiel says: "For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die" (EZEKIEL 18:4). We face death, which means we have sinned. Everyone faces death, and therefore, everyone sins.
Mankind is not in control just as we are not in control of the time of our departure. So we were not in control with the time we were born--born with the infection of sin. Now, we want to remember as believers we are in control. We are in control of resisting the sins that are around us. We can avoid sin. We can overcome sin. We can defeat sin by the power of God; but the sin that we are born with is there. We cannot deny it. In that sense mankind is out of control because that the disobedience of our first parents and our disobedience still brings sin into this world and eventually death.
Still, we can celebrate during Lent. We celebrate today the fact that Christ’s perfect obedience provides us with grace and life. We do not suffer eternal death but are given eternal life. That is the second part of each one of these verses from 17, 18 and 19.
II. Christ’s perfect obedience provides grace and life.
Yes, Paul says there is sin and death, disobedience and trespass, but what else? 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Adam, the one man, brought sin into the world; and now there is another man who was sent into this world and brought righteousness. Instead of being cast out from the Garden of Eve forever, He has provided for mankind heaven that is far better than any kind of perfection found here on earth.
Then Paul lets us know who this one man is, even though our text did not mention Adam by name, but here he says: God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. It is Christ--the one Man--who brings into this world righteousness. It is Christ--the one Man—who brings into this world the forgiveness of sins and life and salvation. In that comparison just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. So again, he defines for us where it says, many will be made righteous. Who are the many? God says justification is for all men. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for the sins of the world. Don’t be misled by those who say, "Well, just some are saved or a few are saved. Many, but not all, have there sins forgiven." 18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. The Lord’s sacrifice, the Lord’s gift of His life and blood on the cross was good enough to cover up the sins of everyone. It is true that not everyone who receives the benefit of eternity, because they harden their hearts.
Today you and I celebrate this, which is the Passion of the Christ, the Passion of our Christ. Yes, sin is in this world. It is always going to survive as long as people are born. There will be sin in this world, because man inherits sin and it is part of their nature. But sin is forgiven in this world through the gift of Christ, God’s own Son who paid for our sins. When Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord demanded justice, justice to pay for that sin and justice to pay for the sins of the world. God was so demanding that He demanded justice that only He could provide. The justice that God would provide came through His only Son, a sacrifice for sins. Paul writes to the people in Corinth: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 CORINTHIANS 5:21).
We, who are children of the devil by birth and by nature, are now called righteousness. As sinners we are declared righteous not because of what we have done, but because of the sacrifice of Christ. What made Jesus’ sacrifice so challenging is the fact that the God’s perfect Son came here in human flesh and blood to live in the world, to suffer and die, and even to be tempted by Satan. In our Gospel Lesson for today (LUKE 4:1-13) tells us how Satan tempted Jesus over and over again. Satan "quoted" Scripture, but in reality as you reread that, he misquoted Scripture. Jesus quoted Scripture correctly. We know that Satan tempted Him everyday, because this would be Satan’s last chance to totally destroy God’s plan of salvation. Yet, as we look at it, we see Jesus, God’s Son as he offers the perfect sacrifice. We also see Jesus, the Son of Man, overcomes every temptation for us. Isaiah says: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (ISAIAH 53:6). This again describes our inherited sinfulness and Christ’s sinlessness that is passed on to us. We are not in control.
We are not in control saying to the Lord, "Here is my plan of salvation. I am going to buy my way into heaven." We are not in control saying to the Lord, "Here is my plan of salvation. I am going to work hard enough and do the best I can to earn my way into heaven." None of us can buy or earn our way into heaven. We do not deserve to be there, but God’s plan of salvation according to Him is, "I will do all the work. I will send my Son to die in your place." Therefore Paul says in Titus: "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (TITUS 3:4,5).
Sunday after Sunday we privileged to hear about the mercy of God. Day after day when we read our Bibles at home, we are privileged to see the mercy of God. We have seen our Savior’s passion. We have lived our Savior’s passion through God’s living and powerful Word. That reminds us that sure, we are not in control. When we look at our life, we are probably less in control than what we realize. Is it a reason to despair and throw up our hands and say, "What is the use?" No, it is the reason to rejoice and remember that even though we are not in control, God is in control. No one else, but God Himself! He is control even though our disobedience and our birth brings into this world more sin and eventually death. Our gracious God is in control to show us that His Son and His perfect obedience is our perfect payment and brings to us grace and life, not just on Sunday, but everyday of our life.
In the first letter of John: "He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. (God clearly describes us as we are sinful and really belong to the devil, but God calls us His children.) The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work" (1 JOHN 3:8). Now, the power of the devil has been destroyed; the power of sin has been destroyed; and the power of death has been overcome with Christ’s death and resurrection. We are not in control of that, but thankfully and praise God that He has decided for us that He wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. Our loving Lord has decided for us, rather than stay here among sin and death forever, we will live with Him in grace and eternal life forever. Amen.
Pastor Timm O. Meyer
