Chico Alliance Church
September 30, 2001
Pastor David Welch
“The Great Transfer”
Romans 5:12-21
Review
The world has all of a sudden awakened to the need for a standard of right and wrong.
We have become aware of our need for God’s supernatural intervention in the affairs of men. Who determines what is righteous? To the Moslem extremist, their actions were an act of God and compatible with righteousness. Righteousness is a word that describes the character of one who conforms to a standard. Only God’s standard will count in eternity. There must be a return to both hear and heed his standard. True righteousness can only be found in God and his written word. We can only realize such righteousness through divine intervention and imputation by God. Paul wrote to the Roman people to enlighten them regarding true righteousness. He was convinced that the Gospel was the power of God for salvation to every one who believed in Jesus for in this gospel story God revels his both His righteousness and wrath.
So far we have tracked Paul’s argument up to chapter 5. After introducing his theme of righteousness in chapter one, Paul demonstrates the total inadequacy and inability of all men to measure up to God’s standard thus incurring the just penalty for rebellion – death.
Paul made it clear that no one, not even one person has ever or ever will live a life or righteousness necessary to relate to the Holy God. In light of such a dismal condition, Paul announces a most wonderful gift of God to all those who will embrace Christ. God promises to justify every sinner who comes to Him in faith. Biblical Justification goes beyond a declaration of innocence. Justification credits perfect character, namely the character of Jesus to every believer.
In the first 11 verses of chapter 5, Paul reviews some of the marvelous implications of justification.
Having been justified through faith in Christ…
Having had our moral account purged of our inadequate attempts to live up to God’s absolute standard and replaced with Christ’s perfect, eternal conformity to God’s standard...
We can enjoy peace with God
We can exult in hope of reflecting the glory of God in the future.
We can exult in present tribulations that produce future character
Our justification guarantees salvation or rescue from the coming wrath
Our justification guarantees your complete salvation or rescue to eternal life
We can exult in God through whom we have received the reconciliation
Notice the panoramic view from past to future!
We were justified at the moment of belief based on the once for all sacrifice of Jesus in the past, we are now reconciled, we now have peace, we can now exult in future hope of glory, we can now exult in tribulation knowing that we are in process toward that future hope of the glorious likeness of Christ, we will be saved from God’s future wrath, we will be experience our full salvation in spirit and soul as well as our body, we now exult in God through whom we experience present reconciliation with the God of the universe.
Paul transitions from this discussion of the truth regarding righteousness and justification by summarizing with a before-and-after shot. Before launching into principles regarding personal victory over the power of sin in our life, Paul once more touches on the work of God regarding the penalty of sin. In verses 12-21 he reviews the source of sin and death and the source or righteousness and life and contrasts the life of one connected to Adam as opposed to the life of one now connected to Christ. It is interesting to note a contrast in address in 1-11 and 12-21. Whereas we find numerous reference to “we” in 1-11 and 6:1-9 we do not find one “we” in 5:12-21.
It appears that Paul intends to reinforce the objective foundation of truth regarding sin and justification. This is a highly condensed passage and lends to a great deal of controversy and even confusion but I believe taken as a whole clearly presents one of the most powerful and liberating pictures and analogies in all of Scripture.
In verses 1-11 Paul traced the benefits of a fundamental change in relationship with God.
Whereas we were lost and doomed as ungodly, sinners, helpless enemies of God, we are now at peace with God, reconciled, destined for glory, saved from wrath and heirs of the full blessing of God.
In verses 12-21 Paul affirms once again the theological basis of such a transformation by contrasting our life in Adam as opposed to our new life in Christ.
He traces the source of our sinful condition and hopeless end as well as the source of righteousness and sure destiny. We exult in God through whom we have received the reconciliation. It is God who brought about the great exchange, the great transfer, the great adoption, the great new birth, the great reconciliation. The point of this passage is clearly one man and his sin and one man and His salvation. The context argues for the effects of the sin of the one man on the race as the source of the trouble not on the individual disobedience of the people. This contrasted with the effects of the righteous life of one man on the race as the source of eternal life no on the individual acts of obedience of the people. Paul uses the word “one” twelve times in this short passage. One man! One act!
Paul presents then eight points of contrast between the affects of the one selfish act of Adam and the sacrificial act of Jesus.
Entrance of sin/death through Adam
Righteousness/life through Christ 12-14
Paul strategically places the phrase “through one man” at the head of the passage. Sin entered the world implies that sin existed before that time somewhere in the time and space continuum. Sin, personified as a mighty force of evil, entered human history through one human, the representative of the entire human race. In our individualistic culture many opt to interpret this passage as dealing with those who followed in Adams footsteps by their own personal sin focusing especially on the later phrase in this passage “because all sinned.” Others contend that this passage teaches that Adam’s sinned resulted in a sinful nature compelling us to repeat his pattern of disobedience.
I believe that the context teaches that sinned is charged to us because when the divine representative of the race sinned we, being present in his seed, sinned when he sinned. Our guilt comes by reason of our connection to Adam not by our personal disobedience. This is not to say that personal responsibility and disobedience do not have a part to play but not in this argument. Basically we not only face condemnation because of our personal sin but because we sinned when Adam sinned. Just as the army suffers defeat when the general suffers defeat, when Adam suffered defeat at the hands of the serpent, we too suffered defeat as children of Adam. The writer of Hebrews drew attention to the way God works in reference to Abraham and the sons of Levi. He mentions that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek. How can that be since the Levi cam hundreds of years after Abraham?
And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Hebrews 7:9-10
Since the entire human race was in the loins of Adam at the time he sinned, his disobedience affected the entire human race. If one does not accept this interpretation, then the contrast with our identity with Christ becomes useless.
Basically if we assert that this passage teaches that we face condemnation by personally following Adam’s example of disobedience (which we could and have) then we must also affirm that this passage also teaches we gain life by personally following Christ’s example of perfect obedience (which we could not and haven’t). The “all sinned” is a “point in time” verb not a present tense verb that we would expect if the personal disobedience of those following after Adam were intended. The context continually stresses that it is on account of the sin of the ONE man Adam that we are all in trouble. “All disobeyed or sinned in Adam”. The contrast implies that it is on account of the life of obedience of the ONE man Christ that we all inherit eternal life.
Paul describes a grim sequence of events.
First, sin entered into the world of humans through one man (Adam implied).
Second, sin ushered death into the world of humans.
Third, death passed through, spread, touched all men because all sinned in Adam.
At this point Paul interrupts his thought to expand on the relationship of sin and the law and death probably in anticipation of some objections or questions regarding the law. It is not until verse 18 that he actually picks up the intended contrast with the sin of the one man and the righteousness of Christ. Paul’s line of reasoning might have been that whereas through one man sin entered the world and death because of sin and death touched every man who sinned in Adam, so through one Man righteousness entered the world and life through righteousness and so life touched every man who is righteous in Christ. The first contrast presented here then has to do with the entrance of sin through Adam and righteousness through Christ, death through sin and life through righteousness. Paul reminds them that even though sin has been in the world from the time of Adam, it is not charged to one’s account until a law has been imposed and understood. From the beginning man has both consciously and unconsciously violated God’s internal law but eternal judgment has not been executed until the time of the Law formulated in the Law of God through Moses. The Law specifies where man has violated God’s character and offended the Holy One. Nevertheless Paul is quick to assert, even though sin was not credited, the consequences of violating the character of God (death) ruled over humanity from the very first offense even on those who did not offend God in the same way.
This is never more abundantly clear than in the very first genealogy in Genesis 5 where the consequences of disobedience reverberates through the passage -- so and so lived so long and he died, and he died, and he died… A hopeful glimpse of grace also appears – “Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took Him.”
Many died in Adam
Many receive grace through Christ 15
But 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. Romans 5:15
Paul continues contrasting life in Christ and life in Adam. He emphasized that there is a great difference between the two. Many died because of Adam’s sin. Grace abounded to many because of Christ’s grace. Blessing and death stand in stark contrast. Final death came because of Adam’s sin.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Cor. 15:22
Continuous, abundant grace came because of Christ’s grace.
Judgment and condemnation came to those in Adam
Righteousness and justification came to those in Christ 16
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. Romans 5:16
Again Paul point to the contrast. The gift is not like the guilt. Judgment arose from Adam’s one sin resulting in condemnation (sentencing). God’s free gift of the righteousness of Christ arose in spite of many transgressions resulting in justification. It only took one sin to bring condemnation. No number of sins could prevent justification.
Those in Adam are ruled by death
Those in Christ rule in life. 17
For 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. Romans 5:17
Adam’s one sin resulted in a reign of terror by death. Death remains unconquered for the human race. It is one of many things man cannot overcome or tame. Yet to those in Christ death no longer reigns but we reign.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2:14-15
Those in Christ death will one day lose its sting and its victory. Notice how Paul describes those in Christ!
“those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness”
The slaves of death become kings in life!!! We now inherit eternal life! We would have expected him to say that life reigns but this is personal--we reign in life. Through Christ we become more than conquerors. Nothing can separate us from our destiny, including death!
One transgression brought condemnation to all associated with Adam
One act of righteousness brought justification of life to all associated with Christ
So then 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. Romans 5:18
Paul continues to hammer home his point. Adam’s sin doomed the human race. Christ’s righteousness saves the human race.
One man’s disobedience made many sinners
One man’s obedience will make many righteous 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. Romans 5:19
The verb here is a passive verb meaning to place or appoint or designate. It is not our individual sin that makes us sinners. It is Adam’s sin that makes us sinners. Likewise it is not our individual acts of righteousness that make us righteous. It is Christ’s righteousness that makes us righteous. Notice the change to a future tense “will be made righteous”. Whereas everyone’s fate and state as a sinner was settled once for all when Adam sinned, every person who comes to Christ at that moment in time becomes righteous. All became sinners when Adam sinned, period. All who believe will at that time become righteous.
The Law augments and intensifies sin
Grace always outdistances sin
The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, Romans 5:20
Deviating from the contrast of Christ and Adam a bit, Paul returns to some thoughts on the place of the law. The law could not make righteous. The law served to increase sins guilt in that it pointed out the many areas where man violates the character of God and offends his holiness. The law makes sin exceedingly sinful (Rom 7:13) Yet Paul asserts that where sin increased, grace increased all the more. The more the law points out areas of offense the more grace rushes in to cover the sin.
Sin ruled in death through Adam’s sin
Grace rules to eternal life through Christ’s righteousness 21
so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21
Grace outruns sin so that those doomed to condemnation might enjoy eternal life.
Conclusion
No matter how great you think you are. No matter how many good things you do.
When it comes down to it, you are still in Adam. The only hope is to transfer from the line of Adam into the line of Jesus Christ. As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive! It has nothing to do with personal achievement but spiritual identity.
• Realize the gift
• Receive the gift
• Rejoice in the gift.
