Securing The Gospel

Title: Securing the Gospel Script: Romans 5:12-21

Type: Expository Series Where: GNBC 4-18-21

Intro: Pastor and Scholar Steven J Cole said the following of today’s passage: “When most commentators say, as Thomas Schreiner does (Romans [Baker], p. 267), that our text “is one of the most difficult and controversial passages to interpret in all of Pauline literature,” I know I’m in trouble when I have to preach on these verses! Another commentator (Alva McClain, Romans [BMH Books], p. 131) suggests that perhaps it was this passage that Peter had in mind when he said that some of Paul’s writings are hard to understand (2 Pet. 3:16). After reading hundreds of pages of commentaries and sermons on these verses, I began to wonder if I should look for another line of work! The difficulty with the text is not with the main idea, which is fairly clear, but with the many details. Just about every word or phrase generates pages of discussion and debate among the scholars. But rather than wading into several weeks of messages on that level of detail, I decided to give a single broad overview of verses 12-19. I won’t be able to explain every detail, but hopefully you will get the big picture.” (Lesson 29, Death in Adam…)

Prop: Romans 5:12-21 makes 4 Vital Comparisons Demonstrating how the Gospel was Secured.

BG: 1. Again, the author was Paul. Writing from Corinth during winter of 57-58 ad.

2. Paul did not found the church at Rome. Had never visited. Yet, Romans is the greatest articulation of the Gospel ever penned. 3. Sin. Then Salvation. Now the Sanctification of the Saint. Thru chapter 8.

Prop: Let’s examine Rom. 5:12ff to realize 4 Vital Comparisons Demonstrating how the Gospel was Secured.

I. Two Men vv. 12-14

A. Adam Acted as the First Man and Failed Miserably.

1. Adam sinned in disobedience.

a. In this verse we see Paul begins a sentence he never really completes. “Therefore just as sin entered…”but the corresponding “so also” like in vv. 18, 19, &20 never comes. In some ways vv. 18-19 complete the thought of the sentence. The topic of v.12 is “Sin and Death”.

b. With whom and where did Sin and Death enter the human existence? Gen. 3:6 the woman, who has been deceived by the serpent, saw that the tree was good for food, it was a delight to the eyes, desirable to make one wise, so she took fruit and ate it. What was very next thing she did? Gave some to her husband to eat it too. Illust: Isn’t it interesting, when we sin we want others to join us in doing evil.

2. Man sins through Adam.

a. Bible very clearly teaches the woman ate the forbidden fruit first. Yet, Adam gets the blame. Why? Gen. 2:16 – 17, God had specifically told Adam NOT to eat from the fruit of that tree. Eve disobeyed because she was deceived w/o Adam’s protection. Adam, however, willfully disobeyed God’s direct commandment.

b. Illust: Paul then introduces us to man’s plight with a staircase of three steps that demonstrates the downward, deteriorating plight of all people outside of Christ: 1. Sin entered thru 1 man. 2. Death entered thru sin. 3. Death has come to all men because all have sinned.

B. Adam Pictured the Second Man Who would Succeed Marvelously. V.14b

1. Paul tells us that Adam’s sin resulted in the rule and reign of Death.

a. “From Adam to Moses”. From the first man until the giving of the Law sin was judged and death reigned. Illust: Flood, Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, list goes on. Sin was in the world and deemed sinful before the Moral Law of God was given.

b. “even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense.” – What does Paul mean? He means Adam’s willful disobedience of a direct command of God. Paul, going back to his arguments from Rom. 1 is essentially saying, everyone was guilty even if they did not know the specific commands of God and disobey those specific commands.

2. Paul points to a glorious truth in v. 14

a. “who is a type of Him who was to come.” PTL! The Promise of the Coming of Christ was seen in the fall of our race’s father. 1st Adam failed, but in him is pictured and promised the coming of the Savior, the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ.

b. Illust: Paul teaches that God deals with the human race under a system known as “federalism.” Simply put, federalism has to do with representation, with one person acting on behalf of another. Illust: We can understand this in our nation because we elect political representation at the local, state, and FEDERAL levels. Our Federal reps are Joni Ernst and Charles Grassley, Senators & Marinette Miller-Meeks, House of Representatives. Those three individuals represent our local community in the most encompassing area of government, the Federal. Are to represent our interests in the national body. Sometimes politicians represent interests well and sometimes not. Well guess what, God has appointed two representatives in history: Adam and Christ. Adam did not represent the race well; he disobeyed God. As a result, all of his descendants are born with an inclination to sin, and they all share in his guilt and suffer the same penalty he received—death.