The Gift Vs. The Trespass Series

The Gift vs. The Trespass

Romans 5:12–21

INTRODUCTION

When we look in Genesis One and Two at the creation of the universe, we are in awe at the wondrous power of an Almighty God. Think about Adam, the first man and how wonderful things were for him. He and his wife, Eve, living in the garden where there was no sickness, no pain, no sorrow, no death and where they lived in communion with God.

Things, as we well know, changed rather quickly for Adam and Eve and as a result, thing changed on this earth forever! We today are still paying the consequences of the sin of Adam. Why Adam, you say? Was it not Eve who sinned first? Adam was the man. He was the head of the family. God has always ordained male leadership and with leadership comes responsibility. Because of Adam’s sin death entered into the world. Spiritual death as well as physical death. Man was separated from God, sickness, death and pain entered into the world. The devil gained the first of many victories over man.

Our text deals with this very idea. Adam as the TYPE of Christ who would come as the ANTI–TYPE to Adam.

Let’s explore this contrasting relationship between the Sin of Adam and the Obedience of Christ.

MAIN BODY

I. THE TRESPASS

A. Adam sinned by breaking a command of God.

1. Gen. 2:17 “17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

2. Adam sinned when he ate of the tree.

a. Sin entered the world.

b. Death came into the world because of his sin.

c. We all live under the consequence of Adam’s sin.

B. Death reigns because of Adam’s sin.

1. We inherit the consequence of Adam’s sin, physical death.

2. We experience the same Spiritual death Adam experienced because “All have sinned.”

C. Adam’s sin resulted in all mankind who reach the age of accountability dying both spiritually and physically.

II. THE GIFT

A. A contrast of two Men.

1. The Sin of one man brought Condemnation to mankind.

2. The Obedience of one man brought Righteousness to mankind.

B. Is there Original Sin?

1. Some argue that verse 19 means that we inherit the sin of Adam at birth and are sinners as soon as we are born.

2. If that is so then the obedience of Christ made us all righteous according to verse 19.

C. Adam’s disobedience didn’t make the many sinners without their choice anymore than Christ’s obedience made the many righteous without their choice.

1. Man’s Choice to live in sin. Ephesians 2:1–3 “1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.” 2. Man’s Choice to live in Christ.

a. Ephesians 2:4–5 “4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

b. Galatians 3:22–27 “22But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

D. The Gift was God’s Grace.

1. John 3:16–17 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,”

2. Man cannot sin enough to offset the amount of grace God has poured out upon us.

a. Romans 5:20b–21 “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, b. Titus 3:3–7 “3At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

CONCLUSION

The “Much More’s” of Romans 5

1. Contrasted with the fact that Christ died for us while we were sinners is the truth that we are “much more” saved by His life. (vs. 9)

2. Contrasted with our sinful condition we are “much more” saved by Christ in our state of reconciliation. (vs. 10)

3. Contrasted with the fact that worldwide condemnation resulted from one man’s sin and that only in a single act, “much more” did the grace of God reach out to cover all the sin’s of all the men who ever lived (potentially). (vs. 15)

4. Contrasted with the reign of death trough one, how “much more” shall Christians receive abundance of grace through God’s righteous act in the one. (vs. 17)

5. Contrasted with the abounding of sin because the law came in, is the abounding of grace “much more” (or “all the more”). (vs. 20)