Where Would We Be Without Jesus? Series

“Who is the most important person in the world?” Since 1927, Time magazine suggests the “Person of the year.” This used to be called “Man of the Year.” The following are examples of Time’s MAN of the YEAR awards:

2007 Vladimir Putin

Time has included some notorious names. In 1979 the man of the year was Ayatullah Khomeini. in 1938 it was Adolf Hitler.

There have also meeb some heroic names:

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Dwight D Eisenhower

Ronald Reagan (1980)

And some forgotten names. .

Willy Brandt (1970)

John J. Sirica (1973)

If you are a BABY BOOMER, perhaps you remember that in 1966 people “Twenty Five and Under” was listed as the man of the year.

In 1975 the “American Women” was man of the year.

and in 2006 “You” was the title Time gave as the person of the year (because of youtube, blogs, provider oriented internet)

Psychologists tell us that WE are the most important person (positive self image!)

Notwithstanding the often wrong advice of Time Magazine, The MOST IMPORTANT PERSON in the UNIVERSE is JESUS

(Colossians 2:9) "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,"

(Hebrews 1:2) “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”

(Colossians 1:15-20) "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

We are reminded of this in the poel One Solitary Life, written in 1926 by James A. Francis:

. . . “All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as that one solitary life!—Jesus!”

This life mission of this most important person is described in Romans 5:15-19.

‒ This section is the Conclusion to the section on Justification. The theme is that Sinners are made right with God through faith in the sacrifice of Christ

‒ This section is the middle of a parenthesis that began in v13 (“before the Law was given, sin was in the world”)

‒ It is a comparison between ADAM and CHRIST

‒ Romans 5:15-19 shows the GREATNESS of CHRIST!

Note that there are

‒ 6 comparative statements

‒ THREE statements in v. 15-17

‒ TWO statements in v. 18-19

‒ ONE statement in v. 20-21

I. Romans 5:15-17 answers the question, Where Would We Be Without Jesus?

We are guilty of sin because when Adam sinned, he sinned as our representative.

Sin brings the punishment of DEATH. Romans 5:12

The LAW of Moses did not CREATE sin. Romans 5:13

Sin was brought into the world through ADAM. Romans 5:14

We are either “in ADAM” or “in CHRIST”

a. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22) "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

b. (Philippians 3:8-9) "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

Just as we are CONDEMNED because of ADAM, we are MADE ALIVE Because of CHRIST

“Two men, two deeds, two froze in moments in time, with to vast results flowing across the generation affecting us to this very day.” Ray Pritchard “Paradise Regained”

A comparison is made between the “free gift” and the “trespass”

“transgression” (NASB), “offense” (KJV)

“to fall, to slip” “to cross the boundary”

The VALUE of Christ’s Gift. Romans 5:15. “If the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ overflow to the many”