Romans 5:12-21
Introduction: The past two weeks we have been looking at a series of messages titled “Salvation is forever” and this week we will conclude the series and our look at Romans chapter five. First we looked at how God loved us, and then we looked at how God lifted us this week we are going to look at “How God has loosed us.” Sin is a powerful force within our lives. If you happen to be lost in sin today and have never accepted Jesus as Lord and savior sin is not only a powerful force in your life it is the driving force within your life. We will see that sin is a problem but we will also see that sin has a solution and the power of that solution. If you are a born again I hope you will remember how precious your salvation is and the power of Grace within your life. Look with me this morning as we visit…
“By one man sin entered into the world” Adam and Eve’s story
is not a myth, folklore or a legend it is an actual event in human history. The
word of God lays the full blame of sin squarely on the shoulders of Adam, the
father of the human race. All unborn generations were contained in Adam. We
know from Genesis 1:26-27 that Adam was created in Gods likeness. We also know
from Genesis 5:3 that
“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin” The result was “thou shalt surely die” as given by God in Genesis 2:17. This was a sharp contrast to the lie told by Satan in Genesis 3:4 “Ye shall not surely die.” Sin will always take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay and cost you more than you were willing to pay. According to Verse 12 of our text “so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” When Adam sinned death was imputed to all men, spiritual and physical, it was passed to every individual descendant of his.
In verses 13-14 we read: “For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” Here lies a remarkable fact of scripture concerning sin, even though it existed from the beginning of time it was not formally charged to mans account until Moses came, it was then the law was given. Men died up until that point, not because of their sin but because of Adam’s sin. Sin may not have been charged to their account death still reigned due to sin. This power of sin is prevalent still today when we suffer through the death of an infant, in their innocence death still reigns due to the sin of Adam. Adam by the fall brought sin to mankind. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. Because of sin we die, some younger, some older, but sooner or later we all die.
Now the sincere question is ask, is there a solution to the problem of sin? The answer it yes, in the second (last) Adam. Through this man His obedience can restore all the first Adam threw away by willful rebellion against the command of God. This second Adam is found…
“But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” Here we learn that God’s gift releases us from spiritual bankruptcy.
“And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.” Sin’s guilt is gone! The sin of one brought judgment to all, the free gift of one brings grace to the many sins of all.
“For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” The eternal bondage of Adam’s failure is broken by the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Furthermore Paul has this to say concerning God’s gift…
Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
The provision is bigger than the problem.
The solution to sins problem not only comes to us through Gods gift it also comes…
Grace made the gift possible.
When God gave the law to Moses it was so the guiltiness of sin might become apparent, then at once He manifested His grace, His unmerited favor to guilty sinners. “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”
“That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Conclusion: Nothing can stand in the way of God’s grace, it is absolutely sovereign. Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord is assured. To those born again by the blood of Jesus Christ God has not only lifted us and loved us He has also loosed us from our sin. He has done this fully, freely and forever without requiring merit or price. Close as the Lord leads…