ROMANS: RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH FROM START TO FINISH

V. God’s Righteousness Applied By Justification, Romans 3:21-5:21

D. The Applicability Of Justification

2. The Contrast Between Adam And Christ

(Romans 5:13-21)

I. Introduction

A. The theme of the epistle to the Romans is that God’s righteousness is available to man by faith from start to finish (Romans 1:16-17; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 441).

B. This belief is often not accepted in Christendom: Some claim that one must have faith plus works to be justified, and others say that though we are justified by faith, we cannot righteously live a godly life by faith.

C. In Romans 5:13-21, Paul discussed the applicability of justification, contrasting Adam and his fall into sin that enslaved his seed in sin and death and Christ Whose death on the cross releases believers from sin and death.

D. We view the passage for our insight, application, and edification (as follows):

II. The Contrast Between Adam And Christ, Romans 5:13-21.

A. To prepare to contrast Adam with Christ, Paul had to clarify that people who were begotten by Adam and who lived before the Mosaic Law was instituted sinned even though God had not yet given His Mosaic Law that defined sin to be sin. The evidence that sin existed between Adam and the Law is the fact that all human beings who lived in that period of time died, and death is the result of sin, Romans 5:13-14.

B. However, the dreadful destiny of all humans who came from Adam’s line was wonderfully intercepted by Jesus Christ for all who put their trust in Him, believing in Him as their Savior from sin and death. This contrast is closely discussed by Paul in Romans 5:15-21 as follows: (Ibid., p. 461 “Chart: Contrasts between Adam and Christ in Romans 5:15-21”)

1. By Adam’s one trespass many died, but much more the gift of justification and its blessings by the grace of Christ overflowed to the many who put their trust in Him for salvation, Romans 5:15.

2. By Adam’s one trespass came condemnation upon all men, but the gift of eternal life by faith in Christ followed many trespasses of many people, addressing all of them in Christ’s work on the cross so as to justify completely of all sin and acts of sin anyone who trusts in Christ for salvation, Romans 5:16.

3. By Adam’s one trespass, death reigned through that one man over the entire human race, but much more did those who received God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign through the one Man Jesus Christ, Romans 5:17.

4. By Adam’s one trespass, all men stood condemned to eternal damnation by God, but by Christ’s work of redemption on the cross all who believe in Christ are brought eternal life, Romans 5:18.

5. By Adam’s disobedience of God in eating of the forbidden tree (Genesis 2:16-17) were many constituted to be sinners due to original sin, but by Christ’s obedience of God in going to the cross (Matthew 26:39) to provide redemption for mankind many will be made righteous through faith in Christ, Romans 5:19.

6. God added the Mosaic Law that sin might be seen to have increased, but where sin increased, God’s grace increased all the more, for as sin reigned in death through Adam, in Christ, God’s grace reigns through righteousness to bring eternal life to men through Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 5:20-21.

Lesson: When Adam committed his one act of sin, eating the forbidden fruit, he caused the entire human race to inherit a sin nature, leading to God’s eternal condemnation, the commitment of numerous sins and trespasses by the human race after him followed by physical death and eternal damnation. However, where sin did abound, God’s unmerited favor, His “grace” did much more abound: Christ’s atonement for sin on the cross, applied to the sinner who believes in Him, judicially covers that sinner’s original sin in his inherited sin nature, it also forgives all of his trespasses committed by him, it provides him righteousness in place of his sin and supplies him with victory over death and sin in God’s gift of eternal life. Christ’s work on the cross is so great that it has the capacity to handle all sins ever committed by all humans in history were they to believe in Him!

Application: What Adam did in his one act of sin is like a man taking a feather-stuffed pillow up to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City, cutting it open and emptying its feathers over the side of the building for the wind to scatter them across the city. Christ’s work on the cross was like going out and picking up all the scattered feathers, putting them in a new pillowcase, and giving it free of charge to whoever believes in Him. We thus need to marvel at God’s grace to us and thank Him for His mercy toward us in Jesus Christ our Lord!