Just as sin, condemnation, and death come to us from Adam, so grace, justification and life flow to us from Christ. It’s ultimately a matter of who represents you. Are you united to Adam or Christ?
Christ Our Representative
Romans 5:12-21
On August 6, 1945, Harry Truman gave the order to drop the atom bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, the country’s 7th largest city. This was the first time in world history that the bomb had ever been used in military warfare. Within minutes, half of the city vanished! It is estimated that 65,000 people died that very day, and another 65,000 in the next few months. One man, by one act, brought devastation and death to hundreds of thousands of people. This morning we are going to be examining another Man, who by one act, brought devastation and death, not just to a city, but to every inhabitant on planet Earth. What am I talking about? The Adam Bomb – spelled “A-D-A-M”, not “A-T-O-M”.
Romans 5:12-21 is one of the most theologically important passages in all of the Bible. In it, we find the clearest statement in all the Bible on the doctrine of Original Sin, and the consequences of Adam’s disobedience, and Christ’s obedience.
Now, let’s recall what Paul has taught us about the Gospel in Romans thus far. After briefly introducing the theme of the gospel in 1:16-17, Paul discusses Our Desperate Need For The Gospel in 1:18-3:20. In that section Paul brings the Heathen, the Hebrew, and then the Whole World before the judgment bar of God, and shows that all are sinners, all are without excuse, all are hastening to Judgment, and all are under the wrath of God. Humanly speaking, our situation is absolutely hopeless. Next, Paul starts to expound The Way God Accomplished The Gospel. He begins by showing that Christ is Our Righteousness in 3:21-24. In this section Paul glories in the doctrine of Justification. He tells us that guilty, hell-bound sinners may be absolved of every sin and declared perfectly righteous in God’s sight, not by any works of their own but merely through faith in Jesus Christ. This perfect standing before God is free to us, although it was of infinite cost to God, as He had to give up His only begotten Son. After showing us that God accomplished the Gospel through the Righteousness of Christ, Paul goes on to show us that He also did it through the Propitiation of Christ. In other words, in Romans 3:25-26, Paul goes to very heart of the gospel and shows that Jesus died for God. And in so doing, Jesus died to Appease God’s Wrath, Demonstrate God’s Righteousness, and Satisfy God’s Justice. However, there is one more piece of the puzzle that we must understand, if we are to really understand the way God accomplished the Gospel. He did it not only through the Righteousness of Christ, and the Propitiation of Christ, but also through the Representation of Christ. That is the subject we want to meditate on this morning.
Instead of going methodically through the passage in a verse-by-verse fashion, we are going to look at the passage through 3 different lenses. We are going to look at 2 Different Representatives, then 2 Different Responses, and then 2 Different Results.
1. 2 Different Representatives:
Adam and Christ
As we read through this passage, it becomes immediately apparent that it is about 2 different people. The first person is identified in verse 14 as “Adam, who is a type”. The other man is identified in verse 14 as “Him who was to come.” In the very next verse Paul gives the name of this one who was to come when He says, “much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the One Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.” Paul mentions Jesus by name again in verse 17 “reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ”, and then again in verse 21, “grace woiuld reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” So, the very first thing we must understand about this section of Scripture is that it is not centered on us. It focuses on Adam and Christ.
One Man
Another thing you see as you read through this passage, is the repetition of the phrase “one man” or “the one”. Notice verse 12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world.” Or verse 15, “For if by the transgression of the one the many died.” Or verse 16, “The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned.” Or verse 17, “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one.” Or verse 19, “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.”
But not only is Adam referred to as “The One”, but Jesus Christ is also referred to by that designation. In verse 15 He is referred to as “the one Man, Jesus Christ.” In verse 17 He is called “The One, Jesus Christ.” Finally, in verse 19 He is called “the One.”
Adam a Type of Christ
Now, look carefully at the final phrase in verse 14. “Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.” What does the Bible mean when it speaks of a type? Well, a type is something in the Old Testament that prefigures something else in the New Testament. It is a pictorial prophecy. For example, the passover lamb that was slain and its blood applied to the lintels of the doorposts of the children of Israel prefigured Jesus Christ as the One slain for our sins, so that God’s wrath would pass over us. Well in verse 14 we are told that Adam is a type of Jesus Christ. It’s at this point that we immediately run into some confusion, because we expect a type to show us the points of comparison between one thing in the Old Testament, and another in the New Testament. Well, there are some points of comparison. Both Adam and Christ stand as Representatives of a people. Adam represents all those who are born from him physically, and Jesus Christ represents all of those who are born from Him spiritually. Also, both Adam and Christ bequeath to those they represent certain results or “gifts” from what they accomplished. But that is where the points of comparison end.
We need to understand that as Biblical type may not only show certain points of comparison, but also certain points of contrast. And there is much contrast in this passage between Adam and Christ. Adam and Christ are contrasted in their response to temptation when they came into the world. Adam fell whereas Christ triumphed. They are also contrasted in the gifts they give to their people. Adam gives condemnation and death, where Christ gives justification and life. Now, having seen the 2 Different Representatives in this passage, let’s turn our attention to the 2 Different Responses.
2. 2 Different Responses:
Both Faced Temptation
Both Adam and Christ faced temptation when they came into the world, and their temptations were both faced in a garden – the Garden of Eden for Adam, and the Garden of Gethsemane for Jesus Christ. Adam faced the temptation whether he would eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or not. Jesus faced the temptation whether He would drink the cup of God’s wrath or not. Adam chose to follow his selfish desires and disregarded God’s command. Jesus surrendered to the Father’s will and fulfilled His purpose. Adam said, “Not Your will, but mine be done.” Christ said, “Not My will, but Yours be done.”
All of history can be summed up in relation to two different trees. Both Adam and Christ were tempted regarding 2 Trees. Adam was tempted to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Jesus was tempted to refuse the Tree of Suffering, which was the Cross.
- The first tree was planted by God in the Garden. The second tree was planted by man at Golgotha.
- God forbade man to touch the first tree. All are invited to embrace the second tree.
- The punishment for eating of the first tree was condemnation and death. The eating of the second tree brings justification and life.
- Adam was sent out of Paradise for eating of the first tree. We enter Paradise when we receive the fruit of the second tree.
Adam’s Response to Temptation
Verse 12 tells us, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world.” His sin is called “the offense” in verse 14, “the transgression” in verse 15, 17, and 18, and “disobedience” in verse 19. Let’s examine those 4 words: Sin – Offense – Transgression – Disobedience. The word “sin” literally means to miss the mark. It was an archery term. If you went out with your bow and arrow and you pulled the bowstring back and let your arrow fly in the direction of the target, if you didn’t hit the bull’s eye, you had sinned. It didn’t matter if your arrow went 100 yards off into the woods, or just missed the mark by a few inches. Unless you hit the bull’s eye, you sinned. “Offense” tells us that Adam’s sin against God was that which offended God. This teaches us how God feels about sin. It is offensive and repugnant to His holy nature. The word “transgression” is a synonym of the word “trespass.” We’ve seen the No Trespassing signs all over the place. What do they mean? Don’t go in there, or you are breaking the law! A transgression takes place when God draws his line in the sand and says “Don’t cross that line”, and you do it anyway. And then the word “disobedience” tells us that Adam’s sin was a defiant disregard for God’s authority. It was his refusal to comply with God’s command. So, this was Adam’s response to temptation: He Sinned – He Offended – He Transgressed – He Disobeyed.
Christ’s Response To Temptation
We find two different points of temptation in the life of Christ. The first one is at the very beginning of His ministry after He had fasted for forty days. In that temptation Jesus conquered by the power of the Spirit by drawing His sword and saying, “It is written.” The second temptation took place on the night before His crucifixion. Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane, and poured out His heart in prayer to God. The Bible says He was in agony, that he prayed very fervently, that His sweat became like drops of blood falling down upon the ground, that His soul was deeply grieved to the point of death. What was He praying for? That God would remove the cup. What cup was He referring to? The cup of God’s awful wrath against sin. He asked God if there was any other way that man could be redeemed, to remove the cup, but that He was willing to embrace God’s will at any cost. And in those words, “but nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done” Jesus won the battle. Notice how the Scripture refers to His response to temptation.
In verse 18 it is called “one act of righteousness”. In verse 19 it is called the “obedience of the One.” Whereas Adam missed the mark, Jesus hit the bull’s eye. Whereas Adam offended God, Jesus always did those things that were pleasing to His Father. Whereas Adam transgressed, Jesus always stayed within the boundaries of God’s law. Whereas Adam disobeyed, Jesus always obeyed. The 2 Different Responses brings us to
3. The 2 Different Results
Public Persons
Adam and Christ were what we might call “Public Persons.” In other words, they didn’t just act on their own behalf. They acted on behalf of billions of other people. They stood before God in an official capacity. Adam stood as the Federal Head of the human race. Jesus stood as the Federal Head of the chosen race. 1 Cor. 15:22 puts it like this, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” All those Adam represents receive physical and spiritual death. All those Christ represents receive spiritual and eternal life. In the purpose of God there have only been 2 men in the history of the world. Every person who has ever lived, stands underneath either Adam or Christ. Either Adam represents you, or Christ represents you. Now, how do we know that Adam and Christ acted as representatives? Let’s look at the text.
Notice verse 12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Notice that at the end of verse 12 there is a dash. That means that Paul in verse 13-17 goes off on a tangent. It is a parenthesis in Paul’s argument. You expect Paul to conclude his sentence by an “even so.” Just as Adam brought in sin and death for the human race, even so Christ brought in grace and life. In fact, that is what Paul does finally in verse 18 and 19. “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” It’s clear that Adam’s actions bring some very devastating results to those he represents. Likewise, Christ’s actions bring some glorious blessings to those He represents. Notice in verse 18 that the results of both Adam and Christ accrue to “all men.” In verse 19 they accrue to “the many.” I believe Paul has the same groups in mind in both verses. The “many” are the “all men.” Well, let’s take a look, first of all, at the results of Adam’s actions. We know His actions were Sin, Offense, Transgression, and Disobedience. What was the result of that action? There are 3 of them: We Sinned, We are Condemned, We Die. Sin, Condemnation, and Death are the result of Adam’s actions.
We Sinned
Verse 12 says, “and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Here Paul says that death is a result of sin, and we all die because we all sinned. Now the important question is, what does he mean by “all sinned”? I used to think this verse simply meant that all people die because all people commit individual acts of sin. In other words, death comes to every person, because every person commits their own individual sins. However, that can’t be the meaning of the passage because of verse 13 and 14. Paul knows that his readers are liable to make the same mistake that I made about the meaning of “all sinned”, so he digresses to teach them what he meant. Verse 13-14 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 until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam.” Now, what is Paul getting at? He’s saying, “Look, everybody died from Adam until Moses. Yet there was no law to break, for God didn’t give the Law until the time of Moses. So, there were hundreds and hundreds of years when everybody died, but they weren’t committing individual acts of sin. You can’t commit a transgression if there is no law to transgress.
If you talk on your cell phone while you are driving around town it’s only a matter of time until you see the red and blue lights of the Highway Patrol car in your review mirror. Ticket time! But if you drove across the Nevada state line, you could talk on your cell phone as much as you wanted and never get a ticket! Why? What’s the difference? You are doing exactly the same thing. There is a law against talking on your cell phone without a bluetooth device in California, but there’s no such law in Nevada. Likewise, if there was no Law to break between Adam and Christ, there should have been no death. Why then did everyone die when they didn’t transgress any of God’s laws? The answer is that they sinned in Adam.” When Paul says in verse 12, “because all sinned” he means that every person sinned when Adam sinned. What this tells us is that God puts Adam’s original sin to the account of everyone he represents, which is everyone who has ever lived except Jesus Christ. The inhabitants of the American colonies understood this. They published a book called, The New England Primer in 1690 which was used to teach children to read. They would have a different rhyme for every letter of the alphabet. The rhyme for the letter “A” was, “In Adam’s Fall, we sinned all.” Imagine teaching your 5 year old his ABCs, and you do so by telling him, “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.” 300 years ago, the very first thing a child would learn was that he sinned in Adam. Some of our own children never learn that vital lesson!
You’re probably thinking, “how can this be? That seems totally unfair! How can God judge us for what Adam did?” Well, think about it this way. God doesn’t deal with the human race as individuals. He deals with the human race in terms of 2 persons – Adam and Christ. All who are united to Adam get what Adam earned for them. All who are united to Christ get what Christ earned for them. Adam was the bus driver and the human race was in the bus, and he drove the bus off the cliff. Let’s imagine that an owner of a large RV park has a problem with mosquitoes. They are biting all the campers in the park. So the owner makes a decision. He is going to have a plane fly over the huge park and drop pesticides on it that will kill all the mosquitoes. In this situation, each individual mosquito doesn’t stand trial for his individual actions. He doesn’t say, “Your honor, it’s unfair to kill me, because I didn’t bite anyone. Honest Injun. I was just minding my own business, buzzing around.” No, simply because he was one of the rest of the mosquitoes he’s dead. So too, because we are descendants of Adam, and part of the human race, we die.
Let’s look at another illustration. When Franklin Roosevelt signed the declaration of war against Japan on December 8, 1941, it didn’t matter whether you agreed or disagreed with him about going to war against Japan. You were now at war with Japan because your Representative just made that decision!
But you might say, “That’s not fair. If I had been given the opportunity Adam had, I wouldn’t have sinned.” Wait a minute! Are you serious? That’s like the Americans sending their 4 best runners to the Olympics to compete in the 1,600 meter relay race, and they are badly beaten by the Jamaicans, and then you say, “That’s not fair. They didn’t really beat us. They didn’t let me run. If I had run, we would have won that race!” Really? Are you one of the 4 fastest Americans alive on the planet? Adam was the best the human race had to offer. He was newly created. He wasn’t ravished by sin. He lived in Paradise. You live in a sin-cursed world. Adam was not disposed to sin. You are bent towards evil. If anyone ever had a fighting chance against sin, it was Adam, not you! You and I would have failed far faster and worse than Adam did.
We Are Condemned
Not only did we sin in Adam, but we are condemned in Adam as well. Notice Paul’s words in verses 15 and 18, “on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation… so then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men.” Adam’s sin brought guilt upon the entire human race, which brings us into a state of condemnation before Almighty God.
We Die
Not only did we sin in Adam, and are condemned in Adam, but we die because of Adam. Notice Paul’s expressions in 5:15, 17, and 21, “if by the transgression of the one the many died… for if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one… as sin reigned in death.” These are the gifts that our Father Adam has passed down to us, Sin – Condemnation – Death.
So we’ve seen what Adam has given the human race: Sin – Condemnation – Death. What are the gifts Christ brings to His people? Grace – Justification – Life. Notice throughout this section of Scripture the emphasis on the word “gift”: 5:15,16,17.
Grace
Throughout this passage, we see that there are 2 things that are reigning: sin and grace (5:21). “As sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Both sin and grace are like kings that reign. They are great powers that hold their subjects under their dominion. Sin holds all unregenerate men under its dominion. But when grace gets hold of a man, it holds him under its dominion. Grace is the undeserved, unmerited, unearned favor of God. The Father planned to grant us His grace, the Son purchased this grace, and the Spirit applies this grace. This grace includes everything related to our salvation. It includes our conviction, enlightening, regeneration, justification, faith, adoption, sanctification, and glorification.
Justification
Notice how Paul is bringing together strands of thought that he has already given us in Romans 3:21-24. There in verse 24 he said, “being justified as a gift by His grace.” Paul is taking those same ideas of God’s justification, God’s gift, and God’s grace, and showing how all of them come to us in Christ, the Last Adam. He tells us in verse 16, “but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.” Then in verse 18 he says, “even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.” Then in verse 19 he says, “even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made (constituted) righteous (or justified). As we have already seen, justification is the act of God whereby He does not impute to us our sins, but rather imputes to us the righteousness of Christ by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This is the only way a sinner can be made right with a holy God, and it flows from our union with Jesus Christ.
Life
Are you seeing that the result of Christ’s actions are the exact opposite of the result of Adam’s actions? Adam sinned – Christ obeyed. Adam brought condemnation – Christ brought justification. Adam brought death – Christ brings life. Notice how Paul brings out the great gift of life that results from Christ’s work in 5:17, 18, and 21. He speaks of the saints “reigning in life”, receiving “justification of life”, and grace reigning “through righteousness to eternal life.” Eternal life is not something that we only experience after we die. Just as lost people are in a state of spiritual death right now, so saved people are in a state of spiritual life right now. Just as lost people will experience eternal death in hell, so saved people will experience eternal life in heaven.
Much More
Our study of this great passage would be incomplete if we did not notice a little phrase that occurs in verse 15 and 17, “much more.” “But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many… For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” What significance does this phrase have in Paul’s argument. Simply this – just as Paradise was lost in Adam, so Paradise was regained by Christ. But what we gain in Christ is more than what we lost in Adam. Let’s say Christ simply restored us to the position Adam was in before he fell. We would be in a state of perpetual probation. Every day we would have to make sure we did not fall into sin by disobeying God’s command. Every day might be the day that we fell, and forfeited life with God and inherited condemnation and death. Is that what Christ restores to us when we are saved? Absolutely not! When Jesus saves us, we are justified forever! There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But what if Satan brings a charge against you? God is the One who justifies! Can Satan overthrow God’s legal decision?! But what if your conscience condemns you? Christ is He who died, who was raised, and sits at the right hand of God and intercedes for you. Can any sin stand before the all powerful work of the Son of God on your behalf?! That’s why Paul concludes the 8th chapter of the book of Romans by saying that there is nothing that can ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Christ brings in a much more because he brings in our everlasting security in our relationship with Christ!
Application
So, what does all this high theology have to do with me practically? If you are lost, it has much to do with you. It tells you that not only does your condemnation and death come upon you because of another, but your justification and life come to you because of Another. If you feel it’s not fair that God would damn you because of the actions of Adam, you also have to feel it’s unfair for God to save you by the actions of Jesus Christ. If you want to reject the whole idea of Federal Headship, you can reject your damnation by Adam’s sin, but you also have to reject your salvation by Christ’s obedience. So, if you reject the doctrine of Adam as your Representative, you also have to reject the doctrine of Christ as your Representative. If you do that, you are left completely to yourself to save yourself. You have no help from Christ. You have to save yourself by your works. Be my guest, and good luck! But if you want salvation from Christ, you have to accept the truth that you are lost because of Adam. So, supposing that you believe these things, what do you do if you want to be saved by Christ? Verse 17 says, “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Did you catch what Paul says we must do if we want to be one of those represented by Jesus Christ? We must receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness! Notice, we don’t work, struggle, or perform in order to get grace and the gift of righteousness. We merely receive it. How do you receive it? Well, what has Paul been emphasizing through this entire book? Faith! Faith is the hand of the beggar that reaches out and receives the gift. You must believe in Christ. By faith I mean trusting your soul to Christ. You must abandon all hope of being saved through any other means, and rely solely on Christ. That means you don’t have a Plan B. You get on the Ship of Christ, and if it goes down, you go down with it, because all your hope is in Him. If you have never received Jesus Christ by faith, you can do it this morning right now! Oh, sinner, put your faith in Christ right now!
If you are saved by Christ this morning, how does this passage instruct you? Well, for one, it should give us a real compassion for people whose lives are broken, ravished, devastated and completely messed up. We have been ministering in a couple of apartment complexes for the last 6 months or so, and we have seen a lot of folks whose lives are so devastated by sin: drunkenness, drug addiction, sickness and disease, adultery, broken homes, you name it. When we remember that the ultimate cause of all of this misery goes back to Adam’s actions, and that we have experienced the fallout of his actions in our own lives too, it ought to produce compassion for hurting people. Instead of judging and condemning broken people, let’s love them and pray for them and bring the gospel of Christ to them. Let’s make The Bridge a place where hurting, broken people can find hope and life!
Another thing this passage should do for you this morning is cause you to make sure you give out a gospel of grace to lost people. Folks don’t need a gospel of Do, Do, Do. They need a gospel of Done, Done, Done! Make sure when you tell others of salvation you stress that all has been finished by Christ. His work is complete. All they must do is receive what He has accomplished by faith. Works are not the issue – faith is. It doesn’t matter how much they have sinned or how grievously they have sinned. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more!” John Bunyan wrote his autobiography and I love what he entitled it – Grace Abounding To The Chief Of Sinners! If you wrote your own autobiography would you think of calling it that? When John Newton was an old man of 82, and suffering from dementia he said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.” Let’s take John Newton’s saying on our lips for the rest of our lives – we are great sinners, but Christ is a GREAT Savior! Let’s pray.
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