Paul's Epistle to the Romans

Christ Our Representative

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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 7^th 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.  However, it is also one of the most difficult passages to understand and one of the most difficult to embrace. Why? Because in our American, rugged individualistic mindsets, it seems unfair.

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 Need For Justification in 1:18-3:20. Then, in 3:21-31 he gives us an Explanation of Justification. In Chapter 4, Paul gives us an Illustration of Justification, in the person of Abraham. Then, in 5:1-11 he outlines the Fruits of Justification. In this section, Paul gives us the Basis For Justification.

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.” 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 pass on to all those they represent what they accomplished.

We need to understand that a 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’s sin brings condemnation and death, where Christ’s obedience brings  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 Adam and Christ faced temptation when they came into the world. 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.”  Both Adam and Christ were tempted in a Garden – the Garden of Eden for Adam, and the Garden of Gethsemane for Jesus Christ.

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.

• God forbade man to eat of 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

Adam Brought Condemnation, and Death to those United to Him

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 millions 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 believing 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 eternal death. All 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, is connected to either Adam or Christ. Either Adam represents you, or Christ represents you. Either you are united to Adam, or you are united to Christ. 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. Why does Paul do this? I believe it is because he knows we are not going to understand what he means by “all sinned”.  He knows that we are in danger of misunderstanding Paul to be saying “we all committed individual acts of sin.” That is not what he means. So he goes off in verses 13 and 14 to explain what he means by “all sinned.”

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 take your sports car out on Highway 5, and decide you want to see how fast it will go, and you get up to 120 miles per hour, it won’t be long before you see the red and blue lights of the Highway Patrol car in your review mirror. Ticket time! But if you took a trip to Germany, and took your sports car out on the autobahn, and went 120 miles per hour, hey no problem. Why? You were doing the exact same thing when you got the ticket in California. There is no speed limit on the autobahn, so you can’t get a ticket for driving at high speeds. Thus, if there was no Law to break between Adam and Christ, there should have been no death for sin.  Also, consider that even infants died during this period of time. But, why should infants die? Death is a result of sin, but they died without choosing to commit acts of sin. Paul’s 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.

Does Romans 5:12-21 really teach that Adam’s sin is imputed to the whole human race?  Well, let’s just read plain statements from this passage:

• Verse 15: “By the transgression of the one [Adam] the many died.”
• Verse 16: “The judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation.”
• Verse 17: “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one.”
• Verse 18: “Through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men.”
• Verse 19: “Through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.”

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.” For them, the doctrine of original sin was so foundational and fundamental that they taught it to their 5 year olds!

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 deals with the human race through two different men – 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 Adam drove the bus off the cliff.

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.

Christ Brought Justification And Life To Those In Him

5:16 “The free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.”

5:17 “those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ”

5:18 “through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men”

5:19 “through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous”

Through his sin, Adam earned condemnation and death, and this is passed on to all those who are in union to him. Through His obedience, Christ earned justification and life, and these are passed on to al those who are united to Him.

Much More

Just as in the last passage in Romans that we studied, 5:6-11, there are two “much more” statements, so too in this passage there are two “much more” statements – 5:15,17.

5:15 – “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.”

5:17 “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.”

Now, what does Paul mean by these two “much more” statements?  Well, he must mean what he meant back in 5:9 & 10. Let’s look at 5:10, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”  What Paul means is not much more abundantly, but much more certainly. If God did the harder thing by reconciling enemies, much more certainly will He do the easier thing by saving His friends. So, this is what Paul must mean here in 5:15,17. If it is true that Adam’s sin, condemnation and death flow out to all those who are in Him, then it is even more certain that Christ’s obedience, justification and life flow out to all who are in Him. It is so obvious that Adam’s sin has spread to all men. Just look around you. There is not a single society on the face of the planet who is not plagued by evil. Every society has to deal with people in it who harm others. No matter where you go, there are people who steal, lie, cheat, commit adultery, rape, murder, and ignore the needs of people around them. How did this happen?  It happened because Adam’s sin was put to their account, and His sinful nature was passed on to them. So, if it is so certain that Adam passed his sin on to the rest of the world, it is even more certain that Christ passes His righteousness and life on to all those in Him!

Paul’s Conclusion. 

Paul concludes the entire argument in 5:20-21. Let’s look at how he sums it all up.  “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase.”  Why did God bring in the Law of Moses hundreds of years after He created the world?  It was so that the transgression would increase. But why did He want the transgression to increase?  Paul’s next statement tells us, “but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”  God wanted to put the glory of His grace on display, triumphing over sin. But why did He want to do that? Paul says, “so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” What does Paul mean here?  I believe he means to say that just as we look around and see that sin reigns and dominates the human race, bringing death upon everyone, even so God wanted us to see that His grace reigns and dominates by crediting Christ’s righteousness to our account, freeing us from eternal death, and granting us the enjoyment of God in everlasting life through Christ.

In other words, God’s plan was to allow Adam to sin, and plunge the human race into a fallen and ruined condition, because it would allow Him to showcase the glory of His grace toward the human race. And you know, that’s exactly what He tells us in Romans 9:22-23, “What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.”  Why did God endure with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? It was to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy. God could have wiped out the world and Adam and Even the moment he sinned, but there was a plan in all of it. God delights to make known His attributes, and the Fall would allow Him to make known the riches of His grace.

That’s what Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:4-6, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  Why did God choose the plan He chose? Why allow the Fall? Why save us in Christ alone? It was to the praise of the glory of His grace.  And grace reigns through righteousness. And this righteousness leads to eternal life. And it is all through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Conclusion

The Unsaved. 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 admit 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. We are not condemned because of our individual acts of sin. But neither are we justified by our individual acts of righteousness. Everything hinges on who I am united to. If I am united to Adam, I am lost. If I am united to Christ I am saved. So, my friend beware of rejecting this truth, because it doesn’t seem fair!  It’s also not fair that you would be saved completely by Christ’s work. But that’s the whole point. God didn’t base the work of salvation on what was fair. He based it on the work of His Son.

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!

The Saved.  If you are saved by Christ this morning, how does this passage instruct you?  Well, for one, it should give me a real compassion for people whose lives are broken, ravished, devastated and completely messed up. 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 the 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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