Title: How do we get out of this mess?

Text: Rom 5:12-20

Date: 11-04-07am

Passage:

Introduction: Paul deals with two issues in the passage we are going look at this morning They are: Sin and death: So we might naturally ask the question how did we (the world) get in the mess it’s in, but more important for Paul and for us is how do we get out of it!

I. THE ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF SIN.

Ro 5:12 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 — NASB

1. The origin of sin. "By one man sin entered into the world." That one man, Adam, is named in verse 13. Let’s turn back to Gen 2:15 to see what Paul is talking about. (Gen 2:15-3:19)

(1) Adam’s sin was "a transgression of a law.”

(2) There were other factor’s involved

(a) Unbelief,

(b) Greed/Ambition,

(d) Ingratitude,

2. The Spread of sin, "all have sinned."

Paul makes two points: One, because of Adam’s original sin we all suffer the consequences or the effects of sin in the world. It’s not just that Adam sinned and we’re all held guilty because of his sin. But, as a result of Adam’s one original sin we are all born in his likeness with a sinful nature.

But, What about EVE?

Paul doesn’t mention Eve in this passage. He does mention her in:

2 Co 11:3-4

3 But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. NASB

1 Ti 2:12-14

12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression. NASB

Paul said in 1 Tim that it was Eve who was deceived and Not Adam, but here in Romans he wrote that sin entered the world not because of Eve’s sin but because of Adam’s sin. Is Paul contradicting himself? NO. Paul is not contradicting himself, he’s not confused. If you look again at the Genesis account you find that Adam wasn’t deceived at all. The serpent didn’t approach Adam and give him his arguments questioning what God had said or how beautiful the fruit was or how beneficial it was, the serpent instead deceived Eve. And Eve didn’t deceive Adam either. She didn’t repeat the spiel the serpent had given her, she didn’t try to convince Adam it was ok. The Bible says in Ge 3:6, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. NASB

Why then is it his sin then that brought sin into the world? Because Adam was created as the Representative head of the entire human race.

When God gave the command not to eat He gave it to Adam, not Eve. Eve had not yet been created when God gave this command. Adam was created first, He is the head of the race, he had the responsibility. Therefore it’s not Adam & Eve’s sin, nor was it Eve’s sin, even though she was deceived and sinned first that was responsible for sin to spread to all humanity. It was Adam as head of the human race whose sin brought about the fall of all humanity.

That one sin of Adam as head of our race brought sin into the world and in Adam we have all sinned. That’s an important concept for Paul. Human death and condemnation is God's judgment and penalty on all of us because we are in some mysterious way united to Adam through his sin. Adam’s sin infected the entire human race.

Does that mean we are just innocent victims? No. That one sin also brought into humanity what we refer to as the sinful nature. The old self, the flesh, the old nature whatever term you want to use to describe it we are born with it because we are now born in the likeness of Adam. The sin nature is not just the inclination to sin. It’s not just a theoretical flaw in human nature. The sin nature we are born with always produces actual sin. All of us, born now in the likeness of Adam, which means all mankind, demonstrate in actuality the characteristics Paul described in chapter 3.

Adam's original sin produced the moral corruption of nature within humanity that is transmitted by inheritance to each succeeding generation.

Every person may not demonstrate every characteristic but that’s what we are like, as a result of the sin of Adam. Whatever changes and improvements that may have been brought about by education, good examples, or religion, the fact remains, all mankind are sinners theoretically, theologically and actually. That corruption of our nature extends to every facet of man's nature and even if we don’t display those negative characteristics Paul gave there is still nothing in anyone that can commend us to a righteous God.

What is the result of sin in the world.

We’ve already mentioned it, death. God said, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."Ge 2:17 NASB. For the wages of sin is death, Ro 6:23 NASB

II. DEATH.

1. The origin of death is sin. Death is not here naturally. It invaded the world and is here because sin is here. With that one transgression sin and death entered the world. Man was created in perfection. He was created in the image of God. He was created to be an eternal being, created to live forever with God. But, he was also created and allowed to be a free moral being, able to make choices. He was allowed to choose the names for the animals God created. He was allowed to choose the food he ate. He was given only one restriction and he was told the consequence of making the wrong choice concerning that restriction. That penalty was death.

(1) That includes physical death. Adam and Eve didn’t physically die immediately but from the moment they ate the forbidden fruit they began the dying process. From that point through today from the very moment we are conceived we begin that same process. From the very moment they broke God’s commandment sin and all the things associated with sin entered the physical world, that includes all of the things that affect our physical bodies and lead to death. All the sickness and disease that attack and destroy our bodies, but also all the ills of mankind from what we call natural disasters to the inhumanity of mankind all of those things came into the world as a result of Adams sin and all of those things brought with them death of the physical body.

But far more serious than just physical death is spiritual death.

(2) Spiritual death, all that is the opposite of eternal and abundant life in Scripture is spiritual death. Spiritual death is now the natural state of humans born into this world. Spiritual death ultimately means separation from God. Paul says we are dead in our trespasses and sin (Eph 2:1, 5; Col 2:13). That means even before we physically die we are spiritually dead.

Verses 13 and 14 are difficult for us to understand. Ro 5:13-14 for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. NASB

The fact that death was in the world before the law was given is evidence of the truth of verse 12 that, universal sinfulness was present in the world, even though men might not understand death was the result of sin. Though there was no written code of law prior to Moses the knowledge of God was available (1:19-21) and men disregarded that knowledge and while they might not have acknowledged they were breaking God’s law they were dead in sin. However, after the law was given and where the law is present it is much easier to recognize and define sin.

Gal 3:24-25

24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. NASB The law teaches us to recognize sin and it’s result.

If I run a red light, have I broken the law? Yes. How do I know? Because it is written down. But, even if I haven’t read it, it is still law.

How does the Law increases wrongdoing? By both by indicating what wrongdoing is but also by stirring up within persons the desire to rebel against the commands given in the Law.

That’s how we got into the mess we’re in. But there is a solution to the problem of sin and death.

Christ Is Far Greater Than Adam

The main point of the text is not about Adam, but that what Christ has done for all who are in him is far greater than what Adam has done for all who were in him.

Ro 5:15-19

15 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. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 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. 18 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. 19 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. NASB

We have spent a long time talking about Adam’s sin and it’s result. This passage is pretty much self-explanatory. It doesn’t need a lot of elaboration.

The obedience of Christ is far superior, to the disobedience of Adam. The righteousness imputed or credited to those who are in Christ is far superior, to the sin of Adam and those who were in him. The life that comes to us who are in Christ through His imputed righteousness is far superior, to the death that comes to those who are in Adam through his sin.

Ro 5:21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. NASB

Grace points to the unique and unmerited acts of God to save sinners through Jesus Christ. It de-notes God's free act in Christ of overcoming sin and it’s penalty and His forgiving of not only personal sinfulness, but sin as the prevailing power of the old age. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is life in Christ by grace and through faith.

If you are here today you have been touched by the sin of Adam. Have you been touched by the grace of Jesus Christ?