The Epistle to the Romans
Lesson 11
Adam and Christ Contrasted

Reading Assignment: Romans 5

Introduction
In our preceding lesson (Romans 5:1-11), we learned the results of our justification and called them “Our Great Inheritances in the Gospel.” These results: Peace with God, an entrance into God’s grace, strength to delight in our difficulties, God’s love shed abroad in our hearts, the gift of the Holy Spirit, deliverance form the wrath to come and the promise of Christ’s keeping power, constitute the inheritance of all who by the grace of God have been justified by faith and delivered from the guilt of sin.

In Romans 5:12, the emphasis changes. From Romans 3:2-5:11, Paul’s theme is RIGHTEOUSNESS IMPUTED FOR JUSTIFICATION. From Romans 5:12-8:18, the theme changes to RIGHTEOUSNESS IMPARTED FOR SANCTIFICATION. Through justification, we are delivered from sin’s guilt. In sanctification, we are saved from sin’s power.

Importance of this Lesson

• The primary importance of Romans 5:12-21 lies in its transitional nature. Paul has been strongly emphasizing justification.
• In Romans 6, he begins to expound the doctrine of sanctification. Romans 5:12-21 is preliminary and introductory to that doctrine.
• Here we view the SOURCE of our sanctification – Christ, our new Federal Head. Some tremendously important and remarkable contrasts are presented.
• Here, also, we have one of the greatest verses in the Bible showing the triumph of grace over sin.
• Here we see RIGHTEOUSNESS REIGNING.

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The Lesson

I. DEATH REIGNED FROM ADAM TO MOSES

1. Romans 5:12
   1. By one man – That man was Adam. What was Adam’s sin? It was an act of rebellion, rejection of God’s word, unbelief, and self-will. He yielded to Satan and ate of the forbidden fruit.
   2. Sin entered – The horror, the malignant, vile, rebellious nature of sin penetrated the human race and adversely affected all of nature. What a tragedy!
   3. And death by sin – We do not die because of Adam. We die because we “all have sinned.” Sin and death are universal.
   4. Only those Christians alive at the rapture of the church will escape physical death. We must keep in mind that while we are saved by grace, we are subject to physical death because of sin.
2. Romans 5:13-14
   1. For until the law sin was in the world… Until God gave the Law, man had the light of his conscience, the witness of nature (Romans 1:19-20) and the knowledge of God that had been handed down from generation to generation. Against this light man sinned and was “without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
   2. But sin is not imputed – Sin was in the world but since God had not yet given the Law, it could not be imputed (reckoned or charged to man’s account).
   3. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses – From the creation of man to the giving of the Law, death reigned as an absolute sovereign. Death reigned even before the Law was given and even over those who may have boasted of their morality and had not sinned in the same fashion or manner as Adam had sinned.
   • Keep Romans 5:14 in view. Because of Adam’s sin, death passed upon all men.
   4. …who is the figure of him that was to come, – Adam, our former federal head, is a contrasting type of Christ, our new federal head (1 Corinthians 15:22,45,49).

II. A SERIES OF CONTRASTS BETWEEN ADAM AND CHRIST – Romans 5:15-19
(Know the three contrasts for your exam.)

• This entire section of scripture would have no meaning if Adam had not been a real person.
• In Romans 5:15-16 make special note of the words “but not as” and “and not as.” In other words, the blessings that have come to us through Christ are in sharp contrast to the curse that came through Adam.

1. First Contrast – Romans 5:15,17 – DEATH RESULTED FROM ADAM’S OFFENCE – LIFE CAME BY THE GRACE OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST
   • Please note the phrase “much more.” The same phrase is found in Romans 5:9-10. It means “much easier and in far greater abundance.” In other words, the work of Christ and the grace of God are far greater than the results of Adam’s failure.
   1. …the free gift… (Romans 5:15) is the gift of righteousness and eternal life (Romans 5:17).
   2. While death has reigned because of Adam’s offence (Romans 5:15,17), all of us who receive the …gift of righteousness… provided by God’s abundant grace, now reign in life by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).
   3. Adam is the federal head of the old creation. Christ is the head of a new creation
      (2 Corinthians 5:17) and all who believe in and receive Him receive the gift of everlasting life (John 5:24; Romans 6:23) and will never know death as unbelieving sinners will know it (John 11:25,26; John 3:36).
   4. Romans 5:15 and 17 both mention …the gift…. – “the gift by grace” and “the gift of righteousness.” We must always remember that salvation is a free gift of God’s immeasurable grace (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9).
   5. Those who believe shall reign in life by (or through) Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). Here is righteousness reigning. For the believer, death is no longer in control. We no longer live under the fear of death for we shall never die (John 10:28).
   6. Also, all who believe will literally “reign with Christ” some day (Revelation 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:12).
2. Second Contrast – Romans 5:16,18 – JUDGMENT UPON ADAM RESULTED IN CONDEMNATION. THE FREE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS RESULTED IN JUSTIFICATION.
   1. Again read the but not as of Romans 5:15 and the and not as of Romans 5:16 and realize the much greater aspect of God’s provision for our sin.
   2. The judgment was for one sin and one man’s offense – …by one that sinned… (Romans 5:16), …by one to condemnation…(Romans 5:16), …by the offense of one judgment came upon all men… (Romans 5:18). In contrast, “the free gift” of God is for …many offenses…
      (Romans 5:16), and offered to …all men… (Romans 5:18), for justification.
3. Third Contrast – Romans 5:19 – MANY WERE MADE SINNERS BY ADAM’S DISOBEDIENCE.
   MANY SHALL BE MADE RIGHTEOUS BY CHRIST’S OBEDIENCE.
   1. Ponder the comparisons:
      1. Adam was disobedient (Genesis 3:3,6,7) – Christ was obedient (Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 10:7).
      2. Adam submitted to Satan’s power and authority (Genesis 3:4-7) – Christ defeated Satan in the wilderness and at the Cross (Luke 4:1-13; Hebrews 2:14).
      3. Adam rejected God’s grace and truth (Genesis 3) – Christ brought it, revealed it, restored it (John 1:17; Titus 2:11).
   2. It is an enriching and edifying study to discover that Christ regained all that was lost to us because of Adam.

III. THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW AND THE TRIUMPH OF GRACE – Romans 5:20-21

1. …the law entered, that the offence might abound.
   1. In Romans 5:12, we saw that …sin entered into the world… by Adam’s offence.
   2. Here we see that …the law entered… or God gave the Law to reveal how offensive Adam’s sin was and all sin is to Him (Romans 7:7-10).
2. …But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20). Here is one of the greatest verses in the Bible revealing the triumph of grace over sin.
   1. There is no limit to the grace of God. No sin regardless of its nature or duration is beyond it.
   2. Notice again Paul’s use of “much more,” found also in Romans 5:9,10,15,17. God’s grace is more abundant by far than all the sins of the world.
3. Romans 5:21 – Sin once reigned unto death with complete and absolute power. No one escaped its ruthless rule. All sinned and all died. But now, because of the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, grace reigns through righteousness. God’s righteousness was satisfied as to sin in the substitutionary, vicarious death of Christ on the cross. All who believe in Him now have eternal life. Death has been conquered eternally! Read Hebrews 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Revelation 1:18; Romans 8:2.

Examination

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