A Broke Evangelist

November 7, 2024

Romans 5:15-17

The Great Exchange: From Adam’s Mistake to Jesus’ Solution

“15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

This has nothing to do with what I'm about to study, but I can’t help noting all the little things that, if they disappeared (or at least got toned down a bit), would make life a whole lot smoother for those of us just trying to go about our day. Take this afternoon, for example: I was on my way to the office, turned right onto a street, and spotted another car making a left out of a driveway about a hundred feet ahead. Instead of keeping pace, the driver calmly settled into the left lane and cruised at a leisurely 25 miles an hour. I decided it was time to give the gas pedal a little extra love, zipped around him, and reached my office complex in no time. When I parked, I had one clear thought: “There really should be a rule that no one can drive slow in the left lane during business hours—think of the boost to productivity!”

Then I just sat in my truck, wasting five minutes thinking about it…oh well…anyway, let’s see what I found out about Romans 5:15-17…

Romans 5:15 – But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

Adam's fall had consequences for the entire human race—as a result, many faced death. But Jesus, in contrast, offers a gift that also affects all of humanity, but in a far better way. Through Jesus' gift, God’s grace has overflowed to many. Where Adam's action brought death, Jesus' work brings life-giving grace.

Imagine a massive tech company with millions of users. One day, the person in charge of everything makes a huge error, by downloading a program that accidentally installs a virus that enters into the system, infecting every single account. Suddenly, everyone’s information is compromised, and the entire network faces shutdowns and security breaches—it affects every user without exception. This one mistake, unintentional as it was, has a massive impact on everyone who depends on the network.

But then, a new tech genius comes along, offering a completely free solution that not only fixes the damage but actually improves the system for everyone. The solution not only removes the virus but also upgrades the system, adding extra security, new features, and a seamless user experience. Through this single gift, everyone on the network now has better access, more security, and a sense of trust restored—much better than it was before the virus ever happened.

In the same way, Adam’s misstep introduced brokenness into humanity, affecting all of us. But through Jesus, a gift of grace and life has been offered that doesn’t just “fix” things—it brings an abundance of life, overflowing with new purpose, healing, and hope. Where Adam’s error led to death, Jesus’ gift brings life in a way we never expected.

Romans 5:16 – Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 

This gives us a glimpse of the ripple effects from Adam’s offense: judgment, condemnation, and the reign of death over humanity. But thankfully, Jesus’ free gift brought a completely different outcome. Through Him, grace overflowed to many, justification was made possible (as all our offenses were laid on Jesus), abundant grace was poured out, righteousness was offered as a gift, and life itself began to reign instead.

And so, now we are back at that same massive tech corporation, but this time it’s the CEO that makes a bonehead move which throws the entire company into chaos. His mistake leads to layoffs, pay cuts, and high turnover, creating a culture of fear and insecurity among employees. Judgment and blame spread throughout the organization, with everyone feeling the heavy weight of a single decision that spiraled out of control. Morale sinks, and the company seems to be under a cloud of negativity and uncertainty—a reign of poor decisions that impact everyone from the top down.

Then, a new CEO steps in, determined to bring about a fresh start. Instead of more layoffs and cost-cutting, he pours resources into the employees. He implements fair wages, offers new benefits, and makes room for employee growth. His actions send a ripple effect of trust and respect throughout the organization, creating a positive and energized culture. People feel valued, empowered, and confident, knowing they have someone advocating for them. The company not only recovers but thrives—new projects launch, employees are engaged, and a spirit of teamwork and success flourishes.

In the same way, Adam’s mistake brought judgment, condemnation, and the reign of death into humanity’s story. But Jesus stepped in with a completely different approach. Through His gift, grace overflowed to many, and humanity was offered justification, abundant grace, and righteousness as a gift. Instead of a legacy of brokenness, Jesus brought one of life, empowering everyone to live in the freedom and abundance He provides.

Romans 5:17 –For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

You could say that both Adam and Jesus are like kings, each establishing a different kind of reign. Under Adam’s rule, death held the throne. But under Jesus, we’re invited to reign in life—through the one and only, Jesus Christ.

It’s mind-boggling to consider how completely death has reigned since Adam. Every person born faces the same outcome—death. The mortality rate is a solid 100%; nobody gets out alive. When a baby is born, it’s not a question of if it will die, but simply when. We like to call this world "the land of the living," but really, it's "the land of the dying," with billions of bodies laid to rest over the centuries to prove it. But here’s the good news: Paul tells us that the reign of life through Jesus is even more certain. In fact, our life in Jesus is more dependable than even death or taxes!

To give it a modern perspective, we all have a smart phone with a battery that inevitably dies. No matter the brand or model, whether it’s fresh out of the box or a few years old, every phone's battery will drain, eventually reaching zero. From that first moment you turn it on, you know it’s on a countdown to run out—no exceptions. The only exception might be Jack Bauer from the television show “24.” His phone never ran out of juice as he was chasing terrorists! But we know this is fantasy. But in our real lives, we even talk about how our phones “die” when the battery ran out of juice. So, we could joke about our phones living while they're charged, but the reality is they’re always heading toward that unavoidable shutdown. Of course, we can try extending the life by reducing screen time, dimming brightness, or closing apps, but in the end, the battery will die—100% of the time.

Now, imagine a tech breakthrough where one company develops a power source that never dies. They offer it for free, a battery that stays fully charged forever. This isn’t just a clever marketing gimmick or a temporary upgrade; it's a permanent, unending power source. If you have this battery, you’ll never worry about charging again—it's more dependable than anything we’ve ever known.

In the same way, Paul tells us that Jesus offers a “battery” of life that outlasts even the certainty of death. Just as every phone battery will die, every person faces death. But through Jesus, the gift of eternal life is even more certain than death itself. He offers us a life that never runs out—a gift of eternal, abundant life that’s more dependable than anything else in existence.

I don’t know if the analogies help, but they do for me. I hope they do for you as well…

More to come…

A Broke Evangelist – November 7, 2024

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