A Broke Evangelist

November 8, 2024

Romans 5:18-19

A Tale of Two Representatives: Adam, Jesus, and Your Vote for Eternity

"18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."

This morning, I had a deep and life-changing chat with a colleague about motivation—specifically, how to find it when literally everything feels like I’m scaling Everest. For me, "getting motivated" is like saying "Hey, wanna wrestle a mountain lion before breakfast?" Easy in theory, but in practice... well, let's just say I'm currently doing the slow-motion version of life with diabetes and the grace of a semi-deflated balloon.

First off, just “getting up” in the morning is an event. Imagine an Olympic sport where competitors roll out of bed in slow motion, maybe even bounce a bit on the floor, then take five minutes just to find their legs. That's me. My daily routine is less "rise and shine" and more "roll and grunt." Once I finally extract myself from the mattress and stagger to the shower, it’s practically a workout. I need recovery time from bathing. Next, it's time to get dressed, a multi-step process involving multiple recovery periods, as if I’m dressing in a medieval suit of armor. And let's not forget the driveway — which has a slope that would make even the bravest mountain goat second-guess themselves. Heading down that thing feels like I’m tackling a vertical drop with the energy level of a sloth.

In short, when it comes to motivation, I’ve got the spirit. It’s just that my body is like a modern-day laptop running on a dial-up connection. But hey, at least my fingers are in top form! Those dancing sausages fly across the keyboard like Mozart's hands on a piano. My legs, though? They’re more like uncooperative tree trunks.

But, behold! There’s a bright side to this epic saga. My colleague hit me with a question that was just the dose of reality I needed. He asked, “Would you be happy if you only accomplished 50% of your goals next year?” I paused, considered my current goal of making it out the door each morning, and admitted, “Honestly, yes. Yes, I would.”

Then he shared this brilliant idea: start with super simple goals, increase each one by a tiny bit each day or week, and see where it takes me. At first my face had a completely flat affect as it recognized this simple process for the thousandth time. But once my face unfroze, it took a different sound of being both doable and refreshingly non-painful, so I thought, “Alright, let’s do this!” I set my first goal: sit down and write a list of everything I want to accomplish over the next year. The plan? Break it down into small, realistic steps—even if these "steps" felt more like scooching.

Take walking, for example. I'd love to stroll a solid three miles every day, but, let’s face it, just making it to the mailbox feels like a full-on nature hike. And a five-minute walk? My inner skeptic says it’s barely worth the sweat. But then I thought, “Wait a minute.” What if I start with five minutes and just aim to increase by a measly 5% each day? That could mean, in a month, I’d be doing a whole 20 minutes! And after 60 days? I could be up to a 90-minute trek like some fitness guru who casually hikes mountains.

So, here’s to small wins, mailbox marathons, and maybe one day… actually reaching the end of the driveway without a water break. And I was already doing it: that’s how I approached this 100 Most Important Chapters task…a couple of verses at a time! I didn’t realize I was already following good advice…so let’s talk about Romans 5:18-19…

Romans 5:18 – Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.

Adam and Jesus are sometimes referred to as "the two men." Together, they represent all humanity, with every person identified in either Adam or Jesus. We are born into an identification with Adam, but we can be "born again" into identification with Jesus. The concept of Adam and Jesus as two representatives of humanity is often called “Federal Theology.” In this view, Adam and Jesus are "Federal Heads." The term comes from the federal system of government, where a chosen representative speaks for the people he represents. In the same way, Adam represents all those identified with him, while Jesus represents all who are His. Some might object: “But I never chose Adam to represent me!” Actually, we did. Our identification with Adam started with the first sin we committed. While we are born into an identity with Adam, we also confirm that choice through our own actions.

The choice in this election—between Adam or Jesus—means everything! If we cast our vote for Adam, we inherit judgment and condemnation. But if we choose Jesus, we’re gifted with God’s grace and justification, no campaign promises required!

Does this mean that everyone is automatically justified by this free gift? After all, we all received the curse of Adam’s choice without any say in the matter. So, does it follow that everyone will also automatically receive the benefits of Jesus’ obedience? Not quite. First, Paul makes it clear that the free gift and Adam’s offense are not identical in either their outcome or application. Second, in three verses, Paul calls the work of Jesus a "free gift," but he never uses that term for Adam’s work. By nature, a gift must be received, and this one is received by faith. Finally, Paul consistently teaches throughout the New Testament that not everyone is saved.  In other words, this gift is offered to all, but it must be unwrapped by faith to be ours!

As we wrap up this national election season, our vote counts, and the choices we make now will shape our lives until the next election (or in this situation, the next life) rolls around!

Romans 5:19 – For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 

Adam’s disobedience turned humanity into natural-born rule-breakers, while Jesus’ obedience offers the chance to become right with God. Each “team leader” passes down the effects of their actions to their “followers” — Adam’s leading to brokenness, and Jesus’ to righteousness! Paul drives the point home: at the core, Adam’s actions made us all “sinners by association.” Sure, we each confirmed our spot on Team Adam when we personally messed up, but the principle remains. Just as one man’s actions led to sin for everyone, another man’s actions—Jesus’—can make us righteous.

The work of Jesus can only help us if we’re represented by Him. If we had to stand alone, without Adam or Jesus speaking for us, we'd be sunk. None of us could make it because, let’s face it, we all fall short of the glory of God. Only a sinless person stepping in on our behalf can save us. And it’s fair for Jesus to do so because, after all, another guy put us in this mess in the first place by acting on our behalf!

Now, imagine I robbed a bank and got caught. My best friend goes to court and says, “Your Honor, I love my friend, so I’ll serve his prison time. I’ll take the punishment he deserves.” The judge would just shake his head and say, “That’s sweet, but no dice. He committed the crime, so he’s the one who has to do the time.”  The only way it would be fair for someone else to pay my penalty is if my guilt was because of someone else’s actions in the first place.

And, there is the person who says, “I don’t want Adam or Jesus representing me—I’ll represent myself!” That person missing a couple of big points. First, it’s not exactly up to us; we didn’t set the rules—God did. Second, they might not realize that, in God’s eyes, our personal attempts at “righteousness” are like dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6). To Him, our own righteousness is like trying to pay with monopoly money—an offensive counterfeit! So, insisting on standing alone is essentially signing up for failure.

So after reading all this, imagine signing up for a group health insurance plan. There are only two options: one led by Adam and the other by Jesus. When we’re born, we’re automatically enrolled in Adam's plan. Unfortunately, Adam’s coverage has some serious downsides—no protection, high penalties, and no chance of escaping the consequences. Essentially, everyone in Adam’s plan is left dealing with the same issues: debt, stress, and constant struggles.

But then there’s an open enrollment period, and we’re invited to switch to Jesus’ plan. His coverage includes full protection, forgiveness for all penalties, and peace of mind guaranteed. However, even though this new plan is available to all, we have to actually “opt in” to receive its benefits. It’s a completely free plan, no hidden costs or hoops to jump through, but we still have to sign up for it ourselves. Accepting the offer is what brings us into this new, life-giving coverage, and from then on, we’re fully covered by Jesus’ grace and provision.

It's kind of how I felt when I got my Medicare benefits!

More to come…

A Broke Evangelist – November 8, 2024

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