Romans 5:12-21

Romans 5:12-21

Super-Abundant Grace

I.                    Only trusting in the super-abundant grace of Christ frees us from our sinful nature to reign in life, because in Adam all humanity is ruled by sin and death (Vv. 12-14)

a.       Because God appointed Adam as the representative of the human race, in his original sin we all sinned, and sin and its ramifications entered the world and the lives of all humanity. The proof of this reality is seen in the effects of Adam’s sin which are imputed or credited to the whole human race. We all share the natural inclination to love ourselves and prefer our own way over God’s way or the way of others. No one escapes life’s challenges, difficulties, pain, suffering, sorrow, decay, or death. And these realities aren’t the result of our individual choices, actions, or words which violate God’s law, because as Paul states, death reigned over all people from Adam to Moses before the law was ever given to men. Because of Adam’s sinful rebellion, we’re born without the ability not to sin, and without the ability not to die. That means that all our efforts to avoid sin on our own, or avoid death on our own won’t accomplish sinlessness or eternal life. No self-improvement campaign, way of life, achievement, status, level of education, job, relationship, or state consciousness will deliver us from the reign of sin and death in our lives. We can change our address, how we look, how we think, what we believe, and who we hang out with, but it won’t change our nature. We’re not sinners because we sin; we sin because we’re sinners through our union with Adam. It doesn’t mean that we’re not responsible for our sinful choices in life, it means that we can’t escape making them. Our first reaction to this truth is usually, that’s not fair I didn’t get to choose my representative! I would’ve chosen better, or done a better job myself. God knows more than we do, about everything, especially ourselves and what’s best for us. We must see the reality of our condition, the reality of our inability to fix ourselves, and thus conclude that we desperately need someone save us. God had a plan in choosing Adam as “as a type of Him who was to come”, but what does that mean, and how does His plan overcome the reign of sin and death over our lives? (Vv. 12-14; Gen. 1:26-31; 2:15-17; 3:1-13; Ps. 51:4-5; Eccl. 1:14-18; 2:11; Jer. 17:9-10; Matt. 15:19; Rom. 8:20-22; 9:20-21; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19; Heb. 9:27; Jas. 1:13-15; Rev. 20:11-15)

II.                 Only trusting in the super-abundant grace of Christ frees us from our sinful nature to reign in life, because justification, righteousness, and life are only in Christ (Vv. 15-21)

a.       Adam’s disobedience and sin against God resulted in condemnation and death for all of humanity. But Jesus’ obedience to God’s will, and His sacrificial death, credits us with His righteousness, resulting in justification and eternal life for those who trust faithfully in Him. So all those who are in Adam live under the reign of sin and death. But all who are in Christ, reign through Him victoriously in life now and eternally. We can’t overcome our sinful nature in our own strength, or by knowing and adhering to rules. God’s Law wasn’t given to provide a method for solving our sin problem. The Law further reveals His righteousness, challenges our pride, exposes our sinful nature, and moves us to even greater sin. But God’s grace in Christ doesn’t just rise up to match our sinfulness through Adam or all our personal transgressions, His grace is multiplied super-abundantly far above our sin nature and all our personal transgressions, and is sufficient to grant us righteousness and life now and eternally far above that which our own abilities can obtain, or failures can prohibit. If the righteousness of Christ weren’t credited to us through Him in His ever increasing grace, we’d never be able to overcome the mountain of sinful selfishness we build up for ourselves, or its resulting death. People who live in Adam and refuse Jesus’ gift of grace must attempt to justify themselves and find purpose in life through their own efforts, but the reign of sin and death ultimately crushes them under fear and life’s challenges, temptations, and difficulties. But as personally insurmountable as our sin nature is, the grace of Christ is even continually and ever increasingly greater. As desperately hopeless and uncertain as our situation is, His hope is even more and ever increasingly sufficient and certain. But if we’re in Christ, it must impact us and display itself in our lives. If we’ve been given freedom from sin and death, we must live to share the life, light, and victory we’ve received Christ. And if we’ve received His overwhelming grace, we must show overwhelming grace to others. Are you in Adam or in Christ? Your life will reveal the answer. Trust in the super-abundant grace of Christ for freedom and life today! (Vv. 15-21; Gen. 3:15; Matt. 23:25-28; John 3:16-21, 36; Rom. 3:19-27; 6:23; 8:1-9, 28-39; 10:8-13; 1 Cor. 15:20-22, 54-58; 2 Cor. 5:17, 21; Eph. 2:4-10; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:14-18; Rev. 1:5-6; 3:21; 20:6; 21:1-8; 22:17)