Bobservations' Column
Titled - "The Voice of Joy and Gladness"Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Today’s text begins with the word, “Wherefore.” It is from the Old English usage, identifying that a summary is to follow. The word takes us back to Chapter 3, verse 19, where this theme began. At the end of that opening verse, we learn from verse 23 that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
It’s hard for modern man to acknowledge that even the newest newborn is born into the heritage of sin, even in their innocence. To be born into sin means that sin is somehow inherited from our ancestor(s) in this case.
That would take us to Genesis 5, where we are reminded that Adam was made in the pure likeness of God, while his third named son, Seth, was made in the image of his then fallen father, Adam. It is a spiritual truth, for Adam’s heart was corrupted by his own disobedience to the Father. And we are all descendants of Seth.
Being just 10 days away from Christmas, we should be aware that Seth’s bloodline is the origin of our sinless Savior’s bloodline, "in Whom was no sin, though he was tempted in all points as us yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15), which is the proof that Jesus is the ONLY ONE "immaculate" (spotless, perfect) in conception, because He was conceived by the Holy Ghost. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is neither biblical nor necessary. Jesus was miraculously conceived inside Mary, who was a virgin at the time. That is the biblical doctrine of the virgin birth. The Bible never hints that there was anything significant about Mary’s conception. Mary is not an exception to the Bible’s statement that “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23). Mary needed a Savior just like the rest of us (Luke 1:47). This is the substance of the Good News of the Gospel, for Jesus broke that chain of sin from His own ancestry. (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38)
So, with chapter 5, the summary continues: "By one man, Adam, sin entered the world, and death by his sin." Adam’s actions changed humanity, and the coming Christ was to change it again by paying for the price of sin in all the world. One might ask Adam why, but before we can ask, God had promised a Redeemer. The prophets wrote of Him, His coming, His attributes, His grace, and mercy, and even His role in God’s creative week of six days. Sin reigned unchecked from Adam to Moses, and then, Moses was appointed to bring us the knowledge of sin by delivering the Law to mankind, and revealing to us God’s displeasure, and judgment due to sin.
Why we celebrate Christmas then becomes clear. Those willing to believe on Jesus are no longer under the Law, but under His grace.
“I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now, I see.”
Bobservations Column: Audio Version
Sunday Morning Message:
Romans 5:12-21 - "The Voice of Joy and Gladness"
Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:
To the unbeliever, this passage promises and offers not only the forgiveness of sins, but a new beginning, in Christ. To the Christian, there are no more encouraging words than those found here. These words speak not only of the salvation which God has accomplished for us, in Christ, they also lay the foundation for the next section of Romans in chapters 6-8, for the basis for sanctification found in the truths which Paul expounds here. The words of our text are words of life and hope for all mankind, indeed, "The Voice of Joy and Gladness."
A. What happened as a result of Adam's action?
Paul teaches that through the one sin of the one man, Adam,
Sunday Morning Audio Message:
- Sin entered the world. 5.12
- Death entered the world. 5:12
- Death comes to all men. 5:12
- Death reigned. 5:14
- Many die by the trespass of the one man. 5:15
- The judgement followed one sin. 5:16
- And brought condemnation. 5:16
- Death reigned through one man. 5:17
- Condemnation for all men. 5.18
- Many made sinners. 5:19
- Sin reigned in death. 5:21
B. What happens as a result of Christ's action?
Paul teaches that through the one man, Jesus Christ, all of the above is reversed. Paul refers to:
- Gift. 5:15
- God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflows. 5:15
- Justification. 5:16
- God's abundant provision of grace. 5:17
- The gift of righteousness. 5:17
- We reign in life. 5:17
- Justification that brings life for all men. 5:18
- Many made righteous. 5:19
- Grace reigns through righteousness. 5:21
- Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 5:21
Sunday Morning Audio Message:
Key Words and Definitions with Reference:
Just As . . .Sin Entered (5:12) - Not a particular sin, but the inherent propensity to sin entered the human realm; people became sinners by nature. Adam passed to all his descendants the inherent sinful nature he possessed because of his first disobedience. That nature is present from the moment of conception (Psalm 51:5), making it impossible for man to live in a way that pleases God. Satan, the father of sin (1 John 3:8), first brought temptation to Adam and Even (Genesis 3:1-7).
Through One Man (5:12) - When Adam sinned, all mankind sinned in his loins (v. 18; cf. Hebrews 7:7-10). Since his sin transformed his inner nature and brought spiritual death and depravity, that sinful nature would be passed on seminally to his posterity as well (Psalm 51:5).
Death (5:12) - Adam was not originally subject to death but, through his sin, it became a grim certainty for him and his posterity. Death has three distinct manifestations:
- Spiritual Death or Separation from God (compare with Ephesians 2:1,2; 4:18).
- Physical death (Hebrews 9:27).
- Eternal Death - also called the second death, which includes not only eternal separation from God, but eternal torment in the lake of fire.
Because All Sinned (5:12) - Because all humanity existed in the loins of Adam, and have through procreation inherited his fallenness, and depravity, it can be said that all sinned in him. Therefore, humans are not sinners because the sin, but rather they sin because they are sinners.
Sin is not imputed (5:13) - Though all people were regarded as sinners (v.12) , because there was no explicit list of commands, there was no strict accounting of their specific points of violation.
When There is No Law (5:13) - The period from Adam to Moses, when God had not yet given the Mosaic Law.
Nevertheless, Death Reigned (5:14) - But even without the law, death was universal. All people from Adam to Moses were subject to death, not because of their sinful acts against the Mosaic Law (which they did not yet have), but because of their own inherited sinful nature.
Not Sinned . . . Likeness . . . of Adam (5:14) - Those who had no specific revelation as did Adam (Genesis 2:16, 17) or those who had the Mosaic Law (compare with verse 13), but nevertheless sinned against the holiness of God, i.e., those who "sinned without law" (2:12).
A Type of Him . . . To Come (5:14) - Both Adam and Christ were similar in that their acts affect many others. This phrase serves as transition from the apostle's discussion of the transference of Adam's sin to the crediting of Christ's righteousness.
Many Died (5:15) - Paul uses the word many with two distinct meanings in verse 15, just as he will the word all in verse 18. He has already established that all people, without exception, bear the guilt of sin and are therefore subject to death. So, the "many" who die must refer to all Adam's descendants.
Much More (5:15) - Christ's one act of redemption was immeasurably greater than Adam's one act of condemnation.
The Gift (5:16) - Salvation by grace. The word gift is an important one in the Bible, and it is good that we understand its definition and implications. When it comes to the matter of our salvation, the New Testament writers use different Greek words—words that emphasize the gracious and absolutely free quality of the gift. Here are the two words most commonly used for the gift of salvation:
- Dorea, meaning “a free gift.” This word lays particular stress on the gratuitous nature of the gift—it is something given above and beyond what is expected or deserved. Every New Testament occurrence of this word is related to a spiritual gift from God. It is what Jesus offers to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:10). It is the “unspeakable [or indescribable] gift” in 2 Corinthians 9:15. This gracious gift is identified as the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38; 8:20; and 11:17. The adverb form of this word is dorean, translated “freely” in Matthew 10:8; 2 Corinthians 11:7; Revelation 21:6; 22:17. In Romans 3:24, immediately following God’s pronouncement of our guilt, we have this use of dorean: “Being justified FREELY by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The gift of salvation is free, and the motive for the gift is nothing more than the grace of the Giver.
- Charisma, meaning “a gift of grace.” This word is used to define salvation in Romans 5:15-16. Also, in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT [charisma] of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This same word is used in conjunction with the gifts of the Spirit received after salvation (Romans 12:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Peter 4:10).
Condemnation (5:16) - The opposite of justification. It refers to a verdict of guilty and the penalty that verdict demands.
Many Offenses (5:16) - Adam brought upon all people the condemnation for only one offense - his willful act of disobedience. Christ, however, delivers the believer from the condemnation of many offenses.
Justification (5:16) - This legal term comes from the Greek word for "righteous" and means "to declare righteous." This verdict includes pardon from the guilt and penalty of sin, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer's account, which provides for the positive righteousness man needs to be accepted by God. God declares a sinner righteous solely on the basis of the merits of Christ's righteousness. God imputed a believer's sin to Christ's account in His sacrificial death (Isaiah 53:4, 5; 1 Peter 2:24), and He imputes Christ's perfect obedience to God's Law to Christians (5:19; 1 Corinthians 1:30. The sinner receives this gift of God's grace by faith alone. Sanctification, the work of God by which He progressively makes righteous those whom He has already justified, is distinct from justification but without exception, always follows it (8:30).
Death Reigned (5:17) - Adam's sin brought universal death - exactly opposite the result he expected, and Satan had promised: "You will be like God" (Genesis 3:5). Christ's sacrifice brought salvation to those who believe.
Gift of Righteousness (5:17) - Righteousness that is from God. The gospel reveals that on the basis of faith - and faith alone - God will impute His righteousness to ungodly sinners.
Will Reign in Life (5:17) - Unlike Adam's act, Christ's act has - and will - accomplish exactly what He intended (Philippians 1:6), spiritual life (Ephesians 2:5).
One Man's Righteous Act (5:18) - This is not a reference to a single event, but generally to Christ's obedience (cf. v. 19; Luke 2:49; John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38), culminating in the greatest demonstration of that obedience, death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).
Free Gift . . . To All Men (5:18) - This cannot mean that all people will be saved; salvation is only for those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ (cf. 1:16,17; 3:22, 28; 4:5, 13). Paul using "all" with two different meanings for the sake of parallelism, a common practice in the Hebrew OT.
Made Righteous (5:19) - This expression probably refers to one's legal status before God and not an actual change in character, since Paul is contrasting justification and condemnation throughout this passage, and he has not yet introduced the doctrine of sanctification (chapters 6-8) which deals with the actual transformation of the sinner as a result of redemption.
The Law Entered (5:20) - Although the Mosaic Law is not flawed (7:12), its presence caused man's sin to increase (cf. 7:8-11). Thus, it made people more aware of their own sinfulness and inability to keep God's perfect standard (7:7; Galatians 3:21,22), and it served as a tutor to drive them to Christ (Galatians 3:24).
