Sermon: The True and Better Adam - Ro. 5 | Lifeway (2024)

Sermons series: The Trinity: God the Son

1. Sermon: The Incomparable Christ - Col. 1

2. Sermon: The True and Better Adam - Ro. 5

3. Sermon: The Conquering King - Rev. 19

   See Also

   Romans 12:17-19 | GOOD NEWS for Everyone!Romans 5: A Brief Look at verses 18 through 21 | Garrett HamRomans 5:12-13 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given | New International Version (NIV) | Dow

Scriptures: Romans 5:12–21

Connection to unit theme

The Creed of Chalcedon declared Jesus as "truly God and truly man." Jesus' humanity is just as important as His divinity. He is the God-Man, fully God and fully Man. Without this truth, we do not have a perfect Savior.

Introduction idea

In 1988 London's Wembley Stadium hosted a concert to raise awareness for Nelson Mandela's imprisonment. The concert featured, Dire Straits, Sting, George Michael, Guns & Roses, Natalie Cole, Joe co*cker, Simple Minds, Tracy Chapman, Bee Gees, and Salt-N-Peppa. For 12 hours these pop and rock artists played to 70,000 screaming fans. But the last act wasn't expected. Opera singer Jessye Norman took the stage with no band or backup singers. She began singing Amazing Grace. The whole arena fell silent. By the second verse, 70,000 people were standing and singing with her. Philip Yancey, commenting on this event, said, "The world thirsts for grace. When grace descends, the world falls silent before it" (What's So Amazing About Grace?, 282).

In Romans 5:12–21 Paul contrasted Adam with Christ. All that Adam brought into the world, Christ overcame. The grace that the world thirsts for is available in Christ for all who embrace the free gift of salvation. Adam "was a type of the one who was to come" (v.14). In all the ways Adam fell short, Christ triumphed. In this text we see three contrasts Paul made between Adam and Christ.

I. Adam brought sin, Christ brought righteousness (vv. 12, 18–19)

Adam brought sin into the world through his disobedience (v.12, 19). The result is that "many were made sinners" (v.19). When Adam fell, the entire human race fell with him. His guilt and condemnation spread to everyone. Paul wrote earlier in Romans 3, "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one . . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (3:10–12, 23).

But Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed God. Through His "one act of righteousness" (v.18), and through His "obedience" (v.19), many will be made righteous. Scholars disagree if Paul had in mind Christ's entire life of obedience, or specifically His obedience to die on the cross (Phil. 2:8). While the evidence seems to lean more toward the obedience of the cross, we must keep in mind His sinless life was necessary for Him to be the perfect lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29). Jesus is the True Adam. He never had lust in His eyes or greed in His heart. He was tempted in every way, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15).

Application: Meditate on the sinless life of Jesus. See him obeying in your place. Let that encourage you to walk in holiness and integrity.

II. Adam brought condemnation, Christ brought justification (v.16, 18)

The result of Adam's disobedience was condemnation (v.16). All people stand condemned before God (v.18). We all deserve eternal separation from God. God had every reason to leave us in our sins. Nothing obligated God to move toward us in mercy and grace. Yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). God delivered up His Son in our place to make us righteous (v.19) and bring justification to all who believe (v.18).

This is why Paul wrote, "grace abounded all the more" (v.20). Through grace poured out in Christ, sinners can be made righteous and declared just before God. This is the heart of the gospel. Nothing in the world works this way. In every system, whether it be education, sports, economics, business, or the military, one must perform before receiving the verdict. You must complete the mission, take the test, win the game, pay the debt, or complete the task before a verdict is declared. With the gospel, the verdict comes first. God declares us righteous because of the work of Christ, then we do good deeds in accordance with God's will. We must never reverse this. We must never believe or teach God accepts us based on how we perform. Christ performed in our place through His life, death, and resurrection.

Application: Do you believe God accepts you because of what you do, or because of what Christ did? Will you rest in Christ's work and let it transform how you obey God?

III: Adam brought death, Christ brought life (v. 15, 17, 21)

Paul references death six times in these verses. Adam's sin caused death to come into the world and spread to all people (v.15). But where sin reigned through death, grace reigned through the righteousness brought about by Jesus. Where Adam brought death, Jesus Christ brought eternal life (v.21) to all who embrace the free gift of salvation. Through death, Christ defeated death.

C. S. Lewis captured this truth well with the death and resurrection of his character, Aslan. The great lion says to Lucy and Susan after returning to life, "When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward" (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, 163). Jesus Christ triumphed over the grave. He died and is now alive forever more, holding the keys to Death and Hades (Rev. 1:18). Those who trust in Him need not fear death.

Application: How does Christ's victory over death comfort you? If you are not a Christian, what comfort is there for you as you consider death? Will you trust in Christ's work as your answer to death?

Conclusion idea

Jesus is the True and Greater Adam. He is the only answer to sin, condemnation, and death. No other religious system or worldview can answer these problems. Mark Dever said, "All religions lead to God . . . straight to His judgement seat. Only one gives you a Savior" (Mark Dever, Sermon: "Jesus Paid Taxes"). Jesus Christ is abounding in the grace the world thirsts, the grace all its people need to receive.