Wanna discover your freedom in Christ? Then listen in as Mike Stone and Kevin Smith talk about it today on Grace Coach. Good afternoon. Today, we are talking about Romans chapter 5 verse 12 through 21 continuing on in our study, and it is a great study. Today, we're gonna be looking at the huge contrast between what Jesus Christ did and what Adam did in the garden.

We're gonna do a little bit of review today in Romans chapter 5 verse 10 which says, for if when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life? That verse has the theme of what we're trying to say right here in this section that we're gonna be talking today. Mike, what do you think about that verse? Yeah. Well, it's clearly saying that when when Paul is saying, how much more having been reconciled, having been forgiven, are we saved by his life?

You know, that phrase how much more is seen a lot through the old and new testament. But, really, what it's saying is that something here is more valuable. Mhmm. And we love the fact that our sins are taken away and that this happened at the death of his son, Jesus, on the cross. But how much more valuable are we saved by his life?

So we're not saved by the death of Christ. We're forgiven by the death of Christ. Don't confuse that with the salvation event of when Jesus rose from the dead, that anyone who believes in him will have eternal life. But we're saved, yes, through his life, through his resurrected life. And I just feel like that isn't taught much, you know, from the pulpit.

And that's an important it's important phrase. How much more? How much more valuable? Yep. So it's basically there's a contrast that we're gonna be looking at through this whole section of verses 12 through 21, and this is really saying the contrast between or it's a comparison, maybe not so much a contrast, but we're reconciled through the death of his son, and then we are saved through his life, his resurrected life.

So there's the there's the comparison and the contrast that that we have in that verse. And they work together, Kevin, because the death of Christ, by taking away our sins, we can never lose our salvation once we're born again and saved. Because the only thing that would cause the spirit of God to leave us would be sin. But because of the death of Christ, because he reconciled the whole world to himself, that's an impossibility. We can never lose our salvation because of the death of his son.

Yep. Again, just that whole concept of how much more valuable, or how much more important is the life, you know, than than just being reconciled. It's it is the huge part of our salvation experience. Because without the life, we would just be a forgiving corpse. That's right.

Yeah. Without the resurrection, we'd still be in our sins, still spiritually dead. We might be forgiven, but still spiritually dead. So, yeah, let's go on to Romans 5 12 where apostle Paul just keeps going on with this whole line of thinking of how much more. Yeah.

Romans 512 says, therefore, just as sin entered the world through 1 man, and that's Adam, and death through sin. And in this way, death came to all people because all sinned. So he's clearly clearly saying that sin entered the world through Adam and that sin brings spiritual death to all people. And it says to all people this came, not just some, but all people. Yeah.

I mean, there's a very popular belief out there called universalism that says all people are going to be saved, at some point, and it's, you know, I don't even wanna mention who's who's the advocates for that, but this verse clearly, and this whole section clearly says death came to all men. And that's why Jesus said he came in John 10:10. I have come that you might have life. Who needs life? Everyone.

Because we're all born into this world Yes. Spiritually dead. So let's read on, you wanna read Romans 5 13 and 14, Kevin? Sure. For before the law was given, sin was in the world, but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.

Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses even over those who did not sin by breaking the command as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. He's saying that death reigned Yeah. And that, you know, we have to remember that when Adam was alive, the law hadn't been given. So that is why the sins are not held against you. Sins are not held against you because the law hadn't come into effect.

But still, it says that death reigned through Adam to Moses despite that. Right. Meaning that the law didn't cause spiritual death. Just because there are set of rules that god had for everyone to obey, that did not cause the spiritual death. Death was happening just fine.

You know, it's like one of my favorite pastors, Andrew Farley says, we don't necessarily we don't first and foremost have a sin problem, we have a birth problem. We're born spiritually dead. That's a big problem. That's a big problem. You know, we do a great job focusing on our sin, we go for counseling for our our sin.

We get all these 12 step programs, but the bigger problem is that we're born spiritually dead. Yeah. So what happens here, Kevin? It's like going to a doctor and the doctor giving you a wrong diagnosis. Okay?

Then he prescribes a certain drug or maybe even surgery, but he's got the diagnosis wrong. And he ends up taking off one of your limbs or giving you the wrong drug and you end up dying from this wrong diagnosis. Well, unless you have the diagnosis that we're spiritually dead Right. That is is our problem. You won't even look for the answer that Jesus came to give you life.

We have to know that we're more than sinners in need of forgiveness. If that's our problem and Jesus took away our sins and that's it, Then have you come to Christ for life? Amen. But we really have to know our diagnosis in, you know, in the Christian life to, I believe, to be saved. Yes.

Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, a lot of people think Christianity is all about a crutch or a band aid to put on their problems. They're going through a hard time and something in life is coming at them, and they're just getting tripped up by it. And, you know, oh, I'll try Christianity.

Maybe it'll help me with my problem. But if your problem is not a death problem, that you're spiritually dead, and that's really, unfortunately, we don't hear that a lot in the churches. We hear do better, pray more, read your bible more, serve more, you know, stop doing this or that. Yeah. All these other things, but the real message, the core of the message, like you're saying, the diagnosis is that we're spiritually dead.

Right. If you just come to Christ because you have a sin problem and you just come to get forgiven only, you're missing the resurrected life of Christ. Kevin, let's, keep on going. How about Romans 5 15 to 17? Sure.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, Adam, 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? Again, the gift of god is not like the result of the one man's sin. The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 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?

Wow. That was a mouthful. Yeah. And you know what? There is something that bothers me here.

It's like the writers forgot what they just wrote in Romans 5 12. It says that death came to all people. Well, why would you write for if the many died by the trespass of one sin? It's not the many. It's all.

We just he just said that in Romans 5 12 that death came to all people. So it says in the NIV, for if the many died, well, I just cross that out and replace it with all because, again, that's what the scriptures are telling us. All died by the trespass of 1 man. You know, also in Roman in 516, it says that judgment followed as a result of Adam's disobedience. It says that also on 16 that Adam brought condemnation for all men.

And in 17, it says that death reigned through that one man. So Adam, his disobedience really damaged the whole human race. Thank God God had a plan. He was gonna send Jesus Christ into the world to reverse that curse and give new life to anyone who believes. But wow.

Yes. Unbelievable. Yeah. You're absolutely right. There's actually a theological term for that.

You you may have heard of it. It's called federal headship. And it's basically meaning 1 person, you know, like the president of our country, you know, as an ex corresponding example. You know, he's the top dog. Alright?

And what he says goes for the whole country. As in Adam is the federal headship of the whole world. And that's something that, you know, when you go back to Genesis, it's such a foundational book for the world. And if you get Genesis wrong in your theological belief, you will just veer off and so many theologians have just veered off the trail because they get Genesis wrong. It's Yeah.

And that's it. If that's the main deal right there. If you don't believe Adam spread his death to all people, he was the federal head, then you're gonna come up with all kinds of whacked out beliefs. Yeah. Great point.

Now as far as Jesus is concerned in these three verses 15 through 17, it says about Jesus that he bring grace through this one man, Jesus. Right. He brought justification, and he bring the gift of righteousness and life. So Adam bring death, Jesus bring life. And Paul is just says that so many ways in the same three verses over and over.

Yeah. He may use different words whether it's condemnation or sin or anything else, but it's all bad. It's all bad. Yeah. Let's look at, Romans 5 18.

Consequently or as a result of, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people, and I would add to that all people who believe. Right. For just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many, again, it's not many, it's all, were made sinners. So also through the obedience of the one man, Jesus, the many will be made righteous. Yeah.

I I wanna say that we have talked about that whole word many in another podcast at one point, and it's it just bugged the crap out of me that it wasn't all inclusive. And it's like, how can you how can you say many? So, Yeah. I don't really know, but that's why you have to let not a version lead you, but the spirit of God has to say, well, wait a minute. You just got done saying all.

Now you're saying many, then you say all, then you say many. I mean, why don't you just stick with 1, which is all? Well, let's read Romans 520, Kevin, the last, 2 verses says the law was brought into effect so that trespass might increase. I'm like, what? Does it say that?

The law was put into effect that trespass might increase. And then it says, but where sin increased, grace increased all the more. So that just as sin reigned in death, Adam sinned, reigned in death. So also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. You know, most people don't understand that the law ended at the cross, Romans 104, and that the law was only given to Israel.

Yes. Now if you're listening today and you're not Jewish and you're come from a gentile background, and, Paul, we we read this back in Romans 2 that the Gentiles do not have the law. They never had the law. But what are you doing under there? Under the law.

That's why Paul had to explain it so much to the Gentile churches. Yeah. They didn't have a clue what was going on regarding the law. Yeah. It says in Romans 7, we're just jumping ahead a little bit about the law.

It says that the law arouses our sinful nature. And that for when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies. But now by dying to once bound us, that is the law, we have been released from the law so that we serve in a new way of the spirit and not in the old way of the written code. Yeah. Another great comparison, you know, looking at the whole marriage and, you know, the law comparing that to people being under the law.

You know, when you're no longer married to somebody, you're not married to them. And if you're not married to the law, you know, you're not under the law. Yeah. You're not under the law. So, yeah, chapter 5 Romans is a great read.

I hope that anyone listened today, read through it on their own. It's very easy to read, but, ultimately, it is the spirit of God who's gonna reveal all of these truths to you. And then you will know the truth and that truth will set you free. Bam. Amen.

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