The Superior Work of the Second Adam - Romans 5:15-17

https://youtu.be/OzDsPZLuCZY?t=1841

Introduction to Romans 5:15-17

Last week, we embarked on a deep dive into this challenging passage of Romans 5:12–21. Before we begin, let’s review the context to better trace Paul’s argument.

In verses 1–11, Paul argues that all Christians have and are (our justification, peace, and reconciliation with God, obtaining of grace, and hope of future glorification) are secure by virtue of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Yet, two powers dampen the hope believers have– these are the powers of sin and death. This brings us to Romans 5:12–21 where Paul explains the basis of our hope in light of the catastrophic consequences of sin and death.

This explanation is given by way of comparison, comparing two representative heads: Adam and Christ.

Brief Recap of the Structure of Romans 5:12–21 (The argument so far)

Beginning with verses 12–14, Pastor Ping has examined the beginning of Paul’s explanation, where he presents the origins of sin and death.

In verse 12, Paul begins his comparison by stating that sin entered the world through the one man, Adam’s trespass. When the historical figure Adam sinned against God by disobeying the explicit command not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16–17), sin and its consequence, death, entered the world.

We learned that sin and death show no partiality– because of Adam, all people without exception are affected.

However, rather than completing the comparison, Paul makes the first of two digressions in verses 13–14. As mentioned last week, Paul was addressing a possible objection: How can sin be counted where there is no law? How can someone be guilty before there were any laws to be broken– namely, the Mosaic Law?

In his first digression, Paul makes the point that sin, rather than the law, is the cause of death. Sin was already in the world before Moses descended from Sinai with the Law of God. How can we know? Because “death reigned from Adam to Moses.”

Thus, sin and death reigned even before the Mosaic law was given.

God had been condemning the sinfulness of mankind all along, and this was the devastating result because Adam, our representative head, sinned against God.

However, after establishing the power of sin and death, Paul sets up how Adam (our representative head through whom sin and death entered the world) was a foreshadowing and type of the second Adam, who is Christ.

The setup leads to a second digression in verses 15–17, which we will be examining in the sermon today. Set against the dark and hopeless backdrop of mankind’s hopeless state under the reign of sin and death, Paul unveils light.

Here, Paul compares Adam and the powers of sin and death to the superior work and effect of Jesus Christ, the one in whom we have hope for victory and justification over and against the devastating effects of the fall because of Adam.

This is evident from a plain reading of the text.

First, we observe the ones being compared. The word “one” occurs 7x in verses Romans 5:15–17, 5x referring to Adam and 2x to Jesus Christ. That is more than half of the total occurrences from 12–21.

Second, multiple words introduce comparisons between these two representatives. “Not like” x2 and “much more” x2 are used throughout 15–17 to contrast the drastic difference between the works and results of Adam to Christ.

Adam was a type of the one who was to come, Jesus Christ, similar in that they represent mankind before God. In doing so, Paul demonstrates that Christians can have hope because just as God deals with us through representatives:

Thesis: The second Adam, Jesus Christ, by grace, more than reverses (and exceeds) what the first Adam lost.

So, what are the differences between the work and results of the first and second Adam? What is the basis of our hope amid the power of sin and death?

The Superior Effect of Christ’s Work Compared to Adam’s (15)

In verse 15, the comparison begins with the statement that the works of the first Adam are “not like” the work of the Second Adam. The work of the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, is described as a “free gift,” and Adam’s is described as a “trespass.”

He then proceeds to state the effects of their works, beginning with Adam’s trespass.

Adam's Trespass Effected Death (15b)

Sin and Death Entered the World Through Adam’s Trespass

The work of Adam is characterized by the word “trespass.” It implies that what came as a result was a consequence of Adam’s failure.

As we learned last week, this all began in the garden, where Adam fell to temptation and sinned by disobeying the divine command of God not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis 3.

Thereafter, while Adam received grace and did not immediately die, he suffered alienation from God and was chased out of the Garden of Eden.

However, the consequences of his trespass did not just affect him, but had devastating consequences for the rest of his descendants.

The Reign of Death was Effected Through Adam’s Trespass

Following Adam’s trespass, “many died,” every one of Adam’s descendants died.

The genealogy of Genesis 5 demonstrates this, as every entry of the genealogy save for Enoch’s record ends with the formula “thus all the days of _____ were ____ years, and he died.”

And here is the terrifying reality— we can see the effects today.

Most, if not all of us in attendance today, have been to funerals. We go to funerals because all people, without exception, die.

It is saddening because families and loved ones have lost someone important to them.

It is terrifying because, unlike a common cold, there are no solutions, workarounds, or cures to this most destructive of diseases.

However, physical death is not all that is in view here.

In last week’s sermon, the topic of universal sin was discussed as well. Verse 12 says, “Death spread through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” Because Adam sinned, every one of his descendants (all of us), without exception, is born spiritually dead.

As one commentator says, “[Mankind is] dead on arrival because of Adam’s sin.” Want proof? While Genesis 5 does not mention the individual deeds of those who died, the account in the following chapter does. Genesis 6 tells the account of the increasing corruption upon the earth. There, the human population engaged in sexual debauchery.“

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).

For this reason, God sends a worldwide flood that exterminates the entire human population save for the righteous Noah and his family (8 people).

As for proof of spiritual death today.

Does any parent need to teach their child how to throw tantrums or tell lies to get out of trouble? David spoke rightly when he said in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

People die as a penalty, a consequence for their sins. Physical death is the consequence of our spiritual death.

The helpless doom of humanity sets the dark canvas for Paul’s incoming comparison.

In contrast, the work of Jesus Christ is characterized as a “free gift,” and as we are about to see, its effects are “much more,” and “abounded for many.”

Christ’s work effected the grace of God (15c)

Christ’s work is a “free gift” of Grace

In contrast to the trespass, where Adam, and by extension we, suffer for the consequences of our actions as just punishment.

Jesus’ work (His life, death, and resurrection) is a “free gift.”

The word Paul uses here is Χαρισμα (2x) and is translated as “gift.” Yet, the translators of the ESV and many other translations add the word “free” (NASB, KJV, NKJV).

Why?

The word Χαρισμα is built upon the Χαρι– root and is connected with the word Χαρις, which is the word for “grace.”

Grace is unmerited/undeserved favour, and well describes the receipt of gifts. Gifts are received by grace… or it is a “grace gift.”

A different word is used, which is also translated as “gift,” that is the word δωρεα (3x). Paul’s use of these words underscores the nature of Christ’s work— it is received as a gift by grace.

Further underscoring this is the usage of other terms that accentuate this theme. “The grace (Charis) of God,” and “by the grace (chariti) of one man Jesus Christ” all serve to highlight the richness of the grace of God and the freeness of the gift given to us by virtue of Jesus Christ’s work.

(Illustration: Contrast of earning a monthly wage and when a parent buys a gift for their child on Christmas day— the child did not do anything to deserve or earn the gift, they merely received it as a gift of grace– when you are going through a hard time and someone cooks a meal for you even though you did not ask for it. You did nothing to deserve it, you only receive it by grace.)

In and through Adam’s trespass, we receive just punishment because we deserve it; but in and through Christ, we have received a gift by grace that we neither earned nor deserved.

The Effect of Christ’s Work Surpasses Adam’s (Jesus’ work overcomes the twin powers of sin and death)

In the comparison, Paul introduces Christ’s work as “much more.”

The effect of Christ’s work far surpasses that of Adam’s. Adam’s one trespass led to the entry of sin and death into the world– twin powers that ushered in suffering, pain, wickedness, and destruction.

No medicine, government, or the greatest exertion of human effort or will would be able to reverse and restore what was lost in Adam.

However, “Much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.”

This gift of grace does not just reverse and restore what was lost in Adam; it is a power that far surpasses the sin and death brought in by Adam. The consequences of sin and death, which have universally affected mankind and cause the unbeliever to fail and tremble, are reversed and surpassed by the grace of God effected by Christ’s work.

This is a gift of grace and surpassing value and power!

The Superior Free Gift of God Through Christ Cannot Be Earned or Deserved

There are many people in churches today who still believe they must somehow earn the grace of God.

That somehow by serving enough, or tithing enough (even praying or reading the Bible enough), they could be good enough Christians to earn salvation. Passages like these utterly denounce such beliefs.

First, God offers salvation as a gift through faith in Christ alone– to believe that one can earn it by merit goes against the very nature of the gift.

Second, the surpassing value and power of the gift should quash any sentiment that we could earn it by human merit.

Therefore, turn to Christ, receive the free gift of God’s grace by placing your faith in Him for salvation!

That brings us to the next part of Paul’s comparison of the two Adams.

The Superior Results of Christ’s Work Compared to Adam’s (16)

Adam’s one trespass resulted in condemnation for many (16a-b)

The same objects of comparison are in mind here, as Paul now turns to the results of the works of these two representatives.

First, when Adam sinned, his one sin led to condemnation for all men. Whether we like it or not, this verse teaches us that because of Adam’s sin, all humanity, without exception, enters the world condemned before God.

All are condemned; that is, in Adam, mankind is declared legally guilty, sentenced to divine judgment, and all, apart from God’s grace, will be punished for sin with eternal separation from and punishment under the wrath of God in a place called hell.

Here we see a familiar theme and connection to the first major section of Romans (Rom. 1:18–3:20)– that all mankind is universally condemned.

As Paul has already pointed out near the end of the first major section, “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” (Rom. 3:10–12).

Universally condemned men need God’s righteousness.

Christ’s free gift results in justification despite many trespasses (16c)

The free gift is given after the devastating invasion of sin and death.

Schreiner says, “The river of sin finds its source in Adam’s one sin in the garden,” and after him, the whole world was plunged into all sorts of ungodliness, unrighteousness, idolatry, suppression of the truth, and evil. Paul’s statement “following many trespasses” is accurate.

If one sin had been enough to throw the whole human race into disaster and to be declared as guilty, how terrible would it be if there were many trespasses?

Despite the widespread corruption of sin, death, and many trespasses, God’s free gift brought the antonym, the opposite of condemnation– justification!

As we learned in Romans 3:21–26, justification means “to declare righteous.” Like the previous term “condemnation,” which has legal connotations, this is used to legally declare that someone has fully met the obligations of the law.

He is declared righteous, has been justified, and is not guilty.

Here, the judge is God, and we are those facing judgment. The problem is that we have many trespasses; we are rightfully guilty. But because of Christ’s sacrificial and substitutionary death upon the cross, because of Christ’s righteousness and work, God’s wrath is satisfied.

By grace through faith in Christ, He pronounces the declaration that we are justified, “declared to be righteous” in God’s sight.

Herein is the superior result: We are not just forgiven of our sins, but as Scripture says of Christ’s work: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

It is far easier to do damage than to repair something. Yet, Christ more than restores what Adam lost; the gift of His grace far surpasses the effects and results of the first Adam’s work.

The passage goes further to flesh out our understanding by providing evidence of everyone’s condemnation through Adam and proof that those who have received the grace gift of righteousness through Christ have indeed overcome sin and death.

The Superior Reign of the Results of Christ’s Work Over Adam’s (17)

Death reigns through Adam

Verse 17 takes the comparison further to show the surpassing results of Christ’s work compared to Adam.

As with the rest of the passage, Paul begins with Adam. The result of Adam’s reign was that “death reigned through that one man.”

This is a reiteration. We have already discussed what it means for sin to enter the world and death to reign– so here, let’s consider the weight of what Adam lost.

For this, we will once again return to Genesis and examine God’s initial intent for Adam.

Turn to Genesis 1:28-30. Adam was blessed and commanded to "subdue it, and have dominion..." God's initial intent for Adam was to rule over God's good creation. This was commanded before God proclaimed that everything He made was "very good" (v.31).

But because of Adam's one sin in the garden, sin entered the world, and mankind was plunged under the reign of death.

The disease of sin spread to all of Adam’s descendants, all enter the world spiritually dead, and will suffer the consequence of death, which now reigns over mankind.

Mankind, which was created to reign over creation as God intended, is under the power of sin and the reign of death in Adam.

Life reigns through Christ

To those who receive the abundance of grace and free gift of righteousness

In contrast, “much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness…”

The term “much more” once again tells us that in this comparison, what happened in Adam was far surpassed by what it is about to be compared to in Christ. Before we go further, see how this passage is tethered to themes seen elsewhere in Romans?

The theme of Romans 1:18–3:20 is mankind’s desperate need for the righteousness of God because of our unrighteousness.

Apart from God’s intervention, we lack the righteousness we need for peace and a relationship with God.

The theme of the second major section, Romans 3:21–4:25, is the means of obtaining that desperately needed righteousness. We learned that the means of obtaining that righteousness are by the abundant grace of God alone, through faith alone in Christ’s redeeming work.

This describes believers, those who “received” the abundance of grace and have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. These are the ones who receive righteousness and reconciliation with God.

Believers have obtained the positional status of righteousness before God in Christ, the Second Adam.

Believers who have received grace and the free gift of righteousness by the work of Christ will reign in life through Him.

Believers will “reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”

This is a significant expression. Paul had twice spoken of death as “reigning,” once in verse 14 and the other here in verse 17.

Here, Paul presents a reversal of that reign and the restoration of mankind to their God-intended position as rulers.

But what does it mean to reign in life? Does that refer to the here and now, or something on the horizon? The answer is yes and yes.

On the one hand, those in Christ now live in light of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. In Christ, believers have passed from death into life. They have received the abundant life promised by Jesus Christ (Jn. 10:10). And in Christ, believers have overcome the world and are inheritors of eternal life. (1 John 5:4–5, 11–12)

Ephesians 2:1–2, 4–7 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience… But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

However, we can testify to our present struggles against the flesh. Moreover, believers groan when they observe the continued destruction of sin and death in the world today.

Things seem to be getting worse, not better.

But while we presently groan, consider this: believers have a foretaste of that “reign in life” now. But the full scope of that reign awaits future consummation.

I am, of course, talking about the future when Christ returns to consummate His Kingdom.

In a future, literal time unknown, Christ will return to do battle against Satan and the forces of evil and triumph, ushering in the time of the New Heavens and the New Earth.

There, those in Christ will experience the full measure of the “reign in life.” Here are some of the details of that future reign with Christ:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3–4

What about the wicked?

“The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:7–8)

The curtain-closing, blessed eternal reign of believers in Christ, with Christ, received as a gift earned by and from Christ.

“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:3–5)

Our future reign will be marked by a restoration to God’s intended will for us to be rulers, reigning over creation with Christ.

It will no longer be marred by sin and its consequences; there will be no more tears, death, mourning, or pain anymore.

But it will be even better than what Adam had in the garden, for God Himself will dwell among man, and we shall reign for the rest of eternity with Him. And all of this is by grace; no one earned it, but merely received it by grace through faith, this richest and most gracious of gifts through Christ.

Brothers and sisters, does that elicit hope, joy, and thanksgiving to God for His grace gift? The truth is that familiarity, even with glorious things, often leads to apathy. Even when we consider the exceedingly gracious gift of God in Christ, our hearts may think, “I have heard this all before!”

Perhaps some in attendance today find themselves spiritually cold and coasting.

I had to search my own heart while studying and preparing for this message myself.

It is of utmost importance that we remain vigilant against spiritual apathy.

To remind ourselves daily of the glorious truths of the work of Christ, the grace of God, and the glorious gospel promises and realities.

Conclusion

With that, we have completed the second digression that Paul makes.

He has answered two questions: How can sin be counted where there is no law? And who is the one to come who Adam was a type of?

We learned here that Christ is the one, the second Adam.

And that by grace, He more than reverses and exceeds the work, effect, and results of the First Adam.

Next week, Pastor Ping will continue with the exposition of this passage, where Paul finally completes the comparison he started in verse 12 in verses 18–19.