TRIUMPH OVER SIN AND DEATH PART ONE

 

Romans 5:12-21

 

Solomon wrote, “See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” Ecclesiastes 7:29 Why would Solomon say this? After God created Adam He gave him a simple command “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Gen 2:16-17. Adam’s obedience would mean and lead to greater blessedness. But as you continue to read in the Book of Beginnings, you see that his obedience was short lived and his disobedience would lead to death. Ever since the fall of Adam we have all inherited a nature that condemns us before a holy God. Peace with God for the human race was lost when the first Adam, lost his relationship with God through disobedience. “Sin came (entered) into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned;” (v12)

 

Genesis 3 demonstrates Adam’s leadership and responsibility, even though Eve took of the fruit first. God holds Adam responsible because Adam knew what he was doing. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” 1 Tim 2:13-14. Adam never was deceived at all; not by the serpent, with whom he never conversed; nor by his wife……he knew what he did. Adam knew full well what he was doing, that his sin is worse, and he should be blamed for the fall of mankind. This is the order that God put in place for the family and who will be held accountable for how they lead. “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Cor 11:3

 

Adam had a responsibility as the federal head and he failed to do that for the human family…so, death came to all people because of sin.

 

Sin brings spiritual death, separation from God, we are dead spiritually. 

Sin brings physically death, separation from mankind, family and friends. 

Sin brings eternal death, separation and torment for all eternity.

 

This chapter crushes all arguments about original sin, and why we are guilty before a holy God. This is chapter clearly lays out the understanding to original sin and why we have inherited this disposition of spiritual, physical and eternal death. “Original sin” has affected all people; one man’s trespass leads to condemnation to all men. (v12) In Adam all die, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Cor 15:19-22

 

“Sin” is defined as transgression of God’s Law. It begins in Adam, the fall of the human race. This act of disobedience leads or produces a ruinous effect for the entire human race. Though sin brought death before the Law, and the Law reveals that we broke God’s commandments and therefore results in death. Every single person is not born naturally innocent; we are also not products of our parents, or, our society; though they have their influences in different ways.

R C Sproul said, “If we are born naturally innocent, how did society become so corrupt?”

 

Society is comprised of people! It’s not like 5% of people who are sinful try to seduce the other 95% to sin and lose their innocence. What does this mean? God holds the entire human race to be guilty “all sinned”, because of Adam’s transgression. We are 100% evil because we are all born with a corrupt human nature. Sin is not just a blemish on our exterior, but it penetrates to the very core of our being, rendering us captive to this bondage of sin. This puts us all in a disposition of “Moral inability” as it pertains to the things of God.

 

Because of original sin we are

in a state of ruin.

 

But the argument people make is… That’s not far considering I wasn’t there? Though he is our federal head, he isn’t my representative.  According to the Scriptures, we are all guilty because of original sin through our federal headship of Adam. This means… since Adam, no human being has the power to live a perfect life. No one can live without sinning, just as no can live without dying. No one can work themselves to Heaven or please a holy God in the flesh.

 

Isaiah used graphic language to describe our works righteousness. “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” Isaiah 64:6. “Filthy rages” menstrual cloths to more exact. This is why Solomon said “…God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” The culture & church culture around us doesn’t see themselves in the same light as Scripture; and that’s the problem. We see ourselves as good and innocent. It’s the murders, lawbreakers, perverts and criminals, who are bad.

 

We assume our good behavior or acts valor or bravery, is enough to enter Heaven.

The Fireman/EMS

Front-line workers

Parents/Educators

Police officers

Military who protect our country

 

They all do amazing things that are heroic and worthy of our praise at times. But! Apart from repentance and faith and being born again. ……It Is Not Good….Because it’s not motivated by the glory of God. Helping an elderly person to get across the street is a wonderful act of love and compassion. Finding a wallet on the sidewalk and turning it in to the Police, so that it gets to the owner is commendable. Saving a child from a burning building, is a demonstration of selfless love. The store clerk that gives you too much change and you give the extra change back is an honest display of an honorable character.

 

All these things are noble and demonstrate integrity

but they do not save you! Why?

It’s not motivated by the glory of God. Hence the fact

we are ruined by “original sin”

 

Voddie Baucham said “We are ruined from the word ‘Go’”

 

We believe we are naturally good and are going to Heaven and only bad people are going to Hell. But Jesus said few find the “narrow gate”, because it’s difficult to find, not easy to find.

 

The Christian life is hard to become a Christian;

just as it’s hard to be a Christian.

The biggest problem is what Paul previously said, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Rom 3:18 Why? Because they reject that they are bad. But David knew himself that he was bad, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5. David also penned this reality to our sinful condition. “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.” Psalm 58:3. David knew his fallen state, because his own parents were sinners, and they also knew going back to our federal head, that we are all sinners from the word “Go”. Job’s friend Eliphaz said, “What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?” Job 15:14

Adam our federal head fell and his prosperity

and his fellowship with God fell with it.

 

Why would I say that? (v13-v14) From the time of Adam to the times of Moses, people didn’t have God written Laws. And though they were counted as infractions to the Law, they still died. In other words! God holds all of us guilty based on our federal head Adam, and this is why Paul says, ”Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men..” (v18) Jesus reminded Nicodemus of this truth when He said “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:6. And Jesus said to Nicodemus that you must be born again, because of your corrupt nature. “Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'” John 3:3-7

 

Now there is a difference with original sin

and actual sin.

 

What do I mean by this? “Actual sin” is when you do something that transgresses the Law of God. A new baby or as David said “in the womb”, bears the weight of original sin, but does not bear the weight of the guilt of actual sin. Sin requires a conscious awareness of right and wrong. Until that child understands or has some kind of discernment, they don’t understand that they are breaking the law of God. There is an age of accountability when it comes to actual sin. This varies depending on the child’s understand of right and wrong, mental ability and maturity. An Infant or small children don’t understand the prohibitions of God’s Law. An infant isn’t committing actual sin, though by nature they are sinners. This will become more evident in your children, as they grow when it comes to missing cookies or dad’s candy in his office (stealing); and when they are confronted they make up stories (lying) to not get in trouble. Things that we are never taught to do, come natural because of “original sin” but it becomes “Actual sin” because they know it’s wrong.

We saw this first in the garden! “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths (their purity and innocence was no longer and they knew they were ruined). And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" (Now begins the blame game) The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." (This isn’t wise to blame God for his actual sin) Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." Because of original sin God gave us hope in the “protoevangelium” the first gospel message of a Savior (v16). Genesis 3:7-15

 

God Himself did not sin, and God

is not to blame for sin.

 

It was man who sinned, it was angels who sinned, and they all did willfully and voluntarily. To blame God for sin is to “Blaspheme” (swear, curse) against the attributes and character of God. Moses wrote, “For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” Deut 32:3-4. Elihu said “Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.” Job 34:10. James said it’s impossible for God even to desire to do wrong. “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” James 1:13. This is why we are all accountable for our sin before a holy God. This is why we have “all have fallen short” because we are ruined from the word ‘Go’.” This is why James makes it clear who the sinning sinner is. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:14-15

But the free gift is not like the trespass.

What is the free Gift?

 

The answer is in (v15-v16) “But the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. Martin Luther is often credited with the proclamation that justification is “the article by which the Church stands or falls.” Christ’s imputed righteous.” was accredited to us at the point of our adoption. It’s not some injection or “infused righteousness” you receive weekly to become more righteous as you work out sin in your life. From the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church “the individual increases in sanctification as the grace and virtue infused by the Holy Spirit allow them to put sin to death and perform the works prepared for them by Christ. The infusion is an instantaneous work, but the effect occurs over much time. Perseverance in the faith is not guaranteed, for those who commit mortal sins lose the sanctifying grace of God.” This is what the Catholic Church teaches when it come to the doctrine of “Justification & Imputation”. And Paul says “Let them be “an anathema” meaning “cursed or devoted to destruction.” because they teach doctrine that is contrary to the Bible.

 

For those who are in Christ, we are completely covering through repentance and faith in the Godman, faith in Christ alone. Faith in His completed work, not His work ‘And’, but His work alone. Wayne Gruden said “When we say that God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us it means that God thinks of Christ’s righteousness belonging to us, or regards it as belonging to us.” Just as Adam’s sinned “one man’s trespass” by imputation, his sin is counted and transferred “imputed” to the entire human race.

 

Same is true in the gift

 

Christ suffered and died for our sins, our sin was imputed to Christ. God thought of it as belonging to Him, and He paid the penalty for it. Paul wrote, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” Gal 3:10-14. Just as “another man’s righteousness” meaning Christ was imputed to all who believe.

 

We are not saved through our works.

The question is “Whose works?”

 

Christ Jesus who fulfilled the terms of the covenant works that Adam failed to do in the garden. Adam was told, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:15-17. The breaking of the Covenant brought us all banishment and destruction. Adam was a “Covenant breaker” this was a cures and not a blessing. What Adam could not do, Christ did, so that this Covenant would be renewed and fulfilled with His blood and also in the life of His Son. It’s not just His death that redeems us, but also His life, His perfect life to satisfy the Father’s just demands in this covenant. It was Christ’s perfect works that met God’s perfect requirements to save sinful man and woman.

 A beautiful picture of this is found in the vision of Joshua, the high priest of Israel. “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments." And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments.” Zechariah 3:1-5

 

The LORD saying “you have been cleansed of your sins and your dirty garments have been replaced with new clothing. This is exactly what Christ cloaks us in “His garment” of righteousness, so that we stand faultless, or clean before the throne. In R C Sproul’s children’s book “The Priest With The Dirty Clothes” he tells a beautiful story for all ages to understand when it comes to “Christ’s righteousness that He has imputed to us. Based off the passage in Zechariah 3:1-5.

It’s a story of a priest who fell in the mud on the way to King’s Palace to preach his first sermon. As he journeyed it was raining and he fell of his horse and was unpresentable before the King. The people laughed and mocked him, but the King heard his story and told him to come back when his cloths were clean! But he tired and tried throughout the week to get them clean, but couldn’t. So he was told to visit the Prince who was dressed in the most glorious apparel and the Prince told him to go next week as King said, and He would have something for him that would be presentable before the King.

 

And in the last section of the story as he was still wearing the dirty cloths before the King, the prince entered wearing dirty garments, “The Prince said, “Put on my clothes and preach your sermon.” Jonathan’s hands shook as he put on the prince’s beautiful clothes. When Jonathan was dressed, the prince said to the king. “Father, may Jonathan now stand in your presence? He is one of my people.”

This imputed righteousness not only presents us holy before God, but also gives us a new heart filled with an eternal joy to stand before God as holy/righteous. He forgives us by taking the dirt from our hearts and putting it on Himself, so that you and I can stand before the King in all His glory forever. One’s man’s offence is nothing like the free gift given to you and me in His Son.

 If this doctrine of Justification isn’t true, and we still have to stand before God in “our righteousness” We are doomed! Because we are accountable for the sins done in the flesh…. and we are then/still children of wrath. There would be no hope for anyone, only judgement. But the Scriptures reveal that we stand before God with the “imputed righteousness” of someone else, meaning the perfect Son of God. We stand in victory and are filled with a joy as we proclaim His glory as sons and daughters of the King.

 

But the free gift is not like the trespass.

Praise God for that!

 

One has brought a heritage of sin; the other has brought a divine righteousness. One has brought condemnation; the other has brought us justification. One has brought us death, the other, life. The consequences of Christ’s redemption are greater than the consequences of Adam’s sin and fall. (v18-21)