How could Jesus’ sacrifice be even more powerful than what Adam did?
15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:15-17 (ESV)
Previously Paul explained that because we were all “in Adam” lineage when he sinned, we share in the consequences of his sin. Now, in Romans 5:15-17, he contrasts how Adam and Jesus did very different things with very different results. Let’s break it down:
- Why They Did It: Adam consciously chose to disobey God, which was a deed of self-exaltation, as contrasted with Jesus’ “free gift/grace” of self-sacrifice. Jesus chose to die for us, not just because He cared about us, but also because it was the required thing to do. While Adam broke the law of God, Jesus’ action was an “act of righteousness” (Rom.5:18) and “obedience” (Rom.5:19)—a total fulfillment of the law.
- What Happened After: The outcomes of their actions were complete opposites. Adam’s sin brought death to all humans – everyone started dying. But Jesus’ sacrifice brought life, meaning we can have eternal life because of what He did. Adam’s act made everyone guilty in God’s eyes (that’s “condemnation” in Rom.5:16), but Jesus’ act makes us right with God (that’s “justification” also in v.16). Lastly, Adam’s sin made “death reigns” (Rom.5:17) as the boss of us, but Jesus’ act lets us be in charge of life – we get to “reign in life” (also in v.17), meaning we live freely and fully, not crushed under sin’s rule.
- How Powerful Their Actions Were: Paul really wants us to understand that what Jesus did is way more powerful than Adam’s mistake. He says “much more” a couple of times (previously in v.9, 10, and here in v.15, 17) to show that Jesus’ goodness can completely wipe out the bad effects of Adam’s mistake. Justice gives us exactly what we deserve, but grace – which is what Jesus gives – goes way beyond and gives us more blessings than we could ever earn.
- Our Connection to Adam and Jesus (This is in the next chapter Romans 6, but we could mention it now): Being connected “in Adam” happens just by being born – it’s a physical lineage. But being connected to Jesus happens through faith – when we believe in Him. When we are ‘born again’ we are “in Christ” – it’s a spiritual lineage headed by Jesus. Whatever is true about Jesus (His death, burial, resurrection, being loved by God, etc.) becomes true for us, too!
John Stott, a Bible teacher, explains it this way: Whether we are spiritually dead or alive depends on which family we belong to – Adam’s family, which leads to death, or Jesus’ family, which brings life.
How does knowing that Jesus’ sacrifice is more powerful than Adam’s sin give you hope and encouragement when you feel stuck in a cycle of sin or negative consequences? How would the realization that you are “in Christ” through faith change the way you approach your daily challenges and decisions?
[The ideas for this week’s materials on Romans 5:12-21 were drawn from Tim Keller’s book “Romans 1-7 for You“]
Knowing that Jesus’ sacrifice is more powerful than Adam’s sin gives me hope and encouragement when I feel stuck in a cycle of sin or negative consequences because I have the assurance that through the “abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness,” I will “reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ,” despite how powerful the grip of sin may seem. My own experience of this in the past, (most especially as it pertains to my freedom from an alcoholic lifestyle and debilitating drug addiction, but certainly in other areas as well,) solidifies and accentuates this hope, in that today I am absolutely certain that “in Christ” I can and will (some day) become the man I want and ought to be- the man He calls me to be. This changes the way I approach my daily challenges and decisions in that I am no longer bound by the limitations of just either “trying harder” or “giving up.” Christ has already accomplished ultimate victory over ALL sin and death, and in Him, I can live with the assurance that His victory far outweighs any defeat I am experiencing here and now.
Knowing that Jesus’ sacrifice is more powerful than Adam’s sin encourages me to become a better person by knowing more about Him and cultivating faith in Him because Jesus’ perfect obedience not only redeemed humanity but also provided a model for overcoming sin. This assurance gives me hope and motivation to break free from cycles of sin or negative consequences, knowing that His grace is sufficient to transform my weaknesses into strengths.
I remember a news story when I was living in Texas when someone inadvertently introduced an invasive aquatic plant into the lake systems in Texas. These plants were not native to the water system but they thrived in the lake and grew everywhere tainting the lake and killing the native species. The invasion started by one person who carelessly and maybe unknowingly introduced the plant to the lake in Texas. Once the invasion happened, the only thing they could do was to try to remove the plants from the lake – very expensive and requiring a lot of human labor or they can try to use chemical to kill the plants which also potentially kill other things in the lake.
I kind of think that sins is like this. One person introduced it and now it grew and grew and it’s impossible to eradicate. In Texas they tried to control the problem by adding a bacteria into the water which controls the growth of the plant so it is managed but it could never be removed completely and if they ever become complacent in their management, it blooms again as it does every few seasons!
God solution to our sins is not to just wipe out sin as a possibility from the human species as I think He could easily do. Because that would also kill the thing in us that He loves about us which is our free will to choose to love Him. Instead, he sent Jesus to make the sacrifice that would make us right again in His eyes. Jesus sacrifice removes God’s “condemnation” of us as a result of sins but it didn’t remove the consequences of the sins because that would make us complacent (Romans 8:1-2: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”). So the choice and possibility of sin still exists in our world but now we are instilled with a God’s shield and sword in the form of the Spirit to help us to remember to choose life rather than death to be “in Christ” rather than “in Adam”.
Paul said in Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” But because free will still exists and sin is still a possibility along with the consequences of sins, I must take care to pay attention to the Spirit guidance which God gave each of us to help us because He know we all need constant reminders to not be complacent and to take care to live “in Christ” because without the consequences of sins we would not be able to change our behavior and thereby nullify the process of sanctification – to become daily more and more like Christ.