The power of God’s grace is far greater than the power of sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was the representative for all humanity. But one sin by that one man earned judgment and death for all people who would come after him. Every human after Adam continued to sin in their own ways and continued to incur greater judgment and continued to spread the effects of death further. But then a new representative for humanity arrived, Jesus Christ. Through his act of obedience by dying on the cross, Jesus earned righteousness and life for all who would believe after him. Now the grace of Christ is able to overcome death and everything it tried to destroy, and it’s able to heal every sinner and bring them into God’s presence forever.
Romans 5:12–21
[12] Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—[13] for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. [14] Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
[15] But 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. [16] And 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. [17] For 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.
[18] Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. [19] For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. [20] Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, [21] so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (ESV)
Q: When Adam sinned he brought death into the world (vs. 12). Besides the fact that we will all physically die one day, what does it mean that death has spread to all men? What effect has death had on the rest of God’s Creation?
Q: When Christ died he brought righteousness and life in the world (vs.17). What does it mean that they now “reign” through Jesus Christ? Does it feel like they are reigning in your own life? How?
Q: We are counted as sinful because our representative, Adam, failed. But we are also counted righteous because our new representative, Jesus, succeeded. Does it bother you to have someone else stand as your representative? Why or why not?
Q: It could be said that each Christian now lives as a representative for Christ and the church. Is that a role you are comfortable in? Is it possible for a Christian not to represent Christ and the church?
Q: In verse 20 we read that, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” Our sin can never outpace God’s grace towards us. How does this truth affect the way you confess sin to God? Should we confess with confidence and courage or in shame and fear?