Romans 5:12-21, The Two Great Revolutionaries, Dr. John Carpenter

Romans 5:12-21 and the Two Great Revolutionaries

Romans chapter 5 verse 12 to 21. 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. For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given.

But sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigns 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. But the free gift is not like the trespass.

For if many died through the 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. 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. For if because of the one man's trespass death reigns 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.

Therefore as one trespass led to condemnation for all men. So one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men 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.

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased Grace abounded all the more so that as sin reigned in death Grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Lord had his blessings for the reading of his Holy Word. Well in 1995 we were preparing to leave Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Like most foreigners there we had a maid. She was named Tigas which means hope and she lived with us.

Actually, we were unlike most foreigners there. You usually had a whole staff a guard a gardener a maid at least if not others. We only had a maid. A local friend told us that we were spoiling her and we were paying her too much $25 a month.

Way over the usual rate.

Well tickets was 19 years old and she came to us with all her earthly belongings and one.

Typical plastic.

Grocery bag.

We were very pleased with her work and even considered whether it was possible to bring her with us to Singapore. But it wasn't and so when we were getting ready to return to Singapore I at least wanted to do what I could to find her a new job there since unemployment is.

Was at least very high there and she wanted to work for foreigners because she said other Ethiopians were too demanding. So I went to the United Nations building in Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa is one of the because it's the center of the Organization of African unity.

It's one of the major Diplomatic centers in the world. There's a United Nations building there and I went to there. I walked right past the guard with his ak -47. Because he was he just assumed I guess that I belonged in there, but I actually had no permission to enter the building.

I went inside and posted a notice on their bulletin board for our maid. A little while later I got a call from an Indian couple from from India who were interested in hiring her to look after their small child.

So I invited them over and I expected that by that point my involvement in this was over, right? I just arranged it. I put up the notice. The Indian couple would come and they would talk to tickets they would interview her and that would be all between them and her.

I just posted the ad and arranged the meeting. That's what I thought. Boy was I wrong the Indian couple from the United Nations came with their toddler and they greeted me and they sat in front of me and proceeded.

To speak to me and to me only About tickets. Although tickets was in the room. Imagine the scenes kind of a typical with a living room dining room kind of combination with couch a couple chairs. And they're sitting in front of me.

Tickets is there. Mary's there? This couple comes in and they talked to me About her who happens to be standing there, but they never at any time spoke to to her. I was surprised. But tried to go with the flow.

That's often the way you deal with people from other cultures when you don't know what's going on. Why are these people taking off their shoes before they enter the house? I guess I better do it too. You just kind of go with the flow right.

And I tried to sell them on hiring tickets. Well when the little child toddled over to tickets. They took that as a good sign. And so on the basis of that and their interview with me about her they hired her.

Now understand I wasn't just a reference. They would have already known that we had given a good reference by the fact that put up the notice at the United Nations Building and I was her from their point of view.

I was her.

Head.

From their point of view. She was part of my household. And so to speak to her they had to speak to her head to me. When dealing with a person in another body a family a household an organization of some kind you don't deal with a person directly.

But with the head that's the way many people all over the world. This is the way they see things. It's the way they see other people that people are in groups. Usually in families or extended households, even if they're not related.

Maybe they're employed by the household, but then they are still attached to that whole soul. So they whoever's in that household is is under the head of that household in old Roman culture. They called the head on the pattern familias the father of the family and he's not to talk about.

Minor children it could be grown children a whole extended family and you he's the head of her. He decides everything that happens the head acts and speaks for those in the group. I. Difficult for many Americans to comprehend.

Many Americans are just so absorbed in their individualism like a fishes in water that they can't imagine. Another way of looking at life. They're so absorbed into and surrounded by individualism. They just take it for granted.

They've been shaped by it. Let's see. That's what they think is reality. They really do feel that they are these autonomous.

Detached.

Individuals who might like they may occasionally like being part of gatherings and part of larger groups of people. Do things with other people but they don't really see themselves as part of a body. Certainly.

They recoil at the idea that they they have a head over them. Which they are under which acts for on their behalf and speaks for them. Autonomy means self-ruling and individualism are so much a part of just kind of the air we breathe here.

We're raised on it. Like a baby is on milk. We just assume that's that's the way of looking at life. The American Revolution has created the idea at least in some Americans minds that with these completely autonomous individuals were detached self-ruling not accountable to or for.

Anyone.

Adam and Christ as the Only Two Heads

Well here in Romans 5 we see that like that Indian couple interviewing me. For whether our maid should work for them God deals with us through our heads and. Ultimately, there are only two of them Either Adam or Christ.

Those are the only two revolutionaries in History Adam a rebel against God and Christ a rebel against Adams rebellious world everyone else every other revolutionary just carries on the work of.

Those two.

Those are the two heads Adam and Christ and here is hard as it may be for some of us to accept it because of our culture because these ideas run so counter to the way we're raised. One of the heads sinned for us and The other was righteous for us.

And here in these three short paragraphs, we see three things first the condemnation in verses 12 to 14 second the contrast in verses 15 to 17 and finally the Comparison in verses 18 to 21. Well first is the condemnation.

What did your head do for you. He got you condemnation. In that first paragraph in verses 12 to 14 Paul tells us that death is King death is a head over us because our head Adam sin. Death is the the penalty for sin and we're under death.

Because Adam chose sin that death reigns. Like a head over a nation like a king on his throne from the time of Adam's sin until the time when the last enemy Remember the last enemy death is put under Jesus's feet, which is still in our future there are two revolutionaries is Adam and Christ.

Adam rebelled against God and so was condemned to death and Because he was our head. He was the head of the whole Human race he acted on our behalf. He decided to go to war against God as It and as our head.

We went with him and so we got condemnation. Because of his act of war. Verse 12 begins saying that sin came through one man Adam death and came to people through that sin. Before the sin Adam and Eve had the ability to eat from the tree of life.

And so they could live internally and to be spared death but when they sinned God banned them from the garden and said lest he reach out his hand and take to eat of the tree of Life and live forever. And so the rebel had to be driven out and as our as our head he sin.

He was condemned and not simply for himself as an individual. But as our head he was sinning and being condemned for us. So when he was driven out We no longer had access to the tree of life and we were left up to death.

That's how the condemnation of sin the sentence against our sin came down to us. Now the individualist will immediately say well, that's just not fair.

That's not fair.

Wasn't my sin. Why should I be penalized for his sin? I'm my own person. I think I'm detached. I'm Responsible for my decisions. Well, there are four things to say back to that to reply to that for proofs.

Prove that individualism is wrong for proofs of what you call headship theology. It could go it's called federal headship I'm not quite sure why but let's call it federal headship that either Adam or Christ acts for us.

There's scripture. There's experience. There's death and there's sin. But first the scripture and particularly this scripture this passage right here I'm with chapter 5 verses 12 to 21 this passage says that either because of Adam or Christ there is there is death or life.

There is sin or righteousness there's condemnation or justification. Verse 12 starts by saying sin came into the world through one man Adam. Death spread to all men because all sinned think about that.

We pass over that really quickly. You can miss a lot. We might think you're passing over very quickly. Well because of because of our individualism we might think the way we just Programmed to think and also to be fair because Paul has already been argued earlier in Romans that we do all sin individually.

That is certainly true. We do what sin individually and we are condemned for our sin that we sin individually. And we could think that that's what he's saying here, but no he's saying something different we could think though that he's saying that Adam sin brought death and We got that death.

Because we also like Adam. Individually sin he just got Adam is just kind of the first.

Bad example and.

We've been following his bad example ever since. That's the way some people think right? He someone first one goes to the door that we follow the way they go. But so we've been following Adams pattern and we're just condemned though for our own sin, but notice the verb tense.

He doesn't say. Paul does not say. As we would expect that he should put it the death spreads or is spreading even now. Present tense. Because all people said. That's not what he says. Does he. He doesn't say.

Death spreads because all people sin. Present tense. Ongoing. As if people right now Die now because of the sins that they commit now.

He doesn't say that.

Understand if you're going to say.

Like those.

Some of you remember the Church of Christ people I debated about two years ago that this passage is saying That death and guilt are ours Because of our individual sense. That's what those people I debated believe.

We we are guilty Because of our individual sins. We die because our individual sins. Nothing new with Adam. Adam would just happen to be the forerunner happened to be the first one to do it. And we kind of been following his pattern ever since but there's no other no real connection to Adam Other than he was the first one through the door.

That's what they would argue. If that's the case then verse 12 should say. Death is spreading present tense. Death is spreading to all because all are Present tense now. Sinning right now. That's what it should say.

But instead it says death entered. Like something done once for all past tense in the past death came with one point in the past death entered.

Because all sin all.

Sin all people sinned in the sin past tense in the past. How is that possible. Think about again. Sin past tense in the past. All sin even people even people like you and me. Who were way in the future?

As far as Paul was concerned when he wrote this down.

We died.

When Adam sinned. And we sinned when Adam sinned. Because we send it out. Because his sin was ours. Because he sinned for us and when we sent in him. Because we were in him and he was sending for us. So when he said we said when he said we were condemned because he is our head and.

So in him we were sinning. At that point we said and so we're condemned to death. That's verse 12. That begins an idea. Paul is beginning an idea a contrast. That just like sin came through Adam who sinned for us condemning us and you'd immediately expect.

Then the second half of the contrast just like Adam you would expect so in the same way Christ brought life To all he is head over. That's what you would expect. Notice there in the ESV puts it a kind of dash at the end of verse 12 because he's beginning this Contrast and then he breaks it off.

He breaks off the contrast of the bill and then backs up to further. Explain his idea. He picks it back up again in verse 18. Everything from verses 13. For 17 is he's backing up and he's explaining the background.

For what he's gonna then start again in verse 18 backing up wait in verse 13 sin was in the world before the law. Thinking okay. What does that mean? Why do I care? But during that long period between Adam and Moses is about you know thousands of years.

How was their sin before there was a law given?

To violate.

You think about how is that possible? How are they how were they sinning when they had no law to break. I had Adam sin because he had a law don't eat of that tree and He ate of it anyway, and so he said that he had a law he broke it.

But how do people without a law sin? How does that work? And if they have no law and they have therefore they have no sin. Why do they die? If they're just attached individuals if if of course they're not.

Because all we all sin in Adam. That's why in verse 14 death reigned from Adam to Moses. Because they're all responsible for the sin of Adam before. We all send in Adam and so even on those who didn't sin like Adam did breaking that this open command of God.

Don't eat of that tree. Still, you know, there were a lot of people better than Adam. It didn't didn't have a law like that that they just kind of overtly broke and still they still they died. Because they were in Adam and had sinned in him.

They're responsible for his sin. Adam. He says is a type of Christ. Right to two fathers two heads. There's Adam. There's Christ. Adam was a type of Christ and the next verses and it describes how Adam is like Christ and that they are heads.

Who acted for all the people under them? Verses 15 to 19, especially make this clear over and over and almost every verse. Or verses 15 to 19. It teaches in what we call imputation. That is the sin of Adam is imputed to us.

We're held responsible for it. Imputation and almost every verse from 15 to 19 teaches that the headship of Adam or Christ. It says in verse 15 if many died. Many. Many he means all the way many died through one man's trespass one man Adam.

He sinned but many died that's imputation. We have grace because of what the one man Jesus Christ did that's also imputation. His righteousness is attributed imputed to us. That's That that's what Christ did for us verse 16 the one man sin.

Then the judgment following one trespass that is Adams and it brought Condemnation his sin brought condemnation. For the rest of us for all. Condemnation is the sentence of guilty at a court. It's the opposite of justification.

Condemnate you are condemned. You are guilty. He said you're pronounced guilty. Then that is he sinned and we're all condemned for his sin. The condemnation again is the opposite of justification. It's the verdict at a trial.

You're guilty and the punishment you get is death in verse 17 death reigned because of one man's trespass not because Notice the verse 17 death reigned because of one man's trespass not because of each of us sinned individually on our own.

But because Adams.

Sin.

Because Adam sinned as our head and so we are condemned for his sin again in verse 18 one trespass that is Adams Led to condemnation again that guilty verdict On all men so also one act of righteousness That's Christ's life.

They leads to justification. He's being declared right. And it's not because of our righteous lives But because of Christ as the new head the last Adam was right for us and his rightness is counted or Fancy work imputed to us.

God counts remember God counts we believe. And finally verse 19 in case there is any more doubt that there are two heads who back for us by one man's disobedience. One man his disobedient Adams disobedience.

Many.

Were made sinners the rest of us were made sinners not just by it not by our own disobedience. Although we were disobedient, but that's beside the point here not by our own disobedience where we made sinners, but by Adams.

Disobedience where we made sinners we were seen by God declared guilty sinners by God because Adam acted for us in His sin as the rebel, but there's another revolutionary a second head. By the one man's obedience.

This is Christ the one man's obedience. Christ's obedience the many will be made. Righteous be declared right? You're right with God. Because of what you did because of what Christ did and that's attributed that's counted.

Imputed to you. So there's this objection. Well, that is not fair that we're held responsible for someone else's acting for us. Usually we're more. We're far more protesting having Adams guilt Adam sin counted to us than we are Christ's righteousness.

We kind of like the latter one. But the people support that that's not fair. I should stand on my own two feet. I should be counted for what I did and me only but that's but this is simply what scripture says.

Particularly this passage if we have an individualism that finds that hard to swallow instead of spitting out the Bible this change our individualism. The second is experience now this idea really isn't as hard to understand.

As we might like sure if I put it just so bluntly that you know, you are responsible for the sin of Adam. You think whoa, why? You know, you think I don't why should his guilt be imputed to me that sounds too hard.

We think it sounds unfair and we might protest but I think even if the individualistic Americans feel still. Feel themselves as part of a body of a group with a head and we know that if the president the Congress.

That is the heads of our nation. Decide that the United States will be a war with another country. Then we are a war with that country. We might disagree with it. We can say that they're wrong. That we should not have been a war with this country.

We shouldn't be a war with him. But we are a war whether we act like it or not because of the actions of our heads and If we protest enough we say well, I don't. I don't agree with that try to go to that other country.

Well first they probably won't let us in. Because I'll say no we're at war with you right? I'll let you in our country and if they do they'll probably think you're a spy. Because we're at war with you.

You're one of them you're under their head. You're a war with us and because your head declared war. So they'll be looking at you. Maybe detain you. Well, the third proof that God deals with us in groups under one head is the reality of death.

No, she says that's just part of what he's arguing here from verses 13 to 17 death spread to all men because why? It's going to that era when there was no law. Why were people dying? If they're just held responsible if you just held responsible for your own sin, you have no law.

You have no way to know that if you're sitting or not, why should you be? Why should you be killed? Why should you die? We've all sinned individually this is the way that some people think I've sinned individually.

I'm a detached autonomous being untouched by any other so one way. So I understand if I die for my sin, but I don't want to die for Adams that assumes then there's somehow a person Could manage not to sin.

From earliest childhood. This is a good boy or girl. Always does his duty always has a good attitude. Grows up never since enough self-control. This is this is the assumption that comes with that if I'm just held responsible I die only because of my sin then.

If I can do that if I could manage from the earliest never to sin. Then I would live forever, right? That's the road to eternal life. Just mustering up the discipline. To never sin, I mean if all if we if we all die because we sin I Individually sin therefore I die.

Then wouldn't that mean that if that if one of us just one of us could finally manage not to sin. Just raise what right a good attitude. They're always done doing the right thing that person that would then live forever.

But it never happens. Why does it happen. Because we're all guilty. Not just of our individual sins, but of Adams sins and if death is just a result of our personal sin. Then why sometimes tragically?

Again, I understand. This is what some people think they think I died because of my sin, but if that's the case Why are there some people? Who never had the opportunity to choose the sin? And so they die but they still die.

They die as fetuses or babies toddlers. They die before they've ever had a chance to personally sin to personally make a evil choice a wrong choice. Individually, they they've never been able to choose the sin, but they still die.

Right that happens. I.

Mean if death is only the result of each of us individually choosing to sin I died because I sin. Then how come people die. Who have it yet had the opportunity to choose sin. Why does that. Why does that happen.

Why are there infant deaths. If death is just for our individual sin. Well, of course the answer is death isn't just for our individual sin. Notice the first 14. Paul mentions that even those who live from the time of Adam to Moses died.

Before they even had a law that told them exactly what transgression was. They were still guilty. They still suffered the penalty of of sin they still suffered death. Why. Because of Adam's sin they send an atom.

In other words policy. Look people were dying even before Moses gave them a law to tell them that they were individually doing wrong. And death came to all people as in verse 12, not simply because they each separately chose to sin but because their head Adam chose for them.

Death is proof that they were condemned for Adam sin. Well, that leads to the fourth proof that God deals with us in groups under a head. And we that is that we all sin now. Why why does not even one person managed to live without sin.

Over six billion people in the world billions more have already lived and died. And yet never does one son or daughter of Adam. Managed to get it perfectly, right? Why?

And.

Surely if if there's nothing inherited from Adam, he's just kind of the first bad example. Surely out of all the billions of people someone would break from his bad example and got to go their own way.

No, I think I'm no. I'm not gonna rebel. I'm gonna submit to God and be a good person. Sure, if there's nothing inherited from Adam, there's no guilt of his attribute to us. There's no simple nature this passed down from him.

Surely a few rare people Would break from his bad example. Maybe they would be like maybe they'd be really rare like Olympic athletes. You can run the mile in under four minutes or the major league pitcher who can pitch a perfect game.

It would be rare and astounding but it should be possible, right? We don't inherit anything from Adam if if the only sin is individual sin, but it doesn't happen. There is no sinless son or daughter of Adam because they are all born.

We are all born with the guilt of Adam for the sin that he did on our behalf and the sinful nature That is passed down from him. Understand there's two things to get from Adam. There's guilt for his sin and there's Corruption that's sinful nature that leads us to our own sins.

Finally if we protest well, that's just not fair. It's just not fair that we have a sin that we Did not personally choose. Count it to us. You're held responsible. That's I didn't do it. Count notice in verse 14 that death reigned even over those who sinning was not like the transgression of Adam.

In other words, there are people who are better than Adam who Who didn't sin and the same kind of egregious? I don't have this open command of God donated that tree and he did it. Anyway, there are some people that didn't have that kind of Command from God who were better people than Adam and yet they still receive the condemnation of Adam because he was their head.

Now if We protest well, that's just not fair. Well, keep in mind that every time we sin We cast our vote without him. Maybe we wish Adam hadn't done that but every time we sin we sit we say that's what we wish.

Every time we sin we whatever sin we commit. Well, there's just in our thoughts or desires we say I'm with him. I'm a son or daughter of Adam. I'm going with that. I'm going with that guy. I to him a rebel against God and so our sins prove That we would have done the same so we have condemnation in verses 12 to 14 the opposite of justification and So we are sentenced to death and death is now King it's the dictator in charge.

It rules from the time of the sin of Adam. Our head death is ruling until the time when Christ our new head Puts it under his feet. Something he's already begun to do. It's what he demonstrated in his own resurrection, which we celebrate once a week every Sunday.

So we now live in that overlap time. That's why we come together every Sunday the day he was raised First day of the week to celebrate that we're in this overlap time the end of the reign of death is in sight.

Because Jesus was raised from the dead. But death is still reigning. And with Christ reigning also and promising that he will put that into me fully under his feet. Well second is the contrast. There are two heads.

Is Adam in Christ. Now if we think we can be our own person be separate be individualistic. We're just another of Adams rebels. We're just following his pattern.

Really?

We're really no different than the kid who takes up smoking our sags his pants because all the cool guys are doing it. But what Christ did is not like what Adam did in verse 15. They are contrasted. Adam and Christ are different from each other the effect of them both as the two heads on the human race are Contrasted in verses 15 to 17.

Three great contrasts in three verses there's the difference between the gallows and the nursery the difference between being found guilty and being declared innocent and finally the difference between two different kings King death and Christ Letting us rule alive.

Well first verse 15 the difference between the gallows, you know, we're condemned prisoners are hung executions are carried out and.

The nursery.

What what two different kinds of places could you could possibly more to be more different? The nursery where newborn babies are cared for such a vast difference. The free gift which is justification as being declared right with God through faith because of grace is not like is Contrasted to the trespass the sin of Adam.

Adam was told don't eat of that fruit. But he ate of it anyway, and so he trespassed he stepped over the line of God's command. Both affected many people but they were different in their effect. Adam's trespass brought The penalty for sin that condemnation death the opposite of justification the declaration.

Guilty and.

The sentence of our guilt is.

Death.

Christ's free gift in contrast to that.

Brought.

Justification that is being right with God declared the declaration not guilty and the result the opposite of execution life. Get grace and life. That's the difference between execution and a healthy birth the difference between life and death and.

Second in verse 16 the difference between being found guilty and being declared innocent. There's no middle ground and I got a half guilty. We're brought to God's court on suspicion of treason. We're charged with rebellion.

Sedition like our head Adam. Now if we remain with Adam with him as our head We're guilty and we will be condemned. If we have Christ as our head, then we will be declared innocent. Understand who is your head.

The result of the trial will entirely depend on who your head is.

The result.

The verdict on you Depends completely on who your head is. The results are not alike. He says God's judgment of Adam's trespass resulted in condemnation. Says sentence again of guilty opposite of justification sentence of guilty for all people.

That's the result of his sin. It's for all people for whom Adam acted serve they deserve punishment they deserve physical death now and spiritual death for eternity. But in contrast to that the free gift of Christ good life imputed that is counted to us resulted in Justification being seen right with God.

And so we walk away For justified from his court. We walk away from God's judgment. Free and innocent. Just if I'd never sinned or If Adam is our head condemned and change and shame all depending again.

All depending on who our head is. Third in verse 17. There's a great difference between the two different Kings. In other words who's in charge who's ruling here. There's King death and there's King Christ who's delegating to us rule and making us alive.

It's in verse 17 because of Adam's trespass death ruled as a king unimpeachable dictatorially with an iron fist. There's no exception. No one gets out of his rule. All die because of Adam's sin. In contrast to that He says much more verse 17 notice that much more death on the other side then much more much different and Now we'd expect him to say well life rules.

You think the analogy would be death ruling on the one hand and You think? It's a life on the other.

But.

Even better. For us anyway He says much more if we receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of being declared right with God. By faith that God counts us righteous and all we have to do is simply believe.

Much more Than being condemned declared guilty and sentenced to death. Much more. If we have Jesus Christ as our new head having acted for us his good life imputed counted to us.

Then.

Much more will we he says we reign will be the Kings and Queens in life raised from the dead like Christ ruling under him. Of course the difference is the diametrically opposed difference between being ruled over by the cruel dictator death or ruling ourselves under God.

But over.

Death.

That's as different as different can be. Adam and Christ are the two great revolutionaries and are as different as night and day as life and death. What they have in common is Then compared. Adam and Christ the two great revolutionaries are first contrasted and then Compared.

And what they have in common is what we touched on before but which many people have a very difficult time accepting. They have in common that they are the two heads Acting on behalf of all the people they represent.

For Adam That means that his one trespass and verse 18 brought condemnation and verse 18 again now I believe he is he is coming back to where he was going to start in verse 12. He's explained the background and now he's starting this this contrast again here a comparison also for Adam That means that his one trespass in verse 18 is one sin brought.