Romans 5:12-21:
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus Christ and Adam were types of each other, not in they way they acted, because Jesus never disobeyed God. They were types in that both represented many. By Adam’s disobedience, death passed to all. But by Jesus’ obedience, righteousness has now come to all. In essence, both acted as federal heads over many.
Because Adam sinned, a death sentence is passed upon all men. We were born into Adam and had no choice about it. We have the nature of the flesh to deal with because of Adam. Again, we had no choice. When Adam disobeyed, we disobeyed. When he fell, we fell. When Adam partook of the forbidden fruit, we also partook. The entire human race was put in jeopardy and on trial because of the disobedience of one man.
However, we are given a choice to be in Jesus Christ. It is the gift of righteousness. When Jesus Christ was crucified, we were crucified with Him. When He died, we died with Him. When He was buried, we were buried with Him. When He arose, we arose with Him. When He was quickened, we were quickened with Him. Now we have been made to sit with Him in heavenly places.
By one act of faith, everything is retroactive to the cross—everything Jesus Christ accomplished, we were with Him. Spiritually we have been given eternal life. But our natural birth is retroactive all the way back to the first Adam. When Adam died, the sentence of death was passed on to us.
We were in Adam, but now we are in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:22:
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
2 Corinthians 5:17:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The moment we are in Christ, everything we were in Adam is gone. Our spirit has been born again and one day we will receive a resurrection body, just like Jesus has already received. On that day our salvation will be complete.
John 3:7:
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again..
The word “must” means there is no other alternative. Acts says there is no other name given among men under heaven whereby we must be saved, than through the name of Jesus Christ. There is only one way to salvation. There are not a number of roads that lead to heaven; only one. It is through Jesus Christ. Man cannot redeem himself. Man does not have the ability within himself to be born again. He must look outside himself. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we are redeemed—born again.
The day we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, God sees us as if we were never in Adam. This is called justification. Everything from the past is wiped away and we stand free!
Genesis 1:26:
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
For six days God has been restoring the earth. He has raised up the plant life, put animals on the earth, and now He is going to make man and at the end of the sixth day, place him in the garden.
There are two words that are key in this passage of Scripture. The first is image. It refers to man’s spirit. The second is likeness. It refers to man’s body.
When we are born again, God looks inside us at our human spirit and sees Himself. God no longer sees our sin because He sees Himself and in God there is no sin. When God looks at our spirit, He sees Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Our human spirit has been recreated back into the image of God Himself, as it was originally in the garden.
Not only did God say He would make man in His image, He also said He would make man in His likeness. The word likeness indicates in our body we are similar to God but in our spirit, which is in His image, we are like God Himself.
People often wonder what God looks like. He looks like a human. Of course, God is not a human. He is a spirit, but He is not just some vapor floating around the universe. He has form. The Bible tells us He has hands and feet. It also tells us He has hair, eyes, and nostrils. Again, he is not a man that He should lie, but He possesses the attributes of man. The Bible tells us God sits on a throne. If God is a vapor, how could He sit?
In the chapters that follow, God gave man the job of keeping the garden. He was given the task of naming the animals. And then woman was formed so Adam would have a help meet. God instructed Adam that he could eat of every tree in the garden with the exception of one—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:17:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
In the Hebrew of this passage, the word “die” appears twice. That is the reason the English reads “surely die.” The Hebrew literally says, “In the day that thou eatest thereof, dying (present tense) thou shalt die (future tense).” This covers both parts of man—his spirit and his body. The moment Adam ate of the fruit, his spirit died instantly. Then death was placed into his body and Adam eventually died physically. Adam and Eve had no children until after the fall.
Genesis 5:1-3:
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
God both created and made man. Adam was made in God’s image and likeness but Seth was made in Adam’s image and likeness. Seth represents every person ever born since the time of Adam with the exception of the Lord Jesus Christ. All humans were born in the image of Adam, which has been passed down from generation to generation since the birth of Seth.
Every time a child is born in this earth, that child is born in the image of his or her parents. The image into which every person is born goes all the way back to Adam himself.
It is impossible for you to save yourself. You cannot do it. You are born in Adam. Even though Adam begat children, those children were born in death with the sin nature and with the nature of the flesh. Humans cannot begat children who are born again.
Often, when people are asked “Are you a Christian?” they will respond, “Well, I was born into a Christian family.” They do not realize they were born in the image of Adam. Only God begets Christians and he recreates each person individually, just as He originally created Adam.
No human can save another human. Even associating with the godliest Christians will not cause a person to be saved. All people can do is point an unsaved person to the One Who is able to bring salvation—point them to Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:3-6:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Verse 3 begins with “Among whom” which is a reference to the world and the sinners around us. The word “conversation” means “manner of life.” The phrase “in times past” is a reference to the time before we were born again. “By nature” is a reference to physical birth. Physical birth indicates you were by nature the children of wrath, just like every other person born on the face of the earth!
But through receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were “quickened”—made alive! And not only were we born again, we have been seated together with Jesus in heaven! And not only were we seated with Jesus in heaven, through Him we will rule and reign in life!
Under Satan’s dominion we were oppressed. Hebrews 2:15 says, “…through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” But once a person is born again, they have broken out of the bondage that once held them and are seated with Jesus Christ in heavenly places!
Romans 5:13-14:
(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Verse 13 says, “sin is not imputed when there is no law.” This literally means, “in the same manner.” No one has ever sinned like Adam and no one ever will again. No one! The only person who had the potential to sin like Adam was the Lord Jesus Christ, but He did not sin. Adam became a sinner because he sinned. Since that time, no other human is a sinner because he or she sins. Since the fall of man, every person born is a sinner because they were born in sin. Adam became a sinner because he sinned but all others since that time sin because they are sinners.
When Adam was created, he was created perfect—spiritually alive. He was in communion and fellowship with God and walking in a perfect world. But through disobedience he became a sinner.
Jesus was born into this earth without sin through the virgin birth. He was spiritually alive. He had the choice to sin, but He never sinned. The Bible says Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. Jesus Christ was the only man ever born into this earth Who had the capability of redeeming us from the sin and death that resulted from the fall of man.
Verse 15 is a comparison. Adam was a type of Him that was to come. Adam disobeyed, but Jesus did not. They are types in that Adam’s choice to disobey and Jesus’ choice to obey affected many.
Romans 5:15-17:
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift of grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Adam’s transgression brought condemnation but Jesus’ obedience brought redemption from all sin. Adam disobeyed God and brought only one consequence on man—condemnation. But the obedience of one man—Jesus Christ—brought redemption from every sin man has ever committed!
Notice verse 17 says we can “receive abundance of grace.” Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound! Where disobedience brought one result, obedience brought a multitude of results!
Before you were born again, death reigned. If you do not know Jesus, you cannot reign. As long as another sits on the throne of your life, you cannot reign until that one is removed.
The moment a person is born again, God kicks death from the throne of your life and places you there. “Well, I thought Jesus sat on the throne.” Verse 17 says the one who receives “abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” will reign in life through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is on the throne, but if you have received Him as your Lord and Savior, you are seated right beside Him. Jesus is essence says to you, “Now you can truly have dominion and authority in your own life. Death is no longer an enemy. Satan has been placed under your feet and you are a victor through Me!”
Believers should never fear death. Death is a promotion. The sinner should fear death. For the sinner, it is like there is a wall and what is on the other side of the wall is an unknown. But for the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” The believer can look death in the face say, “I conquered you through Jesus Christ. Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory. I’m going on to be with Jesus Christ and I will be with Him for eternity!”
We don’t start living when we get to heaven. We start living the moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! The sinner is already in death and will carry that death into eternity. But on the day we are born again, death is changed to life and that life will continue into eternity!
Because of Jesus Christ we now rule and reign in life as kings!
Romans 3:24-25:
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Another word for “propitiation” is the word “satisfaction.” When the Bible says God was propitiated, it simply means He was satisfied. The sacrifices of the Old Testament never satisfied. The sacrifices may have appeased God for the moment, but they did not satisfy Him. Neither did the law satisfy God. The law could not redeem—it couldn’t save. Every time a person tried to keep the law, they failed and it brought condemnation to them. Even today, if a person who is not saved tries to keep the law, if they do everything in their strength to please God, they will fail. Every time a person tries in their own strength not to do something wrong, they will fail. When you try to keep the law, it will condemn you because you cannot keep it.
The only time God was completely satisfied was when Jesus Christ went to he cross. He died, was buried, rose form the dead and became our propitiation.
Why is God satisfied with me? Because Jesus lives in me and God is satisfied with Jesus! When God looks at my heart, He sees Jesus sitting there. He sees Jesus on the throne. He sees Jesus in resurrection power and therefore, He is satisfied with me.
Verse 25 says, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness…”
“To declare” means to speak it out with the mouth. The moment a person is born again God declares, “Bob is righteous! Mary is righteous! Suzie is righteous! Jim is righteous!” God called your name out and declared you righteous because you are now in Jesus Christ, Who is righteous! We share His righteousness!
Romans 3:26-28:
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Romans 3:31
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Not only did God declare us righteous the moment we were born again, so did the law that we have been trying to keep! The law we tried to keep—all the good we tried to do and the sin we tried not to commit—the instant we receive salvation, the law also stands up and declares, “You are righteous.”
The law taught salvation by faith. The purpose of the law was to expose sin as the culprit and reveal Jesus Christ as the answer! The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. But after we come to Christ, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. After we are born again the law says, “That is what I’ve been trying to do—show you righteousness by faith.” God has declared us righteous in heaven and the law declares us righteous on earth!
XII. The Meaning of Righteousness
What exactly does righteousness mean? When a person becomes righteous, God sees that person as if he or she has never sinned—as if they were never in Adam and as if they were always in Jesus Christ!
God declared us righteous from the foundation of the world. When we are born physically, we go back to Adam. But when we are born again, we go back to eternity past where God said, “I declare you are righteous through Jesus Christ!”
If you like this outline, check out Trading Places: Lessons in Redemption at the BYM Store.
Copyright 2009 by Bob Yandian Ministries.
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