ROMANS 12
We begin this lesson in Romans 5:12 "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:"
Adam and Eve were created to live (not die). In the Garden of
Eden was the tree of life which would make them live forever, if they
ate of it. The tree of life is Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve sinned in
the garden, and God drove them out of the garden so that they would
not eat of the tree of life and live forever in their sinful nature.
Adam and Eve brought sin into the world: thus by one man sin entered.
The sin nature of man has to do with the flesh man. The flesh man is
controlled by the desires of the flesh. Man is a spirit who lives in a
body of flesh. Man has a free will to do with his life on earth as he
wishes. When the will is controlled by the flesh (as in Adam), then
the man is a man of flesh. If the spirit overrules the flesh and the
will of man follows the spirit, you have a spiritual man. All who
practise sin are of the flesh. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 4 tells
of these 2, spirit and flesh in a man.
Romans 5:13 "(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is
not imputed when there is no law."
Man chose to follow the flesh instead of God beginning with Adam.
It is impossible to break the law, however, if there is no law. If
there is no speed limit, you could drive a hundred miles as hour and
not be arrested. If the speed limit is 55 and you go even 65 you are
probably going to get a fine to pay. You would be breaking the law.
Until Moses, there was no law written down.
Romans 5:14 "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."
Instead of each person possessing life, they are facing death.
Adam brought death into the picture. And God could not allow them to
live forever in sickness, pain, and deterioration of body and mind.
God provides a way out of this terrible mess that man has gotten
himself into, by sending the second Adam (Jesus Christ). All have
sinned and come short of the glory of God. God sent us a Saviour.
Romans 5:15 "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."
Death reigned from Adam until Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ defeated
death when He rose from the grave. We see this statement above how
much greater Jesus' act of mercy than Adam's act of sin. By one man's
transgression sin entered. Jesus Christ actually took the sin of the
whole world upon His body and sin for the Christians died on the
cross. II Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him [to be] sin for us,
who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him." In I Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body
on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." The real story is
that Jesus paid our debt for us. We are˙bought and paid for with the
shed blood of Jesus Christ. He provides our righteousness. Jesus made
us righteous. We do not make ourselves righteous˙in God's sight. Jesus
made us righteous in God's sight.
Romans 5:16 "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."
God tells Adam in Genesis chapter 3 verse 19 that he is dust and
to dust he will return. This is the fate of all flesh. Flesh and blood
do not inherit heaven. I Corinthians 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren,
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption." The death that Adam brought was of
the flesh. Jesus did not just pick out some sins and die for that,
but in fact died for all sin.
Romans 5:17 "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.)"
This is just repeating, again, that through Adam sin ruled in the
flesh of man and brought death until Jesus Christ who defeated sin and
death, and brought life when He paid for all sin on the cross.
Romans 5:18 "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."
We read in I Peter 3:19 "By which also he went and preached unto
the spirits in prison;" You see the Lord was victorious when He went
to hell and he preached to the prisoners there and brought them out
with Him. Ephesians 4:8 "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on
high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." Ephesians
4:9 "(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended
first into the lower parts of the earth?" Ephesians 4:10 "He that
descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens,
that he might fill all things.)" We see from this that Jesus' purpose
in going to hell was not to suffer, but to deliver those in the
devil's captivity.
Romans 5:19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
These many who were made sinners, just means that through the
ancestry of Adam and Eve they knew sin. The natural thing for anyone
to do is to listen to the lust of the flesh. The opportunity and the
desire to sin was available to all. Each person did their own sinning.
We were not guilty because Adam sinned, but because we sinned.
Righteousness is made available to all mankind through Jesus Christ.
Again, we must accept His righteousness into our lives. He (Jesus) has
made it available for all of us, but we must act upon this
availability before it will bring life and righteousness into our
lives. I Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death
in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" We, too, must put our
flesh to death that we might live in His Spirit. Galatians 5:24 "And
they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts."
Romans 5:20 "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might
abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"
When God gave the law to man, it showed man how far short he had
fallen in God's ways. There was absolutely no way that fleshly man
could keep God's law. Man realized he needed a Saviour. Through the
grace of God, Jesus Christ became our Saviour.
Romans 5:21 "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might
grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ
our Lord."
Sin reigned until Jesus Christ destroyed sin on the cross. God's
grace (unmerited favor) to us provides eternal life to all who will
accept Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. We did not earn it, it is a
free gift. We can have life eternal, if we will only believe and
receive the Lord Jesus Christ into our life.
Notes
Questions 12
1. Sin entered into the world, how?
2. What was a byproduct of sin?
3. What percentage of mankind has sinned?
4. Who is the Tree of Life?
5. What does the sin nature of man stem from?
6. What do we find in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 44?
7, When is sin not imputed?
8. When is it impossible to break the law?
9. What reigned from Adam to Moses?
10. If all face death by one, how do we attain life?
11. What did Jesus defeat when He rose from the grave?
12. In 2 Corinthians 5-21, Jesus was made what?
13. Where does our righteousness come from?
14. Where do we find the Scripture that says (Who his ownself bare our
sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.)?
15. The judgement was to what?
16. The free gift is of many offenses unto ______.
17. In Genesis chapter 3 verse 19, God tells Adam he will return to
what?
18. What is this speaking of?
19. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 50, we read that something
cannot inherit the kingdom of God, what is it?
20. How shall we reign in life?
21. What do we read in 1 Peter ch.3 v.19?
22. Righteousness is made available to all in Jesus, what must we do
to receive it?
23. Jesus was put to death in the _____, but was quickened in the
_______.
24. What was the purpose of the law?
25. By whom does eternal life for each of us come?
Notes
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