Jesus is Better than Adam
This is an exegetical sermon from Romans 5:15-17. It examines the differences between Adam and Jesus and explains the implications for our lives. This sermon was originally preached by Pastor Justin Bragg at The Resolved Church in San Diego, CA. Audio unavailable.
.
.
The Resolved Church | www.theresolved.com
(619) 393-1990 | contact@theresolved.com
All Rights Reserved © The Resolved Church
Permissions: you are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material provided you not alter the wording in any way and you do not charge a fee. For web posting a link to this document is preferred.
::The Resolved:: 08.27.06
Justin Bragg “Jesus is better than Adam” Romans 5:15-17
Life is full of comparisons and ratings
When I was a kid – schoolyard conversations:
“My dad is better than your dad. My dad can beat your dad up”
The rolling stones are a great band, but the beatles are better – and led zeppelin is the best
Santana’s’ california burritos are better than aiberto’s
Everything is not equal. Some things are just better than others.
American spirits are a far superior cigarette than camels and marlboros
For the past 2 weeks we have begun looking at Paul’s discussion of comparing Adam and Christ here in Romans 5:12-21
At the end of verse 14 Paul declares that Adam is a type of Christ – who is the one to come
A type: figure, form, pattern, example
How? And here we are looking for the similarity
– Both were conceived/created without sin
– Both appointed by god to be representatives of all men
– Both became heads of particular bodies of people – descendents
– Both had covenants made with them by god
– Both passed on to their descendents the effects of their disobedience or obedience
Adam and Christ are similar. There is a comparison
But and here is where we get into our verses 15-17
Verse 15 begins with a huge but.
Yes Adam and Christ are similar, but…
Here we declare with Paul, and with sir-mix-a-lot, the almighty “but”
“I like big butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers can’t deny”
“But [yes, Adam is a pattern of Christ, but] the free gift is not like the trespass
The free gift that results from Christ [justification] is not like the judgment that results from the trespass of Adam – how? Why?
Take a step back
At the beginning of the section Paul started to develop an important comparison: [v 12]
“therefore just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…
At this point, obviously Paul intended to go on with something like we find in v 18:
“… so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”
But his thought is interrupted. He can’t get there yet, more must be said. Vv 13-14 go on to explain death and sin in all men because of Adam’s sin
And vv 15-17 indicate that Paul had something further to say before resuming his thought,
“I can’t give the impression that the parallel of Adam and Christ holds true on every level… there are differences just as great as the similarities. Christ is better.”
Look at the contrasts in this paragraph:
– trespass versus gift
– Death versus eternal life
– Condemnation versus justification
– One versus many
– Sin versus righteousness
– Adam versus Christ
The contrast: you see it in the words “not like” at the beginning of 15 and 16
15 – “Free gift is not like the trespass
16 – “Free gift is not like the result of the trespass”
Again, this morning, how is Christ not like Adam?
Yes there is a similarity and correspondence – but the similarity and correspondence serve to highlight the difference and superiority of Christ and his work.
The point is not – Adam / sin / condemnation / death are different from Christ / righteousness / justification / life – that’s obvious – we don’t need 3 versus to say that.
Here’s the point: let’s say that Adam / sin / condemnation / death equal (-10)
And Christ / righteousness / justification / life are the counterpart that equals (+10)
This shows that Adam and Christ correspond, but are different
But that is not what is happening here.
Yes there is a correspondence, but the positive side is not just the equalizer of the negative side. The work of Christ does not just balance the work of Adam – leaving us at zero.
Christ and his righteousness and justification and life are much more than Adam and his sin and condemnation and death.
Christ is not a positive 10, he is a positive 10 million
This is what we need to see this morning. This is what I believe so many of us are missing – it’s not just that our debt has been wiped clear – it’s so much more – you and I are millionaires in this life if we receive Christ and his righteousness and justification and life.
– but more on that in v 17 – first, let’s look at each of the three verses – because each verse has a major point to support the claim that Jesus is better than Adam
V 15
First notice the words “the one” and “the many.”
Verse 15b: “for if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of god and the free gift by grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.”
Many are in Adam and many die because of one man’s transgression.
Many are in Christ and many experience grace because of the one man’s grace.
Judgment came because of one man; salvation comes because of one man.
There was one way for all men to fall – in Adam.
There is one way for all to be saved – in Christ.
It’s the singularity of Christ – his grace and righteousness that we need to see and treasure.
Major point in verse 15. What is the contrast that Paul wants us to see?
What is it in verse 15 that is not parallel between Adam and Christ?
Verse 15 begins, “but the free gift is not like the trespass.”
Seems too obvious to repeat here.
The free gift refers to the gift of righteousness, according to verse 17, and, of course, the gift of righteousness is not like the transgression.
Righteousness and transgression are opposites. Is that all Paul wants to say? I don’t think so. What he wants to say is that when trespass and righteousness are contrasted, righteousness – the grace that gives it – is far more certain and far more preeminent than transgression.
You can see this in the next half of verse 15 that begins with “for.”
“For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more [crucial phrase!] Have the grace of god and the gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many.”
Paraphrase verse 15a like this: “but we should not merely say, ‘as the trespass of one, so the gift of one.’ no. We should say: ‘as the trespass of one, much more grace and gift of one.’”
What does “much more” mean? “If many died . . . Much more will grace abound to many.”
Look back to verse 10 for the answer.
“For while we were enemies we were reconciled to god by the death of his son, much more, now that we are reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
“Much more” in Paul’s mind is a “much more” of certainty, not a much more of quantity.
“Much more [certainly], having been reconciled, shall we be saved.”
So it is here in verse 15.
“for if many died through one man’s trespass, much more [certainly] have the grace of god and the gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many.”
Why is the grace of god for sinner more certain than the judgment of death that follows trespass?
Here’s why – god’s ultimate purpose is not judgment but the display of the glory of his grace.
I could show you this from Ephesians 1:3-6, where Paul says that the aim of all history is “the praise of the glory of god’s grace.”
I could show it to you from Romans 9:22-23, where Paul says that god endures vessels of wrath in order to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy.
Or I could show you from Romans 8:20-21, where Paul says that judgment came upon creation with a view to a greater hope than judgment: “for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of god.”
And here it is in Romans 5:15: if judgment followed Adam’s trespass, it is “much more” certain that god’s grace abounded and will abound, because judgment is not god’s ultimate purpose in the universe.
Rather – and this is the major point – the ultimate purpose of god in creating and governing the world the way he does is the display of overwhelming grace – not to the exclusion of the display of justice and judgment and wrath, but against that backdrop.
The display of the glory of his grace is god’s ultimate purpose in the world – and here the stress falls on the fact that all of this comes through “the one man, Jesus Christ.”
The glory of god’s grace is the glory of Christ applied to all who are in him.
All of history – all of its sin and redemption – is about the glory of the grace of god in the one man Jesus Christ.
That is the meaning of history. That is the main point of verse 15.
V 16
Here is another statement about how Adam and Christ are not alike.
“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.”
First, notice, in the last half of the verse, that the “free gift,” which is the “gift of righteousness,” according to verse 17, “results in justification.”
“The free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.”
There is a foundation for justification – “the gift of the righteousness” of Christ,
Or, as verse 18 calls it, “the one act of righteousness,”
Or, as verse 19 calls it, “the obedience of the one.”
Justification is not merely a new relationship with god, or a new status before god, hanging in the air.
It is a new legal standing on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, or Christ’s obedience. “The free gift” is not itself justification; it is the foundation of justification.
We are declared righteous on the basis of the free gift of righteousness – Christ’s “righteousness” (verse 18), Christ’s “obedience” (verse 19).
When we read the gospels and see our lord living out a perfect life of righteousness, he’s not only is giving us an example of how to live, but he is also laying the foundation for our acceptance with god by grace through faith alone.
What is the contrast that Paul sees between the work of Christ and the sin of Adam?
He says, “The gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin”
So we know he is still talking about how Adam and Christ are not alike.
Then the explanation: “for the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.”
Here’s the contrast: one trespass (of Adam) leading to condemnation versus many trespasses (of all of us) leading to justification.
What’s the point?
Again to display the greatness of grace reaching further than the display of judgment. How?
Condemnation is a natural and fitting response to trespass.
If a sign is posted on a fence surrounding a field reads: “trespassers will be shot” – then you really can’t complain if you get shot at while walking through the field.
But justification is not a natural or fitting response to a trespass, let alone many trespasses.
So there are at least two things that grace has to overcome for justification to exist:
One is that trespass calls for condemnation; and the other is that many trespasses calls for great condemnation.
God’s grace triumphs over both obstacles by providing a substitute righteousness.
Because Christ was righteous for us, god can now justify us in spite of many trespasses.
Take courage here. Look at your faith. He is not just rambling. You’re supposed to think something here and feel something here. Think the truth about the greatness of the grace of god and the free gift of righteousness that Christ provides for all who trust him. Feel the sweetness of god himself reminding us in these words that the great number of our past sins is no obstacle for god to justify us.
There is a “free gift” that “results in justification” – the gift of Christ’s righteousness.
That’s the big idea of verse 16: god’s grace triumphs over many trespasses – not just one – because he provides a substitute righteousness for us in Christ.
V 17
Finally, verse 17. “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.”
When Paul says “those who receive the abundance of grace” in verse 17b, he implies, that there are those who do not receive it.
In other words, “the many” in verse 15 who die because of Adam’s sin and the many who experience god’s grace are not the same group, for all humans are in Adam, but not all are in Christ. – some receive the grace and some do not.
What’s the major point of v 17?
Look carefully. He does not say, “if death reigned through one [Adam], much more will life reign through Christ.” He does not say that we exchange rulers over us: death for life. That is good, but he says more. He says that some day through Jesus Christ, we will move from being ruled by death to becoming ourselves rulers in life. Verse 17b: those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”
2 Timothy 2:12: “if we endure, we will also reign with him”
The final declaration of the supremacy and glory of god’s grace in this text is that it takes sinners like us who receive his grace and makes us kings and queens in the age to come.
It is almost too good to be true.
And if you believe it, if you humbly rest in it, this glorious truth will change your life
Dwell on this. Your inheritance is to reign like a king or a queen in the presence of god. Revelation 3:21: Jesus says: “the one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne.”
Remember when I was talking about this scale of Adam and Christ – how Christ is not just the equalizer – but so much more? Here it is. Those who receive the grace. Those who follow Christ – will reign in life through him. What does this mean?
We’re talking the boys and girls in the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe
We’re talking about royalty – and what does that mean?
To reign in life. This isn’t some prosperity – health and wealth message.
I am not telling you that if you receive the gift of Christ’s righteousness that you will become rich and prosperous in this life. This isn’t a plea to run for congress.
What I am trying to tell you… what Paul is trying to tell you – is something profound about how you understand salvation.
We need to stop reducing Christ and Christianity to this abstract, legal transaction only, intangible thought that looks good on paper. It’s so much more. There are promises here. Promises that will change your life – if you will only search and discover their truth and beauty.
