Death through Adam, Life through Christ
By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music
Scripture reading Romans 5:12-21
5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all men, because all sinned-- 5:13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 5:14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 5:15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 5:16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 5:20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 5:21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Verse 12 Adam, the first man, the father of the entire human
race, who brought in death through sin. In contrast to Adam is Christ, the
second man (1Cor. 15:47), who brought in life through righteousness (vv.17-18).
Up to v.11 sins (plural) have been dealt with . From v.12 sin (singular) is
dealt with. It seems that in chapter 5 to 8 sin is personified. Sin is not
merely an action; it is like a person who can enter (v.12), reign (v.21), lord
it over people (6:14), deceive and kill people (7:110, and dwell in people and
cause them to do things against their will (7:17,20). It is quite alive (7:9)
and exceedingly active; hence, it must be the evil nature of Satan, the evil
one, who having injected himself into man through Adam’s fall, has now become the
very singul nature dwelling, acting, and working in fallen man. This indwelling,
personified singul nature is the root of all the outward sinful acts.
Death is the ultimate result of man’s fall. Man’s spirit was
deadened first, and eventually his body also died. Death and sin cannot be separated;
where one is, the other will be found. Furthermore, death is not only a physical
suffering in the future; it is something in which man is involved daily.
Verse
13 sin existed before the law was given, but it was not manifested to man or changed
to his account by God before that time.
Verse
14 Death is mentioned many times in Chapter 5 to 8 (vv.12,14,17,21;6:9,16,21,23;
7:5,10,13,24;8:2,6,38). Life also is mentioned repeatedly in these chapters (vv.10,17-18,
21; 6:4,22-23;7:10;8:2,6,10-11,38). These two key words form two contrasting lines
through chapters 5to 8, the line of life and the line of death, showing that man
is at the center of a triangular situation between God and Satan, life and death.
Thus, chapters 5 to 8 of Romans can be called the kernel of the Bible, showing its
entire theme ina concrete and detailed way.
From Adam to Moses was the dispensation
before law (without law); from Moses to Christ (John 1:17) was the dispensation
of law; from Christ’s first coming to the restoration of all things (Acts 3:20-21)
is the dispensation of grace; and from Christ’s second coming to the end of millennium
(Rev.11:15;20:4,4) is the dispensation of the kindom.These dispensations are used
by God to accomplish. His work of new creation in the old creation.
In this chapter the words transgression, offense, and disobedience
all refer to the fall of Adam, which consisted in his leaving life and choosing
death. Adam forsook the tree of life, which denotes God as life, to pursue the tree
of knowledge, which signifies Satan as the source of death (Gen.2:8-9,17;3:1-7).
Adam was the head of the old collective man (mankind). Whatever
he did and whatever happened to him is participated in by all mankind. In this respect
he is a type of Christ, who is the Head of the new corporate man, the church (Eph.2:15-16).
Whatever He did and whatever happened to Him is participated in by all the members
of His Body, the church (Eph.1:22-23).
Verse 15 Christ our Redeemer was fully a man and was fully God
as well. Grace with all its gifts abounded in the humanity of Christ. Grace not
only abounds and multiplies but also regins. Only a living person can reign.
Verse 16 Referring to the gift of righteousness, which we have
received. This indicates that the righteousness given to us by God is a gift.
Verse 17 Those who receive the abundant grace are able to reign
in life, for life issues out of the abundance of grace. The gift of righteousness
erases judgement. Judgment comes from sin, an righteousness comes from grace. Righteousness
always accompanies grace and is its result. Subjective righteousness comes from
grace and grace comes from objective righteousness (vv.1-2).
The Life we have received does not merely save us from a few
things, rather, it enthrones us as kings to reign over all things. This is much
higher than being saved in life. We have received righteousness objectively, but
we still need to continually receive the abundance of grace so that we can reign
in life subjectively. This reigning is defined in Chapters 6 to16; all the matters
expounded there are the issue not of our endeavoring but of our receiving the abundance
of grace.
In verse 17 Life here and vv.10,18,21; 6:4; and 8:2,6,10 refers to the eternal , divine, uncreated life of God (zoe), which
is Christ Himself as life to us (John 11:25;14:6;Col.3:4). It is different form
both our physical life (bios Luke8:14) and our soulish life (psuche-Matt.16:25-26;
John 12:25). This eternal life of God is the main element of the divine grace that
has been given to us and in this eternal life we can reign.
Verse 18 Christ’s righteous act of dying on the cross resulted
in justification of life. Verse 21 says that grace reigns through righteousness
unto life. These two verse show that life comes as the result of righteousness.
Life is the goal of God’s salvation; thus,
justification is “of life.”
Justification is not an end in itself; it is for life. Through
justification we have come up to the standard of God’s righteousness and correspond
with it, so that now He can impart His life ot us. Justification changes our outward position.Justification unto
life indicates that life is the focus of this chapter and tha the organic union
of life is an issue of justification.
Verse 19 Whether we are sinners or are
righteous depends not on our actions but on our inward constitution. Through his
fall Adam receive as element that was not created by God. This was the satanic nature,
which became the constituting essence and main element of fallen man. It
is this consitituting essence and element
that constituted all men sinners. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because
we are sinners. Whether we do good or evil, in Adam we have been constituted sinners.
This is due to our inward element, not our outward actions.
In contrast, Christ constitutes us righteous. When He, the living
God, comes into our being as grace, we are constituted righteous. He becomes the
constituting essence and element in us that can transform us from sinners into sons
of God. He alone is able to accomplish such a reconstituting work.
Verse 19 Christ’s death on the cross
was the highest expression of His obedience and was regarded by God a righteous
act (v.18)
Verse 20 The law causes sin to abound, that is, to become evident
and recognizable to man. In this way man’s sinfulness if fully exposed.
Verse 21 Sin reigns by the authority of death and brings in death
by its reign. Thus, a sinner must die. Righteousness is
the footing, the base, and the means for God to dispense Himself to us as grace.
This righteousness gives us the ground to claim Christ as our grace. By giving grace
to us. God manifests His righteousness. Furthermore, the power of this grace operates in us and produces subjective
righteousness, making us right with God, with others, and even with ourselves; and
it not only subdues sin but also overcomes Satan an death in our being. Thus grace
reigns through righteousness, resulting in eternal life.
Bibliography,
Friberg,
Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical
Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1st ed. Victoria BC:
Trafford Publishing, 2005.
King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The
world publishing company
Lee, Witness. The
New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles
C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible
Institute, 1986.
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