April 9, 2018
Death in Adam
Romans 5:12-14
Natalie Holmes
Central Truth
We have all inherited sin and death through Adam, yet the ONE has come to give life.
Romans 5:12-14
Death in Adam, Life in Christ
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men 1 5:12 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women; also twice in verse 18 because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned 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.
Footnotes
[1] 5:12 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women; also twice in verse 18Dive Deeper | Romans 5:12-14
Adam is an historical figure, just like Jesus, and each plays a key role in sin's access to, and dominion over, the human race. Adam's decision to sin ushered in the human rebellion we repeat in our own ways. Conversely, Jesus' life, death, and resurrection created the gateway by which sin will ultimately make its exit from a position of authority over our lives.
Even before the introduction of the Mosaic law, no one was immune to sin's grasp from the time of Adam (verse 13). Although sin was not identified for what it was, people were not innocent in the absence of the law. In Romans 2:12, Paul states “For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law . . . .”
Sin and death physically and spiritually ruled over all. But God displayed His infinite glory through redeeming the sin of Adam. God’s plan demonstrates His amazing love, patience, grace, and justice in the history of redemption. The phrase “was to come” in Romans 5:14 reveals that, from the beginning, Christ was in God’s plan. Jesus was never an afterthought. God’s plan demonstrates Jesus’ total superiority to Adam and His sufficiency that covers Adam's insufficiency.
In these verses, we understand our inheritance through Adam—that of sin and death. Despite sin's inescapable existence in our lives, we also have the inheritance of a King—justification and eternal life through trusting in Christ.
This month's memory verse
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
– Romans 4:3
Discussion Questions
1. How does your gain through Christ compare to your loss through the fall of Adam?
2. Do you regularly recognize how living for Christ is infinitely better than living for the world?
3. What specific actions do you need to take to put to death sin in your life and to live more fully in Christ?