Romans 5:12-14

Romans 5:12-14

By One Man Sin Entered into the World

Rom 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:

Rom 5:13  (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Rom 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.

1. Sin Came Into This World By One Man – vs. 12*
1. Was Adam a myth? – vs. 12a*

                                                              i.      If Adam was a myth and we do not believe the Genesis account than we cannot understand that sin, death and pain all came into the world at a fixed point and time through a certain individual. Without this understanding we are left with a cruel God who created man to live in an eternal state of suffering.

                                                            ii.      If there is a fixed point when sin and death came into this world through a certain individual than we have a reasonable explanation for all sin and death. A reasonable answer to the question: why does a good God allow suffering?

2. All descendants of Adam have fallen and are under sin’s curse. All humans in their natural state are separated from God for eternity because of their sin.

                                                              i.      Genesis 2:16-17 

                                                            ii.      1 Corinthians 15:22 

3. All men are guilty because of Adam’s sin.

                                                              i.      Romans 5:18 

4. All men lack original righteousness.

                                                              i.      Romans 3:10 

                                                            ii.      Ephesians 2:1 

                                                          iii.      Psalm 51:5 

5. All men are condemned because of their own sin as well.

                                                              i.      Romans 3:23 

                                                            ii.      Matthew 15:19 

6. All men, because of their sin, have lost communion with God.

                                                              i.      Ephesians 2:3 

2. Before the Mosaic Law There Was Sin – vs. 13a*
1. While the consciences of men convicted them of their sins; their sins against the law were looked on with leniency because they did not have direct commandment from God like Adam did. Paul is making a clear statement that our hope is not in moralism. Because all the law did was bring more conviction in our hopeless state without Christ. – vs. 13b
3. Before the Mosaic Law There Was Death – vs. 14a*
1. Men still died before the Mosaic Law because their consciences convicted them, but their guilt is not as bad as Adam’s because he directly disobeyed God’s command. The law or moralism cannot help us, it can only condemn us. Our hope must be in a Savior that can deliver us from the nature given to us by Adam. – vs. 14b*
4. The First Adam is not the End of the Story. Thank God we have a second Adam in Jesus Christ. – vs. 14c*
1. Condemnation and guilt was brought into the world by one man and deliverance can only be brought about by one man who is not under that condemnation. That man is Christ, He lived, died and rose from the dead so we can be defined by a new nature in Him.

                                                              i.      1 Corinthians 15:21-22 

                                                            ii.      Romans 6:23 

                                                          iii.      Romans 5:19-21