Romans 5:12-21
One Man’s Gross Rebellion - Adam (vv. 12-14)
- Spread sin
- Spawned death
One Man’s Gift of Redemption - Jesus (vv. 15-17)
- Provided grace
- Purchased life
One Choice for All People – You (vv. 18-21)
- Judgment vs. justification
- Rebellion vs. righteousness
- Sin and death vs. grace and eternal life
More to Consider
Employing the concept of corporate solidarity, Paul explained that when Adam sinned all humanity was profoundly affected through that act of rebellion. There is a corresponding corporate solidarity in Christ. Whereas “in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Co 15:22). Therefore, Paul said later that “no condemnation” comes to “those in Christ Jesus” (Rm 8:1, emphasis added). So while the damaging consequences of Adam’s sin, including an inherited tendency to sin, were passed on to all of Adam’s descendants, justification likewise passes on to all who receive God’s gift of righteousness secured through Christ’s death (vv. 17–19). Note, however, that Paul did not teach universalism here. God forces His righteousness on no one; people must receive the offered gift through faith.
Ted Cabal et al., The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1688.
When the author walks onto the stage, the play is over. God is going to invade, all right; but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else comes crashing in? This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. That will not be the time for choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. C.S. Lewis.
Film maker Walt Disney was ruthless in cutting anything that got in the way of a story's pacing. Ward Kimball, one of the animators for Snow White, recalls working 240 days on a 4 1/2 minute sequence in which the dwarfs made soup for Snow White and almost destroyed the kitchen in the process. Disney thought it was funny, but he decided the scene stopped the flow of the picture, so out it went. When the film of our lives is shown, will it be as great as it might be? A lot will depend on the multitude of "good" things we need to eliminate to make way for the great things God wants to do through us. Kenneth Langley.
