Text: Romans 5:12-19
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
In my former life as a salesperson my boss was not fond of beards. I’d had a beard most of my adult life. When I hired in to work I had shaved and cut my hair which was quite long. My boss only knew me by the person he had hired who was clean shaven.
Fast forward a few years. My boss went on a vacation and would be gone three weeks and my beard began to grow. When he returned to work and I walked in forgetting the change in my facial appearance he looked at me and said:
“Russ … you got two days to get that – blank - off your face!”
I laughed at his comment and so did he but he laid the law down and the next morning I came in with a clean freshly shaven face.
I thought:
It’s his business and I should honor how he wants his business run and his employees to look and dress.
“Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience."
Thomas a Kampis.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men 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. (Rom. 5:12-13)
Since Adam and Eve and the fall, sin has been active in the world. God made a covering for sin:
21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. (Gen. 3:21)
There was a sacrifice … the skins came as a result of sin, a sacrifice was made and Adam and Eve were covered. So much for this transgression and the eating of the fruit … but so much has been changed.
23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen. 3:23-24)
What looks unloving – to drive man out of the garden and away from the Tree of Life – is, in fact very loving, because God here does not allow man to eat of the tree of life and live forever in his fallen state.
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. (Roman 5:14)
The Son of God Jesus was made righteous for you!
.
Years later my boss retired and his son bought the business. He desired to go to Italy with his family and was going to be gone a while. He put me in charge of paying the bills and overseeing the business. He expected that I would follow his lead and do what he would want done.
We had a new employee in charge of advertising. She was to be the one to place the ads and ready the radio commercials. We had a big sale coming up and it would begin the day after my boss returned. She showed me all that ads and what she had planned. It was terrible.
I had to decide. Do I use what she had created and let hope for the best and let it fail or do I do what I knew my boss would want and hopefully be successful?
I did what my boss would want. If it failed it was my fault but at least I followed what he desired. He returned and was pleased with what I had done and the sale was very successful.
But our relationship with God’s requirements is very different. While doing what God has instructed is very good … you can’t do it … not perfectly, at least, as God requires. Though we have His instructions and know his will, we can’t follow them; because of sin … death reigns.
Sin, death and the power of the devil have so corrupted this world once created perfect that God had to make a way out. We can’t please him or measure up on our own.
But the second Adam, Jesus Christ, is the solution to the problem of sin and death because:
15 … the free gift is not like the trespass.
16b For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, and the world fell into sin but the free gift following many trespasses, by Christ’s sacrifice, brought justification.
Because He became our substitute, and because He was without sin,
… the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Our Lord God, Jesus Christ, the one who was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil is the one who followed all of God’s instructions perfectly.
He had a command of the word because He is the Word of God made flesh … for you.
He is the word, the bread of life on which you can trust and live forever.
His guardian angels protect you and will bear you up and he himself, Jesus Christ passed the test in the wilderness … for you, so that, you can be made perfect by Him and in Him.
As Paul reminds us:
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Christ Jesus was obedient unto death and at the cross He brought you peace … peace again between God and man. The price had been paid and by His death on the cross for you - you are free! Free to eat once again from that Tree of Life and live forever covered in Christ’s righteousness.
The Son of God Jesus was made righteous for you and by Him you are righteous!
At times in this life we can meet the expectations of those we work for, serve, or have responsibility over. It is important to do all we can be responsible parents, guardians, and friends and loved ones caring and living for others as we would want them to care for us.
But, because of sin we often fall short and can never measure up to what God requires in obedience to his Law.
But, Christ was obedient to the point of death, death on a cross for you. He listened to the call of the Father to be the all sufficient sacrifice for sin so that you and I and all who receive this Good News by faith can have communion with God again.
He was obedient so that you and I can be forgiven in Him!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men 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. (Rom. 5:12-13)
Since Adam and Eve and the fall, sin has been active in the world. God made a covering for sin:
21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. (Gen. 3:21)
There was a sacrifice … the skins came as a result of sin, a sacrifice was made and Adam and Eve were covered. So much for this transgression and the eating of the fruit … but so much has been changed.
23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen. 3:23-24)
What looks unloving – to drive man out of the garden and away from the Tree of Life – is, in fact very loving, because God here does not allow man to eat of the tree of life and live forever in his fallen state.
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. (Roman 5:14)
The Son of God Jesus was made righteous for you!
.
Years later my boss retired and his son bought the business. He desired to go to Italy with his family and was going to be gone a while. He put me in charge of paying the bills and overseeing the business. He expected that I would follow his lead and do what he would want done.
We had a new employee in charge of advertising. She was to be the one to place the ads and ready the radio commercials. We had a big sale coming up and it would begin the day after my boss returned. She showed me all that ads and what she had planned. It was terrible.
I had to decide. Do I use what she had created and let hope for the best and let it fail or do I do what I knew my boss would want and hopefully be successful?
I did what my boss would want. If it failed it was my fault but at least I followed what he desired. He returned and was pleased with what I had done and the sale was very successful.
But our relationship with God’s requirements is very different. While doing what God has instructed is very good … you can’t do it … not perfectly, at least, as God requires. Though we have His instructions and know his will, we can’t follow them; because of sin … death reigns.
Sin, death and the power of the devil have so corrupted this world once created perfect that God had to make a way out. We can’t please him or measure up on our own.
But the second Adam, Jesus Christ, is the solution to the problem of sin and death because:
15 … the free gift is not like the trespass.
16b For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, and the world fell into sin but the free gift following many trespasses, by Christ’s sacrifice, brought justification.
Because He became our substitute, and because He was without sin,
… the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Our Lord God, Jesus Christ, the one who was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil is the one who followed all of God’s instructions perfectly.
He had a command of the word because He is the Word of God made flesh … for you.
He is the word, the bread of life on which you can trust and live forever.
His guardian angels protect you and will bear you up and he himself, Jesus Christ passed the test in the wilderness … for you, so that, you can be made perfect by Him and in Him.
As Paul reminds us:
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Christ Jesus was obedient unto death and at the cross He brought you peace … peace again between God and man. The price had been paid and by His death on the cross for you - you are free! Free to eat once again from that Tree of Life and live forever covered in Christ’s righteousness.
The Son of God Jesus was made righteous for you and by Him you are righteous!
At times in this life we can meet the expectations of those we work for, serve, or have responsibility over. It is important to do all we can be responsible parents, guardians, and friends and loved ones caring and living for others as we would want them to care for us.
But, because of sin we often fall short and can never measure up to what God requires in obedience to his Law.
But, Christ was obedient to the point of death, death on a cross for you. He listened to the call of the Father to be the all sufficient sacrifice for sin so that you and I and all who receive this Good News by faith can have communion with God again.
He was obedient so that you and I can be forgiven in Him!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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