Bible Passage: Romans 5:12-21; Hebrews 2:15
Memory Verse: Romans 5:19
Objectives:
Memory Verse: Romans 5:19
Objectives:
- To understand that all people are under condemnation because of their natural relationship to Adam
- To know that believers possess salvation because of their spiritual relationship to Christ
- To make sure that the believer is spiritually related to Christ
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If we would try to classify the different kinds of people in the world today, how could we do it?
This lesson in Romans 5 shows another way of classifying people. This one is important for our understanding of God’s purpose in salvation both for ourselves and for the whole world.
Question: According to Romans 5:19, what are the two kinds of people on the earth? (sinners and righteous) Would you agree on this classification?
We know that all people or races have an ancestor. In the same way these two kinds of people each have a beginning. We will find these in the last part of Romans 5.
I. DEATH TO ALL THROUGH ADAM (Romans 5:12-19, 21)
A. A Sinful Nature (5:12-19)
Question: How did sin and death enter the world? (5:12)
As the human being, Adam became the head of the entire human race. Therefore, his sin affected not just himself but every one of his descendants.
Because of Adam’s sins, all men became sinners (5:19). This resulted in death to all (5:12). His sin brought God’s judgment and condemnation upon all (5:16).
In Romans 1-3, all who are born into the human family have sinned and so are under the wrath of God. Now we see what the cause of sin is. It is not that sometimes we do things that we should not. Nor is it that we have been trained wrongly. It is what we are by nature from our parents, our grandparents, and all the way back to Adam. We do not have the nature to be good as God wants us to.
Our sinful nature is the reason why we cannot become good by doing some good works or trying to obey some of God’s laws. Because our nature is self-centered it makes us selfish even when we try to do good.
We are sinners because we inherited this nature from Adam. We cannot change our nature by anything we do. What we need is a new nature. And this is what God has provided for us in Jesus Christ.
B. Reign of Death (5:14, 17, 21)
Three times in this passage Paul mentions another thing along with our inherited nature. This is the power that death has over man because of his sinful nature. Paul speaks of it as the “reign of death.”
To reign means to have control and power over a person. It is used of a king who has control over his people.
Question: How does death have control and power over man? (Hebrews 2:15)
Man was made for life, not for death. It was after man sinned that death came as the consequence. Therefore, man fears death. Because of this fear of death, people will do many evil things in order to avoid it.
Question: What are some wrong things people do in order to live?
It is especially in times of trouble like war and famine that people do terrible wrongs in order to live. We hear stories of how people have lied, stolen, betrayed their friends, and even killed in order to save themselves. Even in peaceful times, people are in bondage to the fear of death when facing sickness, fire or floods.
Because of Adam’s sin, the fear of death controls and reigns over all people. All are under this heavy bondage.
II. LIFE FOR ALL THROUGH JESUS CHRIST (Romans 5:15-21)
But God has not left us in our bondage and sin. He has provided a way of deliverance.
Question: According to Romans 5:19 how are we made righteous?
A. Righteousness Inherited Through Christ (5:15-19)
In comparing Jesus with Adam, Paul is trying to show that Jesus Christ is the beginning or head of a new race of people—those who are made righteous by God. Therefore, those who belong to Christ will inherit all that is good, just as all men have inherited all that is evil from Adam. For each evil thing that has come from Adam, God has given us much more in Christ to overcome the evil.
Question: What are the blessings Paul lists in 5:15-19?
Notice that this inheritance is ours not because of what we do but because of what Jesus has done (5:19). Again and again Paul says that it is a gift (5:15-17). Righteousness and life are given as a gift to those who trust in Jesus. He bought it for them by His death.
For example, suppose the only son of a rich man goes to college. There he makes friends with a student who is an orphan and poor. He learns to love this friend as a brother and longs to help him. Therefore, he asks his father if he will adopt this friend into their family. His father agrees because of his love for his son. The son also asks that his inheritance be divided with this friend. He wants all that he has to belong to this friend who is now his brother.
Now the poor student is rich. He has an inheritance which will meet all his needs. It is all his because of the son who loved him and was willing to share all he had with him. His present wealth and position are both gifts to him through the son.
Because of Christ’s faithfulness and obedience, God has given everything to Him. Now Christ is ready to share all that He has with those who belong to Him. All who are in Him become as rich as He is. Paul here says that we can reign as kings if we really know and understand this wonderful truth and live according to it.
B. Superiority of Grace over Sin (5:17, 18)
Paul in this passage also wants to make it clear that these blessings given in Christ are much greater than the evil brought by Adam’s sin. All the evil which has come into the world is simply the natural result of sin that has been passed on through descent.
But God’s grace is supernatural. Only God can give righteousness in the place of sin (5:17).
Only God can give freedom and pardon instead of bondage and condemnation (5:18).
Only God can give abundant life where there is death (5:18)
This truth has two practical applications for us.
1. Because God's grace in Christ is greater than all evil, then no sinner is too hopeless or helpless for Christ to save.
No problem is too great for Jesus to solve. All problems come as the natural results of evil. But God's grace in Christ is sufficient to bring life and righteousness into every situation.
2. The second truth is that we cannot pass righteousness on to our children. We can teach them to do good. But only God can give personal salvation to each person. We need to teach our children God's ways, but we must also teach them that they need to receive God's righteousness by faith in Christ.
Question: In the light of this truth that righteousness is the gift of God through Jesus Christ, what purpose does the law serve? (5:20, 21)
It is not another way of righteousness as some people think. Its purpose is to show man the wickedness of his sin so he will come to Christ for righteousness which brings eternal life.
This lesson in Romans 5 shows another way of classifying people. This one is important for our understanding of God’s purpose in salvation both for ourselves and for the whole world.
Question: According to Romans 5:19, what are the two kinds of people on the earth? (sinners and righteous) Would you agree on this classification?
We know that all people or races have an ancestor. In the same way these two kinds of people each have a beginning. We will find these in the last part of Romans 5.
I. DEATH TO ALL THROUGH ADAM (Romans 5:12-19, 21)
A. A Sinful Nature (5:12-19)
Question: How did sin and death enter the world? (5:12)
As the human being, Adam became the head of the entire human race. Therefore, his sin affected not just himself but every one of his descendants.
Because of Adam’s sins, all men became sinners (5:19). This resulted in death to all (5:12). His sin brought God’s judgment and condemnation upon all (5:16).
In Romans 1-3, all who are born into the human family have sinned and so are under the wrath of God. Now we see what the cause of sin is. It is not that sometimes we do things that we should not. Nor is it that we have been trained wrongly. It is what we are by nature from our parents, our grandparents, and all the way back to Adam. We do not have the nature to be good as God wants us to.
Our sinful nature is the reason why we cannot become good by doing some good works or trying to obey some of God’s laws. Because our nature is self-centered it makes us selfish even when we try to do good.
We are sinners because we inherited this nature from Adam. We cannot change our nature by anything we do. What we need is a new nature. And this is what God has provided for us in Jesus Christ.
B. Reign of Death (5:14, 17, 21)
Three times in this passage Paul mentions another thing along with our inherited nature. This is the power that death has over man because of his sinful nature. Paul speaks of it as the “reign of death.”
To reign means to have control and power over a person. It is used of a king who has control over his people.
Question: How does death have control and power over man? (Hebrews 2:15)
Man was made for life, not for death. It was after man sinned that death came as the consequence. Therefore, man fears death. Because of this fear of death, people will do many evil things in order to avoid it.
Question: What are some wrong things people do in order to live?
It is especially in times of trouble like war and famine that people do terrible wrongs in order to live. We hear stories of how people have lied, stolen, betrayed their friends, and even killed in order to save themselves. Even in peaceful times, people are in bondage to the fear of death when facing sickness, fire or floods.
Because of Adam’s sin, the fear of death controls and reigns over all people. All are under this heavy bondage.
II. LIFE FOR ALL THROUGH JESUS CHRIST (Romans 5:15-21)
But God has not left us in our bondage and sin. He has provided a way of deliverance.
Question: According to Romans 5:19 how are we made righteous?
A. Righteousness Inherited Through Christ (5:15-19)
In comparing Jesus with Adam, Paul is trying to show that Jesus Christ is the beginning or head of a new race of people—those who are made righteous by God. Therefore, those who belong to Christ will inherit all that is good, just as all men have inherited all that is evil from Adam. For each evil thing that has come from Adam, God has given us much more in Christ to overcome the evil.
Question: What are the blessings Paul lists in 5:15-19?
Notice that this inheritance is ours not because of what we do but because of what Jesus has done (5:19). Again and again Paul says that it is a gift (5:15-17). Righteousness and life are given as a gift to those who trust in Jesus. He bought it for them by His death.
For example, suppose the only son of a rich man goes to college. There he makes friends with a student who is an orphan and poor. He learns to love this friend as a brother and longs to help him. Therefore, he asks his father if he will adopt this friend into their family. His father agrees because of his love for his son. The son also asks that his inheritance be divided with this friend. He wants all that he has to belong to this friend who is now his brother.
Now the poor student is rich. He has an inheritance which will meet all his needs. It is all his because of the son who loved him and was willing to share all he had with him. His present wealth and position are both gifts to him through the son.
Because of Christ’s faithfulness and obedience, God has given everything to Him. Now Christ is ready to share all that He has with those who belong to Him. All who are in Him become as rich as He is. Paul here says that we can reign as kings if we really know and understand this wonderful truth and live according to it.
B. Superiority of Grace over Sin (5:17, 18)
Paul in this passage also wants to make it clear that these blessings given in Christ are much greater than the evil brought by Adam’s sin. All the evil which has come into the world is simply the natural result of sin that has been passed on through descent.
But God’s grace is supernatural. Only God can give righteousness in the place of sin (5:17).
Only God can give freedom and pardon instead of bondage and condemnation (5:18).
Only God can give abundant life where there is death (5:18)
This truth has two practical applications for us.
1. Because God's grace in Christ is greater than all evil, then no sinner is too hopeless or helpless for Christ to save.
No problem is too great for Jesus to solve. All problems come as the natural results of evil. But God's grace in Christ is sufficient to bring life and righteousness into every situation.
2. The second truth is that we cannot pass righteousness on to our children. We can teach them to do good. But only God can give personal salvation to each person. We need to teach our children God's ways, but we must also teach them that they need to receive God's righteousness by faith in Christ.
Question: In the light of this truth that righteousness is the gift of God through Jesus Christ, what purpose does the law serve? (5:20, 21)
It is not another way of righteousness as some people think. Its purpose is to show man the wickedness of his sin so he will come to Christ for righteousness which brings eternal life.
*******
MEDITATION
Through Adam we all have inherited a sinful nature. We are naturally in bondage to sin and death because we are a part of the great human family which has turned away from God.
But we can become a part of another family--the family of God. The head of this family is Jesus Christ. When we come to Him for salvation, we are accepted by God because of His Son. All that belongs to Jesus becomes ours by inheritance because we belong to Him.
If you want to learn to live like a king, think about this truth until the Holy Spirit makes it real to you. This is the secret to the abundant life which God has planned for all His children.
Through Adam we all have inherited a sinful nature. We are naturally in bondage to sin and death because we are a part of the great human family which has turned away from God.
But we can become a part of another family--the family of God. The head of this family is Jesus Christ. When we come to Him for salvation, we are accepted by God because of His Son. All that belongs to Jesus becomes ours by inheritance because we belong to Him.
- Do we realize the greatness of God's plan for the human race?
- Do we see our position in Christ and the greatness of God's love in accepting us in Him?
If you want to learn to live like a king, think about this truth until the Holy Spirit makes it real to you. This is the secret to the abundant life which God has planned for all His children.
Source:
Foundations of Faith (Romans 1-7)
PCEP Adult Bible Studies 2
Foundations of Faith (Romans 1-7)
PCEP Adult Bible Studies 2