CCF: The Free Gift is Not Like a Trespass

Pastor Richard

Romans 5:12-17

People love good news, but what makes a good news good news? Simply because of the presence of a bad news. And what is the ultimate bad news of humanity? It's the excessive sinfulness of mankind as stated in Romans 1:29-32.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

We may try to justify ourselves that we are better compared to others, but this will never discount us from the sins we committed. The truth is, we were dead even before we even started.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned --Romans 5:12

The book of Genesis chapters 1-3, accounts how God created the heavens, the earth and everything on it including the first man. How Adam and Eve lived bountifully until they ate the forbidden fruit and everything were never the same again. The fall of man resulted to all of us being born dead and choosing to sin. Not one can claim not guilty because we all have sinned, thus we are all subject to the curse of death. With God being just, He deals with sin very seriously.

God made things clear to all of us through His laws and at the same time providing the antidote to death.

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law... But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! –Romans 5:13-15

While the first Adam failed the test in the midst of his abundance(Adam tested in the Garden of Eden), causing the death of mankind, God in his loving nature sent the last Adam through His son Jesus Christ who overcome in spite of His weakness(Jesus tested in the wilderness). So He could offer us a fresh start and a clean slate.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. – 1 Corinthians 15:22

Through Jesus, we are no longer subject to condemnation, for He has called us to be His family.

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! --Romans 5:17

God's abundant provision gave us a choice of eternal Life over Death.

Yes, we may have bad news that we are all born dead from the start. But the good news is, Jesus came to humanity and died for our sins so can live in righteousness with Him.  

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