The grace of one man, Jesus Christ

"The grace of one man, Jesus Christ" – (Romans 5:15-21) The first is a great contrast between Adam's transgression and Christ's gift by grace. By the transgression of the first man, many died. All of them, the descendants of Adam. Death here can include both physical and spiritual aspects.

I. Grace and gift abounded far more for men.

A. The gift is the marvelous manifestation of God's grace.

1. The gift is the manifestation of God's grace "abounding for a race of sinners."

2. It is made possible by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ.

3. It was a sublime grace of Him to die for His rebellious creatures.

4. Through His sacrificial death, the gift of eternal life is offered to "the many."

5. The two "many" in this verse does not refer to the same people.

6. The first "many" includes all who became subject to death as entombed in Adam's transgression.

7. The second, many, means all who become members of the new creation of which Christ is the "Federal Head" (Law).

8. It includes only those to whom God's grace has abounded, namely, true believers.

9. While God's "mercy" is "poured out upon all," His grace is appropriated (righteous, proper) only by those who trust in the Savior.

10. (16) There is another important contrast between Adam's sin and Christ's "gift."

11. In only one sin, Adam's, he brought about the inevitable "judgment" and the verdict was condemned.

12. Christ's gift, on the other hand, dealt effectively (able, effective, efficient) with many transgressions not just one and resulted in the verdict (judgment) of Acquittal.

13. Paul highlights the differences between Adam's sin and Christ's gift, between the terrible tragedy occasioned by "one sin" and the enormous deliverance wrought from condemnation and guilt for many sins, and finally between the verdict of condemnation and the verdict of justification.

14. (17) For the transgression of one death reigned as a cruel tyrant.

15. But by the "gift of righteousness" in "abundance of grace," a gift of grace overflowing, all believers will reign in life through one Jesus Christ.

16. What grace we have here!

17. Not only are we freed from the reign of death as tyrant over us, but we reign as kings, enjoying life now and eternally. Wow!

18. Brother: Do we really understand and appreciate this?

19. Do we live like royalty in heaven by grace or do we groan among the heaps of garbage in this world?

20. (18) Adam's "transgression" brought condemnation upon all men, but through one act of Christ's righteousness, one, to all men justification of life.

21. Christ's righteousness was not the Savior's life or His observance of the law, but "His substitutionary death" at Calvary.

22. This is what brought the justification of life, that is, the justification that results in life and brought it to all men.

23. The two "all" in this verse does not refer to the same people.

24. The first all refers to all who are in Christ.

25. This is clear from the words in the coming verse, those who receive "an abundance of grace" and of the gift of righteousness.

26. The gift is to be received by faith.

27. Only those who trust in the Lord receive justification of life!

28. (19) By Adam many were sinners because they were disobedient to God, "the many" were made sinners, so also by Christ's obedience to the Father the many who trust in Him are declared righteous.

29. (20) The law was introduced so that sin might abound.

30. The bad and the good are marked, so there is already a mark; you do it well or badly, already pointed out because the word must reprove.

31. He revealed sin as a transgression against God.

32. But God's grace proves to be greater than all human sin.

33. Where sin abounded, God's grace abounded even more at Calvary.

34. (The law) did not save from sin, but it is revealed in all its terrible character.

35. (21) Now that the reign of sin is over, with its punishment of death upon all men, grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

36. We will bear that grace reigns through righteousness.

37. All the demands of God's holiness have been satisfied, and the penalty of the law has been fulfilled, so that God can now grant eternal life to all who come through the merits (worth) of Christ, His Substitute; there is no longer a law. Amen