Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the ultimate example of forgiveness and love. Let that love transform us, Holy Spirit. Help us to truly understand, not just with our heads, but with our hearts that works don’t earn Your love and that no matter how many good deeds we do, You won’t love us any more than You did when You died for us on the cross while we were still steeped in filthy sin. Wow, God. We love You, Jesus! WE LOVE YOU![1] Thank You for Your amazing grace! Amen
Main Scripture: Romans 5:12-21
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 (vs. 15)! 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 (vs. 17). But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (vss.20b-21)
Associated Scriptures:
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9).
Correlative Quotes:
Paul tells us that where that mountain of sin existed, grace did abound. He uses a different word here. This word "abound" means "to abound above measure; to overflow." The first word speaks of addition. One sin was added to another. The second word speaks of multiplication. God's grace was multiplied over and over again! Simply stated, once we were being crushed under a mountain of sin, now, in Jesus, we stand on a mountain of grace! Yes, sin abounded, but grace super-abounded![2] – Johnny Hunt
The reason for developing this comparison between Adam and Christ is to make clear that the root cause of our justification is the righteousness of Christ, the obedience of Christ, in the same way that the root cause of our condemnation was the sin of Adam – the disobedience of Adam.[3] – John Piper
The apostle Paul taught that by one man, Adam, sin entered the world, and death was pronounced upon all, for in Adam all have sinned. On the other hand, grace entered the world through Jesus, and a forgiven life and eternal life are available to all who believe. [4] – Lee Sheppard
Study:
Grace did not set aside the Law, but rather completely satisfied it. As deep as sin goes, God’s grace goes deeper. As wide as sin goes, God’s grace is wider. When sin abounded, grace super-abounded. God’s grace is greater than all our sin.[5] – Woodrow Michael Kroll
A certain poor man spent many years saving money to realize his dream of going on a cruise. When he finally saved the required sum, he bought a ticket. Knowing he could not afford the extravagant food on board; he took what he could afford—crackers and peanut butter.
After a few days of observing the other passengers eating luxurious meals, his peanut butter crackers became stale and tasteless. Desperately hungry, he begged a porter to allow him to work for food. “Why, sir, didn’t you realize meals are included with your ticket? You may eat as much as you like!”
Lots of Christians live like that man. Not realizing the unlimited provisions that are theirs in Christ, they munch on stale scraps. There’s no need to live like that! Everything we could ever want or need is included in the cost of admission—and the Savior has already paid it for us![6] – John MacArthur
Each of us has our own unique salvation experience. A time in our lives when we realized the free gift of life in Jesus. Whether or not we fully understand or have expressed it, we must realize that our salvation experience is the most important event that has ever or will ever occur in our lives.
Grace is truly amazing. We are rescued from the penalty that we have earned by following our sin nature, the eternal wrath of an all-powerful God, and by His grace, we are given eternal life in paradise as a free gift. WOW! How can that be anything but the greatest event that we will ever experience? It is beyond our wildest imagination.
Understandably, it does not happen without faith. However, even the faith that allows us to enter into God’s act of grace toward us is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our God is a God of love. Psalms 100:5 expresses this thought so well when it says, “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
God is good, all the time!
Summary Statement:
Paul explains clearly that we where all condemned by sin. Adam was the first to be guilty, but our nature is to sin and we have followed in his footsteps. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). However, Just as one man, Adam, was responsible for the death of all men, one man, Jesus, is credited with life for all men. Only Jesus could pay the penalty. Only Jesus was worthy.
Lessons within the Lesson:
How are justification and grace uniquely linked? See Ephesians 2:8-9.
What would best describe our hope? Read Galatians 5:5, Thessalonians 5:8-9, and 1 Timothy 1:1.
Describe God’s love for us using John 15:13.
Contrast the relationship between what happened in Adam with what happens in Christ. See Romans 5:15-17.
[1] Jonathan Fashbaugh, God’s Grace to Us as Sinners, Given Life John 10:10, givenlife.com/2011/05/gods-grace-sinners/.
[2] Johnny Hunt, How Paradise was Regained, © 2003 by Alan Carr, sermonnotebook.org/romans/Rom%205_15-21.htm.
[3] John Piper, Adam, Christ, and Justification, Part 4, , used with permission By John Piper. ©2015 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org.
[4] Dr. Lee Shephard, A Marvelous Gift, The Gift of Jesus: MyDaily Devotional, © by Thomas Nelson, All Rights Reserved, p. 240.
[5] Woodrow Michael Kroll, General Editor, Romans, Liberty Bible Commentary, © 1983 by The Old Time Gospel Hour, p. 2231.
[6] John MacArthur, God’s Sufficient Grace, © Grace to You, All Rights Reserved, March 2, 2003, gty.org/blog/B140919/gods-sufficient-grace.
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