Romans 5:12-17

Rachel Workman: ¹² 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—

¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

This verse paints a dramatically different picture of God, than religion usually records. We see that God had pronounced judgment upon Adam and Eve immediately after the fall in the garden. They were kicked out of paradise and left alone to toil upon the earth until they died in their sins. However, Paul makes it perfectly clear that God did not credit sin to the accounts of men from the time of Adam to the time when Moses received the law from God. In fact God operated in grace and mercy from the very beginning of time, the same way He deals with us today by the blood of Jesus. 

What this verse doesn't mean is that those who've never heard of Christ are exempt because we are judged by the laws that are written on our hearts. 

¹⁵ 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! ¹⁶ Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ 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!

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John Burnett:  ⁶ For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous man; ^[a]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Jesus knew He was going to have to die as a sacrifice for our sins before we were born, even before He created human beings. He knew the plan and willingly came to this earth and endured the punishment we deserved.  ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified ^[b]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Satan has fooled this world into thinking there is no hell or it’s not really not as bad you might think.  There is a hell and it is where God will pour out His wrath on sinners who refuse to put their trust in Christ. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved ^[c]by His life. We are his enemies but He died for us anyway.  That is amazing grace and we do not deserve any of it.  ¹¹ And not only this, ^[d]but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

¹² Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned  This is not the argument Satan used when convincing Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of life.  He said, “Surely you will not die.”  Eve didn’t even know what dying meant because they were perfectly created and there was no sickness and death when God created Adam and Eve. —¹³ for ^[e]until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  Interesting verse here that I will have to study some more.  The way I read it is, sin is not held against a person living in a system where there is no law.  ¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a ^[f]type of Him who was to come.

¹⁵ But ^[g]the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. ¹⁶ The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression^[h]resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions ^[i]resulting in justification. ¹⁷ For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.  God’s grace overpowers not only Adam’s sin, but every sin ever committed.  What I don’t understand is why people insist on paying the price for their sin, when Christ has already paid the price.  They love their sin more than they love their Savior so they refuse to be saved.  Thank you Lord for opening my eyes so that I could see how much I need your saving grace and your mercy poured out on me through your death on the cross.

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Monday’s reading for Romans 5:18-21

¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

²⁰ The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.