Romans 5:12 – 21 – Amazing grace

In Romans 5:1-11, Paul established that believers whom Christ has justified and reconciled to God are freed from the wrath of God. Hence they could live jubilantly and triumphantly. This could happen because Christ had completely reversed the effects of Adam’s sin. In this new section, Paul introduces us to the origin of sin as well as the means of grace. It was through Adam that mankind had inherited sin, death, judgment and condemnation. But now through God’s grace in Christ, believers receive the gift of righteousness, justification and shall reign in life.

Verses 12-21 divide itself neatly into three divisions. Firstly, in verses 12-14 Paul compares Adam and Christ. In these three verses we detect the similarity of both their acts. They both made a major impact on the lives of all men. Secondly in verses 15-17, we are told that while both of their actions impacted mankind in a major way, the results of each one is different. Adam’s act of disobedience brought curse upon the human race, whereas Christ’s obedience brought cure to humanity. He gave righteousness, justification and triumphant life to all who believe. Thirdly, in verses 18-21, Paul explains the work of Christ. While talking about the sin of man, he includes the role that the Law played, in relation to man’s sin and God’s grace.

To have a clearer understanding of this passage, we a need to know Paul’s usage of the term “sin.” Here he was not defining “the wrongful acts that man commits,” he was defining the principle of sin that operates in the life of everyone. Since Adam was the first man, the lineage of every human would be traced to him. Even before the Law was given through Moses, man since Adam had an inherent sinful nature. Everyone that had been born and ever will be born inherits that sinful condition and a natural drive toward evil.

Up till the Law given by Moses, man’s sin was only in his nature received from Adam. Sin was not imputed on them, for without the Law, every man was oblivious to his sin nature. But when God gave the Law through Moses, man’s glaring sinful nature became blatantly obvious. However, the purpose of the Law was not to solve the problem of man’s sinful nature. The giving of the Law had magnified man’s sinfulness. And it is in the magnification of man’s sinfulness that grace can be shown to surpass sin, and abound to men in righteousness and salvation. We know now that while the Law magnifies sin, Jesus Christ our Lord paid the penalty of that sin, and made available the grace of God generously to all who would trust Him. Hence, the Law was not given to deliver men from sin. It was given to declare men sinners so that Christ could deal with man’s sin, which was inherited from Adam. Believers who receive the more than sufficient grace of God and His gift of righteousness, shall reign in life through Christ.

Christ’s act was so supreme that it not only erased Adam’s transgression, but the sins that were ever committed by everyone who ever lived. If only we can understand how greatly Christ had rescued us, we will be restored to our reign. As we receive and dwell in God’s love through Christ, we will be enabled to live a reigning life. We must allow God’s affection to permeate every area of our life so that He can enable us to live and reign in life for His glory