Romans 5:15-19
Often when a new baby is born into a family, friends and relatives will start to observe and see if the little one has any of the looks or characteristics from their mother or father, or either side of the family. Will she have her father’s blue eyes and wavy brown hair? Will he have his mother’s dimples? In addition to physical characteristics, children often inherit other traits, such as athletic ability, love of reading, or musical talent. Unfortunately, there are negative traits that one can inherit, such as their father’s quick temper or their mother’s bitterness. DNA can pass on a tendency for diabetes, heart problems, or other diseases. In our passage from Romans today, we will see some things that we have inherited from our first father, and what we can receive from our Heavenly Father, as well.
Every human is a physical descendant of Adam. Just as we have received some physical characteristics and traits from our parents, we have received something passed down to us from Adam, and that is sin and its results. We all reap the results of Adam’s first sin in the Garden of Eden. We all inherit his guilt, his sinful nature, tendency to sin, and God’s punishment for sin, which is eternal death. All men bear the guilt of sin, and are therefore subject to death because they are Adam’s descendants.
That is rather sorry news to hear. However, that does not need to be the final sentence we receive. The good news is that when someone accepts Jesus as their Savior, they can receive forgiveness instead of judgment. They can trade their sins for His righteousness. They can now become a part of God’s family, and inherit everything from Him.
Adam committed one offense. He ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and now all are guilty. Today, we all commit many sins and offenses. Jesus bore the punishment for our many offenses, and His one act of obedience to God, His one act of redemption, brings salvation to many who receive it (vs. 16). Jesus’ one act of obedience and redemption is immeasurably greater than Adam’s one act of condemnation. Adam brought universal sin and death. Jesus brought salvation to whoever receives it (vs. 17). For those who have received Christ, they have received the gift of eternal life. They can be victorious over sins’s power over death, and have His power and protection throughout life and into eternity.
We see in these verses of Scripture several contrasts. We see that Adam’s sin caused all of mankind, his descendants, to inherit both physical death and eternal death. Jesus’ gift of grace, bringing eternal life, will go to all who accept it. Adam’s sin brought judgment and condemnation to all. Jesus’ act of obedience brings justification to those who believe. Adam’s disobedience brought a reign of death to earth. Jesus’ obedience brings life.
Paul, the human author of the Book of Romans, was a very learned and intelligent man. He had been schooled by the greatest minds of the day, particularly by Gamaliel, the great Jewish teacher of Paul’s day. Paul believed Adam to have been a real person, not a mythological character. So many today imply that Adam was just an early Hebrew myth, however Paul did not. The Word of God speaks of Adam as a real human being.
In closing, choosing to pay for something that we can have at no cost doesn’t seem to make much sense. Why pay for a sandwich if you can have one that is just as good for free? If someone gifts you with something free, why would you pay for it? Some people believe that a product they pay for is superior to anything that is free. This is why some have trouble with the free gift of salvation. They want to do something to earn it. However, no one could ever afford to pay for salvation. Jesus paid for our salvation with His Precious Blood, setting us free from the bondage of sin that we have through Adam. There is nothing we can or need to do for that. Any who receive Jesus and His gift, will have salvation from sin.
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