Adam's Sin. Romans 5:12-17

Adam’s Sin. Romans 5:12-17

 

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned Romans 5:12 (NKJV)

 

Though we do not like the idea of having to pay for another man’s sin; Adam does not deserve the blame. Adam sinned, doing what God told Him not to do and missed the target of holiness; however, he was deceived and being innocent he fell into the snare of the enemy.

 

Now Adam and Eve did not know good from evil; therefore, they did not know of the battle between God and the fallen angel, Lucifer. They were naive to the con that Lucifer used. They knew not to eat from the tree; however they did not know that their actions would cause such problem and if they had, it is doubtful they would have sinned.

 

Many scholars tell us that the book of Job could be the oldest book of the Bible and there we read of an encounter where Lucifer challenges God over the faith of Job. Perhaps a same type of encounter occurred leading to Adam and Eve eating from the tree.

 

That may have been the first time Lucifer challenge God; in casting them out of the garden, Lucifer is told that from their children, a death blow would be delivered to Him. This consequence was the result of challenging God and harming God’s creation.

 

Whatever the circumstances surrounded the trouble in the garden, Paul thought it important to make a point that by one man sin entered the human race and a sinful nature has been passed on to all humanity. As sad as that is, we can find good in all things.

 

(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. Romans 5:13-14

 

Without a law, there can be no breaking of a law. Therefore from Adam until the law was given to Moses, there could be no one found guilty of breaking a law. Yet even without a law to break, people still were subject to the curse of breaking the commandment in the garden. Through that one act, the penalty passed, generation to generation.

 

Yet as Paul established in the first chapter, where there is no law, God judges people according to conscious when they do wrong. All the immoral acts that led to the flood were brought before God’s eyes and judged unholy. Even after the flood the effect of sin continued. The Sinful nature triumphs on, tarnishing humanity.

 

But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Romans 5:15-17 (NKJV)

 

In this case I am glad that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. God was not going to allow Lucifer to destroy His creation. Too many people read the Genesis account and wonder how God lost control of the whole thing.

 

Could God have bound Lucifer, keeping Him from His creation? The answer is yes, God could have also made Adam and Eve without a free will. However, God’s desire is to have beings with free will that will not choose to sin. Thus the plan of God was enacted that included the garden, falling from grace, and a savior.

 

Therefore, Paul says that though many died from one man’s sin, through Christ’s death God will be able to join with His creation in a stronger bond; the enticement to sin will be gone and God will have a creation that respects holiness.

 

The best word used in this passage is “gift.” We often look at adversity, sickness, and death as being final, crewel, and mean. Yet this whole process that we have outlined, which started in the garden, is a gift; for what is better, a long life on earth or an eternity with God in heaven?

 

Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, was feely given to be mocked, demeaned, beaten, scourged, and nailed to a cross as a gift to us. All of the world’s sin was placed on Him; so black and nasty was our sin that the sky turned dark. Yet though He went to the depth of hell, God’s plan was to bring Him back; for He died without ever sinning.

 

By one man’s offence death reigned, and by one man’s death eternal life is given. We need only accept this for ourselves, believe on Him, and turn our lives to God.

 

 

 

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