HOW CAN I BE RIGHTEOUS? THE ISSUE OF BIRTH

We have been studying the cornerstone of our Christian foundation which is faith righteousness. Previously we looked at the first four chapters of the book of Romans and how Paul explains this most important truth. Today we shall begin studying Romans 5.

When talking about righteousness many of us think about a moral standard to adhere to or a set of dos and don’ts. However as we have already seen, righteousness, especially the one that God wants is not just merely what you do or don’t do. It is who you are and who you have inside you. In this chapter is a beautiful expose on this particular truth.

For the purpose of this study we shall begin with verse 12. However in the near future we shall return and deal with the first eleven verses in detail. Let us dive right into it;

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” Rom5:12

Note 1: Through one man (Adam) sin entered into the world and death entered through sin. Before sin there was no death. Death is the result of sin. God did not create us to die and go to heaven, it is sin that brought death with it. In Christ God has destroyed sin and death forever.

Note 2: This sin then spread to all of us who were born out of Adam. This is how we became sinners without doing anything wrong. We were born sinners, we were born with a nature that was already sinful, a nature that Adam became when he believed the serpent’s lie and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It is not our actions that made us sinners, it was our nature. Likewise it is not our actions that make us righteous, it is our nature. How we are born.

“For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” Rom5:13

Note 1: This is a powerful scripture. Even though sin was introduced by Adam in the garden, God did not impute sin unto people until the law was introduced by Moses thousands of years later. God wasn’t punishing people for their sins before the law came.

In fact what appear to be exceptions to this like God destroying all flesh with a flood in Noah’s time and burning up Sodom and Gomorrah were pictures of the Cross of Christ and of His mercy towards mankind. It was necessary for God to destroy them because of the threat they were to the existence of mankind and to His eternal plan in Christ. Sexual perversion was at its extreme and if God hadn’t done something about it there would have been no virgin years later to give birth to Jesus.

The flood and the fire and brimstone were acts of judgment on a few individuals but acts of mercy to the entire human race. God destroyed a few to save the rest of mankind. This is just like when a surgeon will cut off a limb or an infected organ to save a patient’s life.  If he/she doesn’t act decisively and severely then the cancer in this part spreads to the rest of the body and eventually kills the person. The people in Noah's day and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were so evil and vile that they were like a cancer that had to be cut off. They had to be terminated for the sake of the human race.

A good illustration of this is when God drives Adam and Eve out of the garden. Religion would tell you that it was because God was angry and punishing them for their sin by driving them out of His presence. And yet the scripture has a different testimony. Gen3:22-23 tells us that the reason He drove them from Eden was to keep them from eating of the tree of life and living forever.

“Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.” Gen3:22-23 ESV

Instead of this being a punishment it was actually an act of mercy. Imagine what it would have been like for man to live forever in a sinful body, subject to all the emotions and diseases that sin brings. Imagine suffering cancer, HIV or any of these terrible diseases forever. Or being disabled, maimed, blind, and deaf and all this terrible stuff forever with no hope of ever recovering or dying. Imagine being an addict forever. All these terrible things that sin has produced in our lives we are confident that in physical death they lose their hold and power over us. We don’t suffer them in heaven. If Adam and Eve had eaten of that tree of life after committing their sin then we would have no hope of this. We would live with sin and sickness and deformity and pain forever. We would never be able to escape from this body of death.

Note 2: We see so many other sins that He overlooks. Cain murders Abel and yet God places a mark on his head to protect him; Lamech murders a man who had wounded him and boasted about it. Gen4:23-24, Abraham lies about Sarah twice and yet God protects him and even calls him a prophet Gen20; Jacob lies to Isaac and gets the blessing and yet God meets him and blesses him and promises to be with him forever Gen28:10-22 and so many more.

Now we in the New Covenant have returned to this place, God is not imputing our sins upon us and so is not punishing us for them. Instead He has blessed us with all His blessings. Eph1:3

"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.” Rom5:14

Note 1: If it is true that God was not imputing people’s sins upon them and punishing them until He gave the Law of Moses then why were men dying? Death was supposed to be the wage of sin according to Rom6:23. Why were people dying if their sins weren't being counted against them?
The answer to this question is quite important. 

Sin has a twofold effect. It is first a transgression against the law of God and secondly an inroad of Satan into our lives. Rom6:16 warns us that if we yield to sin, we also submit ourselves to Satan, the author of that sin.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

This is the reason people were dying even though God was not judging them yet. The devil who according to Heb2:14 had the power of death at that time was causing people through sin to die. He worked death into their lives as they sinned and gave him access into their lives. As Jesus said in Jn10:10 satan the enemy was stealing, killing and destroying.

As a result, the more sin increased and multiplied in men and on the earth, the life span of man decreased. Death was being worked into people by satan because of the effects of their sin.
This is important for us the New Covenant believers to understand because even though God doesn't judge us for our sins, sin is still deadly to us. God will not judge and punish us if we sin but satan will seek to harm us and destroy us through those sins. We shouldn’t live holy in order to avoid God's wrath, but so that our enemy the devil won't have any access to us to harm us and destroy us.

Note 2: ‘… who is a type of Him who was to come.’
This is one of the most important statements in the entire bible. It is one of the most amazing statements Paul ever makes in all of his writings. Understanding what he says here greatly helps us to understand and interpret the purpose of God for man as revealed in the life of Adam and Jesus.

It tells us that Adam was a type, a figure, a foreshadowing, a pattern, an example of Jesus who was to come later. In other words, GOD USED ADAM TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO IN JESUS LATER.

In the same way that Adam represented all people, Jesus also represented all people. This is why 1Cor15:45-47 calls Adam the first man and Jesus the second man, the last Adam. What Adam did, he did on behalf of all mankind. What Jesus did He did on behalf of all mankind. Everybody was represented in both men. We shall look at this in greater detail.

“But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.” Rom5:15-16

Note 1: The phrasing of these two verses is very strange. Paul uses the phrase ‘not as… so is’ to compare and contrast different situations. Today none of us talk like that. As a result we don’t fully appreciate the precious truth Paul is communicating. This language was used to compare two similar things which have very different impact and magnitude. A good example of this is if I say “Not as a cup of water, so is the Ocean” or “Not as a candle, so is the sun” They are similar in that they both contain water or give light but they are very different in that one is so much greater than the other in its content, impact and magnitude.

The impact Adam had on us is similar to the impact Jesus has on us. But the impact Jesus has on us is so much greater and more powerful than what Adam ever did. Adam is like a candle and Jesus like the sun. Adam is like a cup of water and Jesus like the ocean itself. This is absolutely awesome!! What Jesus has done is so much greater.

The average Christian has fully accepted the truth of inherited sin from Adam, but either rejected or ignored the truth of inherited righteousness from Jesus. Paul is emphasizing that if one is true, then so is the other. These truths are like the two sides of a coin. Every coin must have a heads and a tail side to be true. If you accept one truth, you have to accept the other as well.

If you accept that you inherited Adam’s sin when you were born, then accept that you inherited Christ’s perfect righteousness when you were born again.

Note 2: There are five comparisons between verse 15 and 19 concerning Adam and Christ but they are opposite comparisons. Adam's sin changed everything from good to bad, but Jesus through the Cross changed everything from bad to good. The results of their actions are similar in influence and yet extremely different in impact.

In the same way that Adam was able to pass sin and its consequences on to his descendants, Jesus has passed His righteousness and all its benefits to His descendants the Christians.

In the same way that the offence of Adam made all men (everybody) sinners. Now the obedience of Christ makes all men (everybody) justified and righteous. The free gift came upon all men (everybody) unto justification of life.

Note 3: The gift being referred to here is the gift of God’s righteousness that has been freely given to all that believe in Jesus. Adam disobeyed God and caused condemnation, judgment and death to pass to all men. Jesus on the other hand obeyed God and has caused the grace of God to abound unto all men. This grace has availed unto us mercy and justification as free gifts. ADAM CAUSED DEATH, JESUS HAS CAUSED LIFE.

The righteousness of God is given to us freely as a gift. We do not pay for it, we do not earn it, we do not deserve it. God just gives it to us freely because we believe in Jesus. How can this be? How can God just make us righteous without our works? In the same way He made Jesus suffer and pay for our sins without Him ever sinning. He does it by His grace. Through the Cross God has made Jesus our substitute and punished Him fully for all our iniquities. In the same way now, God has given us His righteousness and made us righteous.

“For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” Rom5:17

All those who have been born of Adam have death reigning as a king in their lives. However for those who are in Jesus and receive abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness; they will reign MUCH MORE in life than death ever did. In other words, the impact grace will have on you is so much greater than the impact sin and death ever had on you!

The reason we are not committed to pursuing a full revelation of God’s grace and righteousness is because we underestimate the impact it will have on us. When you understand that the grace of God will totally and completely transform your life, then you begin to pursue it with your whole heart. You need to understand that this is the solution to all of your problems. This verse says that those who will receive the abundance of grace and righteousness will reign as kings in life. Do you want to reign as king? Receive abundant grace and righteousness.

“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” Rom5:18-19

Note 1: Many of us think that it is our individual sins that made us sinners and drew the judgment and wrath of God but that is not true as we have already seen. This scripture clearly states that Adam's one sin made all men sinners and brought God’s judgment and condemnation to all of us. It made all of us sinners by nature. We were born sinners and under judgment and wrath because of Adam’s nature which was our nature. We were born like that.

As a result, anyone trying to obtain righteousness through obeying the law and behaving well is totally missing the point. Even if a person was able to stop sinning completely, he could not change his sin nature which he was born with. It would be useless. There is only one solution to this sin nature problem. You must be born again. The solution is birth. New birth.

Note 2: In the same way that we became sinners by birth, we are now righteous by birth. In the first birth we had Adam’s sinful unrighteous nature; in the 2nd birth when we get born again we have Jesus’ holy and righteous nature. This really is not a matter of works and behavior; it is a matter of birth and nature.

Verse 19 says that by Adam’s disobedience we were all made sinners and now by Jesus’ obedience we have all been made righteous. If you believe the first one that you were born a sinner, then believe the second one that you were born again righteous! You have been made righteous because of the obedience of Jesus Christ. Not by your obedience. Believe the Word of God.

IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE WERE BORN SINNERS BECAUSE OF ADAM, WE ARE NOW BORN AGAIN RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF JESUS.

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom5:20-21

In the past sin had power and reigned as king over you leading to death, now grace reigns MUCH MORE than sin ever did. Previously sin had influence over us, now grace has MUCH MORE influence over us. Sin created in us habits, tendencies and addictions that were binding and terrible; But now grace is MUCH MORE powerful and able to destroy all those bondages, habits and addictions. THERE IS NOTHING SIN DID TO YOU THAT GRACE CAN’T UNDO, DESTROY AND OVERCOME. WHAT YOU NEED IS TO RECEIVE ABUNDANCE OF GRACE.

SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

As we conclude I want us to look at the closing verses in Romans 6 as Paul lays this to rest forever. We shall be able to study Romans 6 more fully in our forth lesson but I wish to concentrate on these few verses for now.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom6:16-23

Servant of sin-free from righteousness

Note 1: When you were a servant of sin, no matter how many righteous things you did, you were free from righteousness. Whatever righteous thing you did was not imputed to your account. Because you were free from righteousness. God did not consider it as true of you. You were free from righteousness. Your master was sin. Only sin could be imputed unto you. Only sin could be considered as true of you. You were bound and tied to sin. That is what it means that you were a servant of sin and free from righteousness

Note 2: A lost person can’t be saved by the righteous things they do because those things are not imputed to their account. They are free from righteousness. Only sin is a true and accurate description of them. Only sin can be imputed unto them. It is their true nature.

Servant of righteousness- free from sin

Note 1: When you got born again, you became a servant of righteousness and free from sin. Whatever sin you commit or unrighteous thing you do now cannot be held to your account or imputed unto you. This is because you are free from sin. God does not consider it as true of you. You are free from sin. Your master is righteousness. Only righteousness can be imputed unto you. Only righteousness can be considered as true of you. You are bound and tied to righteousness. This is what it means that you are a servant of righteousness and free from sin.

Note 2: A saved person can’t be damned or condemned by the sins they commit because God doesn’t put those sins on their account. They are free from sin. It doesn’t mean that they never sin, it means those things are not held to their account. They are free from sin. Only righteousness is a true and accurate description of them. Only righteousness can be imputed unto them.

This is amazing. My prayer to God is that our hearts will be established upon these truths. That these wonderful truths will become deeply ingrained in us and upon them a solid foundation will be built. This my friends is the power of faith righteousness. May God establish us in His Truth. Amen.

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