On August 6, 1945, one man, Harry Truman, ordered the atomic bomb dropped over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The death, the devastation, and the destruction that followed that event were unparalleled in history.
The atomic bomb changed the entire course of geo-political events, as every building within 4.7 miles of the epicenter was leveled instantly, as ninety-three thousand people died immediately, and three hundred thousand died eventually from the fallout.
One event, ordered by one man, resulted in devastation and destruction beyond comprehension.
In the same way that a singular event in 1945 shaped human history, so too, but even to an infinitely greater extent, did a single event, Adam’s failure in the Garden of Eden, change the course of human history forever. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve, deceived by the Devil, chose to eat from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, despite God telling them this is the one tree they could not eat from.
Adam’s failure in the garden created fallout and aftershocks that affected all humanity, even today.
At the end of Romans 5, Paul will show us how the peace we have with God and the peace we have from God that we discussed last week come to us despite Adam’s epic failure in the Garden of Eden.
If you are new this morning or have missed some of the messages in this series called The Gospel Unveiled, let me bring you up to speed. Paul has been addressing Jewish followers of Jesus in Rome who were insisting the non-Jewish followers of Jesus get circumcised and follow the law of Moses.
Paul is showing these Jewish Christians that we are declared righteous (justified) not by what we do, but instead only by believing or trusting that Jesus was God’s only Son, that He was sent by God the Father to die on the cross to pay the price for the sin that we are all guilty of but three days later Jesus rose from the dead, declaring publically that His sacrifice was sufficient to cover the debt we owe because of our sin.
And now, when we, in faith, come to God and trust this message about His Son, we have peace with God and peace from God.
Now that we are approaching the end of chapter 5, Paul will show how, despite Adam’s failure, God has done something amazing.
In Rom 5:12-21, Paul outlines four things that entered the world because of Adam’s failure.
Rom 5:12 (CSB)—Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.
This one man, the first man, is Adam. Because of Adam’s failure, Sin Entered the World. When Adam disobeyed God in the garden, he ushered in sin, bringing sorrow, suffering, and sickness. “Thanks a lot, Adam.” Some might think it’s unfair that we experience the repercussions of Adam’s rebellion. But when Adam represented us in the Garden of Eden, I guarantee he did better than we would have.
How would you do if you had to go a single week without sinning? Go seven days without thinking a bad thought, having a rotten attitude, saying an unkind word, or doing anything wrong. And if you can go one week without sinning, come and talk to me. I would love to shake your hand.
Second, because of Adam’s failure, Death Entered the World. Death came because of Adam’s sin—and now, every man must bow to death. People can say they think the story of Adam is a myth or that the Bible is full of baloney. But they cannot deny the fact that people die.
Ecc 7:12 (CSB)—and the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death all came because of Adam’s sin.
Rom 6:23 (CSB)—For the wages of sin is death …
Notice that Paul didn’t say, “The wages of sins are death.” No, he said, “The wages of sin is death,” referring to Adam’s sin. The reason we are dying physically and the reason we would be sentenced to eternity in Hell apart from the God that loves us, which is spiritual and eternal death, is because Adam failed. Adam’s sin brought death to everyone.
Rom 5:13-14 (CSB)—In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a type of the Coming One.
If you read through the Old Testament and take notes on every person you read about, you’ll see that, except for Enoch and Elijah, every person died. Did they die because of their sin, because they broke the law? No. Many of them lived before God gave the law to Moses.
If you took your new BMW for a drive on I84 at 100mph, it wouldn’t be long before you’d see flashing lights in your rearview mirror. But driving the same car at 100mph on the German Autobahn would be perfectly acceptable. Why? Because where there is no law, you can’t be arrested.
What Paul is saying is that because men died even before the law was ever given, it had to be Adam’s sin that caused death to come for everyone.
Rom 5:15 (CSB)—But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many.
When my girls were little, when I would travel, I would return home bearing gifts. Usually a stuffed animal. That is until Olivia stopped wanting stuffed horses and I started buying real horses.
Not only did Jesus come through for us, but He came bringing gifts to us. Understand this: although Adam caused problems and pain, sin, and death—Jesus brings us grace, the unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor of God. Grace is receiving something that we don’t deserve. It is a gift. The first Adam let us down, but the Last Adam—our Hero, our Champion, Jesus Christ—brings us grace.
Rom 5:16-17 (CSB)—And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
The third thing that happened because of Adam’s failure was Condemnation Entered the World.
It’s not just that we have received a death sentence because of Adam’s action, but we have received condemnation. We are condemned to spend eternity in eternal torment. In Revelation 20, the Apostle John describes the final judgment for all of humanity, those living and those dead. Those whose names are not found in the book “The Lamb’s Book of Life” will be sent to the Lake of Fire, a place prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Again, someone may say it isn’t fair that one man’s decision should bring this kind of condemnation upon all of us.
Think of it this way: President Biden wakes up and says, you know what, let’s get this Ukraine thing over with, and he gives the signal to launch nuclear missiles toward Russia, which, in turn, will cause them to send their missiles toward us—there would be massive destruction, and billions of people would be destroyed because of one man’s foolishness—which is precisely what happened when Adam failed us.
Rom 5:18 (CSB)—So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone.
Adam polluted us. Jesus purifies us.
Adam was a washout. Jesus washes us clean.
Rom 5:19 (CSB)—For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Finally, because of Adam’s failure, Sin Continually Enters the World.
Like a baby tragically born addicted to drugs because of the sin of its mother, we have been condemned because of Adam’s sin, and we continue sinning as a result.
Placing the blame for all of the sin in the world, all of the death of mankind, and all of the junk in my own life on Adam may seem overly harsh—but that’s the point Paul is making.
If all of these bad things happened because of one man’s disobedience, Adam’s disobedience, how much good could happen because of one man’s obedience? Jesus’ obedience to the will of His Father, HIs obedience to God’s plan, allows us to be declared righteous.
Rom 5:20-21 (CSB)—The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Everything that is wrong with the world today and with you, your family, and the people you work with is because of Adam’s failure.
Understanding this allows me to see myself and others in an entirely different light.
Whether it is a guy sitting in an Indian call center scamming the elderly out of their social security checks or a serial killer like Charles Manson—I am no less a sinner. And it’s all because of Adam’s failure.
Matt 9 tells about how Jesus went from town to town, teaching and healing every sickness and disease. In verse 39, it says this:
Matt 9:36 (CSB)—When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.
This is why, even though Jesus knew every person’s deepest, darkest sin, their true motives, their unforgiveness for one another, and all the broken things they carried around in their hearts, He could still look at the multitudes and have compassion on them—not crusade against them, march to get rid of them, or mobilize to neutralize them. He looked at the multitudes, and every time, He felt compassion.
When I finally understand that by one Man righteousness, justification, and grace came—I stop striving and struggling to prove I’m a notch or two above you, and I stop feeling bad if I’m a notch or two below you. It’s not about me; it’s all about Him. When I understand this, I stop being a worker and become a worshiper instead.
I fall into a trap when I think it is all about me and what I do. When I fall into that trap, my Christian experience will be characterized by me analyzing, scrutinizing, and condemning myself and others.
Salvation is not based on how much I know or what I do. It’s based only on one thing: God’s grace and goodness when He sent One Man, the Last Adam—Jesus Christ.
When we look around us, we can see the results of Adam’s failure: disease, brokenness, violence, and hate. If we can clearly see the desolation brought by Adam’s failure, how much grace can the victory of Jesus on the cross bring to our lives? If the failure of a single man can bring death, how much life can the Son of God bring to us?
The gift of salvation is a free gift offered to us by God’s grace. But like every gift, we must receive it. Many will turn their backs on the gift God offers, but perhaps God has been speaking to your heart this morning. You have sensed Him offering you this free gift. How do you take hold of the gift?
Rom 10:9 (CSB)—If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
I did this many years ago when I was a junior high kid. I did it by praying a really simple prayer. It’s not a prayer that saves you; there are no magic words, but the attitude of your heart that saves you.
You too can pray this simple prayer: God, I know I have sinned but thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to pay the price for my sin. I know He was killed on the cross but three days later He rose from the dead, victorious over death and sin. I believe this and receive your free gift of forgiveness and new life. Thank you God for loving me. Amen.
Chris Hankel 
Leave a comment