Dive into an in-depth exploration of Romans 5 with Colin Cook as he delves into the profound narrative of reconciliation. This episode invites you to look beyond personal salvation and see the global scope of Christ’s act of redemption. From understanding how humanity was drawn back to God while still sinners to uncovering the universal application of Jesus’ sacrifice, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of grace and mercy. Each verse and passage guides us to the central message: the salvation that encompasses the whole world.
00:14:05 Closing Thoughts and Broadcast Information
SPEAKER 01 :
So last time, well, the day before Christmas, we talked about needing to see the larger picture. Paul, in Romans chapter 5, talks about when we were still without strength, ungodly, sinners, and enemies, Christ reconciled us to his Father. It’s an incredible story. expression or statement that we were brought back to God while we were still enemies, while we were sinners and ungodly. That’s Romans 5, verses 6, 8, and 10. But I urge you not simply and not only to look at that in regard to your own personal salvation, the fact that you were drawn back to God while you were still an enemy, so that even in all of your struggles, you can say to God, Oh, Father, even though I’m a sinner and I acknowledge my sin and I am sorry for my sin, I thank you that you have reconciled me even before I have overcome everything. And even though that is a truth that you can apply to yourself, you need to see it in the broadest meaning, which is that Paul is referring to the whole world. For the whole world are sinners. The whole world are ungodly. The whole world are without strength, and the whole world are enemies towards God. And yet he has reconciled us. and then goes through the process of drawing the people to himself. Now, you may ask myself, well, how sure can we be of that, Colin? And the answer is the very next section, which is the high point, in my opinion, of the gospel in the book of Romans and is probably the high point of the Bible anywhere. It is an astonishing passage. Let me read some of it to you. I won’t read it all. Therefore, as through one man sin entered the world—and then, of course, death through sin—and then Paul says—there’s a gap, I’ll come to that later— But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense, this is Adam, of course, many died, that’s everybody died, of course, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to many. So the many or the all who died are Those same people, the many or all, receive the grace and gift of that grace by one man, Jesus Christ. And verse 18 says, therefore, as through one man’s offense, that’s Adam’s, judgment came to all men resulting in condemnation, even so through one man’s righteous act, that’s Jesus Christ’s righteous act of dying on the cross for us and rising again, the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life. So this is a passage about the salvation of all the world. It is a passage that makes it very, very clear that when Paul was talking about us being without strength and ungodly and sinners and enemies, Christ died for us, he was talking not simply about those who have already come to believe, but the whole world who will come to believe, because the whole world… are rather without strength and ungodly and sinners and enemies. Do you see then where this is going? So let’s go into some detail now. Paul in verse 12 says, therefore, well, let’s stop right there. Therefore, Why is he saying that? Whenever you see therefore there, you have to ask yourself, well, what previous passage is he connecting with the present one that he’s about to start? And the previous passage is, of course, the one we were talking about a moment ago and that we studied the other day. That when we were without strength, when the world was without strength, in due time Christ died for the world of ungodly people. Verse 8 says, But God demonstrates his own love towards us, towards the world, in that while the world was still sinners, Christ died for the world. Verse 10, For if, when the world were enemies, the world was reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, the world having been reconciled, shall the world be saved by his life. Now, I’m switching the word world there for we, because the context justifies it. Paul is talking about all humanity. The plan of salvation in the great mercy of God, whose mercy endures forever, is that he is going to bring the world back into his home. Now, verse 12, Therefore, just as through one man, Sin entered the world. So notice, just as. What does that imply? It implies Paul’s making a comparison. First of all, just as through one man sin entered the world. So who was that one man? That was Adam. Adam brought sin and death into the world. I think we can know that he repented of it because God told him of the plan of salvation. Skins were made to cover their nakedness. Where did those skins come from? Obviously, that implies a sacrifice. A sacrifice was made, typifying the sacrifice of Christ to come. So then, just as one man through one man’s sin entered the world, if that’s a comparison, then what is it a comparison of? Well, it’s not, first of all, a comparison of similarities, is it? It’s a comparison of opposites. One man brought sin and death into the world so that everybody sinned and died. and one man brought righteousness and life into the world so that everybody will live. That’s the comparison. It’s not a comparison of similarities. It’s a comparison of opposites. It’s comparing the opposite effect, but nevertheless the universal application of both Adam and and Christ. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned, and then he goes into a sort of diversion for a minute, in a parenthesis, for until the law, and let’s, by the way, notice what this parenthesis is about. It’s very interesting. For until the law, sin was in the world. But sin is not imputed where there is no law. So we don’t have the law until Moses, you see. Yet sin was in the world and death was in the world, before the law. So what’s he getting at here? What’s Paul trying to say? He’s saying that sin and death came upon all the inhabitants of the world from the time of Adam’s fall to Moses, who gave the law, even though there was no law before that time, sin and death came upon the world because of Adam. In other words, then, The people of the world suffered Adam’s sin, not their own. They were experiencing the death, the judgment that was upon Adam, not the judgment that was upon themselves. Now, why is that important for Paul to point out? because he’s going to say in verse 18, listen to this, therefore, as through one man’s offense, that’s Adam’s, judgment came to all men. Well, wait a minute, how come judgment came to all men? Well, they suffered Adam’s judgment, even though they had not sinned Adam’s sin. and that resulted in condemnation, they came under the condemnation of Adam. Then notice the comparison. Even so, through one man’s righteous act, okay, one man, Jesus Christ, his righteous act, The free gift came to all. Now, wait a minute. How come the, well, let’s read on. The free gift came to all, resulting in justification of life. How come the justification of life came to everybody when they had not done Christ’s righteousness? You see what Paul is doing? He’s saying everybody suffered Adam’s condemnation even though they didn’t sin Adam’s sin. And in the same way, everybody suffers or rather experiences Jesus’ justification even though they didn’t live Jesus’ righteous life. So, God is making sure that true justice enters the whole world. He’s saying, I know you didn’t do Adam’s sin, but because of Adam, the seed of death and condemnation has passed upon you all. But because of that, and my love for you, I’m sending another Adam, Jesus Christ, and his righteousness will pass to you all also, even though you didn’t do any of his righteousness. Just as you didn’t do Adam’s sin, yet you were condemned for it, so you have not done Christ’s righteousness, but you are justified by it. Do you get that? I mean, it’s an astonishing reality. It is what makes your faith really buoyant and courageous. You say, Lord God, I have sinned. I am unworthy. I’m under the kingdom of Adam, the judgment of Adam. And I didn’t do his sin, Lord. It’s not fair, really. But I’m under the mess of it. But I thank you that I’m also under the blessing of Christ’s righteousness, even though I never did any of his righteousness. Even though I’m not a righteous man, I’m justified and counted as if I were. And so, you see, just as Adam was the representative of the human race and brought it all down, so Jesus is the new representative of the human race and brings it all up. Well, I realize I’m stretching your mind a bit, but that’s not me. Paul’s doing that, and the gospel does it, and we need to be ready to be offended by the gospel because what a shocker it is. Well, look, thank you for listening. Colin Cook here. You can hear this broadcast any time of the day or night. Download a free app, SoundCloud.com or Podbean.com and key in how it happens with Colin Cook when you get there. See you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
Dive into an in-depth exploration of Romans 5 with Colin Cook as he delves into the profound narrative of reconciliation. This episode invites you to look beyond personal salvation and see the global scope of Christ’s act of redemption. From understanding how humanity was drawn back to God while still sinners to uncovering the universal application of Jesus’ sacrifice, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of grace and mercy. Each verse and passage guides us to the central message: the salvation that encompasses the whole world.
