Series Title: “Justification:

Man’s Relationship with God” Romans 5:1-21

Sermon 3: “Justification and the Two Adam’s”

Romans 5:12-21

Jacob Anderson

May 24, 2026

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Justification is by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Justification is available through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Justification isn’t something we can earn, it is a gift from God the Father.

Through justification we receive several blessings; peace with God, hope for tomorrow, perseverance through tribulations, and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

 

The main topic for today is going to be in reference to one word, and that word is “imputation”.

“Imputation” simply means that something has been transferred from one person to another.

For example; the righteousness of Jesus is imputed to us when we are justified.

 

Today we will answer the question, why does man die?

 

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one-man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

 

Paul starts this verse by going all the way back to the book of Genesis and telling us that sin entered the world through Adam, but not just sin; Paul also tells us that death entered the world as well.

 

“Why do people die?” The answer is simple; it’s a consequence of Adam’s sin.

 

As Paul said in I Corinthians 15:22 “In Adam all die.”

 

Paul goes on to say, “So death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

 

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

 

“All sinned” is a very important phrase to look at, because it holds consequence for all of us.

 

“All sinned” in the original Greek is a verb, but it is also aorist and 3rd person. Aorist refers to a past action with continuing effect and 3rd person refers to an act done by someone other than the audience listening. Death spread to all men, because through Adam all men sinned. This can be seen in Romans 5:14 “Death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam.”

 

This doesn’t mean that we bear the sin of Adam within us, but rather it means we bear the effect of Adam’s sin within us.

 

When Adam sinned against God, mankind was separated from God. It was Adam who severed God’s relationship with all of mankind.

 

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

 

Sin is not disobedience to the Law, but sin is disobedience to God. So, what was the purpose of the Law? It was written to reveal man’s sin.

 

The last part of verse 14 is very important, “Adam is a type of Him who was to come.”

 

When Jesus died, He became a representative for all of mankind. Jesus’ death on the cross was a death for all men for all time; Jesus died in our place. Our sins were imputed to Him upon the cross.

 

So, when Adam sinned, he was also a representative for all of mankind. In God’s eyes, when Adam sinned all of mankind sinned. Adam’s act of sinful rebellion became mankind’s act of sinful rebellion.

 

Romans 5:15 “But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one (Adam) the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.”

 

What is the difference between what Adam did as mankind’s representative and what Jesus did as mankind’s representative? Through Adam’s transgression all mankind suffers death.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we receive God’s grace and the gift, and that gift is justification.

 

Romans 5:16 “The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.”

 

Mankind’s condemnation arose out of one man’s single sin, Adam’s disobedience to God in the garden of Eden. The free gift of God’s forgiveness arose out of many transgressions made by all of mankind.

 

It was Adam’s one sin that brought condemnation on mankind, Jesus’ death on the cross doesn’t just forgive Adam’s sin, but it forgives all the sins of all who come to Christ.

 

Romans 5:17 “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

 

It was Adam who brought death to mankind, it was Adam who broke all of creation. It was his transgression of disobedience that brought death to all of us.

 

Jesus brings life. Jesus Christ brought grace and righteousness to us, and just like Adam, Jesus became a representative for all of mankind, but Jesus presented Himself as a obedient servant to God and for that reason Jesus brings life not death.

 

If we are in Christ, then we will reign in the life of Christ. “Those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

 

Romans 5:18 “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.”

 

This is the issue that so many people have with Christianity; all of mankind was represented by two men and the actions of those two men changed all of mankind forever.

 

Adam’s actions condemned us all before God. Why did Adam represent all of mankind; because we like Adam are all weak and in desperate need of a Savior.

 

Jesus was the second Adam. He chose to obey God and die for the sins of mankind. Jesus reversed the death sentence we all received when Adam sinned.

 

Two representatives for mankind, two different choices that effected mankind, which one do you want representing you before God?

 

Romans 5:19 “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”

 

First, you have Adam who disobeyed God and brought sin and death to all of mankind.

 

Or you can choose to follow Jesus. and be made righteous. To follow Jesus means sin and death no longer have a hold on you.

 

There are only two choices; sin and death through Adam or justification and life through Jesus.

 

 

Romans 5:20 – 21 “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

 

The purpose of the Law wasn’t to save anybody; in fact, the Law couldn’t save anybody.

 

Romans 3:20 “By the works of the Law none of mankind will be justified in God’s sight.”

 

The purpose of the Law was to increase man’s understanding of sin. The Law was meant to reveal sin not remove sin.

 

Romans 3:20 “For through the Law comes knowledge of sin.”

 

Romans 7:7 “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’”

 

You can’t desire a Savior if you don’t first know you are a sinner in need of a savior. The purpose of the law was designed to show us that we are sinners, so we will understand our need for Jesus.

 

Only through Jesus Christ are we justified and made righteous, and only through Jesus Christ can we receive the gift of eternal life.

 

These two representatives are opposite and contrary to each other; Adam brought death and Jesus brought life, Adam brought sin and Jesus brought righteousness, Adam brought condemnation and Jesus brought justification.

 

Mankind has two choices; embrace the curse Adam brought or embrace the gift Jesus brought.

 

We can choose to be slaves to sin and death, because that was the inheritance given to us by Adam or we can choose justification and freedom through the blood of Jesus, and through faith in Jesus.

 

The two choices are simple; slavery or freedom. Slavery is an inheritance, but freedom is a gift.

 

We have been given freedom, so let’s use the freedom to help others to be free as well.

 

Let us shine brightly like a beacon of hope, so others can be justified and freed from sin and death.