Romans chapter 5. I want to read
what Paul wrote to our brothers and sisters who gathered at Rome. I want to read what we have recorded
in the parentheses. Now I will not be able to deal
with or I will not deal exclusively with what's in the parentheses,
but mainly what's in the parentheses, but I also will not be able to
deal exhaustively with what's in the parentheses. Let's read
what is in the parentheses, verses 13 through 17. Four, 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 them that had not sinned after the similitude or the similarity
of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was
to come. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For
if through the offense 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 offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace
and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. Now, my title this morning is
this, Christ Superabounds Adam. Christ Superabounds Adam. Now, as I mentioned last week,
Paul in verse 12 introduces the subject of representation. He is not defining to us the
origination of sin. I know a lot of the old theologians
used to talk about original sin, and that's true in mankind. But sin existed before mankind
was created. Paul's not giving us where sin
came from. but he is now beginning to establish
the doctrine, the truth of representation. And he does so, now hang on to
this, he does so in light of establishing the doctrine of
substitution. And that he speaks of in verses
six through 11. And the doctrine of substitution
summed up is this. When Christ died, He reconciled
to God everyone for whom he died. It is a vast number. It can be
called many. But it is an absolutely inclusive
number and is therefore also can be called all. So the many
and the all that Christ died for, he reconciled them to God
when he died for them, and they were even enemies personally
when this took place. This is substitution. And having
reconciled them to God, even while they were enemies by his
death, in his life, seeing that he yet lives, he will assure
that they will be saved. That is, regenerated and converted
and ultimately ushered into glory, into Christ's presence. Paul
never leaves that foundation of substitution as he introduces
representation. Now, if God will let us get a
hold of that and stay a hold of that, it'll help us in verses
12 through 21, but we'll deal mainly with 13 through 17. Now,
there are many kinds of representatives among men. There are legal representatives,
attorneys, right? There are attorneys who represent
the person accused, there are attorneys who represent the state
or the people. There are elected representatives.
And you can go on down the list, all of that. There are many kinds
of representatives among men. But there are only two in whom
God ordained for humanity that humanity be factually, explicitly,
and immutably made to be what they are. Do you hear what I
said? Representatives in this world,
all these other representatives, can only represent us up to a
point. These two representatives Paul
speaks of, and it's clear, Adam and Christ. That's what the parentheses
really emphasizes, is he lets us know for sure who these two
representatives are. These two representatives, factually,
explicitly and immutably made men to be what they are under
each representative headship. In other words, in Adam, the
many and the all he represented. And I use that particular word. I'm sure, I wouldn't argue with
someone who says Adam still represents us, but Adam's dead and gone.
And the context of this is Adam represented us when he was in
that garden, and when he fell in that one act of disobedience,
we fell in him. And everything about Adam is
always in the past tense. Some things about Christ are
in the past tense, but also ushered into the future tense. And a
guarantee future tense, because remember, the doctrine of substitution
never goes contrary to the doctrine of representation. And the doctrine
of representation never goes contrary to the doctrine of substitution. And it's clear by substitution,
Christ, everyone, the many and the all Christ represents, they're
okay. And they shall be okay. They're
okay even when they don't know they're okay. They're okay, even
when nobody else knows they're okay, but God himself. And they
will be brought to have some assurance, some trust, some confidence,
some hope, based upon a God-given faith that they are okay. In
Adam, the many, the all he represented are dead. Wherefore, as by one
man sin entered into the world, There were only two of them.
That's right. They hadn't even had children
yet. That's right. Do you get it? But sin entered
into the world. Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon
all men. That's all that Adam represented. Yes, sir. For that all have sinned. Not sinned in time. That's not
the context. He's not moving from the past
into the future. When Adam sinned, we sinned in
him. He's our representative. We were,
as the writer of Hebrews points out, we were in Adam's loins.
Whatever he did, we did. Remember that Levi paid tithes? Levi who received tithes paid
tithes to Melchizedek. Levi wasn't even alive yet. But
how did that happen? Through representation. His daddy,
Abraham, represented him. And when Abraham paid tithes,
so did Levi. So again, in Adam, the many,
the all he represented, are dead spiritually. They're dead even
to the place of condemnation. That's what we read here. They're even dead to the place
of being under death's reign. Death is not something we can
battle against and overcome. We cannot. I seen a little thing
on TV, I think it may have been yesterday, about cryogenics. And they still think, these scientists
still think, they say there's nothing in science that says
that that can't be possible. You're an idiot. Science may
not say that, but this book does. We are under death's reign. But
here's the problem. This is not talking about physical
death. No, it's not. And the proof is
in the scripture. There were two men in the Old
Testament era that never died physically. That's right. Enoch
was not found. That is, they never found his
body. Why? Because God just took him. That's right. He transformed
Enoch. He never died physically. But
he died in his daddy, Adam, spiritually. Yes, sir. And who was the other
one? Was it Elijah? He didn't die. That's right. He was raptured
up. I know some people don't like
that word, but it's an OK word. Just like the saints one day
who are still physically alive when Christ returns. They're
not going to die. That's right. Physical death
has not passed upon all men. We're still living. We will die
physically. And Adam did die physically hundreds
of years later, but God told him, the day you eat thereof,
thou shalt surely die. And he did, spiritually. And
we so died in him. But died in the condemnation.
And this condemnation is not the condemnation of hell. This
is the condemnation of the state into which we fail. Enmity against
God, hatred against God, a complete refusal to bow to the authority
of God Almighty, our Creator. That's the condemnation. And
this is the condemnation. Men shall go to hell one day.
Is that what it says? Now, that's true. I'm not belittling that. I'm not saying that's not a condemnation.
But that's not the condemnation here. I'm going to throw you one of
those grenades. You hear people talk about when so-and-so finally
came out of the closet. And someone says, well, God made
me that way. The person who comes out of the closet says, God made
me that way. And somebody else says, God didn't make you that
way. I heard that just a few days ago. Under the fall of Adam,
God did make you that way. Wherefore, as by one man's disobedience,
many were made sinners. If anybody ever comes out of
the closet, it's because it's already down in their heart.
We'll look at that here in a moment not necessarily coming out of
the closet Everybody wants to come out of
the closet today. There's still things about me. I'm glad are
still in the closet And I hope they remain in the closet But
condemned spiritually dead spiritually under death's reign in Christ
the many the all that he represents is Notice the change of word
there now. The many that he represents,
because Christ did not just represent us. And as Earl used to say in
a different sense about the world, God making the world just kind
of wind it up like a clock and then just fling it out there.
No, God is still absolutely still controlling every minute detail,
even the specks of dust that float in this room that we can't
see. Somebody says, I don't believe
that. Of course, you don't believe God. In Christ, the many, the
all, he represents. They have abounding grace, even
if they don't know it yet. They have justification, even
as Paul goes on to say in verse 18, even justification of life. They will receive, they will
receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness in
life. If Christ represented them, they will. They will. And it's all said
to be by Christ, by Christ. Not by something they do. Nothing
here is about something we do to make what Christ did of value
to us. That is the common definition
of so-called representation in the free will, man-centered,
Antichrist gospel we hear today. But this is saying these two
men are the only two true representatives that ever factually, explicitly,
and immutably made men to be what they are. And even God's
people, even the elect, even the regenerated and converted
will never escape the representation of Adam in our flesh until we
lay it down and he transforms us and gives us new bodies and
we awaken his likeness. And it's clear, look at what
it says, but not as the offense, so also is the free gift. We'll
look at that Lord willing here in a bit. For if through the
offense of one, many be dead. Be dead, not are dying, not will
die, but be dead. Much more, there's your super
abounding. Super abounding. Much more, the
grace of God and the gift by grace. Now why do I even have
to say that? Because we're so dull of hearing. Grace is a gift, it is not a
offer. Grace is a sovereign power of
God in mercy and compassion, bestowing upon men and women
that which He desires for them. But not as the offense, so also
as the free gift. For through the offense of one,
many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift of grace,
which is by one man, not by anything we do. By one man, Jesus Christ,
so there's no doubt. Hath abounded unto many, the
same many. And not as it was by one that
sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to
condemnation. Now we're not all in hell. But
it's being condemned into that utter ruin of absolute and total
depravity. We are plum lost, as Ralph Barnard
used to say. Plum lost. Not mostly lost. Not 99.9% lost, we're plum lost. Not as it was by one to sin,
so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but
the free gift is of many offenses. Many offenses under justification. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more. I like that, much
more. Free will religion doesn't know
anything about this much more, does it? They read it, they mention
it. I used to hear them talk about
when they would read, moreover the law entered that the offense
might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. And
I'd hear those old Arminian free will preachers. I didn't know
that's what they were, because I was a part of them, but that's what they
were. And they'd say, that's super abound. And I thought,
boy, that sounded good. And you check it out, and it's
right, super abound. But they never explained. They
never actually taught how it superabounded. Because when they
began to teach, you thought, well, that grace ain't much better
than the law. It's kind of like God's last
ditch final attempt to save a few people. That ain't what this
is talking about. It ain't, in spite of the bad
English, it ain't close. It ain't close. Adam's representation
and its consequences, Paul goes on to say, preceded the legal
imputation of sin. Now there's a lot, I thought
about stopping there, but there's a point here. Adam's representation
and its consequences preceded the legal imputation of sin,
but its consequences were absolute nevertheless. Verse 13 again,
for until the law, sin was in the world. It was already there.
And somebody said, well, Adam had a law. No, that wasn't the
law. At best, it could be called a prohibition. Because one, Adam
was told, you're going to break it. He didn't say, if you eat. He said, in the day that thou
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Now, he was warning him,
but he was telling him what was coming down the pike. But most
people, when they read it, they think, God said, now Adam, don't
you eat this. If you do, this is what's going to happen. It
wasn't an if. Christ was already as a lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. There was no doubt as to the
fact that Adam would sin. And he sinned without being deceived. He willingly, knowingly, as we
say, with his eyes fully opened, as we use that phrase, stepped
into disobedience. For until the law, sin was in
the world. But sin is not imputed when there
is no law. So we know now, sin is imputed
now. But listen to me. We were not imputed out of sin. For as by one man's disobedience,
many were made sinners. There was no imputation of anything
until the law came. And it's clear what law he talks
about. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to who? Moses. So he's talking about that law
of Moses, right? Now let's not be silly. Let's
not try to shy away from the word of God because it maybe
goes beyond the pale of what we can piece together in number
one, number two, number three. This is the truth of representation. And again, I say, Adam's representation
and its consequences preceded the legal imputation of sin,
but its consequences were absolute nevertheless. For until the law
was in the world, the sin is not imputed when there is no
law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses. Do you see
it? Therefore, It ain't about us
being imputed to Adam's sin. It's worse than that. That's
right. Exactly. We are conceived and
we grew in the belly. and we're born forth. We are
brought forth just like the state into which Adam fell. Adam knew
what some call innocence, what the book calls uprightness. He
knew what it was to fall. We do not know what it is to
fall. We are conceived and born fallen. That's why we are called
natural men. It's natural to us. It didn't
begin natural to Adam. He failed, we fail in Him. I don't fall, I was conceived
fallen. I was gestated in a fallen state. And somebody says, well, that
your mommy and daddy's fault? No, that's Adam's fault. And God
ain't charging me with Adam's sin, He made me a sinner by Adam's
sin. And then my own sins, especially
when the law comes along and says, here's what sins are. Now,
I bear the brunt of God taking account of my sins. But I became a sinner by one
man's disobedient act. Somebody says, I don't believe
that. Well, then you don't believe
God. The law entered that the offense
might abound. Verse 20, correct? In other words,
in Adam's fall, men commit sins because they're sinners. I remember
years ago hearing Henry Mann say that. Of course, I've been
born and bred in free will works religion, and that struck me
like a ton of lead. because we were always taught
you're basically born innocent, you're basically born okay, but
then you do something wrong, you get old enough to kind of
know the difference between right and wrong, and you do something
wrong and now you're a sinner. No, we were made sinners by one
man's disobedience, period. We sin, we commit sins, we live
in sin, we are dead in trespasses and sins because we were made
sinners. That's what we are. The unregenerate man drinks up
iniquity like a thirsty man drinks water. It's natural. It's natural. Somebody says, well preacher,
that's not very, not much of a happy message. It's not if
you leave out the second representative. It'd be absolute despair, no
hope whatsoever if God only left us, if God only had for us one
representative. But there is a second representative.
There's a second representative, and not to jump the gun too much,
but he's more than a representative. He's super abounds. He's super
abounds. The law entered that the offense
might abound. And again, Adam's fall. In Adam's fall, men commit
sins because they're sinners. Now, let's concentrate on Paul's
words in verses 15 and 16. But not as the offense, so also
is the free gift. Verse 16, and not as it was by
one that sinned, so is the gift. And for years, this perplexed
me. Because I have to admit, just
take it as a statement of words, and especially if you take it
out of context, and especially if you take it out of light of
the doctrine of truth, the true doctrine of representation, it's a lie. It's two opposites. And not as it was by one that
sinned, so is the gift. Really? How can that be? But not as the offense, so also
is the free gift. It's like speaking out both sides
of your mouth, ain't it? Unless you see the context and
the doctrine that's taught here. Now, I know some of you are intrigued.
Some of you think, what in the world is he talking about? There'll
be especially some out there saying, what in the world is
he talking about? The Spirit of God provided us a jumpstart
here to Paul's words. Now look at it. Let me read it.
Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even though the
law had not been given yet. There was no imputation yet,
but there certainly was impartation. There was impartation, and impartation,
I said, I don't want to get off of it, impartation always must
precede imputation. God does not take account of
what does not exist. But I said, I don't want to get
off on that. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even
over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's
transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Now note, Adam figured Christ. That is, Adam is like a die cast. You know what a die is? You make
a die, they make coins and other things with dies. And they have
a die that's usually two-sided, I think, whatever it is. I'm
not a die expert when it comes to money. But, you know, the
die here, the die here, and they put the precious metal in the
middle. Now it ain't much precious. It's usually junk with a little
bit of something coating on it, but it, stamp it together. The
die is not the same thing as what you've just stamped out.
There are similarities. There are similarities, but they
ain't the same. Go try to spin the die. Matter
of fact, have the die in your pocket and be found with it.
You may go to jail. You're not at Fort Knox. You
don't work at Fort Knox. I think Paul did for a while,
but he wasn't a die caster. He was a tank fixer upper. It's
a die, or a stamp, or a resemblance. Adam figured Christ. But note what is conspicuously
absent, and yea, what is not directly said, but is clearly
marked out. Paul's words in verse 15 and
16 denote that Christ was not a figure of Adam. Because Christ
is much more than Adam was. is even in glory. If Adam's in
glory now, Christ is still much more than Adam. When we go to
glory, he will still be much more than us, for we will worship
him. He will not worship us. That
help you just a little bit, but let's get back to the matter.
verse 16, 15 and 16, this phrase that Christ was not a figure
of Adam because Christ is much more than Adam. Christ super
abounds Adam. And that's what he's talking
about when he says, but not as the offense. So also if there
is a similarity and I've used the phrase, it's the same, but
different, but instead of it's that doesn't really, it's the
same, but the difference in the other, There is a similarity
between Christ and Adam, but when you look at Christ, there's
much more to Christ than there is to Adam. That's what he's
talking about. And somebody says, well, that's
your take. That's what this says. It's there in the context. but
not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through
the offense 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. We got a lot more out of Christ
than we got out of Adam. That's why representation ain't
a bad subject. It's a good subject. Especially
if you know you are a sinner, you are an ungodly sinner, you
are an ungodly sinner who has no strength, and you are an ungodly
sinner who has no strength, who is an enemy of God. I'm glad
I fell in a representative, because now God can justly redeem me
and save me in one. The angels fell in themselves,
and they were reserved in chains of darkness. The angels have
no hope. none whatsoever. Mankind has
a reason to hope. Oh God, I pray Christ is my representative. Christ is much more than Adam.
And here are at least six scriptural facts to consider. There are
a lot more than this. Adam and Christ both are representatives,
correct? That's clear from the text. Adam
and Christ both made those they represent to be what they are.
Is that not what this is saying? There's your same. There's your
similarity. Oh, but now let's see a little
of the superabounding. Christ alone is a representative
and mediator. There is how many mediators between
God? The same as the representatives?
No. There is what? Say it now. One. One mediator
between God and men, that's the man Christ Jesus. Christ is not
just my representative, He's my mediator. That means He takes
up my case. He's still alive. He died to
reconcile me to God, but He's still alive to take the case
up and make sure that justice is satisfied. If He paid my sin debt, When
he died, this book teaches, he purged our sins. Then he sat
down at the right hand of God. He sat down there to make sure.
Not because God the Father is trying to make something different.
Don't read that into that. But he's there to make sure before
all of the universe, the devil himself, Satan himself, all the
demons, all believers, all unbelievers, Reprobate or elect I died for
their sins and I'm alive to make sure they never pay for a one
of them He's our mediator But here's another one Christ alone
is a surety of a better Testament That's what it says Hebrew 722
he's the surety of a better Testament We fell in Adam Had God left
it up to us to dig and claw and scheme and believe and repent
our way out of it, we couldn't live long enough to do it. Can
you hear me now? Even repentance and faith, now
there's another one of those. Even repentance and faith ain't
worth squat apart from the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. All the repentance of the world,
in the world, in an individual, cannot atone for even one sin,
let alone many offenses. Many offenses. Now let's think
about yours. Your offenses and the ones you
know about. How many have you forgotten?
And then how many you're not even aware of yet? and then add
all of the number of those Christ represented, that's many offenses,
ain't it? And the glorious thing is, He
suffered for them all. See how the Minion Doll? People
get that Minion Doll boy in the army and say, well, the Minion
Doll's the same number as Adam for Christ. You have totally
left everything Paul started with here in substitution and
went through into representation. You've just denied what Paul
taught in substitution and are twisting what he's teaching in
representation. And somebody says, well, I don't believe that.
It's because you don't believe God. You don't believe God. Think of this, here's the sixth
one, and I'll deal a little bit more with that one. Christ secured
blessing, Adam never did. Ain't that a super abandon? All we ever got out of Adam was
being made sinners. And then the consequences of
being made sinners, we sin, and we sin, and we sin, and we sin,
when we sleep we sin. I have dreams that God ought
to send me to hell for. What about you? Now if you've
got the secret to having pure holy dreams, please tell me,
I'd like to know that one. And this is one of the silly
ones, I know it is. There's some whole, and I told you about the
time I killed Elvis and put him in the leaves. And I seriously
woke up in a cold sweat. Because I thought the whole world
was going to hate me now that I killed Elvis. That don't mean
spit. That wasn't real. I never, I
liked Elvis when I was, I wanted, of course, every young boy wanted
to be Elvis, you know. No, I don't touch it. Now, what
about the sins that I commit when I'm wide awake? My mind begins to wander, and
rather than say that's it, I'm done with it! And you can't get
rid of it! Ever been there? The more you
try to get rid of it, the more it rises up in your utterly corrupt
flesh. Many offenses. But the free gift
is of many offenses unto justification. Now, if that don't ring your
bell, your clapper's broke, as Henry used to say. Adam had to
be rescued by Christ, didn't he? We must be rescued by Christ
like Adam was rescued by Christ, right? The second representative,
if I could put it that way because Christ is called the second man,
the second representative had to redeem the first representative,
didn't he? Now that's a super abounding,
is it not? Turn to Genesis 3, and we're just quick, I gotta
move, I'll work. And then when we all three preach, I know it
takes a while. And I know if I'm getting hungry, you probably
are too. Genesis 3, verse 8, and they heard, that's Adam and
Eve, and this is after they had sinned. And they heard, well
I don't have to say the Lord God, because it wasn't just the
Lord God, it was the voice of the Lord God. This is Christ
himself. And they heard the voice of the
Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam
and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
amongst the trees of the garden. That's exactly what we do. We
don't run to God even when we know we've sinned. We try to
hide from it. As unregenerate men and women,
we'll do everything in our power to keep it under wraps. And just
like Adam and Eve, God knew more about their sin than they did.
And he wasn't looking for them, trying to find them because he
didn't know where they were. He came after them in grace and
mercy and compassion. Before you ever found the seeking
sinner, you found the seeking Savior. And that's a part of
the gospel. And if you don't teach that gospel,
you ain't teaching the gospel. And the Lord God called Adam
and said unto him, where art thou? Not for information, but
to force Adam to confess where he was and what he'd done. Where art thou? Do you see it? Now think about this. Look at
chapter three, verse 15. Now this has spoken to the serpent,
but Adam, Eve and the serpent, all three were right here, standing
before the voice of the Lord God. Still yet. And I will put
enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed. It shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel. Messiah is promised. Here's an amazing thought. Messiah
was promising himself. He actively was engaged in the
first promise of himself, came from himself. Why? Because it's
all about himself. He started this whole thing. Even after the fall, he started
this whole thing. I will put enmity between thee
and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise
thy head, thou shalt bruise his heel. Also one more, Genesis
3 verse 21. Unto Adam also and to his wife
did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them. Why? Why wasn't the fig leaves
enough? Because they had no blood. They had no blood. Maybe a little
sap. Maybe a little juice. And for
the plant, that may be its blood. But we ain't talking about any
kind of so-called blood. We're talking about actual red
blood. And it says, make coats of skids. He didn't cut off just a little
strip off of this beast so it'd heal. God killed this beast. Maybe two of them, we don't know.
but God clothed them in his preferred garment. My righteousness, the
fig leaves cover their nakedness before themselves just as well
as the animal skins did, but there was no blood. And when
it comes to sin and sins, God demands blood and blood unto
death. And I'll give you this and I'll
close with a statement. We'll read it. You don't have
to turn to it. And let me find it. Okay, here
we are. Listen, speaking of Christ. who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself
of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, he superabounds. He super abounds. Wherefore God
also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is
above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow of things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord. To the glory of God the Father.
And one day they shall. One day they shall. The all and
the many that Adam represented and the all and the many that
Christ represented. They all one day will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
The difference is going to be the many and the all Christ represents
will be made to confess it now in our sinful, depraved state
being given this justification of life. And we'll confess Him
as what? Our super abounding Truly, Christ
is much more than Adam. And that's what Paul's teaching
us here. Father, oh God, comfort us by
your truth. These stammering lips that still
have not adequately expressed it as it ought to be. I know
I confess that, Lord, but Lord, despite these clay pots, may
you be pleased to use the preaching of your word by the power of
your spirit. May it feed your people, comfort
your people, and, Lord, strengthen us to go on. Be with Sandy and
others, Lord, and just help us through this life. In Christ's
name, amen.