I'm going to be speaking primarily
from the fifth chapter, but in the preceding chapters,
chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4, the Apostle Paul clearly states
and firmly proves beyond a shadow of a doubt That justification
before God, salvation, redemption, deliverance from the curse of
the law, the penalty of sin, is not in any shape, form, or
fashion by human works and deeds and law. religious work, not at all. When
he wrote chapters 1, 2, and 3, he came to verse 28 of chapter
3. Now look at it. And he says, therefore we conclude,
this is my conclusion, therefore we conclude that a man, and that's
me and that's you, woman, man or woman, is justified, that
is forgiven, pardoned, redeemed by God is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law. Now that's what Paul, that's
his conclusion, that's the conclusion of the whole matter. We talk
about Jew and Gentile, we talk about man's fall, we talk about
God's greatness and power. Talk about, like we read in the
study a while ago, the revelation of nature, the revelation of
conscience, the revelation of the law, the revelation of the
Word, what men know and what they don't know and what they
do and what they don't do, sin and self-righteousness and holiness
and heaven and hell and death and judgment and all these things.
He said, this is my conclusion, that a man is justified by faith. And that's four times in the
Word of God. The Scripture says, the just
shall live by faith. It says it in Habakkuk, it says
it in Romans, it says it in Galatians, it says it in Hebrews. The just
shall live. Not just in themselves, but just
in Christ. Justified in Christ. And they
live, they begin life, they live, and they'll live eternally by
faith. By faith. Now then, if you're here tonight,
and you have a serious interest, you have a serious interest,
not just in religion, not just in what Baptists believe, if
you have a serious interest, a soul interest, if you have
an interest in how God, how Almighty God, how the reigning, living,
eternal God of heaven and We ought to tremble when we speak
His name. How the eternal majesty, the
holiness of God, the power and majesty of God, how God, awesome
God, can justify a worm, a wretched, miserable, earthly worm, a sinner
like you and me, in such a way. in such a way now that he can
still be God. Now that's what we got to find
out. I know there's a lot of ways of salvation, but to compromise
God. There are a lot of ways of salvation
all over this. I listen to all these religious
nuts, and that's what they are. They're con men, hucksters, and
nuts. They're talking about a way of
salvation, but it compromises God. It compromises His holiness. It compromises His righteousness. It compromises His justice on
every hand. And they're talking about procuring
a righteousness through something that we're totally unable to
do. And that's to please God. Our works and righteousnesses
are filthy rags in His sight. But if you are interested, if
you've got a serious interest in how that holy God can justify
an unholy sinner in such a way that he can still be God, just
and justifier, holy and merciful, righteous, yet loving. And I want you to
look at these scriptures tonight. Now in chapter 4 of Romans, and
I'm not going to try to preach the whole book of Romans, don't
get scared, but in chapter 4 of Romans, this word imputed, imputed,
or a lock word, now imputed, or a lock word such as reckoned
or counted, is used eight times in the fourth chapter of Romans.
Now, I ran into this years ago when I came to some understanding
of the grace of God. And we talked about and I read
about how that salvation and justification is not because
of our deeds. I'm here for you be good and
God will bless you. You do good and you'll go to heaven. You
obey the Word of God, and you'll be an angel someday. That's our
human religion. That's our human theology. But
the Scripture teaches it's not of works, any kind of works. It's not of deeds. It's not in
the performance of duties. Because if salvation and justification
is in any shape, form, or fashion by my works, or my deeds, or
my duties, Then it would not be imputed. It would be wages. It would be debt. It would be
a payment. It would not be imputed. But
here's what imputation is. In imputation, I'm passive. When
something is reckoned to be mine, it's something that's reckoned
to be mine that isn't mine by performance. Isn't that right?
When something is counted for me, Then it's something I didn't
do, it's something somebody else did. When something is imputed
to me, now here's what we're saying. The righteousness of
Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ, this is what the Bible teaches,
came down into this world and He was born of a woman. He was
made in the fullness of time in the likeness of sinful flesh. He was made under the law, He
was made of a woman, That as a man, and fully man, did you
know the Lord Jesus Christ performed many miracles for the relief
of other people, but He never, ever, ever, under any circumstances,
ever performed a miracle for the relief of Himself? Never
did. He was a man. He limited Himself. He subjected Himself to all trials
and temptations and tribulations through which we go. He was circumcised. He's eight days old. He went
to his mother's purification. He went through all of the Levitical
law. He obeyed the moral law, the
judicial law, the civic, civil law, the law of the whole. Every
law and every jot and tittle was his responsibility in the
flesh as a man to meet and obey perfectly. And he did it. He
fulfilled it. And then when he was 34 years
of age, nearly 34, he went to the cross of Calvary, and there
all of the sins of all the believers of all generations were laid
on him. He bore our sins in his body
on the tree. And he fully, completely satisfied
God's wrath and God's justice on behalf of every one of his
elect. And that righteousness that he fulfilled, That obedience
that he performed, that submission to the perfect law of God, so
that the Father said, in him I'm well pleased. He imputed,
he reckoned, he charged it to me as one of his own. That's
imputation. Up there in glory, whatever the
records are, I don't know what the records are, I don't know
how God keeps records, the book says He does. But up there in
glory under my name is a perfect righteousness, is a perfect submission,
is a perfect obedience, is a perfect conformity to every jot and tittle
of God's law. And it's imputed and reckoned
and charged to my account. But I didn't do it. Christ did
it. That's what imputation is. That's
what counted and reckoned it. And the justice of God, the
Scripture says, the soul that sinneth shall die. Well, I've
sinned, but I'm not going to die. Well, how are you going
to miss it? How are you going to escape death? Because Christ's
death is imputed to me, and I've already died. It's counted as
my death. I've already died. I died in
Christ. I was buried in Christ. I rose
in Christ. And I'm seated together with
Him in the heaven. Now, that's what this book teaches.
Now, you can go find you another way of salvation, but that's
what this book teaches. And in chapter 4, imputation,
imputed, counted, reckoned is used eight times. And you know
what somebody said to me when I started preaching that? They
said, that's imputed nonsense. Well, let's see what it says,
all right? Chapter 4, let's look at verse 3. What sayeth the Scripture? Well, verse 2 says, if Abraham
was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory. Glory in himself,
glory in his works, but not before God. But what does the Scripture
say? Abraham believed God, and it
was what? Counted to him. For what? Holiness, righteousness, perfect
righteousness. I just counted. Abraham is a
righteous man. I come by his own works, obedient,
no sir, by the obedience of Christ. He's a righteous man. That's
what it says here, all right? Verse 4, Now to him that worketh
is the reward not reckoned with grace, but of death. It's pure
death. If I serve God in such a way that God takes me to glory,
he's paying me what he owes me. But to him that worketh not. but believeth on him that justifieth
whom the ungodly. His faith is what? Counted. For what? Righteousness. Holiness. Holiness. Righteousness. It's
counted. It's even counted before God
in God's sight as holiness. I don't feel holy because I know
I'm not holy. I've had thoughts since I've
been sitting here that are not holy. Have you? Attitudes and all that are not
holy. I'm not holy. Not in myself. And Paul put out
there on the bulletin board to offend in one point of law to
be guilty of every blessed bit of it. That's why you say, well,
I haven't really sinned any real bad sins. One sin. is to be guilty
of the whole law of none. You've smashed the whole law
of God to none. But thank God, God doesn't consider
us or judge us on the basis of our deeds if we're in Christ,
but on the basis of His. I have a perfect holiness. He
never entertained a thought of sin. And therefore, that's my
record there. He knew no sin. All right, look
at verse 6. Even as David David rejoiced in this. David described
the blessedness of the man unto whom God does what? Imputed. Don't tell me that's imputed
nonsense. God imputeth what? Holiness! Without works. Without works. And I'll tell
you, if you have a holiness, it'll be without works on your
part. It'll be without works. And David
said, Blessed, Tom 32, verse 1 and 2, Blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is
the man to whom God will not, there it is again, impute sin,
impute sin. All right, verse 9, now does
this blessedness, does this come only upon the circumcision? Abraham
was in the circumcision, he was the father of the circumcision.
Or the uncircumcision. What about us Gentiles? You're
talking only about Abraham. He was circumcised. But wait
a minute now. When was this righteousness imputed,
Abraham? For we say that faith was reckoned
to Abraham for righteousness, but how was it reckoned, verse
10, when he was in circumcision or uncircumcision? Huh? Before
he was ever circumcised. Before God ever gave him the
mark of the covenant, before God ever had him circumcised,
God justified him by faith. Before he ever obeyed God in
circumcision or obeyed God in these other things, God justified
him by faith. He believed God. He believed
God. Now look at verse 11, and he
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of
the faith, which he had, he believed God. When God came to him and
said, get out of your father's house and out of your nation,
go to land I show thee, he believed God. He believed God. And right
then he was justified, which he had being uncircumcised. Now
what's the next line? That he might be the father of
all them that believe. though they be not circumcised,
that righteousness might be imputed unto them also." How about verse
20 now? We're still talking about Abraham.
Now, that's about five times it's used already. Four times.
Four or five times. Now then, verse 20. Abraham staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, through unbelief, but
he was strong in faith, giving glory to God. He was strong in
faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what
God had promised. That's believing the Word. That's
believing the Word. Abraham believed the Word of
God. God spoke, and Abraham believed. And that's what's required of
you and me, believing God. Not doing, believing. And being
fully persuaded of what God had promised, God was able also to
perform, and therefore it was imputed, reckoned, charged to
him for righteousness. Now, brethren, what I'm talking
about here, righteousness, I'm talking about a holiness that
God planned and God provided and God purchased and God gave
to His people. I'm talking about a holiness
The very holiness of God Himself, which is ours by union with Christ,
by faith in Christ. And that's the holiness that
Hebrews is talking about, without which no man will see the Lord.
I know there's an imparted righteousness. I know there's a sanctification.
I know there's a growth in grace in those who are regenerated
and those who are redeemed. I know there's a progress in
grace. And I'm talking about when God saves a man, He gives
him a perfect, absolute holiness and righteousness that God is
pleased with and will accept, and that man is as holy as Christ
Himself in Christ. That's what the Word teaches.
And that's my faith. It's not my word. All right,
let's read on. Now, all of this about Abraham. We just studied
Abraham? No, sir. It was not written for
his sake alone. That righteousness was imputed
to him, charged to him, reckoned to him. But for us also, oh,
this is where I want to get in right here, but for us also,
to whom? It. What's it? That righteousness,
that holiness, that impeccable, perfect holiness. but for us
also to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised
up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses
and raised again for our justification." Can you believe? It doesn't matter
about your age. I'm not talking about your age. I'm not talking about your mental
powers and intellect and those things. Can you believe God?
Can you believe His Word? Can you believe His Gospel? Can
you believe it? Can you, in your heart, believe
this truth? And He says in chapter 5, verse
1, now watch this, "...therefore..." And John, you're right, we ought
to watch the therefore. See what the therefore. And usually
when you got a therefore, it's talking about what's just been
said. What did He just say? What He just said, Jesus Christ
was delivered for our offenses, and He was raised again for our
justification. He did it all. Christ did it
all. Well, what did you do? I didn't
do anything. Well, what did you add to it? I didn't add anything.
Well, you did something, I believe. And even that was the gift of
God. Even that was by His enabling grace. And He did it all. Christ did it all. Now this is
what is so difficult for this religious world to lay hold on,
but this is the gospel of the free grace of God. For by grace
are you saved through faith. And that knowledge of yourself,
it's the gift of God. And if it's of grace, it's not
of works. And if it's in any way by any
works, And it's not grace. I don't care if it's 99% grace
and 1% works, it works. It's got to be 100% grace. And
verse 1 of chapter 5 says, therefore, because Christ was delivered
for our sins and raised for our justice, therefore being justified,
being justified. It's done, the great transaction's
done. You see, my friends, this is
what most people don't understand, is the work of Christ was not
directed toward me. The commands of Christ are directed
toward me. The Word of Christ is directed
toward me. There is a response to the gospel
when the Holy Spirit quickens and enlightens and regenerates
and enables. But when Jesus Christ the Lord
came down here to this earth, and started his earthen pilgrimage
in that manger, took him to that cross, and then to the tomb,
and up to the right hand of God before the Holy of Hosts. Every
step he took, and work he did, and obedience he accomplished,
and death he died, was to the Father. Now I'm telling you the
truth. It was to God. It wasn't to you.
He don't owe you anything. But as my representative, he
owed God something. As my representative, as a man,
he owed God obedience. Isn't that right? And because
he stood numbered with the transgressors and condemned with the transgressors,
he owed God death. And he died an infinite death.
And he paid God off. I know that doesn't sound good.
But I owed a debt and he paid it. And he paid it in full. And
I know that's in common language, and maybe it's offensive, but
nevertheless, I owe God something, and Jesus Christ came down here
and worked it out in full. And now I don't owe God anything.
Now, I know that doesn't sound good. I don't even like to hear
me say that. But I really don't, as far as justification is concerned.
I owe nothing. I owe nothing. It's been paid. And therefore,
being justified by faith, it's not by works, it's by faith,
we have right now peace. Peace. Oh, peace with God. And that peace arises from the
fact that in Christ we are forgiven, justified, holy and unblameable,
otherwise there wouldn't be any peace. If God still had a quarrel
with you, there wouldn't be any peace. I mean on one point. I mean just that one. Now God's
so holy that the least offense would start a quarrel. Perhaps
the least transgression, the least idle word or evil thought
would bring a frown from heaven and would disturb the peace,
their war. God's got to declare war over
the least offense. But in Christ I am so holy and
so righteous that he has established a peace with God, being freely
forgiven, justified, holy and unblamable, right now I have
peace with God. Now, out of Christ, men are at
war with God. I don't care what the bumper
stickers say. I don't care what the preachers
say. They can smile and come on and say, God loves you and
so do I. We love you and so does God and Jesus loves you. Now
let me tell you something. I'm going to be honest with you. He that believeth not on the
Son, the wrath of God abideth on him. That's what this book
says. No man has any cause to believe
that God loves him if he is not by faith in Christ. He has no word anywhere in this
book. God's angry with the wicked.
God hateth the workers of iniquity. Jacob have a love, Esau have
a hatred. Where was Jacob? In Christ. In
Christ. And Paul said in Romans 8, nothing
can separate me from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ
my Lord. Now I know that's offensive.
I know that you tell people that and they just, ah, they just,
man, they break out in sweat. They burn down, come on their
face, their veins stand out, and they clink their fists, and
they want to go to war. But I tell you, God's love's
in Christ. So if you get so mad about that,
why don't you get in Christ? Don't stand around there griping
because you're drowning. Get in the ark. Now, that's the
thing to do. I don't like that ark. Well,
it's there. You've got to deal with it. You
got to deal with it. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. And I'm telling you, friends,
I'm trying to be honest, and I know I'll never win any popularity
contest preaching this, but God's love and mercy is in Christ.
And anybody that gives a sinner, a rebel, the least hope of God's
mercy outside of Christ, now he's a criminal. He's not true
to the souls of men. I can give you hope, but it's
in the Lord Jesus. I can preach the love of God,
but it's in Christ. I preach the mercy of God. Mercy
for the miserable. Grace for the guilty. Help for
the hopeless. Strength for the weak. Life for
the dead. Sight for the blind. But it's
in Christ. God has put all things in His
hands, and that's where you'll get it or you won't get it. That's
just it. No use compromising or apologizing. It's in Christ. And He earned
the right. He came down here in the flesh
and did what He was supposed to do. And He earned the crown
right. You didn't earn it, He did. He
did. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. Where? Through our Lord Jesus
Christ. If you're not in Christ, there's
no peace with God. God's at war. And He's going
to win it too. By whom, watch this now, by whom
we have access. That's what I want, access. Access
by faith. Where? Into this grace. Into
this grace. And watch it. It says, by whom
we have access. It's by whom that we have access.
It's not by an it, not by a feeling, not by a profession, not by a
point of doctrine, not by a deed. It's by whom. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have access into this grace.
Now, what is this grace? It's a state of favor. It's a
state of sonship. It's a state of acceptance. This
favor, this grace, the whole kit and caboodle, the whole thing. It's a state of grace, a state
of favor. Now, peace and grace are distinguished
from one another. It says, therefore being justified
by faith, we have peace with God. That's a particular blessing,
peace with God. That's a single blessing. That's
a particular blessing. That's a distinguishing blessing.
While access into grace implies all blessings. Therefore being
justified by Christ. I have peace with God. The war
is over. And I also, through Christ and
in Christ, have literal access into the Holy of Holies, into
the presence of God, into the smile and favor of God, into
the, unto the table of His bountiful blessing, unto His very place
within the veil. I have access. I didn't earn
it. I didn't work for it. Not because
I'm a preacher, or once and sold, or wrote some books, or gave
to the church. It's by whom? It's Christ. Old Martin Luther said this.
Now listen to this. Although I'm a sinner, I'm a
sinner, but I despair not for Christ, who is my righteousness
and my Redeemer living. In Him I have no sin, I have
no fear, I have no sting of conscience, I have no fear of judgment. For
in Christ there is no condemnation. I am indeed a sinner as touching
this present life, but I have in Christ a holiness, a righteousness
that's above this life. is none other than Christ my
Lord. And in Him I trust, in Him I
hope, in Him I rest, in Him I rejoice. Satan can't touch me. And even
God's law can't touch me. And even God's justice can't
touch me. Because it's already exhausted
itself on Him. And that's the reason. I'm not
being blasphemous. No, sir, I'm just saying that
where God already has punished sin, He will not punish it again.
And where righteousness has already been fulfilled, it doesn't have
to be done again. And he said in verse 3, now,
not only so, I don't only rejoice in Christ, but I rejoice in tribulation. I rejoice in trouble. I glory
in trial. Yes, I do. You know why? work
patience. What is patience? Well, patience
is submission to the will of God. Patience is a state of contentment
before God. Patience is waiting on the Lord. Patience is the opposite of covetousness
and dissatisfaction. Patience is the opposite of complaining. Patience is the opposite of foolish
hate. Well, where did I learn this
patience and this submission to the will of God and this contentment
and this waving upon the Lord? I learned it as God dealt with
me in trouble. That's how I learned it. David
said, it's good for me that I've been afflicted. I learned God's
stature. I learned God's will. And this
patience, you know what it does? It produces experience. And you
know what experience is? It's maturity. And this maturity
is evidence or proof of faith. Actually, trials do not produce
faith. Trials do not produce faith.
Trials reveal faith. If a man has faith, when a trial
comes upon him, his faith will be revealed, his faith will be
strengthened. But if a man has no faith and trial comes upon
him, he's not going to get faith. If he has a false faith, it will
reveal his false faith. But true faith is stronger as
a result of trial. That's right. I don't care what
people say, it's still true that God's greatest ships do business
in the deepest waters. That's right. And when the Lord
is going to use a person, He puts him through some trials
to give him experience and maturity. And you know what this maturity
and experience does? It produces hope. A stronger
hope, that's right. Maturity and experience, as a
result of patience that comes as a result of trial, worketh
hope. In other words, as a result of
trial. Trouble! My faith is strengthened. My confidence in God is strengthened.
My confidence in the flesh is weakened. My faith is revealed
to me and confirmed to me, and the more my faith is confirmed
to me, the greater my hope. That's right. If a man can go
through a real trial, a real time of trouble, and come through
on the other side with a greater confidence in Christ, a greater
peace and rest in Christ, then I'll tell you, on the other side,
his hope will be stronger. It will. It will be strong. And
he says here, and hope, verse 5, make it not a shame. Hope
will never be a shame to that relationship with Christ. And
hope will never have cause to be a shame, for we are perfected
in Christ. And hope will never be put to
shame. Now watch this. In Matthew 7, there's some folks
that say, We prophesied in your name and cast out devils and
did many wonderful works. I never knew you. Oh, what shame. Just hope here in Christ we'll
never be put to shame. He'll never deny you. He'll never
deny you. Never be put to shame. For the
love of God, because His love And it's not our love for Him,
it's His love for us, the love of God. It's not the love of
man, it's not the love of the believer, it's the love of God
that's shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
unto us. Now then, watch this quickly.
In verse 6 through 8 comes the proof of that love, the proof
of that love. The proof of God's love and grace,
and this is what we believe. Someone said one time, verse
6 through 8 of Romans 5 is the sum and substance of the gospel.
Someone once said that Romans 5, 6 through 8 is the great article
of our faith. Let's see what it is. For when
we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. Who died? Christ died. The only
begotten, well-beloved Son of God died. That's who died. Jesus Christ the Lord died. God in human flesh died. Well,
how did He die? It says, in due time, Christ
died. How did He die? He died a death
of shame. He died under the wrath and judgment
of the Father. He died as a substitute for sinners. He died an ignominious death. between two feet. Well, why did
he die? Well, it says he died for somebody. What's the word for him mean?
It means in the stead of. He died for somebody that ought
to have been dying. He died for somebody in their place as their
substitute. He died for somebody. That's
why he died. For somebody. Well, why did he
die for them? that God might be just and justifiable,
that God might be holy and merciful, that God might save them and
still be God. That's why He died. He died for
them. He didn't die to impress them.
He died for them. He didn't die to show them how
to die. He died so they wouldn't have to die by souls. But for whom did He die? Well,
it says He died for them godless. He didn't say he died for nice
folks, religious folks, righteous folks, deserving folks. He died
for ungodly folks. Ungodly means without God. Unclothed
means I don't have any clothes on. Well, ungodly means I don't
have God. Huh? Unclean means I ain't clean.
Ungodly means I don't have God. And that's who he died for. Well,
when did he die? Well, it says here, when they
were without strength, when they were at the end of the road,
when they were without Christ, without hope, without help, without
strength, that's when he died for them. You ever been to the
end of the road? Old Barnard preached a sermon one time on,
At My Wit's End. And he got that in Psalm 107.
When they were at their wit's end, they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble. And he saved them out of their
distress. Without strength. As long as
you can wiggle one finger, you're not without strength. But when
you can't wiggle, move, in any fashion, you're without strength.
And that's when he died for the ungodly. Now verse 7. for scarcity, for a righteous
man will some die. Two types of men are mentioned
here, a righteous man and a good man. What does this mean? Let's
make it a point. The righteous man here is a man
who is strict, moral, religious, yet not necessarily loved. Now,
you've met folks like that, and I have too. I wouldn't doubt
some of us have been folks like that. We ought not be folks like
that. but moral, and strict, and religious, and unbending,
a righteous man, but not loved. And that's why he said, with
scarcity for that kind of man will a person die, but yet for
adventure, for a good man, here's one who's benevolent, and kind,
and thoughtful, and gracious, and one whom men love, among
whom he's a loved and respected man. Well, he said somebody might
die for him. There's some folks I think I'd die for. Some folks
I don't think I'd die for. That's what he's saying here.
He says for one of these kind of fellows, you know, one of
these so-called righteous people, somebody might die. But for a
good man, somebody... Now watch, here's where he's
getting to. But God... But God commended His love and
mercy and grace toward us in that while we were neither righteous
nor good, but we were sinners. That's when Christ died for us.
See that? Without strength. Now then, I'll
get much more in a quick. Now watch these two words. Pick
them up here right now. After verse 8. Much more then.
Much more, then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through Him. Now look at me a minute. If,
when we were God-hating rebels, if, when we were lost and undone
in sin and shame, if, when we were ungodly, God loved us, loved
us so greatly that He gave Christ to die for us, if that be so,
then much more Much more certain will be our deliverance now that
we've been delivered from His wrath and judgment in Christ.
See what he's saying? That's what he's saying there.
Verse 8 says, But God committed His love toward us, in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Then much more of it,
being now justified by His blood, what you've got to fear. If when you were down there wiggling
in the cesspool of sin, in your guilt and wretchedness, God loved
you and died for you, now that you're in Christ, what you worried
about? Much more. Look at the next verse. For if, when we were enemies,
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son,
much more, and now not being enemies anymore, but friends,
we'll be saved by His love, much more. that? If when you were an enemy, with
your shotgun aimed right at the heart of God, He loves you and
reconciled you. Now that you've laid down your
shotgun, much more you'll be reconciled by God. Isn't that
so beautiful? Well, look here at the next one.
It's in verse 15. But not as the offense, so also
as the free gift. Now, there is in one sense Adam
is a type of Christ. Read that in 1 Corinthians 15,
as in Adam we died and Christ we made alive. The first man
is of the earth, the earth is the second man is the Lord from
heaven. Yes, God's free gift of grace in Christ is not at
all to be compared with the fall. It's so much grace. It's such
what he's saying here, not as the offense, so is the free gift. For if through the offense of
one we be dead, if that be so, and it is, much more, much more. Much more the grace of God and
the gift of grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ. In other
words, in Adam we lost all. Is that true? Yes, that's true.
But in Christ we gained much more. Much more than we lost. Much more. I'm better off than
Adam was before the fall, because I can't fall. Adam had the possibility
of falling, the potential to fall in Christ. I don't have
that. I don't have any potential. Not if I'm in Christ. Now if
I'm in the church or in religion, there's a good, there's a dead
certainty I'll fall. But in Christ I can't fall. Much
more. Much more. Not even worthy to
be compared. Alright, look at verse 17. If
by one man's offence, death right me. Death right me. If through
our identification and union with Adam, death reigned over
us, and who can deny that? Much more, much more. They which receive abundance
of grace, abundance, all we need, plentiful, and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. If
death reigned over me and Adam, much more certain and surely
shall we reign with Christ, who is our righteousness. It's not
worthy to be compared with them. If down here with Adam death
reigned over me, in Christ it's much more certain that I'll reign
with Him.