Pathway to Victory

Speaker 1

Hey podcast listeners, thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word through the most effective media available, like this podcast.

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Now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 2

Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day. This Bible teaching program on today's edition of Pathway to Victory, Paul is going.

Speaker 3

To contrast the disobedience of Adam that led to the condemnation of everyone to the salvation that comes by Christ's obedience to God.

And he does so by pointing out three contrasts between the condemnation that came from Adam's sin and the salvation that came from Christ's obedience.

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, it seemed as though all hope was lost forever. But God promised that one day he would provide a way for man to be redeemed.

Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explains how the last Adam reversed the damage done by the first Adam. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Speaker 2

Dr. Jeffress thanks David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Today's program features the final message in a wonderful series called Grace Powered Living. It's based on Paul's Letter to the Romans, chapters one through five. And as a complement to today's study, I'm prepared to send you two excellent resources. But it's essential that you respond right away because this special offer expires today.

The first item is a book called An Illustrated Guide to the Apostle Paul. This high-quality reference book is a fabulous tool for anyone who's curious to learn more about the life and times of Paul. I reach for this illustrated guide whenever I prepare sermons that include Paul's teachings because it gives so much context for the culture in which he lived, and you can request a copy today when you give a generous gift to support the growing ministry of Pathway to Victory.

In addition, when you respond today, I'll also send the companion piece called the Journeys of Paul Map. This map clearly illustrates the three missionary trips Paul took as recorded in the Book of Acts and explains their importance to you today. I'll say more about these resources at the end of today's message, but right now let's continue our study.

In Romans 5, this particular passage requires that we pay very close attention. Because the first time you read it, Paul sounds like he's crafting a riddle. Clearly he's not. This section of his letter contains a powerful description of our redemption through one man's work. I titled today's message One for All.

Speaker 3

If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn to Romans, chapter five, Romans, chapter five. Now we're in this section of Romans that talks about the right standing righteousness with God. A right standing with God is available to everyone who trusts in Christ. And remember, last time in chapter four, we talked about four benefits of being in a right relationship with God. Now, when we get to chapter five, remember, there's no chapter division. Paul is going to share a fifth and perhaps the most important benefit of a right relationship with God. And that is it gives us union with a powerful Savior.

The way Paul explains our union with Jesus is by contrasting it with our union or oneness with Adam. To help you along, what I'm gonna do is summarize what Paul is gonna say, and then we're gonna get into the text. Here's Paul's message. Write it down. Just as Adam's disobedience brought condemnation to everyone, Christ's obedience to God brought salvation. Now let's see how Paul develops that thought beginning in verse 12.

Let's look at the first Adam. Look at verse 12. Therefore, just as through one man, he's talking about Adam, sin entered into the world and death through sin. And so death spread to all men because all sinned. Now, Paul anticipates a lot of people are gonna object to that, saying, that's just not fair, that I would be held accountable for what somebody else did. Well, he talks about our connection to Adam in verse 13. Look at what he says. For until the law—he's talking about the Mosaic Law—sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed. That means counted against you. Where there is no law, God gave Adam a law: Don't eat of this tree. But from the time of Adam until Moses, thousands, perhaps more years afterwards, from Adam unto Moses, there was no specific law given to man. The law did not come until the time of Moses.

Was there sin in the world during that time? Of course there was. But what Paul is saying is a legal truth. You can't charge somebody with violation of a specific command if that specific command is not known and is not there. That's what he's saying. But notice what he says in verse 14. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, even though there was no law from the time of Adam to Moses. Did people die during that time? Of course they did. Were people sinning during that time? Of course they did. But they could not be charged for any specific sin because there was no specific law from the time of Adam and Moses, and yet they continued to die.

So Paul says, let's add up all the facts then to come to this answer. Why do we sin and why do we die? Write this down. Here are four facts. Death is God's judgment for breaking his law. Everybody agree with that? The soul that sins shall die. Death is God's judgment for breaking his law. Secondly, Adam broke God's law and died. No doubt about that. Number three, not everyone since Adam has broken a specific law of God. That's true. From Adam to Moses, there was no specific law. Number four. But everyone still dies. Even though they had no specific law, those from Adam to Moses still died. So why did they die? The same reason you and I die, because of our connection to Adam. For as in Adam, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:22, all die.

You say, what does that mean to be in Adam? How is it that Adam's sin affected me? Now, I don't want to get off into the theological weeds here, but theologians have two theories about our connection to Adam. One theory is called seminal headship. I don't have to go into the root of that word for you to get the idea, but it is that we are genetically connected. He is the father of the race. And so when Adam sinned in the garden, you and I were present at Adam's loins, genetically, so to speak. And so when Adam sinned, we sinned. That's the same argument, by the way, in Hebrews 7:9-10, in which the writer of Hebrews says that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek. When Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, well, Levi was a descendant of Abraham's that lived hundreds of years afterwards. So how did Levi pay tithes to Melchizedek? Well, the writer said, because he was genetically present in Adam. So God saw it as Levi paying tithes because Abraham was his forefather. Maybe that's what he's saying here. You and I were genetically present in Adam.

Another theory is what's called federal headship. That's the idea that Adam was the designated representative of the entire human race. Adam cast the vote for sin that affects all of us. And some people say, well, that's sure not fair, because had I been in the garden, I would not have cast that vote. One commentator has a great point when he says the fact that God allowed Adam to be our representative was really a sign of God's compassion. The fact is we had much better chances with Adam than we did if we had been the ones to make the choice. I mean, think about it. Adam didn't have a sin nature. He could have just as easily said no as he said yes. He had no sin nature. He only had one temptation. But he made the wrong choice. You and I, on the other hand, will almost always make the same choice, a wrong choice because we have that propensity to sin and we have temptation after temptation after temptation.

I mean, if the plan was either Adam makes the choice for all of us or all of us make the choice, we at least had a better shot with Adam, even though he messed up. But the fact is we are held guilty for Adam's sin. But if you think that is unjust, Paul's going to show us something even more unjust. Look at chapter 5, verse 14. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, that is, who had a commandment to break. Adam, who is a type of Jesus, who is to come. In other words, just as Adam represented all of mankind and by his one act of disobedience, death came to everyone, so through another man, Jesus Christ, the last Adam, he made a decision that has the possibility of affecting millions and billions of people as well. It's the possibility of salvation.

Look at verse 15 of chapter 5. But the free gift is not unlike the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one 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. Now, some of you, I can tell, are a little bit angry about this. I can just see the mental emails being composed in some people's minds right now. I do not like this idea. It is unfair that I would inherit not only the tendency to sin, but I would absolutely inherit the guilt of Adam. That's not right to be held responsible for what somebody else does. What Paul is saying is if you think that's unfair, I'll show you something even more unfair: that you and I should get credited with the righteousness of Jesus Christ because of what he did on the cross for us. That's an unfairness, so to speak, that works for our benefit.

So beginning in verse 15, Paul is going to contrast the disobedience of Adam that led to the condemnation of everyone to the salvation that comes by Christ's obedience to God. He does so by pointing out three contrasts between the condemnation that came from Adam's sin and the salvation that came from Christ's obedience. Write these statements down. Condemnation came after one sin. Salvation came after many sins. Look at verse 16. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For on the one hand, the judgment arose from the one transgression resulting in condemnation. But on the other hand, the free gift arose after many transgressions resulting in justification.

If you want to know how intolerant God is towards sin, just look at what he did to Adam in the garden. One measly sin, one bite from that apple or kumquat or whatever it was, one little sin, and God damns the entire human race. Now, isn't that a little bit of an overreaction on God's part? I mean, why can't God be more tolerant and more forgiving? I mean, we just don't understand why God would react in such a harsh way. You know, the reason we think that way is that we think God is just as indifferent towards sin as we are. We don't understand the absolute holiness of God. God has a zero tolerance level for sin, and yet we continue to sin and sin and sin and think nothing of it.

I remember years ago having breakfast with one of the vice presidents for the Promise Keepers organization. He told me of a big stadium rally they had just had for men, tens of thousands of men present. And the speaker was talking about the subject of moral purity. He said, there are some of you men right now who are married, who are having an affair with another woman. And God is not gonna let you get away with it. God loves you too much not to discipline you. And if you want to escape the discipline of God, as soon as this session is over and we're at break, I want you to go to a payphone here in the stadium and call that woman and tell her it is over. This vice president, Promise Keeper, said when that man finished during the break time, there was a line of men stretching around the entire stadium, standing on the payphone, making that telephone call.

We sin and we don't think anything about it because we don't understand the holiness of God. It just took one sin to bring God's judgment against all mankind. But here's the difference, and here is the testimony to the grace of God. Condemnation came after one sin. But salvation came after many sins. After Adam's sin, man kept sinning and sinning and sinning and sinning. But did that sin cause God to withhold his grace? No. After many sins, thousands of years of silence, sinning, what did God do? He sent his own son, Jesus Christ, to be the atonement for our sins. That is a testimony to the grace of God.

Condemnation came after one sin. Salvation came upon many, many sins. And that is the message of hope for some of you today. Some of you are not yet Christians. You think God could never forgive me because of what I've done? You don't understand the kind of sin that I've been involved in. God could never forgive me. Notice what he says in verse 20. And the law came in that the transgression might increase. But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. That word abounded literally means super abounded. As the sin of mankind increased, the grace of God even increased more. And ladies and gentlemen, the good news of the gospel is you cannot out-sin the grace of Jesus Christ. His blood is sufficient to cover you of all of your sin.

Now listen to me. This is not an excuse for a Christian to keep on sinning. One man said, well, of course God's going to forgive me of my sin. That's his job. No, in fact, Paul anticipates that response when we get to chapter six next week. He says, shall sin increase, that grace may abound? In other words, if I enjoy sinning and God enjoys forgiving, why don't we both have a good time? I'll just sin more and God can forgive more and we both get what we want. Shall sin increase so that grace may abound more? He says, may it not never be. For how can those who have died to sin still live in it? We're to have, as Christians, the same attitude towards sin that God has: a zero tolerance level for it. But this is a passage that talks about before we become a Christian, you cannot out-sin the grace of God.

Condemnation was the result of one sin. Salvation came after many sins. Secondly, contrast between Adam and Christ: condemnation resulted in death. Salvation results in life through Jesus Christ. We have not only been restored to where Adam was, we get a promotion from Adam. Did you know that? See, Adam was sinless, but he wasn't righteous. To be sinless means simply he hadn't sinned yet. But if Adam had not sinned that first time, he could have sinned anytime after that. He was sinless, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to sin. He had the choice. But when we become a Christian and trust in Christ, God declares us righteous. That's different. Righteous means we are in a right standing with God, and nothing can ever change that position with God.

And not only are we declared righteous, notice he says in verse 17, we have been elevated to reign through the one Jesus Christ. God promotes us to be a co-ruler with Jesus Christ over this entire universe. Condemnation resulted in death. Salvation results in life. Third, and this is the most important contrast: condemnation is automatic. Salvation is optional. Look at verse 17 again of chapter 5. 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.

Now listen to me. If you read this passage today and don't read it carefully, here's the conclusion you could come up with. And it's a deadly conclusion. You could say, okay, through one man, Adam, everybody was condemned. Through Jesus and his death on the cross, everybody is saved. Adam's sin resulted in condemnation for everybody. Christ's righteousness results in righteousness for everybody. And many people actually use this passage for universalism or inclusivism, that everybody is going to be saved, everybody is gonna go to heaven. Seems like a logical conclusion until you read the text.

Notice in verse 17 he says much more. Those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign through Jesus Christ. Here's where Adam's actions and Christ's actions are contrasted. Everybody is affected by Adam's sin, but only those who receive God's gift of forgiveness are affected by Christ's righteousness. Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:22. As in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive. Who is in Adam? Who's connected to Adam? Everyone. We're genetically connected to Adam, so we are automatically condemned because we are connected to Adam. In Adam, all die. But only those who are in Christ shall be made alive. Who's in Christ? Not everyone. Only those who receive.

Verse 17 says the gift of righteousness. Let me illustrate it for you this way. This principle that condemnation is automatic, salvation is optional. When we used to live in Wichita Falls, if you wanted to fly anywhere other than Dallas, Texas, you had to come to Dallas first in a little puddle jumper of a plane. Then you would switch planes and you'd go to wherever you wanted to go. And the same thing coming back. So let's say I wanted to go to Los Angeles. I'd come to Dallas, switch planes, go to Los Angeles, and then on the way back home, when I was ready to come home, I couldn't come directly home. I'd get in this big airplane and go from Los Angeles. Now, everybody on that big airplane was headed to one destination, to Dallas, Los Angeles to Dallas. Everybody on that plane was gonna land in Dallas.

But if I wanted to go someplace else other than Dallas, I had to unstrap myself from that plane. I had to walk down the concourse, I had to get another ticket, and I had to get on a much smaller plane to take me where I really wanted to go. Home. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the same way with your eternal destination. Whether you know it or not, right now you're headed to a destination called Hell. Every one of us who is ever born into this world is automatically on that plane, so to speak, headed to that destination. It's because of our connection to Adam. We are in Adam. If you don't believe that, the fact that you begin to die the moment you're born is proof that you've inherited Adam's corruption and his guilt as well. We're all headed there. In fact, if you want to go to hell, you don't have to do anything.

But if you've come to the point that you want a different destination, a different home, it takes another ticket, it takes another transport, so to speak, to get you to heaven. You have to get off, do a U-turn in the direction you're headed. You need another ticket that will take you to your intended destination, Heaven. Here's the good news of the gospel. That ticket has already been purchased for you. There's no way you and I could ever earn it. There's no amount of money, no amount of good works we could ever perform to merit it. It's available to everyone who receives it as a gift. That's what he says in verse 17. Those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign through Jesus Christ. Condemnation is automatic. Salvation is optional. John said it this way in John 1:12. But as many as received Him, Christ, to them he gave the power to become the children of God, even those who believe on his name.

Speaker 2

At Pathway to Victory, it's our mandate to teach the clear doctrinal truth of the Bible. This study from Romans called "Grace Powered Living" falls right in line with our mission. Please stay with us because in just a moment, David will explain how to receive the entire study on audio CD and video DVD. This collection of recordings includes far more teaching and illustrations than we've had time to share on this daily program. Plus, this series would be a great subject for your small group Bible study or your Sunday school class.

But first, on this final day of this series, it's my last time to mention the companion resource called "An Illustrated Guide to the Apostle Paul." I really want to add this fabulous Bible study tool to your personal collection because it'll open your eyes to Paul's life in the first century. As you read through the pages and look at the pictures, you'll find that Paul's opposition wasn't much different than the adversaries who resist us today. Pastors, students, and anyone engaged in Bible study will find this illustrated guide to be an indispensable resource.

Plus, when you respond today, I'll also include the full-color, multi-folded brochure called the "Journeys of Paul Map." This is a reference tool that's easy to follow, and you'll keep this in your collection and refer to the map for many years to come. Both resources, "An Illustrated Guide to the Apostle Paul" and the "Journeys of Paul Map," are yours with my thanks when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

Don't forget, you can watch Pathway to Victory on television on Saturdays at noon Eastern on TBN, the Trinity Broadcasting Network. On Sundays, you can catch us at 10 AM Eastern on TBN and on hundreds of other stations throughout the day.

David, thanks. Dr. Jeffress.

Speaker 1

Today, when you support the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, you're invited to request the book *An Illustrated Guide to the Apostle Paul*. Plus, you'll receive the *Journeys of Paul Map*. It's an exclusive full-color reference tool that conveniently tucks into the back of your Bible. To make your request, call 866-999-2965 or give online at P. When your gift is $75 or more, we'll also send you the *Grace Powered Living* audio and video discs containing messages from Romans Chapters one through eight. But this is the very last day we'll mention this collection of resources. To request the book, the map, and the teaching set, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. If you'd prefer to write, here's that mailing address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. One more time, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins wishing you a great weekend. Then join us again Monday for a special week of Easter messages called *The Power of the Cross*. That's right here on Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His word. To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes.

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