Verse 12. We now come to the question of sin, or the two heads of the two races: the one head, Adam, by whom sin entered into the world; the other head, Christ, by whom grace has abounded over sin.
Many souls are greatly perplexed who find, though they believe their sins are forgiven, yet they find the root, sin, in the flesh. Much of this confusion arises from want of carefully noticing the distinction between sins and sin, as in this epistle. As we have seen, verse 11 closes the question of sins. Verse 12 takes up sin. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Thus there are two proofs of the origin of evil: sin entered into the world by one man. Of the whole race of mankind, all sin, and all die. What absolute consistency in the word of God, and with facts! And this has been found to be the case, whether man was placed under law, or without law. After sin had come in, and man fell, the law was not given for two thousand five hundred years. “For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed [or, put to account] when there is no law. 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.’’ (Vers. 13, 14.) That is, they had not transgressed a given law; yet there was death, the proof that sin was there. Sin and death then came into the world by its head, Adam. Death, then, is not merely the penalty of a broken law; but sin having once come in, death is its result; or, as expressed in the word, “The wages of sin is death.” Now, in contrast with what came in by the creature’s sin, the first head—sin and death—God is pleased to reveal to us what has come in for a new race by the gift of His own Son—righteousness and life. Only the infinite gift must abound over the finite, dreadful as has been the result of that creature’s sin. God could not, in His free favor to us, give a gift that would come short of our need. Hence, the care of the Holy Ghost to show us how that gift of free favor has abounded over the sin, the root of evil, and death, that came in by Adam. “But not as the offense, so also is the free gift [the act of favor]. 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.” (Ver. 15.) No doubt the effect of the offense of Adam’s sin on the many, even all his posterity, is great and terrible; and we all belonged to that “many.” Death passed upon all men. Yet if we have passed from death unto life in the risen Head of the new creation, we have now to see how the grace of God, and the gift, by grace, by One—Jesus Christ—hath abounded unto the many in Him.
Verse 16. “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.” In Adam we see one sin, and the consequences that have flowed from it in judgment. Now look at the free gift. See Jesus, our Substitute: all our iniquities have been made to meet on Him, and this for the very purpose, that we might by faith be justified from them all. And, much more than this, not only justified from all our iniquities by His blood, but He, having died for our offenses, was raised again for our justification.
Let us dwell now on this great fact—the resurrection of Jesus from the dead—and this for the express purpose of our justification—of our complete, abounding justification. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He took to Himself that eternal life He had, and was. He could take it in perfect righteousness, having glorified God; and having redeemed “the many,” according to that glory, He could now communicate to them, to us that same eternal life—and that, a justified life, in righteousness, unchanging, ever-subsisting. It will be very blessed if our souls understand this reigning, subsisting justification of life, though fully admitting that our life, as children of Adam, was forfeited.
Verse 17. “For if by one offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one—Jesus Christ” This is the close of the parenthesis from verse 13. Can anyone deny that death reigns over Adam’s race through sin? Where is the physician that can stay the reign of death? And Jesus says of His many, “and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.” Death has positively no claim on those who receive the abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness. They reign in life by One—Jesus Christ. Nothing can stay its course; none can pluck them out of His hand.
Verse 18. “Therefore, as by the offense of one [or, one offense], judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so, by the righteousness of one [or, by one act of righteousness], the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” The true sense of this verse is, as by one offense judgment toward all men; so, by one act of righteousness, the free gift toward all unto justification of life. That is, as in verse 19, the effect of the two acts—Adam’s sin, and Christ’s obedience unto death on the two “manys”—the two families.
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so, by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous.” It is, however, of the utmost importance to see that this justification of life is connected with, and results from, His resurrection from the dead. It is not written that He kept the law for our justification, but that God raised Him from the dead for that very purpose—for our justification. It is not, and could not be, our life in the flesh under the law that is justified; that could not be in any way. It is judged, and set aside. The life that we have now before God is the eternal life that has passed through death for us; and everything that the righteous claims of God had against us is fully met by that one death of our Substitute. Christ is our life. Can there be a charge against Him, even as our Substitute? We have, then, through the abounding of grace, a life against which there is, and can be, no charge—therefore a justified life.
If in Adam, or in the flesh, under law, nothing can justify us, or that sinful life. Death and judgment are written upon it. If in Christ, we have a life that reigns, a life completely justified, that nothing can condemn. As to our sins, we are accounted righteous—faith is reckoned as righteousness, and, being justified, we have peace with God. As to our sinful Adam nature, life, and standing, we are no longer in it, but in Christ raised from the dead; and the eternal life we have in Him is justified life—in Him, how completely justified! It is of the utmost importance to lay fast hold of this; completely justified from our sins by Him; and, as in the new creation, completely justified in Him raised from the dead. In both cases it is wholly of God, both by and in Christ Jesus.
Dear young believer, do you know that you are no longer in Adam, or connected with the old things that belong to him? The great point for you to see is this: “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new; and all things are of God.” (2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17).) What a sad mistake would you make to go back, or cling to, the old things—law and a sinful nature—and suppose that anything would improve the one, or justify you under the other, now passed away! And now mark, your righteousness and life is to you all new, and all of God. What is of God must be perfect. Thus we are perfectly and forever justified in the risen Christ.
Verses 20, 21. Oh, marvelous free favor of God! Do you ask, Why was the law given, if man cannot be justified by it, or if it cannot give a justified life? “ The law entered that the offense might abound.” It may even have been so in your past experience. It may have entered with killing power, and the more you have struggled to keep it, the more the offense has abounded. How you may have struggled to make the flesh holy Ϊ and the more you have struggled, the more you have failed. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Do you believe God as to this? Can you now cease from works, and rest in the boundless, free favor of God? “that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign”—yes, and that “ through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.” It is not grace alone that reigneth—that would be indifference to sin; neither righteousness alone, or the sinner must be condemned; but grace, through righteousness. Yes, it reigns on, on, unto eternal life.
But if we are constituted righteous by and in Christ, entirely apart from any works of our own, sins being forgiven, and sin not reckoned to us—a question is then raised as to practical righteousness—Shall we continue in the practice of sin? The enemies of the grace of God always raise this question, or put it as a charge, that those who hold the doctrines of the sovereign grace of God? imply that they live in sin that grace may abound. The charge is as common in this day, as it was by the Pharisees in that day, against the apostle. In the next chapter we have his inspired answer to the usual calumny. But rest assured, nothing short of this abounding grace can give rest to the soul.