Romans 5:12-21
Death in Adam, Life in Christ

Today, March 18th, 2023, let us, together in the grace of God, rejoice and reflect on the Word of God in Romans 5:12-21

12 Because of this, even as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death passed to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.

13 For sin was in the world until Law, but sin is not charged where there is no law;

14 but death reigned from Adam until Moses, even on those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is a type of the coming One.

15 But the free gift is not also like the deviation. For if by the deviation of the one the many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift in grace, which is of the one Man, Jesus Christ, did abound to the many.

16 And the gift is not as by one having sinned; for indeed the judgment was of one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many deviations to justification.

17 For if by the deviation of the one death reigned through the one, much more those who are receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall rule in life by the One, Jesus Christ.

18 So then, as through one deviation it was toward all men to condemnation, so also through one righteous act toward all men to justification of life.

19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many shall be constituted righteous.

20 But Law came in besides, that the deviation might abound. But where sin abounded, grace much more abounded,

21 that as sin ruled in death, so also grace might rule through righteousness to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Suggested Questions:

1. Why were people punished with death for committing crimes before laws were in place?

2. Why did Adam commit a sin and yet become a type or symbol of the coming Christ? In what way was he a symbol?

3. Why does “the mistake of one person lead to the death of many”? Why does “the judgment of one person result in punishment for many”? Is it just?

4. What does this phrase mean: “But where sin abounded, grace much more abounded”?

5. What does this phrase mean: “As sin ruled in death, so also grace might rule through righteousness”?

Suggested Applications:

1. What does “living in Christ” mean to you?

2. What proves that you are living in Christ?

3. What proves that a person is still living in sin.

4. In your opinion, if someone is in the Church but does not truly repent of their sins or truly accept the Gospel, do they know it?

5. For those who attend evangelical churches but do not demonstrate the necessary transformation that comes from being made new in Christ, do they know if they have been saved or not?