‘The free gift is not like the transgression’

[Romans 5:12-21]

                Look at Romans 5:14b – “…  Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”  The first Adam, the representative of mankind, is a type of Jesus Christ, who is to come.  Here the Greek word for “type” appears 16 times in the New Testament.  However, not all Korean Bibles have been translated as “type”.  The word “form” was translated the most, and almost half of the 16 times were translated as “form” (eg. Rom. 6:17), and “imprint” was also translated twice (Jn. 20:25).  It is also translated as “image”, “form”, “like”, “mirror”, “example”, and “shadow”.  For example, let's say we have 2 objects.  Let's call one object "A" and the other object "B".  A marks B.  This is referred to as a type.  A is the type and B is the opposite type.  The saying that Adam is a type of the one to come means that Adam is a type/symbol of Jesus Christ, and there are similarity and difference.  The similarity is that Adam and Jesus Christ are “representatives,” and the difference is imputation.  What Adam passed on to us is sin, and the result of that sin is death.  But what Jesus Christ freely gave us is righteousness, and the result of his righteousness is eternal life.

                Look at Romans 5:15-17: “But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the 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.  The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.  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.”  Here the gift of Jesus Christ, which is “the free gift” (v. 15), differs not only in character, but also in result from the sin (or original sin) of Adam, the representative of mankind.  Many people died because of Adam's transgression.  In the statement that many people died as a result of Adam's transgression, we should consider the three stages of death: (1) Spiritual death: When Adam, the representative of mankind, ate of the forbidden fruit, he died spiritually.  He was cut off from his relationship with God.  Not only that, but all mankind died spiritually in Adam.  The reason is because Adam's sin was imputed to all (Ref.: Rom.5:12).  (2) Physical death: Then Adam died physically at the age of 930 (Gen. 5:5).  (3) Eternal death: When a person who is spiritually dead meets physical death, he dies eternally and dwells in the fires of hell [“the second death” (Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8)].  In this way, in Adam we were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).  The condition of those who died spiritually (v. 1) was that they walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [they lived in obedience to the devil] (v. 2) according to the lusts of our flesh (v. 3).  They indulged the desire of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest (v. 3).  However, the free gift of Jesus Christ abounds to many (Rom. 5:15).  Here, “the free gift” or “the gift” refers to eternal life.  Look at Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

                Romans 5:16 says, “The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; …..”  Compare this with verse 15 that says, “…  But the free gift is not like the transgression.  ….”  The sin of Adam, the type, and Jesus Christ, the one to come, are not the same (different) in nature and result of this gift (v. 15).  Looking at Romans 5:16, the Bible says that the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation.  Judgment is God's condemnation.  Because God condemned us, all descendants of Adam, to be sinners, we must all suffer the penalty of sin, death.  No one can free himself from this God's condemnation, and no one can deliver us from this condemnation.  But the Bible says, “the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification” (v. 16).  What do you mean by “many transgressions” here?  We can think of it in three ways: (1) Original sin: It refers to the sin of Adam, the first man and the representative of mankind who disobeyed God's command and ate of the forbidden fruit.  (2) Hereditary sin: It refers to the sin inherited from one's ancestors.  The sins of our parents are passed on to us at birth.  Look at Psalms 51:5 – “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”  (3) Actual sin: It refers to the sins we commit in our own lives (all sins in the past, present, and future).  All the sins we commit in words, deeds, thoughts, etc.  So, what is “the free gift” in verse 16?  The free gift means that we were being saved from condemnation and made us righteous when we were condemned among these many sins and had no choice but to pay the price for our sins, but Jesus Christ, the one who was to come (v. 14) died on the cross to pay for all our sins (original sin, hereditary sin, and actual sin) and died on the cross for us.  

                As the representative/progenitor of mankind, Adam gave sin and death as a result of which he gave us nothing but judgment and destruction.  But Jesus Christ, who was to come, has given us a gift, who has saved us from all our sins, and has given us everlasting life, leading us to justification.  Therefore, since God is justified, who can condemn us?  No one.  Look at Romans 8:1, 33-34: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  …  Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

                Look at Romans 5:17 – “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.”  Before we received the gift of the one man, Jesus Christ, by grace (v. 15), that is, eternal life (6:23), through the sin of the one man, Adam, death reigned through him (5:17).   We were living in fear of death because death (spiritual death, physical death, eternal death) reigned.  But now that we have been justified by the gift of the grace of Jesus Christ (v. 16), all the more, more abundantly beneficiaries of grace and the gift of righteousness, we have reigned in life through the one Jesus Christ (v. 17).

                As those who have already received eternal life by living on this earth with Jesus Christ as Lord, that eternal life has already reigned in our lives, so we do not have to worry and fear even death.  We have already received the gift by the grace of Jesus Christ (v. 15), resulted in justification (v. 16) and more abundantly receive grace and the gift of righteousness and reign in life through Jesus Christ.  Then, when we enter the kingdom of heaven, we will reign with Jesus for ever and ever (Rev.22:5).

                If you have not yet accepted Jesus, please open your heart wide and receive Jesus Christ.  When you accept Jesus Christ, you receive eternal life as a gift.  If you believe in Jesus Christ, you will be saved.  There is no condemnation in Jesus Christ.  This is because we have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ.  If you believe in Jesus Christ, you will no longer suffer in the fear of death because He reigns in eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Let us all serve the Lord on this earth and live while enjoying eternal life, overcome the fear of death and live victoriously.