Grace Will Lead Us Home

Introduction

Comparisons take place with regularity. Students compare test scores to determine where they are in intellect. Employees compare themselves to other employees to determine if they will get promoted or how they are valued. Athletes compete and comparisons are made about who is better. We compare ourselves to others to determine if we are morally better and thus superior in some way. We compare beauty; age; abilities; income; status; position. Comparative thinking occurs as a regular part of being human.

Sometimes the comparisons hurt. Many times the comparisons are silent. All comparisons are about ranking in some way. I’m better, worse, or not as bad as someone else. The point of comparison thinking is that we compare ourselves to someone we perceive as better so that we are motivated to improve. We compare ourselves to those who we perceive as worse to feel better about ourselves. Sometimes comparisons leave us feeling bad about ourselves but then we can move into motivation to get better in some way.

This comparative thinking is seen in Romans. Jews and Gentiles having a hard time getting along. Both groups look down their spiritual noses at each other. Both groups see themselves as spiritually ahead of the others in different ways. Paul puts an end to the spiritual comparisons. In our text today, he takes both groups back to the beginning of time. Back to Adam. And from the beginning rehearses what they know but have forgotten—they are all sinners coming from the same beginning. While there are two distinct paths, the result is the same—sin, death, no room for boasting, utter failure. The remedy is Jesus but the remedy cannot be accepted until their thinking changes.

Comparison

In our text, Paul is comparing Adam and Jesus. Remember Paul is addressing both Jews and Gentiles. The Hebrew writer will compare Moses and Jesus. But that writing is to Jewish believers who are giving up on walking with Jesus. Paul has already brought Abraham into the discussion to demonstrate that he is the father of faith to both Jews and Gentiles. But now he goes all the way back to the beginning. To Adam who is the Father of all human beings. All are descended from Adam, both Jews and Gentiles. Adam was in this world before the law was given and yet Adam’s sin has affected every human being.

In verses 12–14, Paul seems to be making a circular argument but his point is to be taken in the context of all that has preceded it. Gentiles are judged by an internal law—a law that exists because of the way God has created us. There is a sense of right and wrong. No written law is needed. Adam models for us what it means to live in a world without a written law and sin comes in. There is a violation against God’s will. The result? Death both physical and spiritual. Or to put it another way, separation from God.

Remember that Adam and God back in chapter 3 of Genesis walked together in the cool of the day. This stopped and separation came because of sin. This “death” was immediate. Paul says without a written law, Gentiles still live by law (2:14–15). In 5:13, Paul says that no written law doesn’t negate the evidence that sin is in the world. Adam brought it. He died. Death is the result of sin. All people between Adam and Moses died; thus, all have sinned and fallen short of God’s intent, will, desire, and glory. What Adam brought into this world is sin. Sin brings death, judgment, and condemnation (5:16).

By comparison, Jesus brought grace. Verse 15—the word gift has as its core word “grace.” Adam brings death, judgment, and condemnation. Jesus brings justification, righteousness, and life. Grace is not like the trespass. What does that mean? Sin brought separation. Grace brought reconciliation (5:10). Sin brought death. Grace brought life. Sin brought judgment. Grace brought justification (being declared not guilty in judgment). Sin brought condemnation. Grace brought righteousness (being declared right with God and before God).

In 5:15a, Paul calls this grace a gift and then four more times he uses a different word to focus on the consequences of grace as a gift (15b, 16 (2x), 17). Here is where we stop and make sure we get this. Adam brought sin into the world. His sin not only stained us but it stained creation (Paul will address this in chapter 8 of Romans). Every child born into this world is born under the curse of sin. That doesn’t mean they are sinners but the stain of sin is so fundamentally a part of this world that every single person will sin and as a consequence just like Adam that sin brings us condemnation, judgment, and death (spiritual separation from God).

Compare that to Jesus. Jesus who entered this world under the stain of sin never once gave in to that sin. Never once did he submit to the condemnation, judgment, and separation from God. What Jesus brought was grace. He brought grace into a sinful, undeserving, non-seeking world. And with that grace he gave justification, righteousness, and life to all who will receive the gift. If I give you something because I want to give it to you, what have you done to merit the gift? In fact, we do this. Someone gives us something and we say ‘what is this for?’ Meaning what did I do to earn this. The giver says ‘you didn’t do anything. It’s because I want to do this.’ Imagine a gift so freely given to all who have sinned. You cannot claim to be righteous (good). You cannot claim to be better than others. We have all sinned. It takes God’s gift to make us realize how dependent we are on him.

On June 11, 1988 at Wembley Stadium in London, musicians from all over the globe joined together in a 12 hour concert for Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday and to call the global community to seek his release from prison in South Africa. For 25 years, Nelson Mandela was in prison for trying to overthrow the apartheid state of South Africa. Serving a life sentence, Mandela and his supporters convened this worldwide birthday celebration to pressure the South African government to release Mandela. For 12 hours 72,000 fans assembled in Wembley Stadium with over 600 million watching worldwide and heard music from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Guns ‘n Roses, Whitney Houston, Sting, Bee Gees, and so many more. 12 hours of shouting, screaming, applauding, and cheering. The final performer on that night was a well known singer in opera circles. To this crowd, this performer was an unknown. This was a rock and roll crowd. Opera was not on their radar.

Darkness had descended on the stadium some time ago. The crowd knew the day was coming to a close. But they were screaming for more. Out onto the stage walked the opera singer from America. No band. Just a microphone and her voice. Jessye Norman began to sing—Amazing Grace. You can watch the video on YouTube. Watch the full five minutes. While there are some screams early on, by the second verse the crowd is silent. 72,000 listen and are reminded of this truth: Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and Grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear. The hour I first believed!

The way of Adam is our natural way of living. The way of Jesus is grace. It is not natural; it is supernatural. And because of that grace we are led home.

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