Questions and Answers about Sin and Salvation

Romans 5:12-21
1. How did sin come into the world?
¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man…

• Adam was culpable because God had given him a direct commandment which he chose to disobey
• The external physical world, human nature and all or our relationships are now
  affected by sin

 
2. What is the consequence of sin?
¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned¹⁴
Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of
the one to come. ¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man…¹⁷ Forif, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man²¹…so that, just as sin reigned in death,

• Death in all its forms are the direct consequence of sin
• Physical, spiritual and eternal death now reign in creation
• Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body
• Spiritual death is separation from God
• Eternal death is eternal separation from God in Hell

3. Do I sin because I am a sinner or am I sinner because I sin?
¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned…¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners…

• Adam’s sin constituted Adam and all his descendants as sinners
• We all sinned in Adam
• This is inherited sin or original sin
• Adam represented the human race. Every person comes into this world a sinner, our choices flow from our nature, so we sin because we are sinners

 
4. What does it mean to have my spiritual identity in Adam?
¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man… ¹⁶Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment
followed one sin and brought condemnation,… ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man… ¹⁸Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men… ¹⁹For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners

• The is the spiritual resume of every person apart from being born again by the Spirit and receiving a new identity in Jesus Christ
• This is humanity as being dead in trespasses and sins
• In Adam all are sinners, under death, under condemnation and judgment
• We have Adam’s identity and curse imputed to us
• This is our resume by virtue of our solidarity with Adam; we are sinners who sin and under condemnation and death; we are objects of God’s wrath
• If we come to God on the day of Judgment with this resume, God’s decision will be one of justice and eternal condemnation

5. What does it mean to have my spiritual identity in Christ
¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass… how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!¹⁶
Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin:… but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷…how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁸…so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. ¹⁹…so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous

• In Christ we are under grace, declared righteous, reigning in life
• God wipes out our old resume in Adam and gives us a new one in Christ
• God credits to our account all the work of Christ
• We have Christ’s identity and blessing imputed to us

6. What sustains me in Christ, today, tomorrow and for all eternity?
²⁰ The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also
grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

• We have all the more increasing grace; grace triumphs over sin and death
• Grace reigns through righteousness
• Grace brings eternal life through Christ
• We begin the Christian life by grace and that same grace triumphantly works in us now unto to eternal life… it is reigning grace
• We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!