THE CONSEQUENCES OF ONE LIFE

Passage: Romans 5:12-14

Key verse: 12

NIV

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,(A) and death through sin,(B) and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned(C)—

13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.(D) 14 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,(E) who is a pattern of the one to come.(F)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Death in Adam, Life in Christ

12 Therefore, just as (A)sin came into the world through one man, and (B)death through sin, and (C)so death spread to all men[a] because (D)all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but (E)sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not (F)like the transgression of Adam, (G)who was a type of (H)the one who was to come.

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Footnotes
  1. Romans 5:12 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women; also twice in verse 18
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Sin and death entered through one man (12-13)

The gospel is rooted in history. God is the Creator of the world, and he is the Sovereign Lord of history. But the course of history can be changed by one man. Sin entered the world through one man Adam, when he deliberately disobeyed God. Death entered the world through sin. All men die, because all men sin. The law, given through Moses, defines sin. But even in lawless times when people could not (and cannot) diagnose sin as sin, it still infects the human race and brings death. Humanity's greatest problem is the sin problem.

2. A pattern of the one to come (14)

Adam was a pattern of Jesus. One man, Adam, changed the course of history; one man, Jesus, also changed the course of history. When we believe in Jesus and obey him, we move from Adam's history into Jesus' history. Jesus' history moves toward God and life; Adam's history moves toward death and hell.

Prayer: Lord, help me to stand firmly in Jesus' history. Let my one life be a blessing and make a difference for good.

One Word: One person is important