Regime Change
Opening Prayer
Mighty God, You are the Giver and Sustainer of all life. Infuse my life with the joy of Your Spirit.
Read ROMANS 5:12–21
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
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. 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, who is 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, 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 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, 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 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in 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.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Rejoice that God has “got the whole world in his hands” (American spiritual).
Satan deceitfully offered Jesus world dominion (Matt. 4:8–11). The Jews at the crucifixion cried out that they had no king but Caesar—but now, Jesus is King. Not Satan, nor the emperor. Regime change has taken place at the cross. In later chapters, Paul will be urging the Christians in Rome to recognize this reality. Since Adam, sin and death have reigned throughout humanity. Before the Law (Torah) came in with Moses, people were not, like Adam, transgressing a known law, but they were still sinning. Now the bondage of sin’s regime has been broken.
In this very compact section, Paul directs us towards the wonder of the work of Jesus Christ and our relationship with him as King. The comparison of the one and the many in this section spells out the relationship between Adam and humanity on the one hand and Jesus and those saved by him on the other. Paul’s intent is to show the wonder of what Jesus has done. One sin resulted in death for all. One righteous act covered the multitude of sins. The law teaches us how much we sin—and the more we recognize our sinfulness the greater our realization of the extent of God’s grace. The person who is forgiven much will love much.
We have around us so many indications of the continuing role of evil in this world that the message of this passage will always challenge us to see clearly the abundance of the riches of grace that God has poured out on us in Jesus: the free gift of salvation; the Spirit within us and the daily relationship with God in Christ; the certain hope not only for our personal future but also for the world. All of this speaks of the reversal of the fall and the preparations for the new heaven and earth at his coming (Isa. 65:17; Rev. 21:1).
Apply
Notice the repeated pattern of “just as…, so also…” What comparisons does this phrase highlight?
Closing prayer
King Jesus, You reign and in You I can reign in life. Help me to grasp Your gift of victory in all its fullness.
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