Eyes Wide Open

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February 10, 2008 - Romans 5:12-19

Open It

  1. What advantages and experiences have you had that many others in the world have not?

  2. In what ways can the decisions of a few leaders change the lives of millions of people?

  3. What experiences have you had with death?

Explore It

  1. What did Adam introduce into the world and pass on to his descendants? (5:12)

  2. What is the root cause of death? (5:12)

  3. How did the coming of God's law affect the presence of sin in the world? (5:13)

  4. How did the coming of God's law affect our understanding of what sin is? (5:13)

  5. What came into the world through Jesus Christ? (5:15)

  6. What is God's solution to the inevitable problem of sin and death? (5:16-17)

  7. In what ways are the acts of Jesus and Adam similar? (5:18-19)

Get It

  1. In what ways are all people the same?

  2. What fears or anticipation do you have about death?

  3. What effect did Christ's death on the cross have on your life?

  4. At what point in your life did you realize you were guilty of sin?

  5. At what point in your life did you realize God's love for you?

  6. How can God justly judge us for Adam's sin?

  7. How can a person have his or her sins forgiven by God?

  8. What makes Jesus' action more powerful than Adam's?

  9. How can knowing you are forgiven and righteous before God through Jesus Christ affect your attitudes and actions?

Apply It

  1. In what ways can you thank God today for the grace He has bestowed on you?

  2. What can you do this week for unsaved friends still suffering from the consequences of sin?

Notes

Romans 5:12: How can we be declared guilty for something Adam did thousands of years ago? Many feel it isn't right for God to judge us because of Adam's sin. Yet each of us confirms our solidarity with Adam by our own sins each day. We are made of the same stuff and are prone to rebel, and we are judged for the sins we commit. Because we are sinners, it isn't fairness we need-it's mercy.

Romans 5:13-14: Paul has shown that keeping the law does not bring salvation. Here he adds that breaking the law is not what brings death. Death is the result of Adam's sin and of the sins we all commit, even if they don't resemble Adam's. Paul reminds his readers that for thousands of years the law had not yet been explicitly given, and yet people died. The law was added, he explains in Romans 5:20, to help people see their sinfulness, to show them the seriousness of their offenses, and to drive them to God for mercy and pardon. This was true in Moses' day, and it is still true today. Sin is a deep discrepancy between who we are and who we were created to be. The law points out our sin and places the responsibility for it squarely on our shoulders. But the law offers no remedy. When we are convicted of sin, we must turn to Jesus Christ for healing.

5:14 Adam is a pattern; he is the counterpart of Christ. Just as Adam was a representative of created humanity, so is Christ the representative of a new spiritual humanity.

Romans 5:15-19: We were all born into Adam's physical family-the family line that leads to certain death. All of us have reaped the results of Adam's sin. We have inherited his guilt, a sinful nature (the tendency to sin), and God's punishment. Because of Jesus, however, we can trade judgment for forgiveness. We can trade our sin for Jesus' righteousness. Christ offers us the opportunity to be born into his spiritual family-the family line that begins with forgiveness and leads to eternal life. If we do nothing, we have death through Adam; but if we come to God by faith, we have life through Christ. Which family line do you now belong to?

5:17 What a promise this is to those who love Christ! We can reign over sin's power, over death's threats, and over Satan's attacks. Eternal life is ours now and forever. In the power and protection of Jesus Christ, we can overcome temptation. See Romans 8:17 for more on our privileged position in Christ.

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