Yes—Christ's act is not a sin that offsets Adam's sin; it is a free gift of grace that brings justification instead of condemnation.
Adam's one act of disobedience plunged the human race into condemnation. Christ's work, by contrast, was not an equivalent offense but a superseding act of reconciliation—He paid the debt and made it possible for condemned sons of Adam to become regenerate sons of God. The result is not another judgment, but justification freely by His grace.
Romans 5:15-17 — Paul directly contrasts the offense of Adam with the free gift by grace in Christ, which explains the difference between the two acts.
Paul explains in Romans 5 that the offense of one man brought death and condemnation upon many, but the grace of God and the gift by grace through Jesus Christ abounded to many. The judgment from one offense resulted in condemnation, while the free gift comes from many offenses unto justification. In Romans 3, Paul writes that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, yet believers are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood.
Les emphasizes that Paul is showing how the free gift is not like Adam's offense. Adam, as the federal head of the race, plunged every human being into condemnation by his simple act of disobedience. Christ did not go through what Adam did; rather, He superseded it. Everything Adam accomplished for condemnation, God through Jesus Christ has reconciled and paid the debt. Les defines justification as the judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner just as if he had never sinned, and he points out that the whole sin problem began in Adam. He also stresses that this connection between Adam's sin and the whole human race was given through Paul, not taught by Jesus in His earthly ministry.
No, it is not exactly opposite, because Christ did not commit an act of sin to match Adam's. Paul writes, 'not as the offence, so also is the free gift.' Les explains that the gift did not require Christ to go through what Adam did; instead, Christ superseded everything Adam accomplished. The offense brought condemnation; the gift brings justification.
Adam's simple act of disobedience, eating the forbidden fruit, plunged the whole human race into condemnation. Every human being, beginning with Cain, has been a fallen creature by virtue of Adam's act of rebellion. As the federal head of the race, Adam placed everyone in that place of condemnation.
Because grace is the total opposite of works. Paul shows that justification is given freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, and the gift by grace abounds to many. Les connects this to faith: there is no difference between Jew and Gentile because all have sinned, and it is only by faith in the gospel that we believe Christ died for our sins.
Justification is the judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner just as if he had never sinned. Since the whole sin problem began in Adam, the gift that comes through Christ deals with many offenses and brings justification. Les says this makes it possible for every degenerate son of Adam to become a regenerate son of God. The old Adam is reckoned as crucified through faith.
Free Gift Contrasted With Offense
Paul's phrase 'not as the offense' signals that the free gift is fundamentally different from Adam's single offense, not an equal counterpart.
Salvation Explained by Grace
Christ's cross provides justification freely by grace, with no works involved, through redemption and propitiation in His blood.
Christ Supersedes Adam
Christ did not go through what Adam did; He superseded Adam's condemnation by paying the debt and reconciling the race to God.
Adam's Federal Headship
Adam plunged the whole human race into condemnation, and Christ makes it possible for every degenerate son of Adam to become a regenerate son of God.
Justification Defined
Justification is God's judicial act of declaring the sinner just as if he had never sinned; the whole sin problem began in Adam.
Paul's Unique Revelation
The connection between Adam's sin and the entire human race is a revelation given through Paul, not taught by Jesus in His earthly ministry.
All Sinned, All Need Faith
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile because all have sinned; salvation comes only by faith in the gospel that Christ died for our sins.
Old Adam Crucified
Christ died as our substitute, and through faith God reckons our old Adam as crucified.
Romans 5:15: But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Shows the comparison and contrast between Adam's offense and God's free gift.
Romans 5:16: And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
Explains that the gift deals with many offenses and results in justification, not condemnation.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Establishes that every person, born of Adam, is a sinner.
Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Shows that justification is a free gift through grace, not by works.
Not in the sense of being a second act that offsets the first. The free gift is not like the offense; Adam's offense brought judgment and condemnation, while Christ's gift brings justification. Christ superseded Adam's work rather than repeating it.
Adam's simple act of disobedience plunged the whole human race into condemnation. Everyone descended from Adam is a fallen creature by virtue of that act, and this is why Paul says all have sinned and come short of God's glory.
By faith in the gospel. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile; all have sinned, and it is only by believing that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead that we are justified freely by His grace.
Through faith, the old Adam is reckoned as crucified. Christ died the death we deserved as our substitute, and God deals with the old Adam by putting him to death.
Watch the Teaching: Why Grace Always Wins Over Sin — Romans 5:15-20 Explained