Why Grace Always Wins Over Sin — Romans 5:15-20 Explained

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Okay, and now here is program number four for today, so we'll get through this half hour and we can head out of here and get home. Okay, back to Romans chapter 5, and for those of you out in television, we just cherish your letters, and as I mentioned in the last program, when you write to us, don't fear that you'll be getting back on our mailing list and get a mailbox full of appeals and what have you. We do not do that. So you feel free to write to us, and we trust that you are enjoying the Word, we trust that you're learning, and as I've said earlier on these programs, we are not affiliated with any group. My wife and I just do this as laypeople, and all our intents are that people can get interested in reading their Bible, understanding it, and hopefully come to a knowledge of salvation, of course, because that's why this book is given, to the human race, that we can be brought back into a fellowship with the Creator. And so, as I mentioned in our last program, the only compensation we really get are these good letters and these good phone calls, and we do appreciate them so much. I told someone the other night, Iris, of course, most of you know, works a 3 -to-11 and she doesn't get home till midnight, so a while back I was kind of at a loss for something. I had about four or five books I was halfway through, but I didn't want to read. So I went and got all the letters out from way back we first started, and I just went and read all those letters, and boy, what an interesting hour. And so we don't throw one of them away, we've still got the first ones we ever got, and so we just want people to know that we appreciate when you write or you call. All right, I think we'll just get right into the text again, because these moments go so fast. Let's drop in now, if you will, where we left off, and we'll take a run at it, beginning with verse 15. We already commented on 15 and 16, but let's just read them again as we go into verse 17. "'But not as the offense,' in other words, not as Adam's sin, so also is the free gift.'" Now that sounds like kind of a twisting of words, but what Paul is really trying to get across—and of course, as I mentioned several programs ago, when I refer to Paul as the writer, I hope it's all understood that he wrote as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. In other words, Paul's personality certainly shows through in all of his writings, even as all the authors of Scripture do. But Paul is not simply rehearsing something that he sat down and learned and meditated and said, well, now, this is what I'm going to write. No, he wrote as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. And in fact, I was just telling somebody the other day, you know, I've had so many people after they have come under my kind of teaching where I stress, of course, Paul's apostleship for the church age as over against Christ's earthly ministry and the Gospels, and people say, well, I'm going to go by what Jesus said. Well now, they're well-meaning, I know they are, but they're not thinking, because see, everything that Jesus said in His earthly ministry, with the exception of the last chapter of each one of the Gospels after His resurrection, but everything He said in His earthly ministry was before the cross. He hadn't died yet. He hadn't gone to the cross. His blood hadn't been shed, and nothing is mooted of that. And so when you go by what Jesus said in His earthly ministry, you're going by that which is before the cross. Now when you get to the apostle Paul, Paul makes it so plain that everything he writes, he received from the Lord in glory. So it's still the words of Jesus, only now it's in that time that's most appropriate. It's post-resurrection, and he has now finished the work of the cross, and so I stand by my guns that we have to adhere to the writings of Paul, because this is where the meat of our doctrine really lies. All right, so then read on. Verse 15 again, "...for if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, and hath abounded unto many." In other words, all that will believe. Now verse 16, "...and not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift." In other words, Christ didn't sin a sin that would somehow cover Adam's sin, but as Adam plunged the human race into condemnation with his act of sin, so Christ has lifted the human race by virtue of His death on the cross. "...for the judgment was by one to condemnation." In other words, every offspring of Adam, everyone, black or white, Jew or Gentile, makes no difference. We're all still children of Adam, and consequently we are under a condemnation. But the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. Now, like I told you in our last three programs, Paul is just hammering this word home, and I don't want anyone to have heard me teach these first few chapters of Romans ever forget this word justification. This is what we are. We're justified, and so I've left it on the board now for these whole four programs, that we're justified by a judicial decree of the Almighty God Himself that since we believe the gospel, He can restore us back as Adam was before he fell. Of course, we're still going to sin, and of course He has made compensation for all that by virtue of His advocacy at the Father's right hand, but that will come at a later time. All right, now then let's move on into verse 17, "...for if," that's a conditional word, "...for if by one man's offense," and again it's Adam, "...death reigned as a king by one," in other words, because of Adam, "...much more." Now see how Paul is constantly driving home that the grace of God, which is going to compensate for the fall of Adam, is greater than anything Adam did? And see, this is what we have to understand, that yes, it seems like God is severe in condemning everyone who was born out of Adam's race, and yet He's not severe because He's made the way back for every human being without lifting a finger. See now, like I said a program or two ago, if God would make us swim a raging river, or if He would make us climb some high mountain to appropriate all this, that would be a little different. But He doesn't. He just lays it right out in front of every human being. You know when I teach John chapter 10, the Good Shepherd chapter? I don't think I've ever taught that one on television, but when I do in my classes I always say, now where is the door to that sheepfold? Is it up on some cliff? Is it across the ocean? No, it's on ground level. It's where anybody can walk through it. It's attainable to anyone to go into the door to the sheepfold. And so it is that salvation is not something that people have to attain or work for or grasp at. It's right in front of every human being. All right, reading on. For if by one man's offense death reign by one much more, they who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign, not like old death does, but now we're going to reign, and again you can still use the analogy, like a king, we're going to reign in life, eternal life as we saw in the last program I think it was, forever, forever and forever because of one Christ Jesus, not because of what I do, but because of what He accomplished, see? So as Adam was the federal head of the human race and he plunged everyone into a place of condemnation, the second man, the second Adam has accomplished everything necessary to bring fallen man back to himself. The only difference is now there has to be an exercise of will. Now I know there is a lot of controversy between how much will is exercised in salvation and how much is it in election, but nevertheless I sort of bring the two extremes to the middle and granted God, as I've stressed over the last several programs, God has to open our eyes, God has to open our heart, but on the other hand man has the prerogative to reject it. And I think that's what's going to be so hard on lost people is when they go through all eternity regretting their opportunity and they rejected it. All right, now then, verse 18, therefore. Now whenever Paul uses therefore and wherefore, he says, just go back and remember what I said. And so it's constant repetition here. My, this stuff is so heavy, this is so important, that it's just repeated over and over and over for about two or three chapters. And that means God wants us to get it straight, that salvation can be by nothing man can do, but it's all been accomplished by His work of the cross and that He, as He said back in chapter, where was it, in chapter 2, that He is just in being the justifier of those who believe, absolutely He's just. He's not cutting any corners. God isn't winking at man's sin. He has paid the total price for it. And so now He can be just in justifying the unbeliever. All right, now then, verse 18, therefore, as by the offense of one judgment, condemnation, came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one. See this constant bringing the two into play? As Adam caused us to fall, Christ has made it possible to lift us up, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification. Now this isn't just in Romans. Come back with me to Ephesians. We haven't done a lot of bouncing back and forth in the Scriptures in these programs because Romans is so self-explanatory. But for a change, go back with me and look at Ephesians. We'll probably do a series in the book of Ephesians down the road a ways. And to think that I told someone a few years ago we should be able to get all this done in 25 tapes. Well, this is already number 22, and I can see about 20 more, honey. Ephesians chapter 2, Ephesians chapter 2. We're not going to take the whole chapter, because like I said, we'll be looking at this somewhere down the road. But verse 1, and now remember, Paul always writes to the believer, and so he says, "...and you hath he quickened, or made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Why? Because of Adam. "...wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air." Remember the verse we looked at back in 2 Corinthians 4 in our first program today? "...that the eyes of them that believe not are blinded by the God of this world." Here it is again, see? "...according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," that is in the believer, "...among whom also we all had our conversation or manner of living in times past, in the desires of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature." What does that mean? We're born with it. We're born with the old Adamic nature. And so we were by nature the children of what? Wrath, even as others. That's where we were. That's where we've come from. And then verse 4, "...O for twenty-five years I have been teaching people to look for this next little word," B-U-T, "...but," but, and what do I always tell you that indicates? The flip side. Oh, we were the children of wrath. We were disobedient. We were enemies of God, but what happened? God in His mercy, see? But God, not but Lesfeldic, not by one of you, not by any other person you could name, but God, who is rich in mercy, for with His great love wherewith He," what? He loved us, even, you remember what we just said back in Romans, that He commended His love toward us while we were yet ungodly? We were sinners, same thing, even when we were dead in sins. We were filthy with Him, filthy with Him. And yet that's where He reached down, you see, and quickened us, made us alive together with Christ. Now what's that a picture of? His resurrection. You remember I always like to put it that when Christ was on the cross, who did God see there with Him? You and I. When He was in the tomb, whom did God see there with Him? You and I. And as He rose from the dead in resurrection power, who was in there with Him? You and I. And here Paul brings it out, see, that we have been raised, resurrected out of that deadness and made us sit—oh, what's that next word? Together. Where? In the heavenlies. Oh, believers, don't get that tonight, that we are so special in God's sight just simply because we believe the gospel that He considers us as already seated with Him in the heavenlies. And hence we wait for Him to come and take us to Himself, see? I had one listener write, she had just lost a loved one and wanted some comfort of where she was. She knew she was a believer, and I just sent back a few verses, and I got her answer today. What a comfort to know that our loved ones, if they were believers, are in His presence. They're already seated in the heavenlies. And so it's not that big a jump from here to there, and that's why we don't have to fear death, because they can kill the body, but they can't kill that which is already a citizen of heaven. All right, read on. This is too good to leave. Even when we were dead together, or dead in sins, He hath quickened us together with Christ. For it's by grace, not of merit, but it's by grace you are saved. And He has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Now come on down to verse 8, 9, and 10, verses that so many people have memorized somewhere along the line. For by what? Grace. See? Unmerited favor. For by grace are you saved. What's the vehicle? Faith. That's the vehicle. Grace has made it possible, but faith is the vehicle. And so by faith, or through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the what? The gift of God. Now this is nothing new to you. I know it isn't. But oh, get these things down that you can share it with your unsaved friends and neighbors. That there's nothing they can do. They cannot join enough churches. They cannot go through enough baptisms. They cannot go through anything else you can name. Then it's no longer a gift. But when they just simply receive it by faith, oh, then God does everything that needs to be done. Oh, by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, the gift of God, not of works. Because then what would we do? Hey, we'd be bragging all over heaven for all eternity. And as I've said so often, boy, people would see you coming down the street and they'd cross over, even though it's gold, and they'd say, I can't stand to hear it again. He's telling me everything he did to get here. Isn't that something? But that's not going to be the case. There isn't going to be a single soul in glory that's going to be able to brag what they did to get there. Because every one of us, Old Testament as well as us, are going to be there by faith plus nothing. All right? Verse 10, but it doesn't stop there. We're not just saved to then go on our way and do nothing about it. God has the next step in our life as a believer, and that is we are His workmanship. We are the result, actually, of a recreation of God Himself. So we now become a workmanship created, see? That's a work of God, created in Christ Jesus for what purpose? Good works, see? We absolutely were to let the world feel and understand where we're coming from. We've been created for good works, which God hath before ordained. In other words, before He ever created Adam, and He saw the whole mess that mankind was going to go into, yet He had already foreordained that His believers, those that were His, should maintain good works. Now, I have to think as I'm speaking. How about Abraham? What kind of a man was Abraham in the eyes of his contemporaries? Oh, they thought the world of him. From what I can gather, Abraham never had a bad word said about him, except the one time he tried to pawn off his wife as his sister. But Abraham was well spoken of, a great businessman that he must have been, and you come on up the same way with Jacob. Jacob was a rascal. He was a cheat. But once he met the Lord there at Peniel, not another bad remark about Jacob. He was an exemplary saint from then on, and so on up through the Old Testament, and now on through the New, and every time one of God's choicest servants comes on the scene, what does he look for? Good works. That's what we're created for. And he knew that before he ever created Adam, that this would be the result of a salvation experience. All right, now let's go for the last few moments back to Romans chapter 5. I'm sure hoping I can finish the chapter, and then we'll be ready for chapter 6 at our next group of four programs. All right, now then, verse 18 again, Now verse 19, now this is all repetition. I know it is, but it's for purpose. I think I mentioned in our last taping I'd read a book on Romans. My land, the book is that big, and that square, and almost fine print, just on two chapters, chapters 5 and 6. Unbelievable. But he repeats, and he repeats, and he knows he's repeating, and he said just like I did. He said, the Scripture repeats all this. I'm repeating it, because God wants us to understand this and not be in a fog about it whatsoever that the moment we believe the work of the cross, God has justified us by virtue of His shed blood. He has declared us just as if we never sinned. And listen, as I said I think in one of the previous programs, that has a psychological impact. When you and I move through our daily life, and we are constantly aware from the moment we awake until we go to sleep at night, that we are a justified person, that's going to affect our behavior. And if it doesn't, then there's something wrong. But when you understand that you are declared a justified person by an act of God, it has to have an effect on your behavior. All right? And then verse 19, "...for as by one man," see, repeat it again, "...by one man's disobedience," see, "...many all were made sinners, and so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." The what? The obedience. Oh, now let's go to Philippians. I haven't had you wear out your Bible much this afternoon, so it's about time. Go back to Philippians—Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians—Philippians chapter 2—Philippians chapter 2—absolutely He was obedient, just as surely as Isaac when Abraham laid him up on that altar. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate that he fought back. He was totally obedient to the wishes of his father Abraham. All right, now here we have it in Christ's own person. Verse 5 of Philippians 2, "...let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." He didn't have to, because he was equal with God. Now verse 7 and 8, "...but he made himself of no reputation." Who made him that way? He did himself. He lowered himself from being the almighty Creator God to a man walking the streets of dusty Palestine. "...made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men," and now here it comes, verse 8, "...and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became," there's the word, what, obedient, see, "...and he became obedient unto death, even the worst death ever dreamed up by mankind, the death of the cross." Now what could he have done? Oh, he could have zapped the whole thing. He could have stricken every Roman soldier and every Jewish priest and high priest in Jerusalem with a spoken word, but he was obedient, because he knew that this was the will of the Father, of course, the Godhead of which he himself was now a part. All right, now come back with me, and maybe we can finish Romans chapter 5. We've got about a minute left, all right? And so, verse 20, "...moreover, the law entered," twenty-five hundred years after Adam, twenty-five hundred years later, "...the law entered, that the offence might," what, "...abound," now most people think it should be the other way around, "...the law entered, so that God could get control of sinful men, the law entered, so men could get control of their own habits and desires." Uh-uh! The law entered for one purpose, and what was it? To show how sinful men really were. That's all the law could do. That's all the law can do today. All it can do is show us our sin. It has no saving power. It has no power of justification whatsoever. It shows us our sin. All right, now I'm not going to finish all I want here, so we're going to pick it up in the next program, but verse 20, "...where sin abounded," and oh, listen, "...by the time that Christ came in His first advent, the whole world was steeped in idolatry and paganism." Sin abounded. We think it's bad, and they talk about, knew this and knew that, hey, nothing's different, nothing's changed. Everything that we see today has been part and parcel of the human race down through history. The only thing is it's so magnified tonight because of our tremendous numbers, but nevertheless, it still stands that where sin abounded, grace did much more what? Abound. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a weekly Bible study. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries, a Bible study in your area, or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported, and your gift is appreciated. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.