281 - WHO NEEDS IT?
September 27, 1964
Pastor Henry F. Kulp
Romans 5: 15 - 21 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! 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. 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! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 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. The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5 is very important, especially this last part that we have been studying from the 12th verse there are three things that I want you to see that we have brought out in the past weeks—DEATH IS UNIVERSAL.
Romans 5: 12 -14 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. 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.
All men die, sinless infants, good moral people, righteous people, all die, because death is universal, it effects everyone. The cause of this, we recognize there must be a cause. And it is a universal cause.
1/ THIS IS THE SECOND THING I WANT YOU TO SEE.
Romans 5: 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
BY ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD.
This is the cause for universal death. Sin is the cause for universal death, and it is Adam’s sin, not personal sins. It is because Adam is the first man, we have all come from Adam and because of his sin, all must die, and it is true that because of Adam, and we are the seed of Adam, we also inherit sin. The important point here is that Adam sinned, and he passed sin unto us, but mainly he passed death unto us, and all are dead. We do not want to just talk about physical death. All sinners are dead to God spiritually.
Ephesians 2: 1 And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin.
2/ If Jesus Christ does not appear in a short season, I will one day die physically. The reason I will die? Because my father died, the reason my father died, because his father died, and so we could go on back to Adam. But I do not die because my father died, my father doesn’t die because his father died, we die because Adam died when he partook of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam brought the curse of death and sin upon the whole human race.
3/ But now, I WANT YOU TO SEE THE THIRD THING THAT IS SO IMPORTANT IN THIS PASSAGE.
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.
I want you to notice he talks about a gift—but not as the offence, so also is the free gift.
The word, free, isn’t needed here, for a gift is always free. But God finds He has to emphasize some things in order that we might understand, so he puts in the word, free. This is the free gift, and God emphasizes that. Everything that God has is free, Notice, in this same verse—and the gift by grace. Of course, He had to bring grace into this chapter. This free gift is ours by the grace of God, and grace is God giving everything for nothing.
4/ The word, grace, and the word, gift, go hand in hand.
I’d like to have you turn to Ephesians 3: 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God.
This right now, this present time, is the dispensation of the grace of God. There has never been an age likes this. People do not understand the Old Testament because they do not understand it was not the age of grace. Immediately you say, didn’t the Lord Jesus Christ save them by faith, and wasn’t that by grace? Yes, Abraham was saved by faith, but it was not the age of grace it was the age when God was raising up the seed of Abraham to be a special nation to be under the law. As you go back in the Old Testament, you will find that David was famous for the number of men he killed—David’s mighty men were famous for the number of men they killed. Do you ever stop to think about this? So many people say the Old Testament is just filled with killing, and we must agree, it is. Remember, David to get his wife, had to go and kill 2,000 Philistines, and then he boasted about it. But that is not the New Testament. The New Testament is about how men can get saved, and this is the difference. In the Old Testament God had a nation, and God was protecting that nation, in order that we might have salvation by grace, because through that nation, He was to bring the seed of the woman, the Lord Jesus. And God took that nation and He protected that nation. He said, don’t you dare touch my nation, Israel, if you touch Israel, I’ll wipe you out of existence. When a nation did harm to God’s nation, God brought terrific judgment upon them. God actually said, don’t you dare touch Israel. Did you ever see a vehicle coming down the street with its sirens blaring, and its lights flashing, and everybody gets out of the way. Why? This is a warning—don’t you dare touch me, get out of the way. This is either a police car or perhaps a fire engine, or an ambulance, and they have special privileges. You have to get aside and let them go down the road. This is exactly what God said to the Gentile nations, stand to one side, My nation is coming. They have the covenants, they have my word, and the seed is to come through this nation. And so God had many Gentiles killed because they did touch that nation. God was protecting that nation.
5/ But today God does not have a special nation. Today it is the age of grace, there is neither Jew nor Gentile—all may come to God by the free grace, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
6/ Now look at Ephesians 1: 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
This is a description of you, and I pray, of me. To the praise of the glory of His grace. Can we say our life is that? We are to the praise of the glory of His grace. He has saved us by grace.
7/ As you go through the rest of the 5th chapter you find that the gift of God goes all the way through the 5th chapter from this point on. I don’t know how many times you have it, but you have it in the 16th verse—the free gift. You have it in the 17th verse 16th verse you have it twice, and then of course in the 17th verse.
8/ What is God’s gift of grace? It is the gift of righteousness—His righteousness and not human righteousness. God’s righteousness is given to you. Notice, verse 17, the gift of righteousness.
9/ God takes you, a poor lost sinner, clothed with sin and shame, and He gives you His righteousness. He gave the blood of Jesus Christ to wash you clean, and then He puts His righteousness in you, and it is a gift. Everyone who is saved this morning has a righteousness that is of God, and it is just as pure and holy as God is pure and holy Himself, and that is salvation.
10/ Romans 5: 19 Let us see about this gift. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
The important thing to see here is the obedience of Christ. Obedience is what? This is easy to understand.
Philippians 2: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians tells us He became obedient unto death even the death of the cross. The obedience of Jesus Christ to His Father during His earthly life is very, very interesting, and I thought I would just point out a few verses to you this morning.
John 8: 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
And here is a remarkable thing that Jesus Christ said – He said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love Me, for I proceed forth and came from God, neither came I of Myself, but notice He sent Me. Jesus said, I did not come of Myself, my Father told me to come, and I obeyed. Actually, I believe it would pay to go through the Book of John and find the places where Jesus Christ said He was the Sent One.
Let me give you another sample of what I mean.
John 6: 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Here He says, I came not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. But notice, verse 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me. Why do you think He would repeat it so many times? Notice the 40th verse And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
And this is the will of Him that sent me. Three times He said, the will of Him that sent me. Christ was in obedience to the Father.
11/ Remember in the Garden of Gethesame, Matthew 26: 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt, then in the 42nd verse He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Thy will be done, and of course, He is talking about His death on the cross of Calvary. He was an obedient Son all His life, but the obedience that was the important one, was the one when He went to the cross of Calvary and died.
12/ There is a portion of Scripture in the Old Testament that may help you understand what I am driving at.
Deuteromny 32: 49 Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
I am sure this Scripture will be interesting to you. God said to Moses get thee up into the Mountain Abarim, which is in the land of Moab, which is over against Jericho, and He said, and die in the mount. You go into the mountain and die there. I don’t think it is said anywhere else in the Bible that a man was told to go and die, but Moses was.
Then notice, Deuteromny 34: 5 Moses, the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.
He went up into the mountain there and died, but look at verse 7 of this same chapter. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyes were not dimmed nor his natural force abated. He didn’t have to die, he was well, he was strong. There wasn’t any part of his body that was decayed, even his eyes were not dimmed at 120. His natural force was not abated. He walked just as fast as he ever did. He didn’t have to slow down for his heart. He didn’t have to die, but he went there and died. This is a type of Jesus Christ. Christ didn’t have to die, but God told Him to die, and so He did. He was obedient unto death. The obedient God is spoken about through Paul in Romans 5 is the obedience of death. It was the one special act. We are saved by the last Adam doing one thing, and that one thing, is to die for us.
13/ Paul is very sure to make it clear that all the blessings we have in Christianity have come to us by the death of Christ. Paul’s doctrine begins at the cross. Paul’s doctrine does not begin at Bethlehem. He never mentions Bethlehem. He never mentions Christ in the wilderness, he never mentions His parables, His miracles. Did you ever notice how the Modernists love to dwell on this part if the life of Christ, but they very seldom talk on the Cross?
Notice what Paul said about this I Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. The preaching that we have in this age of grace must be the preaching of the cross.
Than notice, I Corinthians 1: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
We preach Christ crucified—that is the cross. When Paul went to Corinth, it was his determination to preach the cross. Paul was a highly educated man. He probably had all the education that the Rabbis could give him in that day. He even sat at the feet of Gamaliel, and he was a member of the Sanhedrin. He was an educated man. When he went to Corinth, Paul was not afraid to speak in that city of learning, even though Corinth and Athens were the two leading cities of the Greek world. In that day these two cities had reached the very summit of human learning, we still study the Greek poets of that day. But Paul said, I am not afraid to go to Corinth, when I come to Corinth, I’m going to know only one thing.
I Corinthians 2: 2 I am determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He may have been concerned that his great learning would lead him off the subject of Christ crucified into some other fields, and he would not discuss other subjects with them.
14/ Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Now let us notice another thing here that is important. The word, reign. That is the power of the king. It is a royal word. Death reigned. Certainly as you read this verse and you think of the human race, you know that death has reigned over the human race. Does not man still follow their dear ones to the grave? Has the world ever found any power to overcome the power of death? Death is a king, death reigns, death demands your life. Then notice, the rest of the verse. The gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one. Someone has translated that rather freely in this way—they who have the gift of righteousness shall live as kings by Christ. Live as a king—that is the way we will live in eternity. We shall live as a king Not that we will actually be kings, but this will be the manner of our reigning, as a king has everything ministered unto him, and he has all his wants and needs met, just so will we be in Christ Jesus. We will reign in Christ, because we have received this gift of righteousness.
15/ Then notice something else that is wonderful in this verse, they which receive abundance of grace. There is an abundance of grace. All that we need. Grace isn’t skimpy. God doesn’t give grace out in small pieces as many people seem to think. This word, abundance is in the Greek, PER – SI – SIGH – AH. And it means super abundance. It is not just a matter of abundance of grace, but it is superabundance. No matter how deep down in sin you may be. No matter how you have lived, what you have done, God says, I have a superabundance of grace.
Notice verse 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Grace did much more abound. Here you have this word, superabundance, and in front of it you have HOOP – PEAR, and it means much more. Super-abundance, upon superabundance, upon superabundance, upon superabundance of grace. This is available through the obedience of Christ.
AMEN
Ref: 09/27/1964/ 281- WHO NEEDS IT? / 0/23/2020
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