Romans 5:12-14: "Universal Sin and Death"

Though the earth is full of diversity between races, cultures, locations, etc. there are two universal truths that Paul has uncovered for us: we have all sinned and we will all die. Every single person ever born except Enoch and Elijah (taken up by God before death) have died. Paul begins a section in which he will set up parallels between Adam and Christ. He will begin with how sin and death entered the world through one man, Adam, and how we are all saved from sin through one man, Christ (100%man, 100% God). He again begins this section with "Therefore" referring to our wonderful justification and reconciliation through Christ. He then goes on to say, "Just as through one man sin entered into the world." Here Paul establishes that our sinful nature was introduced to all of mankind through Adam. Notice how it does not say that sin originated in Adam, but that it "entered into the world" through Adam. Sin originated with Satan at some point before the creation of the world. However, Adam introduces the created world to sin through his original sin. The fall of man can be found in Gen. 3:1-24. When Adam who was responsible for Eve, made the choice to partake of the forbidden fruit, he allowed sin to enter the world and has been passed on ever since. Regarding "sin", MacArthur writes, "In this sense, sin does not represent a particular unrighteous act but rather the inherent propensity to unrighteousness."

After his disobedience, Adam inherited a sinful nature as a result. This sinful nature can now be found in all of us. Just as a parent passes on it physical genes to their offspring, so their offspring inherit the sinful nature from generation to generation. It is the common bond between every human. MacArthur points out, "When [Adam] sinned in the Garden of Eden, he sinned not only as a man but as man. When he and his wife, who were on flesh (Gen 2:24), sinned against God, all of their descendant - that is, the entire human race in their loins- would share in that sin and alienation from God". We must understand that Adam and Eve were real people. This is not a fictitious narrative or anecdote as to how sin came about. Adam was a real historical figure that in essence acted on behalf of all that would come after him. MacArthur summarizes, "The fact that Adam and Eve not only were actual historical figures but were the original human beings form whom all others have descended is absolutely critical to Paul's argument here and is critical to the efficacy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If a historical Adam did not represent all mankind in sinfulness, a historical Christ could not represent all mankind in righteousness."

Paul next shows us that death entered into the world through sin. He writes, "and death through sin." Death which is the consequence of sin (Rom. 6:23), came into existence because of Adam's sin also. A death penalty is placed on each one of us at our conception. It is not when we first commit a sin, for that already occurred in Adam, rather, we are born with a sinful nature which condemns us. The most severe of all death sentences is that of eternal death in which MacArthur explains, "an immeasurably worse extension of [physical death]. Referred to in Scripture as the second death (Rev. 21:8), this death not only brings eternal separation from God but also eternal torment in hell."

Next in Paul's progression we see that death has spread throughout all history because all of have sinned. Paul writes, "and so death spread to all men, because all sinned". Every man who ever lived has died (except Enoch and Elijah), even Christ had to die, not because of his sins, but for the sins of the world. Paul has shown that death is the consequence of sin, and by the fact that everyone who has ever lived has died, it can be concluded that we have all sinned. Or more specifically we are all born with a sinful nature. David in Psalm 51:5 says, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me".

MacArthur tries to tackle a tough question that many will ask, "Some object to the idea that they sinned in Adam, arguing that they not only were not there but did not even exist when he sinned. But by the same token, we were not physically at the crucifixion when Christ died, but as believers we willingly accept the truth that, by faith, we died with Him . . . Others argue that it is not fair to be born guilty of Adam's sin. 'We did not ask to be born,' they argue, 'nor did our parents or their parents or grandparents before them.' But neither was it 'fair' that the sinless Son of God suffered the penalty of sin on behalf of all mankind."

Lastly, Paul finishes this section by explaining that history proves that death reigns over all men. He writes, "for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come." MacArthur does a brilliant job explaining this very difficult verse. "The apostle points out that before God gave the Law on Mount Sinai, sin was already in the world. But men's failure to meet the standards of the Law was not yet imputed against them because during that period they had no law. Yet, because death reigned from Adam to Moses, that is, death was universal even though there was no law, it is obvious that men were still sinful." Paul again is writing to a Jewish audience that held to the Law for salvation, and Paul has been breaking this thinking down, and exposing the Law for what it cannot do, which is save. Here Paul is showing them, that even though there was no law from Adam to Moses, people were dying (which is the consequence of sin), therefore we can assume it was because of the inherited sinful nature that we all have that they were condemned to death.

MacArthur leaves us with this, "In regard to the principle of human solidarity, Adam was a type of Jesus Christ. That truth becomes Paul's transition to the glorious gospel of salvation from sin and death that God offers fallen mankind through His beloved Son, Him who was to come."