I will admit that from a purely rationalistic standpoint, the subject of the past few weeks of original sin, federal headship of Adam, the fall of humanity by one transgression, and corporate redemption through the Second Adam is difficult to swallow. It does not make sense apart from the reality of God as Creator, Adam as the first human created by God, and the Second Adam in the person of Christ. So if one believes in evolution as the explanation to creation then this teaching is absurd. If one denies the existence of God then, again, this teaching is lunacy.
By God’s mercy, that’s not where we are. We affirm God as Creator. We affirm that we all descended from one man, Adam, the federal head of our race. We affirm the biblical teaching of original sin and the fall. And we affirm the imputation of the righteousness of the Second Adam, even if we do not fully grasp it. We affirm lots of things that we do not fully understand: how electricity works, how a cardiologist can remove dangerous clots in our arteries, etc. Yet the more we come to understand what we have been affirming from Romans 5, the stronger we will grow in assurance of our righteousness in Christ.
As we considered in our previous study, Paul’s reason for this teaching on corporate representation and union with our federal head is more than to show humanity’s condemnation before God. He does want to do that but much more; he wants us to see how it serves as the foundation for understanding our union with Christ in righteousness. So, after stating the basic doctrine of original sin in verse 12, Paul moves to a parenthetical explanation in verses 13-14 to show that in Adam we all sinned, even when there was no Law to identify right and wrong. In other words, we sin because we are sinners, we are sinners because we are in Adam, and as sinners, death reigns over us. But lest we miss the point, he adds another parenthetical explanation in verses 15-17, asserting that while we experience condemnation due to Adam’s sin there is another union—that which is in Christ—that reverses the effects of the fall, delivers from condemnation and death, and imputes righteousness to those once condemned in Adam, so that we might reign in life through Jesus Christ.
Seeing your union with Jesus Christ strengthens assurance. But to understand union with Christ we must also grapple with union with Adam. What does this teaching of federal headship, corporate representation, union, and imputation have to do with assurance of salvation? To move toward answering that, let me ask another question. What are the issues that fight against assurance of our salvation? Notice a few of them.
This text, I propose to you, crushes each of these enemies of assurance. The triumph is found in this whole teaching of union with Christ. Verses 18-19 do not open new territory but rather clarify what has already been stated. You will notice a neat parallelism in the verses; each has two clauses; each clarifies the other. How do these verses help us with assurance?
Thirteen times in verses 12-19, we find the number “one.” I think the repetition is sufficient to drive home the point! Nine of these uses of “one” refer to Adam’s one transgression and Adam as the one in whom the human race fell. The other four uses refer to the sole Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and the single act of His righteousness on behalf of sinners that resulted in justification. We have spent considerable time looking at Adam’s sin and its results in condemnation of the human race, so I want us to focus on the second clause in each of these texts to consider how this same principle of union that left us fallen also is used to explain our salvation.
Notice how Paul expresses it. “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” What do we learn through these two clauses that teach us about the work of the Second Adam?
Our text is exclusive: “through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men…through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” So if someone proposes his own way to God, then these verses immediately scratch those proposals. If a church or preacher or institution claims that adhering to their teaching or joining their institution or following their rules and regulations or participating in their rituals can save, then we see in these verses (and so many others) that they are false teachers and do not know the way of salvation.
I remember discussing with different people through the years that thought the only way to heaven was through membership in their church. Yet we are told that “through one act of righteousness there resulted justification.” In other words, the only way to be legally declared right with God is through this “one act of righteousness,” not through this one act of righteousness plus membership in a particular church or following particular rituals.
The Reformation emphasized that salvation was in Christ alone as a clarification against the teaching of Rome that salvation was in the Church and in the deeds one performed according to the church’s teaching. But how do we know that one is not justified by works or by the church? Our text is clear: it is through “one act of righteousness” that we are justified. How can we, in good conscience, add something to what Christ alone has done? This answers the people that you talk with that think they can justify themselves before God by reforming their lives or doing good deeds or acting civilly. It argues against those who put confidence in the flesh for salvation.
Did you notice the place that works received in this declaration of justification? If you answer, “I didn’t,” then you are correct! There is no place for works when it comes to moving sinners from condemnation in Adam to being declared righteous before God. “Through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” So, what kind of emphasis does this make? It emphasizes grace alone; that it is God who does the saving work on our behalf through Christ who fully obeyed all that God demanded to satisfy eternal justice and declare us righteous. This also establishes the reign of grace in the place of the reign of death (v. 21). “As sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Instead of living under the despotic rule of death we live conscious of God’s grace reigning each day.
Here is the repeated emphasis through chapters 3-5. The only way that we receive the righteousness that Christ secured through His “one act of righteousness” is by faith alone. That’s the thrust of chapter 4—“faith is credited as righteousness” (4:5). Paul has already told us that it is “those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness [who] will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (v. 17). How do you receive what Christ has done? By faith alone. The word means that you receive as a gift what Christ purchased. Faith is the means given by God to be declared righteous (3:28). Faith turns from self-reliance, self-trust, and self-dependence to cast all upon Christ as wholly sufficient in life and eternity for salvation.
Faith is not complicated in that it is not some special formula or a deed that we accomplish or steps that we climb through in order to receive what Christ has secured. Like the Philippian jailer, who after an earthquake asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” we, too, in our weakness ask the same question and receive the same answer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:30-31). Do you think that he understood a lot of the gospel? Do you think that he could answer many theological questions? Of course not; he just knew that he faced eternal destruction; so he asked the question many have asked through the centuries. The response was not complicated. “Believe in the Lord Jesus.” You have been believing in yourself or believing in some method for putting yourself right with God or believing in some other god or religious system. Quit believing them and trust in the Lord Jesus as the One who through one act of righteousness declares you righteous in God’s sight. Believe the Jesus Christ of the gospel not a Christ of your imagination.
“Even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” What kind of obedience does he mean? Probably, Paul uses that phrase to describe the whole of Jesus Christ’s fulfillment of all righteousness that culminated when He was “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). Had He not been obedient in every detail of the Law then His death would have meant nothing for us. Even in His baptism, Jesus explained to John the Baptist that it was necessary “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). His concern at every point was with the righteousness of God, and that for two reasons. First, He is Himself righteous, and so He is infinitely concerned with every detail of the divine law. Second, His righteousness qualified Him to stand in our place before the wrath of God. From Adam on through every person, “there is none righteous, not even one” (3:10); that is until Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness.
What we see is Christ’s active righteousness as He obeyed at every point. He left nothing to question; the devil could not find one point of accusation against Him (John 14:30). And when we go to the cross we see Christ’s passive righteousness as sinful men nailed Him to the cross, and more importantly, the Father poured out His wrath upon Him as our Substitute. That’s the “one act of righteousness” and “the obedience of the One” that is our salvation.
There’s no ground for personal boasting when it comes to our salvation. It’s not through “one act of righteousness” on the part of Christ plus a few goodies that we throw into the mixture! Since it is Christ alone by the grace of God alone that has satisfied eternal justice for us then all we can do is give praise to Him alone.
Just one act of righteousness, just the obedience of the One—that’s what all of our salvation rests upon. How does that affect assurance? In a major way! It is not my performance but Christ’s “one act of righteousness” that saves. My sin cannot undo what “the obedience of the One” accomplished on my behalf. My doubts about God’s love and Christ’s sufficiency are smashed by the divine emphasis on the one act of Christ that justifies me, a fallen son of Adam.
Since we have encountered “all” and “many” in previous weeks and it stands out once again, I think it is important that we spend some time unpacking the meaning. Some have taken the “all” as the claim to universalism—that is, that in the end all men will be saved. Others have tried to wrench this little adverb from its context to prove a general atonement. But I think some investigation will prove helpful in seeing precisely what Paul had in mind.
“So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.” If he means “all without exception” in both cases then we must accept the teaching of universalism and we must also conclude that Paul contradicts himself (e.g. 2 Thess. 1:5-10). There is no doubt that Paul insists on all men in Adam condemned. That’s the point in the context (vv. 12, 14, 15-17). Sin entered into the world through Adam and death followed on sin’s heels; consequently, death followed to all “because all sinned.” We saw in our study of verse 12 that Paul’s point in that phrase is that ‘all sinned in Adam.’ But does he, by the same logic, use all in reference to the one act of righteousness on the part of Christ resulting in justification for all men without exception? The context does not allow all, in this case, to mean “all without exception.” Or else one must completely ignore the teaching in chapters 1-3 concerning universal sinfulness and judgment against sin; one must also ignore the call to faith in Christ taught in chapters 3-4 as the means to righteousness before God.
So, if he does not mean “all without exception” in that second clause, then what is he implying? Keep in mind the theme that runs through 5:12-21—union and solidarity with one figure. There is union with Adam in sin; there is union with Christ in righteousness. All of those in Adam are sinners. All of those in Christ are righteous. And that’s the point of the use of “all”—it refers to all in union with either Adam or Christ.
It is very popular for some to insist on a single meaning of a word as long as it proves their point. However, just as in the English language, Greek and Hebrew words may have multiple meanings. Ultimately, only the context determines the meaning of the word. Take for instance the word “letter.” What does it mean? It can refer to a character in the alphabet or a sound used in speech or a message written on paper that you receive by mail or an award that you get for participating in a school athletic team or an exact, literal explanation (‘letter of the law’) or an educated person (‘a man of letters’) or an official document that gives legal rights or powers (‘letter of attorney’). It is not difficult to discern the meaning of any use of this word when we understand the context of how it is used. The same is true of the words “all” and “many” used in our text. So why use all?
(a) It goes well with the parallelism that Paul uses as a teaching or catechetical tool in this passage. He addresses two major doctrines: original sin and justification. The parallel aids in memorization. The Greek has a rhythmic sound to it as it is read. Note that the second statement in verse 19 uses “many” rather than “all.” Does that mean that only some, though “many” fell in Adam just as only some, though “many” will be made righteous in Christ? Again, the context implies that the use of “many were made sinners” through Adam’s disobedience refers to the entirety of those in union with Adam; just as “the many…made righteous” in Christ refers to the entirety of those in union with Christ.
(b) The use of “all” and “many” seems to emphasize the vast, extensive work of Christ. This is especially important in a cultural setting where racism and bigotry due to one’s social, ethnic, language, and cultural standing created massive barriers. If a Jew would not walk through Samaria because of his prejudice, even though it was the shortest distance to his destination, then the triumph of the gospel in the life of a Jew is that no barrier of human prejudice or bigotry or racism can hinder it. The gospel crosses every barrier that men have erected as fallen creatures to show the universal triumph of the crucified Son of God.
(c) This use of “all” and “many,” therefore, gives greater force to the corporate union taught in these verses. Just as Adam’s sin was imputed to all that are in union with Adam, even so Jesus Christ’s righteousness is imputed to all that are in union with Him.
Yes, there are. Take for example Matthew 3:5-6. John was teaching in the wilderness. Matthew writes, “Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.” Does that mean all without exception? If so, then the entire cities of Jerusalem, Bethany, Jericho, Bethlehem, Gath, Lachish, etc. emptied! And on top of that, all scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, priests, and even the Roman government officials must have been included, too! What Matthew implies is that a lot of people in the whole region came out to John—not everyone without exception.
Or consider Acts 2:16-17, as Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, explaining the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. “But this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…” Does this mean all without exception? If so, as Peter said, “this is what was spoken by Joel,” then you would have to conclude a universal outpouring of the Spirit on every person rather than the universality of the Spirit’s outpouring upon God’s people.
(a) The issue of corporate union is the focus not universalism. The important thing is whether one who is in Adam is by faith in Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:22).
(b) Verse 17 qualifies those who are in Christ as “those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness…” who “will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
(c) Paul spent the previous chapters explaining that justification is by faith alone in Christ alone, so to suddenly change that in favor of universalism would be a complete contradiction (1:16-17; 3:21-26, 28; 4:1-8).
(d) Paul has given clear assurance that God’s wrath will fall on a certain segment of humanity characterized by ungodliness and rejection of God’s gracious provision in Christ; so he cannot be denying eternal punishment and teaching universalism (1:18; 2:8-9, 12). [cf. John Stott, Romans: God’s Good News for the World, 159].
If I had to sum up the implication of these verses in one little phrase, it would be this: union with Christ changes one’s standing before God. If we established in the context the concept of union or solidarity with Adam in sin and with Christ in righteousness, then what follows in verses 18-19 is a tight summary of Paul’s message. He does this in verse 18 by stating the two distinct points of union without the use of a verb. Translators have added the verb—rightly so—but the original has none in order to emphasize it. “So then as by one transgression unto condemnation for all men, even so by one act of righteousness for justification of life for all men.” What he is doing is continuing the explanation he started in verse 12, as Paul described the effects of the fall. It is the “so then” that we’ve been waiting on for five verses! “Just as through one man sin entered into the world…so then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.” The act of each federal head left staggering results on the part of Adam and wondrous results on the part of Christ. Verse 19 reiterates: “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners [or we could translate it, constituted sinners or established as sinners], even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous” [i.e. constituted righteous or established as righteous]. One’s standing in Adam is as a sinner under condemnation. But through faith in Christ, one condemned in Adam can have a change in standing from condemnation to justification of life, from sinner to righteous.
What is it that we dread most? It is being condemned before the Creator. What is it that we need most? As one condemned, it is being declared legally righteous so that we are no longer held in the bondage of death but given life forever. Condemnation and justification are thus juxtaposed. Union with Adam leaves you condemned. Union with Christ justifies you before God. There is no in-between stage, no room for bargaining or toying. You are either condemned or justified.
“For as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.” Union with Adam means that we are sinners, and as sinners we have a sinful nature and do sinful things. You are not a sinner because you sin; rather you sin because you are a sinner. Through Adam’s disobedience the human race became sinners.
“Even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” Union with Christ means that we are righteous. That is a legal term, primarily, emphasizing a right standing with God. God accounts us righteous because of the obedience of Christ for us. You are not righteous because you do righteous deeds; rather you are now capable of doing righteous deeds for the glory of God because you are righteous in Christ.
Here’s the reality of this passage. We remain condemned as sinners until we are in union with Jesus Christ. So, how does our standing change from condemnation in Adam to justification in Christ? Receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness secured by Jesus Christ and offered to you in the gospel.
For all believers struggling with assurance, consider these three questions:
Can you doubt God’s love or Christ’s sufficiency when you see that through His one act of righteousness He justified you forever?
Can you stay on the performance treadmill in the vain attempt to improve your standing with God when through Christ’s obedience you have been constituted righteous?
Can you go on thinking that your sin is an exception to the righteous act of Christ to deliver you from the guilt and penalty of sin?
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