Romans 5:12-21 – For Whom Did Christ Die?

• As we have seen, there are two representative men spoken of in Romans 5:12-21: Adam and Christ.

• Each man acted on behalf of the group that he represented:

– Those represented by Adam were condemned by Adam’s sin.

– Those represented by Christ were justified through Christ’s obedience.

• Questions:

– Who all is included in the group represented by Adam?

– Who all is included in the group represented by Christ?

• Adam’s group includes all that came from him physically as evidenced by the fact that all men die (spiritually at conception, and eventually physically):

– Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned [in Adam] --

– Romans 5:14 - 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

– 1 Corinthians 15:22 - In Adam all die . . .

• Therefore Adam’s group includes the entire human race - every man woman and child (except Jesus, who was the “Second” Adam).

• Who all was included in Jesus’ group?

• There are three commonly held views on the

– Extent and

– Effectiveness

• of Christ’s work on behalf of sinners:

	The Extent of Christ’s Atonement: For Whom Did Christ Die?	The Effectiveness of Christ’s Atonement: What Did Christ Accomplish?
Universalist	All Men No Exceptions	Actually Saves
Arminian	All Men No Exceptions	Potentially Saves
Calvinist	All the Elect Only	Actually Saves

• How effective was Christ’s Atonement? What did Christ actually accomplish on behalf of those whom He represented?

– Did Christ actually save those whom He represented?

– Or

– Did Christ only potentially save those whom He represented?

• What does the text say?

– Romans 5:15 - 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!

– Romans 5:16 - Again, the gift of God . . . followed many trespasses and brought justification.

– Romans 5:17b - Those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

– Romans 5:18b - The result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

– Romans 5:19b - Through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

• Christ did not potentially save sinners, He actually saved them!

• What was the extent of Christ’s Atonement? Who all did Christ represent? For whom did Christ die?

– Did Christ represent all men, without exception?

– Or

– Did Christ represent only those that belonged to Him - the elect?

• We have already established that Adam represented all men without exception. Did Christ represent the same group? After all, Paul does seem to draw a parallel between the two:

– Romans 5:18 - Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

• Did Christ represent all men without exception, thereby saving (i.e., justifying and giving eternal life to) every man without exception? Will there be no men in hell?

• Logically we know this cannot be the case! Christ tells us that the majority of men go to hell, very few are saved!

– Matthew 7:13-14 - Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

• So whom did Christ represent? Paul does not tell us whom Christ represented in Romans 5:12-21. But Paul does tell us whom Christ represented in a parallel passage in his letter to the Corinthians:

– 1 Corinthians 15:22 - For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

• In this passage Paul teaches the same principle that he has been teaching in Romans 5:12-21. But then Paul goes on to tell us who will be “made alive” in Christ, who will be included with Christ when he returns:

– 1 Corinthians 15:23 - But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him.

• Christ represented and saved

– those who belong to Him,

– those who had been given to Him by God the Father,

– those who would believe in Him and obey Him (by the power of the Spirit)

• Jesus stated this numerous times during His earthly ministry:

– John 6:39 - And this is the will of Him [the Father] who sent me [Jesus], that I [Jesus] shall lose none of all that He [the Father] has given Me [Jesus], but raise them up at the last day.

– John 10:27-29 - My [Jesus’] sheep listen to My voice; I [Jesus] know them, and they follow me. I [Jesus] give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand.

– John 17:6-9 - "I [Jesus] have revealed You [Father] to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You [Father] gave them to Me [Jesus] and they have obeyed Your word. Now they know that everything You have given me comes from You. For I gave them the words You gave Me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You [Father] sent Me [Jesus]. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You [Father] have given Me [Jesus], for they are Yours.

• Christ actually saved only those sinners whom the Father had chosen (i.e., elected) to give to Christ!

The Parallel Between Adam’s Work and Christ’s Work
Romans 5:18-19