The sacrifice of Jesus and more next on Leading the Way Audio. But Jesus' selflessness made it possible for those who believe in Him to be cleansed from the pollution of sin. Adam's one big act brought us damnation, but Christ's sacrifice brought grace, power and joy to all who call upon His name. In the early pages of Genesis, sin entered the world, separating every man and woman from God. But through God's grace, you have victory over sin.
You can experience life with Him forever. Welcome to Leading the Way with pastor and author, Dr. Michael Yussa. Hey, please keep in mind that Leading the Way is listener supported. That means that Leading the Way is supported financially through the generosity of those who are blessed by the teaching heard each day.
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866-626-4356 or at ltw.org. Listen with me now as Dr. Michael Youssef begins another episode in his series, From Valley to Victory. In Romans chapter five, verses 12 to 21. The apostle Paul, after showing us that salvation is by grace alone and that is not the cheap grace that is preached in many a pulpit today. This is the grace of God that transforms lives. As you've heard me quote Spurgeon many times, the grace that does not change a life is not the grace of Jesus Christ. And that salvation comes with the sixfold guarantees that we saw in the very last message. Here he explained the origin of sin and the only solution to sin.
Here he goes again. The apostle Paul is anticipating the questions of the readers. And the question here is this. Why is it that so many owe so much only to one person?
Great question. And so here he begins by providing an analysis, a contrast if you like, between Adam and Jesus. The two are not equal, I'm going to show you in a minute. But a contrast between the acts of those two men.
Please follow with me. Romans 5 beginning at verse 12 all the way to 21. I actually have simplified and boiled down this whole passage into three sentences. Adam fell, Christ arose and the believer wins. Verses 12 to 14, we see Adam fell and took all of humanity down with him. Verses 15 to 19, Jesus arose and he raised the believers up with him from death. Thirdly, verses 20 to 21, the believers are the winners.
Let's look at these very quickly. When Adam decided to activate his rebellious genes, he had to face the consequences of his actions. More importantly, he passed these defective genes to every one of us, to all of humanity. I read not long ago about a very prominent scientist who is a professor at a very well-known scientific university.
And he was addressing a group of doctoral candidates. Here's what he said, with all of our scientific progress, the mortality rates remain at 100%. Death comes to all of us. Death comes to the rich and the poor. Death comes to the young and the old. Death comes to the blacks and the whites. Death does not discriminate.
In fact, in the Middle East we have a saying, it goes something like this. The black camel of death kneels once at each door and each mortal must mount to return no more. The question that has plagued humanity ever since the beginning of time is why does death reign supreme? Why must everyone die? How can death be so indisputable victor over mankind? People ask that question for hundreds of thousands of years. And here in Romans chapter 5 verses 12 and 13 and 14, Paul answered the question in a logical sequence.
Follow it with me please. He said first it was Adam's sin against God that activated the power of sin. That activation of the power of sin brought Adam and all of his descendants physical death. Please don't misunderstand what the Apostle Paul is saying here. He is not saying that sin and rebellion against God originated with Adam.
That's not what he's saying. In fact, sin originated with Satan when he rebelled against God and tried to conduct a coup d'etat in heaven and he got thrown out of heaven. Adam had a choice. Should I obey Satan or should I obey God? If you've ever listened to me, all you need to do is breathe and realize that you and I are facing that same question every single day.
Many times a day. Should I obey the word of God and what I know God's word has said or should I go with the temptation of Satan? We have faced this every time and in most times they're very clear, occasionally they're ambiguous. Either way, we have a choice. The Bible says that even for the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, those who have received the new nature in Christ, inside of us those two natures are fighting with each other. The flesh against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. I know you heard me say this before, that inside of us the two dogs are fighting. The dog you feed is going to defeat the weak dog, okay?
Which one do you feed on a daily basis? The flesh or the spirit? Just in case, just in case, one person here saying, man, this miserable Adam, you know, he got us into trouble. If I were there, I wouldn't have fallen for this. Right.
You and I would have exactly been where Adam was. In fact, there are so many experiments through the years in you and my training in sociology. Experiments and has nothing to do even with the Christian faith. But these experiments have done with the old and the young and social anthropologists and sociologists tried this test again and again and again.
Where there's a room filled with boxes and a person is put in that room and it says, the sign says, open any of these boxes except for this one. Every time with monotony, they go for the box that says do not open. That's just the human nature. You see, we by nature want to do what we're told not to do. Listen to me.
Somebody might say, wait a minute Michael, wait a minute, wait a minute. Why does the Bible hold Adam responsible? Why does Adam get all of the flack? Didn't Eve sin first?
Why does Adam get the full blame and not Eve? Well, I'm glad you asked. I want to answer the question. As a matter of fact, I can tell you this. Don't shoot me.
But this happened really in 1989. I was in a meeting with a large number of very militant feminists. I'm telling you, I stood out like a sore thumb. But their debate was, we need to get the Bible translators, we need to get the theologians to stop referring to God in the masculine pronoun.
He, Father, and all. I mean, what's going on was going on and I didn't want to fight. I kept my mouth shut. But when I was young, I always had the sense of ludicrous in me. Now that I'm a little older, hopefully a little wiser. And I said, can I ask a question?
And the ground. Whenever I get up to say something in those meetings, I used to be booed before I say anything. I said, can we also refer to Satan as she?
Man, I was nearly stoned to death. In all seriousness, you need to understand, when Eve sinned and then she invited Adam to join her, she actually thought that she was doing Adam a favor. Understand that. You see, when Satan told her that eating of that fruit, this forbidden fruit, is going to make her great or be just like God, she did not want her husband to miss out on the blessing. Eve is the first person who lived the lyrics of the song, stand by your man. You see, Eve wanted her husband to get ahead. Eve wanted her husband to succeed in life. Eve wanted her husband to climb the corporate ladder. Eve wanted her husband to receive promotion. And you say, that's just natural. But it was Adam's responsibility to have said, no.
Are you with me? It was Adam's responsibility to take the spiritual leadership in the home. It was Adam's responsibility to bring his wife to repentance and confession. It was Adam's responsibility to say to his wife, Eve, sugar plum, do you remember what God said? Eve buttercup, let's go to God and ask for forgiveness.
But instead, he fell for it head first. See, that's why the Bible talks about the sin of Adam. And from that time on, all the sins that our children inherit, inherit from the Father.
So mom, every time you spank your little boy, you're spanking daddy out of him. To make things worse, to make things worse, instead of acknowledging what he did and ask God to forgive him, he blamed God. He said, God, it's really your fault. You gave me this woman. I'm going to move on.
I've got to go home today and have lunch. I only tell you what the scripture says. And Paul is telling us here in verses 12 to 14 of Romans chapter 5, that the real poison that that fruit had was death. Not only for Adam, but for all of his descendants, for you and me. Even babies die, not because they have committed any sin, but because they're still born in sin and therefore sin brings death. And because they are a recipient of sin nature. Don't miss this very important point Paul is making here.
Please don't miss it. A person does not become a sinner by committing a sin, but rather a person commits a sin because he is a sinner by nature. A person does not become a liar when he lies, but a person lies because their heart is already deceitful.
A person does not become a thief when he steals, but he steals because he's greedy. No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 15, 19, for out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. Sin leads to death.
Death leads to separation from God. And Adam experienced that separation immediately when he was thrown out of the garden as a result of disobedience. You know, I've heard people through the years who say it's not fair.
It's not fair. Adam sinned and we all kind of inherit his mistake. Beloved, neither is it fair for the sinless, perfect, holy Son of God to carry the sin and pay the wages of the sin of everyone who believes in him. Adam fell. Christ arose.
Verses 15 to 19. Because Adam chose to activate his rebellious genes. All humanity is born with these defective genes. You want to find out your origin? The Bible tells you what they are.
They're defective genes. And therefore, all will experience physical death. But when Christ arose from the grave, he made it possible for all who believe in him to rise with him, never to die eternally. The believers will never die.
Physically, they'll die. But eternally, they will reign and rule supreme with Christ. Beloved, when Adam stretched out his hands and took the forbidden fruit, he caused us all to die. But when the perfect sinless Jesus stretched out his hands on the cross, he made it possible for everyone who believes in him to rise with him. Adam selflessly polluted humanity and pulled us all down. But Jesus' selflessness made it possible for those who believe in him to be cleansed from the pollution of sin. Adam's act of disobedience brought the curse of sin upon all of humanity.
But Jesus' obedience to the Father made it possible for all who believe in him to be freed from the burden of sin and from the curse of sin. Adam went where he should not have gone. He went where he's not supposed to go. And he led all of humanity down the road to lostness. But Jesus' obedience to the Father took him where he was led by the Father.
And he, there, offering all of humanity the opportunity to walk down the highway of salvation. Adam fell in Satan's deception. Instead of becoming like God, he was separated from God.
But Jesus, when he defeated Satan, hell in the grave, he made it possible for the believers to be reconciled with his Father. Adam's one big act brought us damnation. But Christ's one big act on the cross brought us salvation. Adam's selfish assertion brought a curse and death, brokenness and endless graves and endless grief. But Christ's sacrifice brought grace, power and joy to all who call upon his name. Adam's insistence upon having his own way brought humanity low into the state of utter helplessness that set us into eternal grave. But Christ's willingness to go at the Father's way made it possible for you and me to live beyond the grave into the glories of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's something you cannot miss. Paul is not saying that Adam and Jesus are perfect parallel.
No, no, no, no, no, no. The Mormons teach that and many other cults. That's a heresy. They're not perfect parallel. Paul is merely contrasting the two acts.
One destructive and the other restorative. Adam brought death once, Jesus brought life forever. Adam's disobedience brought guilt once, Christ's death brings forgiveness for his believers for all of eternity. Adam's disobedience grasped equality with God, but Jesus's obedience caused him to lay aside for a season his own equality with God which he had before all foundation of the earth. Adam fell, Jesus rose, the believer wins. When Adam fell, he brought about one dimensional death. One dimensional death. But the gift of grace provides us with multidimensional resurrection from the death. Death is measurable. Grace is immeasurable. Death is great, but eternal life is far greater.
Hear me right please. Here's the most fantastic news of all. It is the most fantastic news of all. Don't miss it if you've never accepted the good news.
Today you can do that. Here's the most fantastic news of all. The gift of grace did not merely restore the believers to the state of Adam's original state before he fell.
No, no, no, no, no. The gift of grace did not only reverse the curse of death, but forgiveness and cleansing us from sin. Indeed, the gift of grace provides a way for the redeemed of the Lord to put on the full righteousness and the glory of God. We the believers in Jesus. We are the recipients of his grace, the gift of salvation, eternal life. We have the very life of God in us. The very life of God in us. Don't ever forget this.
Remember, here's when you get into trouble, this is what I get into trouble when I forget this. When you get down and discouraged. When you're grieving deeply.
When you're hurt so badly. Remember you have the life of God in you. Adam, one selfish act, deliberate as it was, is now, now, now overwhelmed by God's grace. Death by nature is static and empty. But life in Christ is active, it is full, it's alive and it's for eternity. Verses 20 and 21, look at them with me please. Paul is saying that even though the law of Moses was given, but when it was given and the reason for it, it was not to give us life. That was not the purpose of why God gave the law to Moses. It is not to give us life. It can never give us life. The law was given as a temporary custodian.
Why? For the purpose of sending people running into the grace of God. The law is like a dentist's mirror. It shows that that is where the cavities are.
It can never fill the cavity. The law of God reveals the problem, but it does not provide the solution to the problem. The law of God is like a flashlight.
It will take you to the box where the fuses are, but it can never restore electricity. The law of God was like a builder's plumb line. It can help the builder to see whether he is going straight or crooked. But it does not fix the problem. The law cannot take away the curse of sin.
It merely makes it visible. It merely makes us aware of the curse of sin. The law cannot take away our guilt and the guilt of sin. It only increases the guilt of sin.
Hear me right, this is important. Only the grace of Jesus can defeat sin. Only the grace of Jesus can overwhelm sin. Only the grace of Jesus can subjugate sin. Only the grace of Jesus can permanently cover sin from the sight of God. That's why, that's why, see that's why only those who are recipients of the grace of Jesus are going to make it to heaven.
And if you do not have it, you can receive it today. Verse 20 says, where sin increases, grace also abounds even more. Listen to me, there are some false preachers going around saying that means the more I sin, the more I experience the grace of God.
So sin boldly. That's a lie from the pit of hell. It's a lie from the pit of hell.
What does that mean? Where sin increases, grace also abounds. It means that when Adam fell, Jesus rose and the believer wins. Where sin is found, grace overwhelms it. Where sin is acknowledged and confessed and repented of, grace covers it completely.
Oh, but if sin is rationalized and explained away and sort of given all sorts of explanations and why and who and what for, that sin will fester like a cancer in the body. When you're tempted to think that your sins are too great, remember that the grace of God is greater than your sin. When you're tempted to think that your guilt is too powerful, remember the grace of God is far more powerful than your guilt. When you're tempted to think that your past sins are too dark, remember the grace of God is brighter and will dissipate the darkness of your past.
When you are tempted to think that Satan is too powerful and you cannot resist, remember that God is more powerful than Satan ever hoped to be. When you are tempted to doubt your salvation, remember it is well with your soul because Jesus said so. Encouraging words about God's amazing grace. You're listening to Leading the Way with Pastor and the author of more than 50 encouraging books, including his most recent on the life of David, A Heart for God, Dr. Michael Youssef. For a limited time, Dr. Youssef is offering to send his book A Heart for God as a thank you to those who give a gift of any amount to leading the way. Visit ltw.org today to find out more. You can also call us and talk one on one with one of our ministry representatives and you can order by phone.
That's 866-626-4356. Now if hearing about God's grace today is new to you, or maybe it inspired questions about your faith journey, we'd like to offer you a conversation with a Leading the Way pastor or counselor. And you can begin that conversation by filling out a short contact form at ltw.org slash Jesus. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth.
