A Gift Has Been Given
The Gift That Changes Everything
Text: Romans 5:12-21
Receiving a gift from someone who knows you well speaks volumes about the heart of the “giver” of the gift. The fact they gave you a gift reminds of you’re their affection for you. The nature of the gift reveals their generosity toward you. But the purpose and intent of the gift speaks to their knowledge of you as well as their desire for you.
Illustration: When you know you have to give a gift to someone, and you don’t know what to give, there are go-to gifts that require little thought and minimal investment that you can wrap up and put under the tree!
We’ve all received gifts like this at Christmas. However, we also know what it’s like to get a gift from someone who put thought and effort into choosing something that wasn’t just practical but also enjoyable and meaningful! When you receive a gift like that, something stirs in your heart toward the giver, even if just for a moment.
Five times in these three verses, Paul describes a gift that God gave us through Christ. Paul is not doing this merely to add more information to our theological knowledge base. He aims to reveal something about the Giver of the gift so that we may love Him more and enjoy the abundant life the gift is meant to provide—one that goes beyond forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
To help us understand the immensity of God’s love for us, I want to focus on five observations Paul makes in this text and on one application that emerges from them.
I. The ______________ of the Gift (v. 15)
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
A. Free Gift is ______________ in God’s Wisdom that leads to Life
- Adam’s trespass resulted in an abundance of death because of one man’s willful disobedience.
- God’s gift resulted in an abundance of grace and mercy because of one man’s willing obedience to God’s wisdom found in His Word.
B. Free Gift is ______________ in Selfless Sacrifice that leads to Freedom.
- Adam’s trespass came as an expression of selfish satisfaction that destroyed many.
- God’s gift came as an expression of selfless sacrifice that rescued and restored many.
II. The ______________ of the Gift (v. 15)
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
A. God the Father: Described as graciously ______________ a Free Gift
much more have the grace of God and (even) the free gift
B. God the Son: Described as ______________ that gift on the grounds of His gracious obedience as a Son.
by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ
III. The ______________ of the Gift (v. 16)
And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.
The Gift was not like the trespass in its nature. However, Paul also points out another difference between the trespass and the gift: their results.
A. The ______________ that brought ______________ on all men came out of one trespass! For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation,
B. The gift that made ______________ available to all men came despite many ______________! but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.
IV. The ______________ ______________ of the Gift (v. 17)
For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
- Notice how Paul describes this gift from God, given by His grace through His Son. It is called “an abundance of grace” (vs 17), which has a much greater (“much more”) impact and effect than Adam’s trespass. Earlier, he reminded us that this gracious gift “abounded unto many” (v. 15c).
- We tend to think that God is abundant in His condemnation and stingy with His grace – He takes pleasure in condemning the wicked and condemning them to eternal punishment, and He saves only those He is obligated to save because of the agreement He made with Christ and with them if they repent and believe.
- BUT that could not be farther from the truth – God has abundant grace and mercy that causes to abound to many! He takes no delight in the death of the wicked but exhorts them to repent and live (Ezekiel 18:32; 33:11)! He is not willing for any to perish but desires that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)!
V. The ______________ of the Gift – (v. 17)
For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
A. The power in this gift released us from slavery to the bondage of sin and the dominion of death.
B. The power in this gift gave us victory over the reign of sin and made us conquering rulers over the realm of death.
Conclusion: What exactly is the gift Paul describes in this text?
- At the foot of a tree in the kingdom of Eden, a gift was ruined and lost.
- At the foot of another tree outside Jerusalem’s walls, that gift was restored. And the gift is identified in this text as “justification that makes us righteous in God’s sight!” (Note the terms “justification” and “righteousness” occur 6x in 5:15-21).
- What makes justification such a powerful gift?
- Illustration: Box and Key. The key (justification) opens the door to a storehouse of spiritual treasure that we don’t have to wait to experience until we get to heaven!
- This key unlocks the door that grants us peace with God, a permanent standing in His kingdom, unrestricted access to His grace, the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, salvation, sanctification, adoption as beloved sons and daughters, co-heirship with Christ, preservation, and ultimate glorification!
But God’s gift must be received and opened (15:17). And Paul has told us how to receive this gift – repent and believe (1:16-17; 3:22-26).