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Grace For The Guilty

May 27, 2018 Speaker: Ken Ramey Series: Romans

Topic: Grace Passage: Romans 5:12–21

In today’s culture, we are conditioned to think that we are all isolated individuals who can do whatever we want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. But the truth is, our actions and decisions affect everyone around us, especially those we are fused together with in our family, community, company, team, or church. As the old saying goes, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. Conversely, it only takes one great leader to inspire everyone under their sphere of influence. There are two people who have influenced or impacted all of our lives more than anyone ever has or ever will. They are Adam and Jesus Christ, or as they are referred to in Scripture, the first Adam and the last Adam or second Adam. In this passage, Paul compared and contrasted the life of Adam and the life of Christ. His main focus was on how Adam’s sin was imputed to all men to prove how Christ’s righteousness can be imputed to all those who place their faith in Him. Furthermore, he wanted believers to realize that by placing our faith in what Jesus did in our place we gain far more than we ever lost as a result of what Adam did in our place. This profound text can be simply divided into the following two sections:

1. How we all were ruined by Adam’s fall (vv. 12-14)

2. How we all can be rescued by Christ’s death (vv. 15-21)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” These questions are

designed to help you apply today’s message to your life. We encourage you to thoughtfully answer these questions and

discuss your answers with others. For more information about joining a Grow Group that uses these questions as the basis

for weekly discussion, prayer, and accountability, please call the church office at (936) 582-1977.

1. Can you think of a time when someone’s actions or decisions affected your life either positively or

negatively? How about things you did or choices you made that affected others in some way?

2. Is it right for something Adam did long before you were born to affect you? How is it fair for God

to impute or credit Adam’s sin to you? How does it compare to God imputing or crediting Christ’s

righteousness to your account? How does the way you were made a sinner similar to the way you

are made right before God?

3. Read Genesis 2:16-17 and 3:1-8. Why did the first human beings sin? How did the “original sin”

affect them? How and why does it affect you (i.e. “guilty by association”)? What is the difference

between spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death?

4. Why does believing in an actual, historical Adam critical to Paul’s argument in this passage? How

does the fact that we are condemned based on what Adam did in the Garden, not what we do,

prove we can be justified based on what Jesus did on the cross, not what we do (i.e. no personal

fault and no personal merit)?

5. What are some verses you can think of that refute the false doctrine of universalism? How do you

know that everyone will not end up in heaven?

6. How is what you gained in Christ immeasurable greater than what you lost in Adam?

7. Praise God that you are no longer under the dominion of sin and death. Thank Him for making you

alive in Christ and freeing you to live a holy and righteous life in obedience to Him as your new

master. Ask Him to give you a greater burden to share with others the good news that no matter

who they are or what they have done they are never beyond the grace of God.

“Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin!”

More in Romans

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By His Grace And For His Glory

February 7, 2021

Focusing In On False Teachers

January 31, 2021

Christian Companionship