In His ImageSample

Day 23: Death in Adam, Life in Christ

Discover: In this section of Romans, Paul connects the significance of the life of Adam and the life of Jesus by examining their similarities and differences. As we know, Adam comes first and introduces sin into our inherent nature. His disobedience brings sin and death to every man and woman born since, except Jesus. Jesus is described as the second Adam, the perfected version who righted all of Adam’s wrongs. Jesus’ sacrifice is more than enough to atone for Adam’s disobedience. As a result, we are showered with an abundance of grace that covers our sins. Paul says, "Those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” There is no better way to say it! In the last two verses of this passage, Paul explains that the purpose of the law given to Moses is to shine a light on the sins of God’s people. It does just that and makes the trespasses of the people of Israel disturbingly apparent. Despite the overwhelming sins of humanity, God’s grace reigns over sin and death.

Learn: Jesus was and is the only solution to the curse brought upon us by Adam. Verse 14 compares Jesus and Adam before Adam’s fall into sin. Remember, like Jesus, Adam is perfect for the time before his initial disobedience to God. This disobedience, however, changes everything. The first distinction between the work of Adam and the work of Christ is the difference between guilt and grace. Adam’s life results in the guilt of humanity, while Jesus’ life results in saving grace from that guilt. Although our sinful nature is passed onto us from Adam, we are no longer sinners because of our sinful nature. Instead, we have a new identity in Christ through the righteousness that flows from the perfect life and perfect sacrifice of Jesus.

Apply: As we go through the consequences of Adam’s life on humanity and the redeeming grace that comes from the life of Jesus, it can feel overwhelming to consider how greatly these two individuals affect our eternal standing. Adam’s sin gave us our sinful nature, which leads to death, but Jesus’ resurrection gives us a way to conquer it. John 14:6 says that nobody comes to the Father except through Jesus. We are completely at His mercy. Thankfully, He offers an abundance of mercy each day (Lamentations 3:22-23). Do you find yourself trying to take on too much in life rather than relying on His mercy? How can you do better at this? How does God’s grace impact your view of sin?