I. A Better Representative. v. 12-16

What you have here is the story of two representatives who stand in for us all.

- V. 12 encapsulates what went wrong with the first guy: sin was able to enter God's creation through one person (Paul is assuming we are familiar with the Genesis account of creation and fall) - Eve gets a bad rap, but the Bible lays the responsibility clearly with Adam because he was the representative head of us all // our fate and the fate of the world was bound up with him and his obedience. Therefore, because of his disobedience - the power of sin infects the world and we are all infected by it: vs. 19, we were made sinners // Understand what the Bible is teaching there:

- We are sinners before we sin - we aren't sinners because we commit sins - other way around - we commit sin because we are sinners - infected by this corrupting power.

- Borne out by what he says in vs. 14: there was sin going on from Adam to Moses: Adam received specific instruction from God, Moses received the entire law from God. 

- There was sin/death among those who did have direct revelation from God. 

By our own participation in sin we become recipients of death. If you do not grasp this reality, you will not come fully to terms with God's solution. Instead, you will be tempted to act in pride/blasphemy toward God. 

- "I wouldn't have done it that way, I wouldn't have made that decision, I can't be held responsible. This is reality that affects all of us whether we realize it or want it - the reality is this: 

- No matter how much you accomplish in this life - no matter how much happiness you attain - no matter how many friends you've made - no matter how successful you've become. 

The reward for all if it at life's end is death - Like that story Jesus told in Luke 12 - About the man who was so successful he had to keep building bigger barns (kind of like our storage units) // God says to him, Lk. 12:20, Fool! This night you soul will be required of you, and the things you have prepared. whose will they be? 

- At the end of every life is death because we are participants in the real and reign of sin.

- So this is where we are: our representative conscribed us into this system that not only makes us guilty, but causes us to become complicit in sin. 

Question: Can we ever switch teams? Get a new head coach? 

God planned this from the beginning, end of verse 14 - Adam was the type of the one to come: Just as Adam was figurehead, one in whom we would be represented, so Jesus, promised beforehand, would be a new Adam - a new representative for us. 

- Look at these contrasts in v. 15-16 

- The one trespass unleashed death and many more trespasses - much more sin coming through that bridge. 

-But the free gift: let's pause, what is the gift? Recall: 5:7-8; gifts are usually given to the worthy - But what was given to us was the very life of Christ - the giving of his life to reconcile us to God. 

- So the free gift is this reconciling, saving, powerful work of Christ - which does not simply remove the condemnation - but actually now, verse 17 qualifies how we join this winning, justified team.