Romans 5:15-21 – One Man Death – One Man Life

This is why universalists misuse Romans 5.

Universalism is the belief that in the end God ‘ll save everyone, because Christ’s work guarantees salvation for all people, but Scripture ties salvation to faith in Christ, not automatic inclusion, so universalism skips the part God Himself requires.

They read that Christ’s work affects “all,” but they ignore Romans 5:1—“being justified by faith.” Only those who believe are in Christ.

Covenant theologians also get tangled up here.

A covenant theologian is someone who believes God deals with all people through a few big covenants, and they read almost the whole Bible—including the church—through those covenant promises made to Israel.

They try to force Adam and Christ into covenant systems that Paul never teaches.

Paul’s not talking about covenants; he’s talking about two men, Adam and Christ, and two positions—death or life.

Romans 5:12 begins the argument:

Wherefore, (and that connects to Romans 5:11), Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 

 

Then Romans 5:13 opens this giant parenthesis or detour that runs through to verse 17 by stating,

(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

 

In this detour Paul pauses the initial theme to explain that sin existed before the law.

From Adam to Moses there was no written law, yet sin and death were everywhere.

The flood proves that. Romans 2 says Gentiles without the law still had a conscience. So the problem was never just breaking commandments. The problem was being in Adam, spiritually dead and that’s what Paul’s clarifying here.

Then we moved to Romans 5:14 which shows us,

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

 

Death still existed as a result of sin during the age when there was no law. With the single exception of Enoch, death came on all mankind.

These people didn’t die because they’d transgressed the clear command of God, as Adam did. Adam had a direct command from God. No one else had that command, yet they all still died.

Why? Because they inherited death from Adam. They were born spiritually dead. Their works—good or bad—couldn’t change that. They didn’t die because they broke Moses’ law; they died because they were born in Adam.

Then we see Adam “is the figure of him that was to come.” Adam is a type of Christ. He’s the head of the old creation; Christ is the head of the new creation. Adam’s one act affected all who’re in him; Christ’s one act affects all in Him.

And now, Romans 5:15 begins the comparison:

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

 

Adam’s one act brought death to many; Christ’s one act brings grace to many.

This is the contrast between the offense of Adam and the free gift of Christ. By the trespass or the offence of the first man, the many died. The many here refers, of course, to Adam’s descendants. Death here includes spiritual as well as physical death.

In contrast, the free gift abounds much more to the many than the offence.

The free gift is the incredible manifestation of the grace of God abounding to a race of sinners. It’s made possible by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ.

It was amazing grace on His part to die for His rebellious creatures. Through His sacrificial death, the gift of eternal life is offered to the many.

The two manys in this verse do not refer to the same people.

The first many includes all who became subject to death as a result of Adam’s trespass. The second many means all who become members of the new creation, the Body of Christ of which Christ is the Head. It includes only those to whom God’s grace has abounded—that is, true believers, those that Romans 5:1 describes, those being justified by faith.

While God’s mercy is showered on all, His grace is appropriated only by those who trust the Saviour.

Romans 6:23 summarizes the whole idea,

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That’s exactly what Romans 5’s explaining—death through Adam, life through Christ.

Paul’s language gets heavy because he keeps saying “not as this… but as that…” and the suchlike. He’s showing similarities and differences between Adam and Christ.

Adam’s act affected all who were in him just as Christ’s act affects all who are in Him. Adam brought condemnation; Christ brings justification. Adam brought death; Christ brings life.

As a side note here, Romans 5 is the doorway into Romans 6 where Paul introduces baptism and he’s not talking about water. He’s talking about identity, being baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. If we misunderstand Romans 5, we’ll think Romans 6 is about water rituals. But Paul’s explaining our spiritual position, not ceremonies.

Romans 5 is Paul taking the simple truth of Romans 6:23,

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord…

 

And he’s stretching it out to show why it’s true. 1 Corinthians 15:22 says it plainly,

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

 

That’s the short version.

But Paul gives the details, in fact he hammers home the details, coming at this main point from many angles, so we can understand the foundation of our salvation and our union with Christ.

How sad it is that so much modern preaching rejects the critical book of Romans. Oh, they pick the famous verses but the context of the whole book and its importance to the church today is so often missed.

On to Romans 5:16-17,

And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

 

This’s another important contrast between Adam’s sin and Christ’s gift. The one offense of Adam brought God’s inevitable judgment, and the verdict of that judgement was “Condemned.”

On the other hand, the free gift of Christ dealt effectively with many offenses, not just one, and resulted in the verdict “Acquitted.”

Paul highlights the differences between Adam’s sin and Christ’s gift, between the terrible havoc wrought by one sin and the tremendous deliverance wrought from many sins, and finally between the verdict of condemnation and the verdict of justification.

Romans 5:15–17 explains the comparison.

Adam committed an offense—one act that brought sin and death. Christ performed an act of grace—His death on the cross—which brings justification and life.

Both are “one man” acting for many, but the results are opposite. Adam had everything to lose and lost it. Christ had everything and gave it for others.

We have a chart below this recording which shows these comparisons.

Paul’s point is simple:

– Everyone born in the flesh is in Adam.

– Everyone who believes the gospel is placed in Christ.

Just as we received death, condemnation, and corruption from Adam without doing anything, we receive righteousness, life, and blessing from Christ without earning anything.

Notice Paul says “they which receive abundance of grace.” The gift must be received by faith. Everyone born in the flesh is in Adam automatically. No faith required. But to be in Christ, you must believe the gospel. When you believe, God places you in Christ, and you receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.

That’s the mystery of our union with Him.

Romans 5:15–17 breaks it down to this:

– One act (Adam’s sin vs. Christ’s cross)

– One imputation (condemnation vs. justification)

– One result (death reigning vs. grace reigning through righteousness)

This’s why Paul can say in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” Romans 5 shows the whole structure behind that truth.

So what is the free gift Paul keeps mentioning?

Romans 3 already explained it: being justified freely by His grace (Romans 3:24). Justification is a gift, not a wage. It’s God counting us righteous because of Christ’s work, not our own. The work was still required! The wages for sin, which is death, still had to be paid, but we couldn’t pay it and still live. If we were going to escape eternal death it would take someone totally without sin to pay that death wage for us, on our behalf. And, since we’re incapable of contributing anything at all to that process, the result of that payment on our behalf which is our justification, no longer guilty, had to be a free gift to us.

Now we can either receive that free gift or reject it.

If we want to receive it the mechanism, the tool we must use is faith. Simply believing, trusting that the words God spoke were true. The words we trust in is the Gospel that’s clearly outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,

For I (Paul) delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

 

Romans 4 showed this with Abraham—God counted his faith for righteousness. Romans 5 now shows how this gift comes to us through Christ, the “last Adam.” by grace through faith.

Grace is something done for us that we could never do for ourselves. Christ died, was buried, and rose again so that righteousness could be imputed to sinners. That’s why you don’t find the gospel of the grace of God before the cross—it couldn’t be preached until the work of the cross was finished.

Romans 5:18,

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

 

The offense of Adam brought condemnation to all men, but the righteous act of Christ brought justification and, as a result of that justification, life to all.

The righteous act was not the Savior’s life, His Words, His miracles or His keeping of the law. It was His death on Calvary, His life given willingly as a substitution for our death penalty.

That’s what brought the justification that results in life—and He brought it to all men and all men must choose either to receive that free gift of justification for life or to reject it and pay the price himself.

Paul’s gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 begins with Christ dying for our sins.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John begin with Christ’s birth and His ministry to Israel.

Paul begins with Christ’s death because that’s where the free gift was purchased. And Romans 5 explains how that gift is applied: by placing us in Christ, just as we were once in Adam.

Romans 5 also shows us that the gift comes “by grace,” and it’s received “through faith.” It’s from God, not from us.

Ephesians 2:8–9 gives the short version,

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

Romans 5 is the long explanation of how God can give this gift and why it’s righteous for Him to do so.

Paul then argues in Romans 5:19,

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

 

He’s showing us that if one man’s sin can bring death to many, much more can one Man’s gracious act bring life to many.

Christ is not only man—He’s God manifest in the flesh—so His one act has far greater power than Adam’s fall.

That’s why Romans 5:20-21 continues,

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Adam lost everything; Christ gives far more than Adam ever lost.

This gift is not John 3:16’s “God gave His Son” in the sense of sending Him into the world. That’s true, but Romans 5’s talking about the gift that comes from Christ’s finished work—His death, burial, and resurrection. The gift is tied to the cross, not the manger. Without Christ’s death for sins, there is no grace, no gift, no justification.

We cannot pay for a free gift. If we try to earn what God gives by grace, we deny Christ’s work and make His cross vain or futile.

Galatians 2:21 says,

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

 

Trying to earn salvation frustrates the grace of God. The same is true on the Adam side. We can’t undo the condemnation we inherited from Adam. We can’t say, “I’ll take care of my own sins.” We’ve already inherited death from Adam. We were born into it and that’s why every person dies. We only live once, then we die, and then comes judgment says Hebrews 9:27.

Our death is because of Adam’s sin; our judgment is for our own sins.

Under the law, sin abounded. Under Christ, grace abounds far more. Christ was born under the law and died under the law, but His death brought grace that the law could never give.

To this day people think Jews or Christians have standing with God because of flesh, heritage, or law‑keeping. But Romans 5 destroys that idea. All are children of Adam, Jew and Gentile, and all are condemned in Adam.

Only in Christ is there life.

Grace abounded because Christ died and rose again. God dispensed grace through that one act. Paul was given the revelation of what that death accomplished. And now, in this dispensation of grace, God saves sinners—Jew or Gentile—by faith alone, not by the law, not by covenants, not by works.

So, let’s summarise Romans 5.

Paul reminds us that sin existed before the law.

From Adam to Moses there was no written law, yet sin and death filled the world. The flood proves that. Romans 2 says Gentiles without the law still had a conscience. So the problem wasn’t law-breaking—it was being in Adam, spiritually dead and cut off from God.

Death reigned even over those who didn’t sin like Adam did. Adam had a direct command from God. His children didn’t. Yet they still died because they inherited death from him. The point is that we receive from Adam simply by being born. We didn’t choose it and we didn’t earn it. We got it just because we were “in Adam.”

That’s the foundation for understanding how salvation works. If one man’s sin can bring death to all who come from him, then one Man’s righteousness can bring life to all who are placed in Him. That’s why Paul keeps stressing “one man.” He’s showing how something done by another can be accounted to us.

One man’s offense brought death to all; one Man’s gift brings life to all who believe.

That’s the foundation for Romans 6, where Paul will say, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.”

This free gift required the cross, not our works or our behaviour.

Romans 5 is explaining how humanity receives death (in Adam) and how humanity receives life (in Christ).

We were in Adam before we ever did anything. And if we believe the gospel of the grace of God, we’re in Christ before we do anything.

It’s by faith, not by our works. It’s His work, not ours that makes us reconciled to God and who we are now. That’s our union with Christ, our fellowship with him.

Romans 5:11 showed us that we now have the atonement—we are made one with God through Jesus.

Then in verse 12 Paul goes back to Adam: by one man sin entered, and death by sin, so death passed upon all.

Verses 13–17 are a big bracket where Paul explains how one man’s act can affect many. Then in verse 18 he picks the thought back up: as by the offence of one, judgment came on all to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came on all to justification of life.

So by Adam’s one act, all of us were made sinners and condemned. By Christ’s one act, all who are in him are justified and given life. God set it up with one man at the start so he could also save through one man.

God, in His wisdom, let one man’s disobedience make many sinners, so that one man’s obedience could make many righteous (Romans 5:19).

This takes us out of the picture when it comes to earning righteousness. We didn’t work to get Adam’s condemnation—you were just born. In the same way, we don’t work to get Christ’s righteousness—we receive it by faith. That means righteousness and life can reign over people who still fail, because it’s not based on their obedience, but on His.

Second Corinthians 5:21 sums it up,

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

He was made sin at the cross. We’re made righteous—that’s the gift. Romans 5 is Paul unpacking that and showing us the bits: by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners; by one man’s obedience many shall be made righteous. It’s not by following Jesus’ life as a pattern to earn something, but by trusting what He already did.

Romans 5 teaches that the law doesn’t make people sinners—it only shows them they already are.

Romans 3 says the law gives the knowledge of sin.

Removing laws doesn’t remove sin; it only hides it. The truth is we’re sinners because of Adam, not because we first broke a command. Adam’s one sin made us a fallen people, and Christ’s one obedience—His death on the cross—brings justification. Salvation is not our obedience; it’s His.

Philippians 2:6–8 shows why Christ’s obedience has power.

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 

God can’t die, but man can. So God became man in Jesus so He could die and then give God’s eternal life to all who believe. Adam broke God’s command and brought death; Christ obeyed unto death and brought life.

Romans 5:19 says by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many shall be made righteous. That righteousness is not our own—it’s imputed, or accounted to us by faith. Romans 5:20 says the law entered later, not to give life, but so the offence might abound. God didn’t give the law to fix man; He gave it to expose man.

Israel was told, “Do this and live,” but none of them could keep it. If a law could give life, righteousness would have been by the law as we see in Galatians 3:21-22,

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

 

Paul shows that death reigned from Adam to Moses even when there was no law. That proves sin is deeper than breaking commandments—it’s a spiritual death inherited from Adam. The law only made sin more obvious. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

Romans 5 ends by showing that the law could not stop sin or death, but grace through Jesus Christ overcomes both.

In Adam we were condemned, but in Christ we receive righteousness and eternal life as a free gift. That is why Paul says in Romans 5:21 that grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul says the Scripture was given so people would know the truth about sin. God already knew, but man didn’t.

Once the law and the Scriptures came, it was clear that all are under sin and we saw that in Romans 3:10, 23.

Why? So that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ could be given to them that believe (Romans 3:22). Before faith came, Israel was kept under the law, shut up unto the faith that would come later.

The wonderful passage of Galatians 3:21–25 shows how the law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ so we might be justified by faith. But after faith comes, we’re no longer under that schoolmaster.

That’s why Paul keeps saying we’re not under the law now. The law shows sin, but it can’t give life. It never fixed anybody. It only made sin abound by showing it up.

After being given the law directly by God, Moses didn’t even get down the mountain before Israel broke the commandments.

The law entered so the offense might abound, not so life would abound. Life comes only through Christ.

So Romans 5 ends by saying that as sin reigned unto death, grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. That’s the whole point. Adam brought death. Christ brings life. The law only made sin recognisable. But grace overflows all of the law. And now, being in Christ, we stand in that grace, justified, reconciled, and alive forever.

Paul says this in 1 Timothy 1:16,

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

 

God dispensed His grace through the revelation given to Paul, so all men can be justified by faith in Christ.

In Ephesians 3:1–2 we see,

FOR this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

 

This grace was given to Paul for us.

This isn’t just theology—God actually poured out grace in history. That’s why Paul’s gospel is all about Christ, not about Paul himself.

Romans 5:21 says that just like sin reigned unto death, now grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ. That’s why God isn’t judging the world right now, at this time, in this dispensation. Christ’s one act on the cross opened the door for grace to be offered to all.

Judgement will come when this dispensation of the grace of God is over but right now we’re living in the period that 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 speaks of,

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

 

Romans 5 ties it all together like this (and as we’ve already said we have a comparison chart showing this below this recording):

– Adam’s one act brought sin, death, and condemnation.

– Christ’s one act brings righteousness, life, and justification.

– What you received in Adam came by birth.

– What you receive in Christ comes by faith.

This is the heart of the gospel of the grace of God.

Before we close out this episode, I urge you to have a listen to the article we’ve just broadcast called “Was Jesus God”.

For us to properly understand the gift that Romans 5 speaks of, along with every other writing in scripture, we must know who Jesus Christ really is. The Bible says He’s God, God manifest in man’s flesh.

If that’s not true the Bible is useless and there’s no Christianity, no salvation from sin and no hope other than this world and this life.

However, many people, even many claiming to be Christians, don’t believe that Jesus was God.

This article will hopefully help to answer the question, “Was Jesus God”?

In the next episode we’ll be in Romans 6 which starts with the natural question: “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”

If we’re saved apart from our own works can’t we just go on living in as much sin as we want as long as we believe? Paul explains that and shows what a saved and justified person’s life would look like.

Also, when we learn we’re justified by faith without the law, our flesh wants to run back to rules. But Paul says no—we’re not under the schoolmaster anymore. We’re in Christ and we live by the new life He gave us, not by the old law.

May God bless you till the next episode.