One Man • Romans 5:12-19 • Sunday, February 22, 2026

One Man Changed Everything: Understanding Grace and Righteousness

What do Adam and Jesus have in common? At first glance, they seem worlds apart—one the first created human who fell into sin, the other the sinless Son of God who came to redeem humanity. Yet these two figures are intimately connected in ways that reveal the profound nature of God's grace and our desperate need for it.

Two Men Without Sin

Both Adam and Jesus entered the world without sin. Adam was formed from the dust of the ground, and God breathed life into him—creating a being who was pure, holy, and perfect. In that state of perfection, Adam enjoyed an unbroken relationship with God. Imagine walking with the Creator in the cool of the day, carrying no guilt, no shame, no weight of regret or failure. That was Adam's reality before the fall.

Jesus, too, was born without sin. Though He lived in a world corrupted by sin and was surrounded by its effects, He remained pure throughout His entire life. Even when tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus stood firm. This is where the paths of Adam and Jesus diverge dramatically—Adam yielded to temptation; Jesus did not.

The Catastrophe of One Trespass

Romans 5:12 tells us, "Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Adam's single act of disobedience had cosmic consequences. When he ate the forbidden fruit, he didn't just commit a personal sin—he introduced a sin trait that would be passed down through every generation.

Think about that for a moment. One man. One choice. One act of disobedience. And suddenly, all of humanity is infected with sin.

Adam had one law: don't eat from that tree. When Eve was deceived and took the fruit, Adam stood by silently. Even when she handed it to him, he said nothing, did nothing to stop what was happening. He should have protected his wife from deception. He should have obeyed God. But he didn't.

And in that moment, Adam became infamous rather than famous. His legacy became one of bringing death and condemnation to all mankind.

The Law Written on Hearts

But here's an important question: What about all the people who lived between Adam and Moses, before the Ten Commandments were given? Did they sin? Absolutely. How do we know? Because death reigned during that time, and death is the consequence of sin.

Romans 2:14-15 explains this mystery: "For when Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness."

From the very beginning, God wrote His law on human hearts. Cain knew it was wrong to kill Abel, even though God hadn't yet said "Thou shalt not kill." People throughout history have known the difference between right and wrong because God placed that knowledge within them. Yet they chose—and we choose—to do wrong anyway.

The Gift That Changes Everything

This is where the comparison between Adam and Jesus becomes even more profound. Romans 5:15 declares, "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."

Just as one man's sin brought condemnation to all, one man's righteousness brought justification to all who believe. But the gift far exceeds the trespass.

Grace is not God simply overlooking our sin. Grace is not a judge dismissing charges and letting criminals back on the street. Grace is God's attitude—His disposition to give us something we desperately need but absolutely don't deserve. And what is that gift? Righteousness.

When Jesus hung on the cross, He took upon Himself all the sin of the world—past, present, and future. In that moment, He became both famous and infamous. He bore the weight, the guilt, the shame, and the punishment of every sin ever committed. He served our sentence. He paid our debt.

Justification: The Great Exchange

This is justification—not that God ignores our sin, but that someone else served our punishment. Jesus stood in our place. He took what we deserved so we could receive what He deserved.

Think about what that means. We deserved eternal punishment. Instead, we received forgiveness, life, and salvation. We were guilty sinners infected with a disease we couldn't cure. Now we are declared righteous—pure and holy in God's eyes.

Romans 5:17 puts it beautifully: "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."

We who were condemned now reign in life. We who were dead in sin are now alive in Christ. We who were enemies of God are now His beloved children.

The Response: Gratitude or Entitlement?

So here's the critical question: How should this change us?

Some might think, "If Jesus paid for all my sins, I can live however I want." But that response completely misses the point of grace. When you truly understand what you've been given—when you grasp that you deserved death but received life, that you deserved condemnation but received righteousness—gratitude becomes your natural response.

Consider two athletes: one who feels entitled to success and becomes bitter when injured, blaming everyone else for their problems. Another who came from oppression, found freedom, competed with humility, and received victory with overwhelming thankfulness.

The difference isn't in their circumstances but in their hearts.

How many people today live in freedom yet hate the source of that freedom? How many who have been redeemed by Christ live as though they're owed something rather than grateful for everything?

Where Are You?

This is the question we must ask ourselves daily: Am I grateful or do I feel entitled? Am I thankful or do I believe it was owed to me?

Your answer to that question changes everything—how you approach each day, how you treat others, how you respond to difficulties, and how you worship God.

You didn't redeem yourself. You couldn't. Jesus redeemed you. He gave you what you didn't deserve and took what you did deserve. One man—Jesus Christ—changed everything.

The sin trait came through one man, Adam. Righteousness comes through one man, Jesus.

Which man defines your life? The answer determines not just your eternity, but the quality and purpose of every day you live right now.

(Blog content generated by PulpitAI from sermon transcript)