Missing the Mark Series: Falling When We Should Stand

Missing the Mark Series: Falling When We Should Stand

Romans chapter 5. Let's begin the reading in verse number 12 there this evening. It says, Paul says, 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. For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 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.

But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense 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. 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 offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense 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.

Therefore as by the offense 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. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. That as sin hath reign unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

May the Lord bless our time and His word this evening. There is a word that for sin here in this passage and it is translated offense. I didn't exactly count the number of times I think it's six or seven times we read the word offense and we we see it verse 15. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead. Look in verse 16 it says but the free gift is of many offenses. That's three times there isn't it unto justification. Number four verse 17 for if by one man's offense death reigned by one. That's four times. Number five we see in verse 18 therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation. So five times isn't it?

Five times we see the word offense. It comes from the Greek word meaning falling when one should have stood. Falling when you should have stood. This word is found actually 23 times in the New Testament. It's translated it is translated in the number of ways but trespass is the number one way that this that's the most common way it's translated but it's also translated offense. Most of those are found here in this passage sin fall or fault. Sin fall fault but trespass or offense. You know we even talked about an offense is causing someone to stumble like at a stumbling stone right? There is a there is a tripping up or a causing to stumble on something.

Look in Romans 11 with me if you will. Romans 11 verse 11. Romans 11 verse 11 says this here's this here's this concept and the word translated here. Romans 11 verse 11 says, I say then have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousy now if the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their forms so so the word we see this same word is translated fall here in Romans 11 and certainly we're talking about and Paul is talking about the fall of the Jews they stumbled at the stumbling stone a rock of offense unto them they they were offended by this stone which to us is precious a living stone and and yet we see that it was because of their fall I pointed this out this morning in the verses I read just before the Sunday school hour but there through their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles this gift that was offered to the Jew is also offered to the Gentile we read it three times in our passage tonight free gift free gift free gift it's free but you know the Jews wanted to establish their own righteousness didn't they wanted to they wanted to establish their own righteousness before God and in so doing they were fallen they they they they they continued in their own sin really their their righteousness is just like yours and mine are just filthy rags all I think it was when he was speaking to the Galatians didn't he say there that those basically that went about to establish their own righteousness they were you know are fallen from grace that is we're to stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free if we try to go about establishing our own righteousness we are falling from grace you can't have it both ways you can't have it both ways.

But here we read in our text this word offense that keeps coming up this is falling when one should have stood it's a slip a lap so deviation from what is right Adam knew what was right he was not deceived was it in the transgression he fell when he should have stood he failed there's a number of words here there's that word we'll see it a little bit more in probably next week but that failure to hear and to obey the truth but here we see a failure to stand a falling when he was supposed to have stood we read of that first Adam and that second Adam the first Adam was a was a what did we just read here in the text tonight he was I can't find the word right this second but he was a symbol basically of the one that was to come he was one that that is like the second one but the second one is perfect Jesus Christ the second Adam who was to come afterwards fulfilled that which the first Adam was incapable of fulfilling incapable of fulfilling the law he failed he failed but the second Adam overcame the second Adam hit the mark the second Adam did not fall when he should have stood the second Adam said thy law is written in my heart I delight to do thy will I come in the volume the book is written of me to do thy will and he did it he was obedient even to the death of the cross that's could be said about Adam could it he was disobedient he was disobedient

and just like our father Adam we are all disobedient in and of ourselves we are sinners we have fallen short of the glory of God we are incapable of achieving righteousness in and of ourselves the law entered that the offense might abound right that's what we read the law that's why the law came in so that the offense might have might have balanced well we just keep falling short we just keep falling down we just we just cannot we can't do it we cannot do it in our own strength we cannot please God judgment came from Adams transgression Adams fall Adams sin it came from that transgression in Eden and through that acts of disobedience through that act of falling in sin condemnation said brings death death passed upon all men for that all have sinned all have sinned there's one missing of the mark one failure to hear and obey one failure to stand when he should have stood and this led to death and we read in these look look in verse 15 Romans 5 verse 15 death reign like a king didn't it death reigns from what does it say here in Romans chapter 5 well let's go back even to verse 14 debt nevertheless death reigns from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression who is the figure of him that was to come this is this is showing us well you know Adam had very specific instructions but even between Adam and Moses there was no there was not the Mosaic law yet until Moses came but they sinned still even though in some ways we might say Adam had the greatest opportunity to not sin because he had he had the ability to adhere directly God's will and God God couldn't have made it any plainer to him God couldn't have made it any more clear do not I say do not eat of that tree right there it's not the lack of knowledge that caused Adam to sin it was it was his own disobedience his own failure not the lack of the knowledge of what was right but the desire to do what he wanted to do rather than what God wanted him to do

and that is why men fail and fall today in sin it's because they love they want to sin they want to do what feels good to them they love pleasure more than they love God they love themselves I say they let's include I mean we're including ourselves in that because we're all born in sin and we're all shaping an inequity we love to do what we want to do and we in deep down in our hearts we don't want God telling us what to do we wanted we want to run our own lives and we want to be our own master and we think and the devil will the devil will make you feel comfortable in that way of thinking that we're really powerful we're really we're really somebody and we can chart our own course but we don't realize that we're not actually charting our own course we are actually being empowered and energized by the God of this world the children of disobedience the scripture says are that are being worked in and worked upon by the spirit of this world by the God of this world that's like that energizing think about the energizer bunny you put those energizer batteries in something that's what's that's what's driving that thing to go well the devil drives and empowers men in their sin and their sinning and yet gives them this idea I'm free from righteousness I can do whatever I want to do but they're not really free they're slaves to sin don't even realize it don't even realize blinded to it so that the offense abounded didn't it we notice that

well verse 15 as we said verse number 15 but not as the offense so also is the free gift well there's one active an offense by Adam but there's also the free gift by the act of Christ's sacrificial love on the cross for if through the offense of one many be dead it had it had a exponential effect upon many many many lives much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many

was to say in verse 20 we know this so well verse 20 moreover the law entered that the offense might abound well we had not known sin if it were not for the law telling us we you sinned that's why Adam didn't want to see the Lord after he had sinned that's why he went and put they put fig leaves you know I don't want I don't want to talk to him where are you Adam can you just go away I don't want I don't want to be reminded of my sin I'm already now very conscious of it well moreover is the law entered that the offense might abound and it did about but where sin abounded grace superabounded grace did much more about grace superabounded the only way the only way to deal with the abundance of sin is that there must be a more abundant grace if you if you're going to overcome an enemy if you're gonna overcome opposition you must have you must be stronger you must be more capable you must be smarter whatever you need to be whatever the competition whatever the adversary is you have to be able to overcome that that might be very powerful or might be numerous or whatever it is there needs to be a power greater than that to overcome it and we see here that the grace of God superabounded it did much more abound than the power of sin which enslaves people which men are lost in their in their sin and and and this offense just keeps abounding and abounding men just keep falling when they should stand

this is you know if it was just reason well let's just reason about this you know you shouldn't you shouldn't lie steal murder cheat all these things you shouldn't do it yeah it's true but I do it anyway we do it anyway don't we this is what sin is because we are sinners we do what sinners do apart from the Lord Jesus Christ sinners sin and yet that's not the end of the story doesn't have to be the end of the story grace is abounding grace abounds much more than sin but there is absolutely a need of faith in that grace just like there's a broadcast from a radio station that that signal is out there but you need a receiver you need you need a radio and you need to turn your radio on in order to receive the broadcast just because it's out there doesn't mean that automatically it's just gonna universally everybody's gonna be swept into this grace no the grace is abounded and God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish this is not limited atonement here this is for all even though all may not believe and will not believe that doesn't mean that God's grace is limited and so where sin abounded grace did much more about it it super abounded all the offenses that have been committed all the falls that have been made in sin this gift this free gift addresses many offenses many offenses it's greater than those many offenses that have been built up can you imagine all the sin that has been committed on this planet I mean just look at your own life and then think about the billions of people that have sinned that have sinned that have sinned against God that have fallen in sin how can it be well we read in verse 16 that it 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 offenses unto justification one sin led to many sins but the gift of grace leads to justification of men it leads to justification of many who have offended whosoever will believe and as many as received as we read in John 12 John 1 12 many has received him to them gave you power to become the sons of God

well for with verse 17 that we read about if one man's offense by one man's offense death reign by one much more they which receive abundance of grace how do you receive that we've already talked about that faith much more they which receive by faith this abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall continue to be slaves to sin shall reign in life by one what is that what are they gonna reign over well we're not yet all things are not even yet put into subjection under Christ's feet yet he's already won the battle but it's not yet he's not yet on his throne in this kingdom and yet he is certainly in full control but for a time Satan is still on the loose on a leash but he's still allowed to roam about isn't it and yet we see here that we will rate well what are we gonna gonna rain we're gonna we're gonna reign in life through the righteousness of Christ through the grace of Christ that is offered and how is that how is that going to be it's by faith we live and we walk by faith rather than sight we walk by faith in what in the Word of God trusting him instead of trusting and leaning to our own understanding and leaning on our own works and trusting in our own righteousness we're leaning on the everlasting arms we have union that we have communion we have fellowship with our Lord divine and landing on him that's no longer slaves to sin doesn't mean that we don't sin or can't sin it means that we don't have to live and continue or we should not continue in sin so that grace may abound no that's making grace a license to sin that's not what Jesus died on the cross for us for he died to purify us unto himself of peculiar people they said this morning zealous of good works now I belong to Jesus Jesus belongs to me not for the years of time alone but for eternity so one one fall when Adam should have stood led to many falls many many falls in sin but now through Christ and one gift one free gift we can reign in life rather than being slaves of sin and ultimately death

verse 18 teaches that life came through Christ instead of death that came through Adam and this where sin reigned through the law unto death now grace reigns through righteousness unto life eternal and God gives this grace to all who will receive it it's not it's not just for a select few it's for it whosoever will call in the name of the Lord I think of that him we we sing I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore very deeply stained within sinking to rise no more but the master of the seas heard my despairing cry from the waters lifted me now save him I what was it love lifted me when nothing else could help and that is what a sinful soul must do help help I can't I can't save myself I'm a sinner help me and as a Christian even as I'm walking daily I need to call what are we to do we're to come to the throne of grace that we have we may find help in our time of need I cannot bear my burdens alone I cannot live this Christian life in my own strength help Lord and and he will because he says he gives grace to the humble doesn't he he gives grace to the humble

you know as we've received the Lord Jesus Christ so we are to walk in him we're to walk by faith with humility in the Lord because there's nothing in her nothing in our hands that we bring to give to him everything that we have is a gift daily from the Lord of his grace I think of that other him we sing it says we were cursed by the law and bruised by the fall but then was it was in it Philip bliss I think you wrote that grace hath redeemed us once for all grace hath redeemed us once for all the law didn't make me fall it just revealed my fallen nature it revealed that I do and I do fall short of the glory of God Romans 5 I what a precious passage Romans 5 verse 1 it says there in verse 1 therefore being justified by faith we have we know we experience this peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that the that tribulation worketh patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which has given us for when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly that's an interesting observation there we were when we were in sin we were without strength strength we were without the strength to do what was pleasing to God but we can't do it but we can through Christ because our life belongs to him now his righteousness is seen upon us it's not our righteousness anymore it's not our works it's not our efforts it's simply faith in what he has perfectly accomplished that God is looking at when he sees us and we are literally standing in grace we have access what does it say here by faith into this grace wherein we stand we have access to it you have access to something if you have access to something then you need to access it right you need to draw up on it you need to take advantage of it if somebody gives me I think a stabler's gave us they brought some food here and and you know well it's nice to have food in the refrigerator but you need to open the door and go and get it and eat it right you've got to you've got to access it you've got in order to derive the nutrition and the benefits the you know the good flavor and all of those things that you got to eat it and so we have God's Word don't we but by faith we have got to to feed on that word I'm abiding them always and feed on his word like the hymn says

and so now this Peter will say 1st Peter chapter 5 verse 12 there's this little phrase there he says this is the true grace of God wherein you stand I like that the true grace of God wherein you stand well as believers we stand in the true grace of God we stand in that true grace of God hey we already looked at Romans 11 but let's look back over there in verse 20 verse 20 Romans 11 verse 20 it says Paul says there well because of unbelief they that is the Jews were broken off because of what because of unbelief they were broken off they wouldn't believe they rejected they would not receive it they would not receive the good news of Jesus that had come to save them because of unbelief they were broken off and and thou you Gentile standest by what faith you stand by faith be not high-minded but fear was which which prophet was it in the Old Testament was it Micah that said the soul that is I may be getting that the prophet wrong but the soul that's lifted up in him is not upright it's not upright no the humble soul humility and faith go together don't they humility and faith God be merciful to me God be merciful to me a sinner because we stand by faith was it by faith Romans 11 20 here we just read it says thou you you you don't be lifted up and boast and puffed up in pride because you stand how you stand in the grace of God but you stand by faith stand by faith for by grace when you saved through faith not of yourselves it is the gift free gift right of God not of not of works not of anything you've accomplished not anything you can boast about your only what you are by as Paul said by the grace of God I am what I am I'm nothing without him and I will fall without him I would not even have a right relationship with God without him and I certainly will fall in my walk with without his strength to keep me from falling and it and Jude tells us that he's able to do it Jude verse 24 look over there in Jude verse 24 not only not only is our Lord able to lift us up out of the miry clay and get us out of the pit of sin but he is able to to keep us from falling what does it say here verse 24 in Jude verse number 24 we read these words now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy that sounds like raining in life to me that sounds like raining in life by one Jesus Christ the one who's able to do that to keep us from falling literally to keep us from even from stumbling we do not have to live a life tripped up by sin we can be and should be more than conquerors through through Christ overcome overcoming by grace but he gives grace remember to the humble humble yourselves and let let the Lord even through the trials he sends in your life humble you and make you more dependent upon him that's his point that's his purpose what is it what is it we read in Romans chapter 5 just a few moments ago let me let me read that portion we're standing in grace right and we have access to this grace wherein we stand and it says we glory in tribulations we rejoice in tribulations because we know that those tribulations work patience and we know that those tribulations produce patience and experience and experience produces hope that sounds like growth it sounds like victory it sounds like raining because we're letting God have his way with us and not saying I'm gonna do what I want to do we know Lord I'll do it you want me to do I'll submit my will to your will because I trust you I believe you I trust you for your grace and by this grace we we do not have to live in sin any longer because he's the one that's enabled us to live above sin not that we cannot sinner we don't sin but but even though the principle that we read in Psalm 37 let's look over there Psalm 37 Psalm 37 verse 23 what do we do what do we do when we fall Psalm 37 verse 23 says the steps of a good man I alluded to this passage this morning in Sunday school I think it was the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall a good man can fall yeah a good man can fall though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand you think Peter fell yeah Peter Peter failed but by God's grace he got up by God's grace he learns by God's grace he was bettered by the realizations that the Lord taught him through those Falls and ultimately we see he became one of the greater that one of the prominent leaders in the church after Pentecost not because Peter was strong but because he was leaning what he'd say to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life well the Lord the Lord is very long suffering the Lord is very good the Lord is very merciful to us we wrestle not against flesh and blood do we we wrestle against principalities and powers against spiritual wickedness in high places the darkness of this world and we need to take the whole armor of God into us that we may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all we are to do what we're not the fall we're to stand we're to stand how Paul told Timothy be strong in the grace that's in Christ Jesus be strong in his grace not not in your self-will and your grit determination that nothing is going to overcome you know you'll the young lions will faint and you know lack strength for they that they wait on the Lord will mount up with wings as Eagles they'll run and not be weary they're walking not and that's what the Lord's grace will enable us to do we don't have to we don't have to keep on stumbling and falling in the same things the Lord has raised us up to walk and newness of life the Lord even through the trials and the tests that he sends in our lives and tends to teach us what we you know is it a matter of we just learned the whole playbook and eventually we the devil hasn't got any more tricks up his sleeve and you know I can write this down you know 101 points for success and every Christian that follows me can now you just read all these things you'll know all the tricks of the devil no actually we're not ignorant of the devil's devices but sometimes we still fall for them but we're not leaning on the Lord's strength we're not trusting him with all of our hearts and and and and we're not saying Lord order my steps in your words so I don't sin against you let help me Lord hide your word in my heart no the trials teach us that we depend 100% upon the Lord the trials teach us that we cannot do it in our own strength even though we know it up here we've got to trust the Lord moment by moment day by day leaning on him not our own understanding and then and in so doing he gives us the victory thanks be unto our Lord Jesus Christ that giveth us the victory right he's the one who gives us the victory so we don't have to fall and succumb to the whims or the will of the the devil who wants to sift us as we like Paul Peter was told by the Lord instead even if we do fall we shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord will uphold us with his hand thank the Lord that even though we were cursed by the fall and bruised or cursed by the law and bruised by the fall that grace hath redeemed us we couldn't be anything were it not for God's free gift of grace free we didn't pay a thing for it we just turned on the radio of faith so to speak and received the free gift you don't pay anything when you turn on your radio out there and you tune into maybe there's not a lot of good stages to tune into but anyway if you if you tune into that radio station you receive the signal you don't pay anything for that well you don't pay anything for the grace of God it's given but we must we must say I received this free gift and then having received that free gift and the righteousness which is by faith we now the just shall live by faith right standing in grace living by faith may we do that this week.

Let's pray father thank you for the reminders of your word we will be we'll be responsible Lord to live by your grace because we have we've received a lot of knowledge we've received through your word we've had years to live this Christian life we've received a lot of truth help us Lord to put it into practice day by day help us to truly truly lean upon the everlasting arms help us to live by faith not by sight thank you help us to be more thankful and to be more humbled and grateful because of the fact that everything we have was received freely not of any work of our own and that the grace wherein we're now standing is a is intended that that we might we might reign in life we might not simply keep we might not continue in sin but that we the grace may abound but that we might have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ bless us now as we conclude this service help us to stand putting on the whole armor of God help us not to fall in in matters in our lives where we we ought to stand by your grace give us the give us that recognition that acknowledgement Lord that we will have to lean on your strength we need your strength daily your grace so that we will be able to stand we pray these things in Jesus name.