These two men have two acts, and the two acts have brought forth two results.
Sin entered through Adam’s transgression (5:12). It seems that sin is mentioned in Romans 5 through 8 in a personified way. It is like a person who can reign (5:21), who can lord it over people (6:14), who can deceive and kill people (7:11), who can dwell in people and do things against their will (7:17, 20). Sin is alive and exceedingly active (7:9). Thus, this sin must be the evil nature of Satan, the evil one, dwelling, acting, and working in fallen mankind. Sin is actually an evil person. Through Adam’s transgression sin entered.
As a result of Adam’s disobedience, the many, including us, were constituted sinners (5:19). We not only were made sinners; we were constituted sinners. We were not created sinners, but constituted sinners. An element not created by God was injected into our being and constituted us sinners. We are not sinners by accident; we are sinners by constitution. Sin has been wrought into us and constituted into our being. Therefore, sin is not just an outward deed, but an inward, subjective element in our constitution. Thus, we are typical sinners by nature.
Furthermore, all men have been condemned to death (5:18). All men are born of Adam and in Adam. So, through Adam’s one offense all men have been condemned to death in him as he was condemned.
Thus, death reigns over all men (5:14). Death has become a king ruling over all. “As sin reigned in death” (5:21) so death reigns through sin.
The final result of Adam’s transgression is that in Adam all die (1 Cor. 15:22). Everyone has died in Adam. Sometimes we say of a certain person, “He is dying.” When I first heard this phrase, I immediately thought, “Not only is that person dying—everyone is dying.” Do not say that you are living, for you, like everyone else, are dying. You are living to die. The more you live, the more you die. In a sense, people are not living but dying. We are all born to die, because we have a powerful king over us named death. He was inaugurated by sin, his forerunner. Sin brought death into power. Thus, all men are under the reign of death. This dreadful person has been inaugurated as king. When we were born in Adam, we began to die. Before people die absolutely, they sin, and sin hastens the hour of death. The more you sin, the faster you die; the less you sin, the slower you die. If you do not want to die quickly, you should not sin. We must stay away from sin.
Praise the Lord that we have the second man, the second act, and the second result! What is the result of Christ’s obedience?
Grace came (John 1:17) through the obedience of Christ. “The grace of God has abounded to many” (5:15). Paul does not say that life has abounded. This is similar to Adam’s transgression, in which sin came first and death followed. Likewise, through the obedience of Christ grace came first and life followed. Death is versus life, and grace is versus sin. Sin came from Adam’s transgression, but grace came through Christ’s obedience. Sin is Satan personified, come to poison us, damage us, and bring death into us. Grace is God personified, come to give us life and enjoyment. Through Adam’s transgression, sin entered the human race as poison for man’s destruction, but through Christ’s righteous, obedient act God came as grace for our enjoyment.