We all love a free gift and in Romans 5 v 12 to 21 Paul tells us not only what the free gift is, but how to get it. Having spoken about peace with God that is unlike anything in this world at the start of the chapter, he moves on to the next logical step. This peace can only come through Jesus Christ, whom he describes as not only a free gift, but the greatest gift we can ever receive!

In these 10 verses Paul speaks of the coming of three things to help us understand why we need to receive the free gift of Jesus and his salvation. The coming of sin in the first instance means we need a saviour because if we don't trust in Jesus then we will face the punishment for our sin. He then speaks of the coming of forgiveness through Christ's death on the cross and resurrection. Because of this we can know that our sin is dealt with.

The final coming he speaks of is of eternal life. This is the natural conclusion of the gospel. Faith in Christ brings us into the eternal presence of God. And this is the value of the gift. We are reminded that eternal life can only come through the grave, or when Christ returns. But eternity will come—it is a certainty. Is it yours?

Romans - The heart of the Gospel is a teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. Find out more at www.annalongpc.org/sermons.

I will admit I'm constantly surprised and I'm

2

sometimes impressed at how marketeers

persuade us to buy things that

3

we didn't even realize we needed.

4

A few decades ago, we would be

convinced by good prices that would

5

be displayed on eye catching posters

or engaging television adverts.

6

And you'll all recall some of your

7

They just seem to be more

simpler and straightforward.

8

And that would be enough to convince

us that yes, indeed, it was truly

9

quality street for Christmas.

10

More recently, we've been sold on

the added value of our purchases.

11

When you buy the item you want,

you will now receive money off

12

your next purchase, or vouchers

towards whatever you'll buy next.

13

Or indeed, you'll be offered a free gift.

14

But of course, that free

gift is unknown to you.

15

And this is a technique that

lends itself to human nature.

16

Because the marketeers know us better.

17

Then we know our own habits

and our own cravings.

18

We are easily intrigued by what we don't

know, but have the opportunity of knowing.

19

And this will come at a hefty price tag

for an item that we think we want, but

20

we'll go for it because we'll actually

get something else and believe that

21

we're getting something free when, of

course, As they say, there's nothing

22

truly free in the world of commerce.

23

But who doesn't enjoy a free gift?

24

If I was to all to give, if I was to

give you all a free gift this evening,

25

oh, you'd have a smile on your face and

you would think it was great, even if

26

it was a packet of my burnt shortbread.

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We all love a free gift

no matter what it is.

28

And maybe you have ordered something

from a catalogue or online and it's

29

come with something that enticed you.

30

You have no idea what you're going

to do with it, but there it sits.

31

And you are the proud owner of

a free gift of whatever it is.

32

But we love getting a free

gift, particularly when we

33

don't expect to receive it.

34

Because a true free gift is given without

any form of expectation or obligation.

35

It is given simply as an

expression of love or kindness.

36

And it is said that there is

nothing in life that's really free.

37

And that's why I added on, in commerce,

or in the world of commerce, because

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I would disagree and say that the free

gifts that we will receive over the

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Christmas period will be demonstrations

of love and appreciation, given and

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not expecting anything in return.

41

Now let's get into Paul this evening.

42

He's already spoken in chapter

5 about peace, that peace that

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we thought about last week that

surpasses our understanding.

44

We don't know how it

works, but yet it does.

45

And so as we move from the first half of

chapter 5 into the second, Paul is now

46

telling us how this peace is possible.

47

How does it even exist?

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And once again, Paul points

us, as any good signpost does,

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points us directly to Jesus.

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And this is a great section in helping

us to understand Christ's atonement

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and its direct application to us.

52

What it means for Christ to die,

what he achieved on Calvary's cross.

53

And we're going to look at

this passage in three parts.

54

And it's all to do with coming.

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Trying to play a little bit on the

Advent theme here, but this passage

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tells us of the coming of sin.

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It then tells us of the coming of

forgiveness, and then finally it tells

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us of the coming of eternal life.

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So let's begin with the coming of

sin in verses 12 to 14, and in these

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opening three verses, Paul brings us

back to the purpose for which Christ

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came, to be the Savior of the world.

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But he begins, as he has done before, by

taking us right back to our own history.

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And he brings us back to Genesis 3.

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Let's remind ourselves of why this

is significant for Paul to write, uh,

65

write about and bring up again, and why

it is significant for human history.

66

Because there in verses 6 to 7 we

read, So when the woman saw that the

67

tree was good for food, and that it

was a delight to the eyes, and that

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the tree was to be desired to make one

wise, she took of its fruit and ate.

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And she also gave some to her

husband who was with her, and he ate.

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Then the eyes of both were opened,

and they knew they were naked,

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and they sewed fig leaves together

and made themselves loincloths.

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Now this is not going to be a

discussion on who did what and

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who is to blame in this act.

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But what this one act did was

separate humankind from God.

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That relationship was gone.

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It was a close one and in

an instant it disappeared.

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And so in many of our hymns and songs

this evening, the consequence of sin

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It's shadow falls long on us today.

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What Genesis 3 means is that we have

become alienated and strangers from God.

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But God remained faithful because

he continued to show his love.

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And this is what Paul wants to tell us.

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And he begins with the universal truth.

83

And we have it here in

verse 1 of chapter 2.

84

Um, sorry, um, on verse 1 of chapter

5, Therefore, just as sin came

85

into the world through one man,

and death through sin, and so death

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spread to all men because all sin.

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Sorry, that's verse 12 of chapter 5.

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And you know, this is actually quite

refreshing to have, because this is

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the human condition in black and white.

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This isn't something Paul invented,

or something that Paul thought up.

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This is the position of scripture.

92

This is the state of the human heart.

93

It's what the psalmist writes in Psalm

51, in verses 3 to 5, and, um, somehow

94

I've mixed things up, but anyway, we'll

go to Psalm 51 here in verses 3 to 5

95

that say, For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me, against

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you, and you only have I sinned,

and done what is evil in your sight.

97

So that you may be justified in your

words and blameless in your judgment.

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Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

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It's not just Paul who's

saying that we have a problem.

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The psalmist of old wrote it,

and God declared it, as Adam and

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Eve were removed from the garden.

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The universal truth, we're all sinners.

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Whether you like to hear

it or not, it is the truth.

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That scripture is clear on.

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And so we genuinely have a problem.

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And what do you do when

you have a problem?

107

Well, if it's a medical problem,

you take yourself off to the doctor.

108

If it's a car problem, well, if it's my

car problem, I go off to the mechanic.

109

You might be able to fix it yourself.

110

If it's an electrical problem,

you go to the electrician.

111

If it's a computer problem,

you go to David Gordon.

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Oh, sorry, someone who shouldn't be.

113

There's other computer people available.

114

But I know for the vast majority of

you, that's your person of choice.

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When you've a problem, you go somewhere.

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Where do you go with your problem of sin?

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See, Paul doesn't jump straight into the

good news that he introduced in chapter 3.

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He wants to clarify the problem.

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And he wants to tell us why there is a

problem, what this universal truth means.

120

And we have to remember, as we go

through Romans, Paul has been talking

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a lot about the law, how the Jewish

people lived, and how the law doesn't

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justify us, nor does it save us.

123

But there was a period before the

law, between Abraham and Moses.

124

And so what happened then?

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How were people to be judged by

a law that they did not know?

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That's a fantastic question

and a right question to ask.

127

And it's in verses 13

to 14 that we're told.

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For sin indeed was in the world

before the law was given, but sin is

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not counted where there is no law.

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Yet, death reigned from Adam to Moses,

even over those whose sinning was not

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like the transgression of Adam, who was

a type of of the one who was to come.

132

Paul has already spoken to us

about the law and that it is the

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standard to which we are held

when it comes to living God's way.

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But just because there was a period

without the law doesn't mean that people

135

were not held accountable for their sin.

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Yes, there may not have been specifics

that they would be held accountable for.

137

That the law would have told them but

they were still held accountable for

138

their sin We saw this at the time of

Noah Noah was the only righteous man

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in the world at that time all the rest

were sinful by what they did They didn't

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know there was a law to be written that

said it was wrong But it went against

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what was the natural design of God

and how humans would relate one to the

142

other There's something natural within

us, and Paul's already told us this.

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There is a natural understanding of

right and wrong, and we read this in

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chapter 1 of Romans and verses 19 and 20.

145

For what can be known

about God is plain to them.

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Speaking of those who, who say, uh,

um, believe that there is no God, or

147

they've no God to follow, or those

who aren't under the law, It's plain

148

to them because God has shown it to

them, for his invisible attributes,

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namely his eternal power and his divine

nature, have been clearly perceived

150

ever since the creation of the world,

in the things that have been made.

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And here is the killer line.

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So they are without excuse.

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There was no law between Adam

and Moses, so the people couldn't

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be held accountable to the law.

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But they still were without excuse.

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Because they would still be

judged on the sin of their lives.

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So the coming of sin into

the world has consequences.

158

It had consequences for the

people before Moses, the people

159

after Moses, and continues to

have consequences for us today.

160

Our sin, past, present, and

future, needs to be dealt with.

161

Sin that isn't dealt

with will hang around us.

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If we are in Christ, it won't condemn us.

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But it will bear consequence on us.

164

All sin for the believer and unbeliever

alike needs to have a solution that

165

frees us from its guilt and punishment.

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And the good news for us is that

there is an answer, and it is

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in the coming of forgiveness.

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So as much as sin came into the world,

so forgiveness came into the world.

169

Secondly, in verses 15 to 17, and

Paul refers to this as the free gift

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and it throws everything on its head.

171

Paul is, is taking the old understanding

and the old ways of things and quite

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literally flipping it upside down.

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And verse 15 is good

in explaining it to us.

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Because in Romans 5 and verse

15 we're told, But the free

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gift is not like the trespass.

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There's something different here.

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There's something that's not of the world.

178

There's something that is not

tainted or influenced by sin.

179

For if many died through one man's

trespass, Much more have the grace of God

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and the free gift by the grace of that

one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many.

181

So where one man was responsible for

sin infecting the world, so it will

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be through one man that forgiveness is

given and sin finally and eternally.

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And that one person, the gift,

the free gift, is Jesus Christ.

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And this is the point where I would

hope you might shout out Hallelujah!

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But maybe we're too Presbyterian for that.

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But let that news ring because it is

the greatest news you've ever heard.

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If you knew nothing of the Gospel, And if

you knew nothing of the life of Christ,

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and you were reading Romans from chapter

1 right through to where we are now for

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the first time, this verse is liberating.

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It changes everything.

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As Paul has been taking us

through the consequence of sin,

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we now see that someone has done

what is needed to deal with sin.

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And this is the coming of forgiveness.

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Because the free gift of salvation

through Jesus Christ is true, and it's

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pure, and it brings us justification.

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Justification simply means just

as if I'd never sinned, if you

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want an easy way to remember it.

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But what justification means is that

we are made right before God, a bit

199

like righteous, but even deeper.

200

That we have been justified before God.

201

We stand in the dock and we are justified.

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Not for doing wrong and getting away

with it, but because Jesus has taken the

203

punishment that our sins deserve, and so

he is the one who stands in our place.

204

Our justification is nothing of ourselves.

205

And it is everything of Christ.

206

And there's further explanation

and insight into this free

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gift that brings justification.

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Because verse 17 tells us, For if, because

of one man's trespass, death reigned

209

through that one man, much more will

those who receive the abundance of grace

210

and the free gift of righteousness reign

in life through the one man's trespass.

211

Jesus Christ.

212

Look at the generosity

of God in this verse.

213

Look, look how he is pouring

out his love towards us.

214

Not some superficial love, but a deep

love that wants to buy us back, to ransom

215

our souls from the pit of hell, so that

we can be in relationship, restored

216

relationship with him once again.

217

God's grace is abundant.

218

Grace is getting what we do not deserve.

219

And God doesn't give it

in some small measure.

220

He abundantly or lavishly gives it to

us because it cost him his very sum.

221

So what can we do with this free gift?

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Well if you're here tonight and you're

aged anywhere between 8 and 40, what are

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you going to do on Christmas morning?

224

You're going to get into that present

and rip off the paper so you can

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see what's in it because that free

gift is what you want to receive.

226

If you're over 40, or let's go

over 45 because I'm still under

227

45, you might be more reserved.

228

Yes, I am the one who pulls

the paper and can't wait.

229

Is that what the gospel is to you?

230

Is that what this free gift is to you?

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That you can't wait to know it?

232

That you can't wait to live it?

233

That you want to get the wrapping paper,

no matter how nicely wrapped it is,

234

and you tear it to shreds so that you

can get into the free gift and know it?

235

Receive the gift.

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That's what we do when

gifts are offered to us.

237

We receive it.

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We receive the generous and

abundant gift God gives us.

239

Not because we are worthy or deserving

of it, but because of His love and His

240

continued covenant promises that He has

made throughout history to His people.

241

This free gift is not

like one the world offers.

242

That you're secretly paying

for it in another way.

243

It's not an added extra

to the main product.

244

This is the greatest and

only gift that deals with the

245

universal problem of humanity.

246

Sin.

247

I've preached about the

gospel before tonight.

248

But I need to make sure

you understand this.

249

I need to know that

you know this is truth.

250

I'm asking you for a cry of Amen in this.

251

I want you in your heart

to resound this truth.

252

I want you to agree with it, but I also

need you to be honest with yourself.

253

Do you know this free gift that

liberates us, that redeems us from sin

254

and redeems us from a lost eternity?

255

Tonight, are you sure your sins are

forgiven because of Jesus Christ?

256

They need to be because of where

Paul takes us next in understanding

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that this world isn't all there is.

258

And so we turn our attention

to the coming of eternal life.

259

And you see how this has progressed?

260

The coming of sin, it needed a solution.

261

The coming of forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

262

And what will ultimately follow Christ?

263

Well, the coming of eternal

life in verses 18 to 21.

264

And so Paul again wants

to drill it down to us.

265

He wants to drill it home, just

how amazing this news is for us.

266

And he reiterates in verse 18, Therefore,

as one trespass led to condemnation for

267

all men, so one act of righteousness leads

to justification and life for all men.

268

This one act of righteousness

makes sure that we are ready

269

for the coming of eternal life.

270

There is a day coming, and this first

Sunday in Advent reminds us of this.

271

When Jesus will come again

for his second advent.

272

That's where we began with our

service this evening in Luke

273

chapter 4, verses 18 to 19.

274

Jesus here isn't necessarily directing

us to the meaning of these words as we

275

would understand them today, but to seeing

humanity as poor in spirit and under the

276

captivity of sin, because that's what

he's speaking about, that indeed it is

277

the Spirit of the Lord who is upon him.

278

He has a role.

279

He has been anointed to proclaim good

news to the poor in spirit, for Jesus

280

has been sent to proclaim liberty to the

captives, so that we might be free from

281

sin, recovering the sight of the blind,

so that we will not be in spiritual

282

darkness, to set at liberty those who

are oppressed, as we are by the sin of

283

this world and its consequences, and to

proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

284

In other words, to proclaim

that the Lord is coming.

285

And he is coming as judge.

286

See, the good news of the gospel

is that if we trust in Jesus, if we

287

believe that he is the only way of

salvation, then we can be free from

288

the burden, free from the punishment,

and the consequences of sin, and all

289

we have to do is receive the free gift.

290

And that's how Paul finishes

this chapter in verses 20 and 21.

291

Now the law came, now the law

came in to increase the trespass.

292

But where sin increased, grace abounded

all the more, so that as sin reigned in

293

death, grace also might reign through

righteousness, leading to eternal

294

life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

295

Now just look at that verse for a

moment, because on first reading

296

it, it's not fully understandable.

297

What does it mean?

298

Now the law came in to

increase the trespass.

299

Did the law come in to, to make more sin?

300

But no, what it means is the law

came in to help us understand

301

how much sin we were doing.

302

That actually the way we were

living was not to God's standard.

303

So that's what it means

to increase the trespass.

304

The understanding of what sin was.

305

But where sin increased, where there

was a recognition that we are truly

306

depraved people in our sinning.

307

Well, grace abounded all the more

because God is good towards us.

308

Now, this doesn't mean that we

continue to sin so that we can let

309

God do his job of more grace to us.

310

No, that's playing God for the fool.

311

And Paul is very clear in 1

Thessalonians about what it

312

means that we cannot deceive God.

313

We cannot play God for the fool.

314

God doesn't want us to sin more so

that he can demonstrate his grace more.

315

No, God abhors sin.

316

He hates it.

317

He wants us to live for him.

318

And so what these verses are saying is

that we will all face the consequence

319

of sin that is common to all humanity

and that is a physical death.

320

We can't escape it, and it is indeed

that consequence of Genesis 3.

321

But we do not fear the

grave when we are in Christ.

322

And that's what Paul tells us in 1

Thessalonians 4, verses 13 to 14.

323

But we do not want you to be

uninformed, brothers, about those

324

who are asleep, that you may not

grieve as others do who have no hope.

325

For since we believe that Jesus

died and rose again, even so

326

through Jesus, God will bring with

him those who have fallen asleep.

327

Eternal life can only come through

the grave, or when Christ returns,

328

if that will happen in our lifetime.

329

But eternity will come.

330

It is a certainty.

331

I wonder if eternity in

heaven is your certainty.

332

There's a lot to come in these weeks.

333

I hope that you will have some wonderful

free gifts this Christmas time.

334

But the only reason we celebrate

Christmas is because of the coming of

335

sin, which needed to be dealt with.

336

This led to the coming of

forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

337

And our coming into eternal life

is only through Him, our Savior.

338

This is the best and greatest

gift of all, and it's free.

339

Will you receive it?

340

Will you live it?

341

And will you tell it?

342

I hope you will, because as Paul will

go on to say in Romans 6 verse 23,

343

there is a consequence for rejecting it.

344

Because the wages of sin is death.

345

For anyone who does not receive the

free gift, it will be an eternal death.

346

But the free gift of God is eternal

life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

347

May he be your free gift this evening

that you will love, that you will

348

cherish, and that you will truly proclaim.

349

Let us pray.

350

Our Father God, we thank you for

this, the heart of the gospel.

351

Page by page, chapter by chapter,

verse by verse, Paul is warming our

352

hearts so that we can understand

fully the true blessing of the gospel.

353

Thank you for your grace that

is so good in which you're

354

so generous in giving to us.

355

Help us to know it and receive

it and live better for you.

356

Lord, as we've been thinking about

the coming of sin, the coming of

357

forgiveness, and the coming of eternal

life, may we know that we truly are

358

sinners, that we need a Savior in

Jesus Christ so that we will be ready.

359

For the coming of the eternal kingdom.

360

We don't know when it will come,

but we have been promised it will.

361

So may we be ever attentive to

your word in this Advent season

362

as we get ready for that day.

363

And we ask it in Jesus name.

364

Amen.