March 29, 2025 - Romans 5:12 - Who is to Blame?

Romans 5:12

"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:"

When it comes to blame for sin, a fallen nature will always look outside itself for someone, or something, to fault. In Genesis 3, when God questioned Adam, he blamed Eve—"The woman whom thou gavest to be with me" (Genesis 3:12). When God questioned Eve, she blamed the serpent—"The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" (Genesis 3:13). However, when God pronounced His judgment, He laid the blame squarely on Adam, to whom He gave the commandment well before taking Eve from his side. Therefore, by Adam’s one act of disobedience, the sentence of death passed once for all upon his entire race. The Scripture does not merely say that all are guilty because they imitate Adam’s sin, but that "all have sinned" in him. The trial is over, the sentence has been rendered.

This truth is crucial to understanding the sovereign grace of God in salvation. Just as Adam was the representative head of all his race, even so Christ is the Representative Head of all His race—His elect, given to Him by the Father from eternity. Adam’s disobedience brought condemnation upon all he represented, but Christ’s obedience obtained righteousness for all He represented. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:19).

This verse highlights the doctrine of original sin—how Adam’s transgression led to the fall of all His race. However, in the light of God's sovereign grace, it also sets forth the Truth for the glorious Substitution of Christ for His elected race and the imputation of God's righteousness by Him.

Here are three key points of emphasis that we find revealed in this Scripture.

Substitution in Christ

Adam, as the federal head of mankind, brought sin and death upon all (1 Corinthians 15:22: “For as in Adam all die…”), but Christ, the second and last Adam, became the perfect Substitute for sinners. Isaiah 53:5 declares:"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

This substitutionary death of the LORD Jesus is further emphasized in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

"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." Christ took upon Himself the penalty of sin, absorbing the wrath of God in place of those that the Father sent Him to save, and did save by His obedience unto death.

Imputation of Righteousness

Just as Adam’s sin was imputed to all humanity, because of our descent from Adam, Christ’s righteousness was imputed to those who are of His spiritual descent, being chosen of God and put under the headship of the LORD Jesus as their federal head. Romans 5:19 explains this divine exchange: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

This imputed righteousness is not earned but is the gift of sovereign grace (Romans 4:6-8), where David describes "the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works."

God’s Sovereign Grace in Salvation

The overarching message of Romans 5:12 is that sin and death came by Adam, but grace and life come by Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 reinforces this: "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."

Thus, God's sovereign grace triumphs over sin through the substitutionary work of Christ and the imputation of His righteousness. The believer, once under the curse of Adam, is now declared righteous in Christ—a truth that magnifies the free and sovereign grace of God.

How humbling and yet how glorious is this divine arrangement! The blame for sin is ours alone, and we stand justly condemned in Adam. But the merit and glory of salvation, redemption, justification, and glorification belong to Christ alone! By His one obedience, the elect are declared righteous before God. This is the essence of sovereign grace: that God, in His infinite mercy and grace, would place our blame upon the LORD Jesus Christ and in return give us, as elect sinners, His righteousness. So complete is the work of the LORD Jesus as the Substitute of those chosen out by the Father, that when He had finished the work at the cross, there remained nothing but His Righteousness for God the Father to impute to their spiritual account.

Let us, therefore, bow in gratitude and worship, knowing that while Adam’s fall brought our condemnation, Christ’s obedience has obtained our eternal life. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20).

Praise be to God for His sovereign grace in Christ Jesus!