The Free Gift Freely Given

Article for February 15, 2026

Romans 5:12–14 12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

We are starting the season of Lent.  This is a time of self-examination and a time to maybe refrain from our indulges as we might give something up for the next forty days.  We examine ourselves and what others see when they look at us.  We examine ourselves and what do we see?  Do we see the truth, a sinner, or a lie, one who claims to be righteous?  I will tell you if you see yourself as righteous you are not.  For we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23).

Adam is a beginning, the first man, the first human, and the first sinner.  Adam’s disobedience makes him the first to separate himself from God.  Adam could be called the father of sinful mankind as sin will reign with a vengeance from the time of Adam’s disobedience to Moses, then to Jesus Christ, then to the second coming of Jesus Christ.  Adam was the first type. One without sin and then one in sin.

As Adam is a first type to sin, the first type to die, and the first type to father the world’s population, Jesus Christ becomes a first type as well.  Jesus is the first type who does not sin, and a first type to glorify the Father in heaven, and the first type to live after suffering death.

Romans 5:15–16a 15But 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. 16And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin.

Jesus ushers in righteousness, not that we can become righteous on our own but that we do our best to imitate Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ became the first good example to imitate.  The righteousness we have is part of this free gift.  That is that we cannot obtain the means of eternal life without having righteousness. 

The only way to obtain righteousness is to be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Jesus then gives us the free gift of being clothed by His righteousness so that we may obtain another part of the free gift which is eternal life with Jesus Christ.

Another part of our free gift comes from the Holy Spirit.  It is Jesus who justifies us to our Father in heaven, and it is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us to our Father in heaven.  Our sanctification, being made holy, is that part of the free gift that makes us holy in the sight of God the Father.  Not that we can become holy on our own but that the works of the Holy Spirit along with the continued discipleship of God’s word makes us holy.

Romans 5:16b–17 For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17If, 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.

One single sin, disobeying God, brought the condemnation of death upon all mankind throughout all our history and beyond.  From the time of Adam until now mankind was cursed with a sinful nature.  It is like an inoperative condition we are all born with.  Not even a shift in our DNA will get rid of our sinfulness.  Adam’s action cursed us forever.  Death is a crouching tiger waiting to devour all of us.

Now there are many sins beyond that committed by Adam, some much worse than to disobey God.  Now sin innumerable to count has tainted the world and nothing can stop it.  Thus, the action of God to flood the world destroying mankind and its sin.  But through the grace of God, He saves mankind through Noah and his family.

How unfortunate for us that mankind did not learn the lesson.  Noah and his sons like Adam didn’t take long to sin and sin becomes ramped again.  Again, too innumerable to count too grievous, and now a greater separation from God.  But through the grace of God, we are saved through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:18–19 18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Jesus gives that one act of righteousness by obeying His Father in heaven.  Jesus takes our sins, though He has no sin, and dies for them on a criminal’s cross.  The curse is broken, the curse has lost its hold on us, though the curse of sin is still in this world it no longer can hold us in death. 

The curse no longer can separate us from God because the crucifixion of Jesus Christ now reconciles us to our Father in heaven who adopted us back into being His children.  This is the free gift to us given to us through the crucifixion and resurrection of one we worship, praise, and thank who is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Written by Pastor Curtis A. May