1. The Sin of One Man, Adam, and Its Impact
When we look at Romans 5:12-21, the Apostle Paul contrasts Adam and Christ by repeating the phrase “one man” nine times. Pastor David Jang emphasizes that this striking comparison in Romans 5:12-21 is a representative passage that reveals the core of our faith. Through “one man,” Adam, sin was imputed to all humankind, resulting in death reigning over everyone; now, through another “one man,” Jesus Christ, righteousness and life have come. That is precisely the doctrine taught here in Romans 5:12-21.
The first theological concept we encounter in this passage is “original sin.” According to Pastor David Jang, people often instinctively resist this idea, protesting, “Why should Adam’s sin be counted as mine, even though I never personally committed it?” Indeed, many find it hard to accept that a crime they did not commit could be imputed to them. Yet Paul declares in the text that because of the disobedience of one man, Adam, sin entered the world, and through that sin, the tyrannical power called death came to dominate humanity.
When explaining this point, Pastor David Jang offers concrete examples showing that today’s humanity lives under the shadow of death. If the Eden that our nature longs for had continued without interruption, we would have no reason to see the world filled with suffering, sin, and death. But our reality is quite different. We are subject to the tyranny of sin, whether we like it or not. Even if someone admits, “Yes, humans do actually commit sin, so being sinners makes sense,” they might still wonder, “But why does Scripture insist that Adam’s sin has something to do with me?” The Bible testifies that it all began with Adam. In other words, sin entered the world through Adam’s unbelief and disobedience, and thus death came to rule over humankind.
Pastor David Jang notes that when Paul explains this principle, he adds a clarification about how the law (Torah) relates to sin. In Romans 5:13, it says, “For sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.” Although the law was given after Moses, sin itself already existed well before that. It simply wasn’t yet legally classified as “sin,” and only after the Mosaic Law came could people identify more clearly what sin really was. For instance, when Cain killed Abel, or when Adam ate the forbidden fruit, that was already “sin,” but because there was no explicit, codified law, people at the time didn’t have a legal framework to say, “You broke the law.” Therefore, even without the law, sin continued to exist, and the law served to make that sin more definitively recognized. However, since the law itself cannot fundamentally resolve the issue of sin, it cannot deliver humans from the power of sin and death.
In Romans 5:14, Paul says, “Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam.” Pastor David Jang focuses on this verse, emphasizing that even though people after Adam did not commit the same act (eating the forbidden fruit), death still came upon them all as a consequence of Adam’s sin. This is precisely the burden carried by the doctrine of “original sin.” Adam, as the head of the human race, fell into sin, and all his descendants are born under that influence.
Pastor David Jang stresses that at this point Paul calls Adam “a pattern of the one to come,” a key expression we must observe carefully. Just as sin and death came through Adam, the “new Adam,” Jesus Christ, brings a new history of righteousness and life. Within this structure, we must meditate on whether we belong to the “old humanity” symbolized by Adam or to the “new humanity” symbolized by Christ.
In Romans 5:15-19, Paul continually highlights the contrast between Adam and Christ. Just as Adam’s one disobedience imputed sin to all humanity, so the one obedience of Jesus Christ brings life and salvation to many. Here, Pastor David Jang once more introduces the theological concept of “imputation.” Even though we did not personally commit Adam’s sin, it was transferred to us; conversely, even though we have no righteousness of our own, the perfect righteousness achieved by Christ is granted to us. In this way, both original sin (imputed from Adam) and imputed righteousness (from Christ) occur wholly by divine sovereignty and grace, independent of human ability or merit.
Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 aligns with this idea: he compares the first man, Adam, with the second man, Christ. The first man, Adam, was made from the dust of the earth, while the last Adam, Jesus Christ, is from heaven. Whereas the first Adam was a “living being,” the second Adam, Christ, is “a life-giving spirit,” which represents a decisive difference. In Adam, all humanity is subject to sin and death, but in Christ, we receive eternal life. Thus, our ultimate fate hinges on how we respond to these two representatives.
Pastor David Jang explains this “representative principle” using the terms “Doctrine of Representation” or “Principle of Representation and Corporate Solidarity.” Because all humanity is united to Adam, his sin is imputed to us; but believers united to Christ receive His righteousness and thus gain new life. We see this in the interconnected nature of humanity: just as one person’s sin or one person’s obedience can affect many, so does Adam’s disobedience and Christ’s obedience affect countless others.
Pastor David Jang applies this to everyday examples. For instance, when asked, “What is your name?” certain tribal groups might respond first with the name of their tribe rather than their personal name. They see themselves as identified with and belonging to their community. Likewise, in a spiritual sense, we were once identified with Adam as our “head,” thus sharing the consequences of his sin. But now, Jesus Christ becomes the “new head,” and when we are joined to Him, the righteousness He achieved flows directly to us. Pastor David Jang likens this to “seed improvement.” In Isaiah 53:10, it says that although the suffering servant dies, he will see his offspring (his “seed”). This points to the fact that through Christ’s death and resurrection, a new “seed” has come forth, so that we might join the lineage of the “new Adam.”
Hence, the most fundamental and primary sins are unbelief (unfaith) and disobedience. At the heart of Adam’s sin was his failure to trust God’s command—“Do not eat”—and his decision to break it. Had Adam fully believed and obeyed God’s Word, death and the dominion of sin would never have reached the rest of humanity. However, Adam chose unbelief, and as a result, sin and death began to reign.
Pastor David Jang links this to John 15, where Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Branches that remain united to the vine bear much fruit, but those separated from it can do nothing. This illustrates the same principle of representation and union. Pastor David Jang teaches that, to unite with Christ, our old self must be crucified with Him; we must partake in the resurrection life of Christ. In other words, the sinful nature inherited from Adam is buried with Jesus on the cross, and through Christ’s resurrection life, we are reborn (Galatians 2:20). Only then can we escape the powers of sin and death and become a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Pastor David Jang also interprets God’s calling of Abraham in Genesis 12—where God says, “Through you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”—through this lens of “representation and solidarity.” Just as the covenant blessing for all mankind was promised through one man, Abraham, so was sin imputed by one man, Adam, and righteousness by one man, Jesus. In Exodus 20, when God gives the Ten Commandments, it is said, “I will show love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Just as sin can be transmitted beyond the individual to an entire community or even future generations, so does blessing have a corporate and enduring effect.
Numbers 16 recounts the rebellion of Korah, and it vividly illustrates the fearsome power of this representative principle: Korah’s sin caused not only himself but also his family and possessions to be swallowed up in judgment. Similarly, in Joshua 7, Achan’s sin led to the stoning and burning of not only Achan but also his family and all his belongings. The reason for such extreme measures was to avert the collective repercussions of sin on the community and prevent its continued spread.
Pastor David Jang views Genesis 15, where Abraham cuts animals in two and God establishes a covenant with him, in the same representative context. God predicts that Abraham’s descendants will be enslaved and mistreated 400 years in a foreign land. This indicates that the faithfulness or unfaithfulness, the completeness or incompleteness of the representative—Abraham—will substantially affect future generations. Although Abraham did not perfectly obey God’s word, his partial obedience and shortcomings reverberated down the line. This is the dual aspect of the representative principle: it can bring dreadful consequences or tremendous blessings.
James 5:17-18 also aligns with Paul’s teaching on representative power. When the prophet Elijah prayed, the heavens closed and no rain fell; when he prayed again, the heavens opened and rain poured down. This illustrates that the position and authority of one person (a man of God) can dramatically influence the entire nation. His prayer had the power to open and shut the heavens, revealing that an individual’s role extends far beyond the personal sphere.
In Romans 5:20-21, Paul explains that the law was introduced so that sin might increase, but he concludes, “where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Pastor David Jang notes that Paul is singing a “hymn of life and eternal life” here. Where sin once reigned in death, now, through Jesus Christ’s grace and the gift of righteousness, life reigns instead. Thus, the old era in which humanity was enslaved to sin and death has passed, and a new era has opened in Christ, the new Adam (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Ultimately, Pastor David Jang says, the message of Romans 5:12-21 can be summarized as a question: “Are we living under the old nature in Adam or under the new nature in Christ?” As long as we remain in Adam, we inevitably tread the path of sin and death, but when we unite with Christ and abide in Him, we enjoy the abundance of righteousness and life. Paul’s doctrine of representation and solidarity is not just a complex theological notion; it is a practical matter that decides whether we live under the dominion of sin or under the dominion of grace. Pastor David Jang, consistently emphasizing this point, affirms that the grace of Christ is the only power that can carry us beyond death to eternal life, overcoming the deep despair that Adam’s sin and condemnation could never remove.
2. The Righteousness of One Man, Christ, and Salvation
The primary theme highlighted in Romans 5:12-21 is “the one man Jesus Christ,” who stands in decisive contrast to Adam. Pastor David Jang asserts that the concept of the “new Adam” in this passage is the very heart of our Christian identity. If Adam opened the door to sin, ushering in death and destruction, Jesus Christ, by His obedience on the cross and His resurrection, has thrown wide open the way to righteousness and life.
In Romans 5:15-19, Paul draws a clear distinction between the sin of “one man” (Adam) and the obedience of “one man” (Christ). Where sin and disobedience once dominated, now righteousness and obedience have been established. Through that, sinners are pronounced righteous and are empowered to live a renewed life. Pastor David Jang repeatedly returns to the idea of “imputation.” Sin was imputed to us from Adam; now the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. We share fully in the result of Christ’s perfect obedience—even though we contributed no merit of our own— and this is the essence of grace.
This perspective resonates with Paul’s account in 1 Corinthians 15, where Adam and Christ are compared. The first Adam was a living being but introduced sin and death through his disobedience; the last Adam, Jesus Christ, became a life-giving spirit, granting us eternal life. Pastor David Jang teaches that this dynamic is truly the main storyline running throughout the Gospels and the Epistles. The cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ is more than one individual’s death and resurrection; Christ, the representative head of all humanity, died and rose again on behalf of those who were trapped in sin.
Nevertheless, some might ask, “Why does Jesus’ crucifixion automatically save me? I understand that Jesus did something I couldn’t do myself, but how does that apply to me?” To this, Pastor David Jang responds that the “doctrine of representation” and the “principle of union” give the answer. Humans are by nature born into solidarity with Adam’s sin and cannot escape its bondage. But Jesus, our new representative, paid the penalty for that sin on our behalf. Thus, when we by faith unite with Him, His obedience and righteousness are transferred directly to us. As Paul declares in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ,” and “Christ lives in me.” When we make this confession, it becomes a practical reality: our old self is crucified and we are reborn as a new self. Pastor David Jang calls this a “fundamental transformation of the seed.” Once the seed itself changes, a different kind of fruit is inevitably produced.
Romans 5:17 says, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” Pastor David Jang interprets this to mean that the age in which sin and death reigned has ended, and now the era in which grace and righteousness reign has begun. By using the phrase “reign in life,” Paul suggests not simply that we are liberated from guilt, but that our entire being is now governed by a new reality of life that we possess in Christ. The salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ not only frees us from sin but also brings us under the reign of righteousness and life, so that we experience a fundamentally new order and power.
At this point, Pastor David Jang brings back the “vine and branches” metaphor from John 15. Christ is the vine, and we are the branches; naturally, a branch that remains attached to the vine bears fruit, while a separated branch cannot bear any fruit. In the same way, union with Christ implies that our lives cannot remain the same as before. Moreover, Jesus Himself says in John 15:9 and onward, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” This shows that abiding in Christ’s love and word is the essential key to spiritual growth and flourishing.
Pastor David Jang refers to this as the “identification with our representative, Christ.” Union with Christ is not just a matter of doctrinal agreement but of lived experience. Therefore, the church, as one body, should serve as the place where believers practically experience Christ’s rule and grace. Once joined to Christ, believers are rooted in righteousness and life, and within the church, the body of Christ, they serve one another and grow together. Through this process, they move beyond the dominion of sin and death and witness real transformation in daily life.
Romans 3:24-25 says, “All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” Pastor David Jang explains the three metaphors Paul uses here— the slave market (redemption), the courtroom (justification), and the altar (atonement)—to emphasize how representative, substitutionary, and tangible Christ’s saving work is. Jesus paid our penalty, enabling us, though sinful, to receive the verdict “not guilty,” and He, as High Priest, offered Himself as a sacrificial atonement to demolish the barrier of sin. All these aspects of salvation apply to us through our union with “Jesus our representative,” as Pastor David Jang reiterates.
This doctrine of representation finds analogy in the secular realm as well. For instance, a treaty signed by a national representative determines the fate of that entire nation. Or if the head of a household transfers ownership of the family home, every member of that household is directly affected. So it is in the spiritual realm: if Adam “sealed” the document of sin, binding all humanity to sin and death, Jesus Christ has now “sealed” the document of righteousness and life, changing our destiny. Pastor David Jang urges that as we read these passages, we should recognize not only the gravity of sin but also the magnitude and all-encompassing nature of Christ’s saving work.
Paul concludes Romans 5:20-21 by proclaiming that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more, so that grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ. Drawing upon this, Pastor David Jang encourages believers not to lose heart when they see rampant sin in the world. On the contrary, they should cling to the truth that Christ’s grace can more than cover any sin. Church history is replete with examples of God’s grace shining forth most powerfully in the darkest times. This is because grace transcends sin, and life surpasses death infinitely.
Furthermore, Pastor David Jang cites 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” The era in which death reigns through Adam has ended, and now the era in which life reigns in Christ has begun. Believers must daily realize this truth and let it propel them to pursue holiness and overcome sin in their lives.
Overall, when we grasp the grand redemptive narrative in Romans 5:12-21—moving “from Adam to Christ”—we can no longer remain in self-pity or despair about our sin, nor wonder, “Can I really change?” Those who trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins are no longer dragged around by Adam’s fall but have been united with the “new Adam,” receiving righteousness, life, and eternal hope. It is not just a theory; it is a proclamation that our very being has been transformed. Thus, even if we once languished under the reign of death, we can now live as those who “reign in life.”
Pastor David Jang urges believers to apply this truth broadly to personal devotion, the church’s mission, and social responsibility. An individual’s faith and obedience never remain solely that person’s affair; there is always a “corporate” dimension that extends to family, church, and society. Consequently, a single Christian who carries Christ’s righteousness and life has both the potential and the calling to shine a bright light into a dark world. One person, entrusted with Christ’s authority, can bring grace and life to places overrun by sin, spread justice and love where injustice prevails, and plant hope where despair abounds.
Romans 5:12-21 thus demonstrates, through the repeated phrase “one man,” how the histories of sin and death, and of righteousness and life, unfold for humanity and for each individual. Paul solemnly declares the catastrophic consequence of Adam’s disobedience and the blessed news of salvation and life brought by Christ’s obedience. In his sermons on this passage, Pastor David Jang repeatedly invites believers to reflect on which representative they currently stand under. If one remains under Adam, one inevitably remains crushed by sin; but if one enters into Christ, one receives the gift of righteousness and life.
Hence, Paul’s conclusion, “by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous,” does more than offer personal insight or comfort—it proclaims a radical transformation of our actual existence. Pastor David Jang insists that this gospel is what the church and believers must uphold as their central message, and that the power of this gospel must go beyond verbal confession to bring about genuine life change.
Pastor David Jang teaches that the core of Romans 5:12-21 is not merely the statement “There is sin, and there is grace,” but the emphasis on the “reality of life.” The gospel does not stop at announcing, “Your sins are forgiven”; it goes on to pronounce, “Now, reign in life.” Therefore, believers are called to cast off their old identity united with Adam’s sin and live out a new identity united with Christ. Pastor David Jang adds that Romans 5:12-21 enjoins believers to hold fast to two foundational truths. First, in Adam, no one can escape the destiny of sin and death. Second, in Christ, we receive a new destiny of righteousness and life with joy. While we cannot deny the influence of Adam, Christ’s work of salvation is even greater and more powerful. When believers experience Paul’s confession that “where sin increased, grace increased all the more” in real life, they find true freedom and hope.
As Pastor David Jang repeatedly emphasizes, the statement “by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” penetrates the very core of the gospel. Even the apparently unassailable power of death that was unleashed by Adam’s sin yields to the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who believe in this truth and unite with Christ can daily experience the reality of grace, righteousness, and life. This is the most joyful news that Romans 5 declares.
Though one man, Adam, brought death and condemnation, one man, Jesus Christ, brought justification and life. This simple statement sums up the vast sweep of human history through the lens of redemption. Pastor David Jang maintains that, when believers hold firmly to this truth, they will no longer remain enslaved to the sinful world Adam opened up; instead, they can begin to manifest on earth, here and now, the power of the new Eden—God’s kingdom—that Jesus Christ has revealed.
Therefore, the message of Romans 5:12-21 remains powerful for believers today. We are all born in union with Adam’s sin nature, but we can become new creations by participating in the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ. No matter how formidable sin and death may seem, Christ’s grace and righteousness abound far more. “By one man’s obedience many will be made righteous”—even when we stumble and wrestle with sin, this declaration continues to uphold us through the power of the gospel.
Thus, in his exposition of Romans 5:12-21, Pastor David Jang concisely and decisively explains the foundational principles of salvation: representation and solidarity, and the corresponding doctrines of the imputation of sin and the imputation of righteousness. Ultimately, our choice today is between remaining under Adam as our old representative or uniting ourselves to Jesus Christ as our new representative. The resulting outcomes are either the perpetuation of sin and death or the beginning of a new history of righteousness and life. When we abide in Christ, miracles happen, and where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. Pastor David Jang affirms that this reality is precisely the power of the gospel and the true message of hope the church must proclaim.
