By the One Man’s Obedience, the Many Will Be Made Righteous

Recently during private worship, these words from Romans 5:19 electrified my heart: “For 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.”

The verse is part of a longer description of how the work of Christ, the second Adam is superior to the failure of the first Adam. The whole passage is wonderful of course, but this time it was these words that gripped me.

As surely as I became a sinner through Adam’s first transgression, so by Jesus’ obedience I will be made righteous.

Some have difficulty with this concept of Federal Headship. I do not. At one point I did have difficulty with the idea that because Adam sinned I became a sinner. But that was before I understood that on the same basis that Adam’s sin made me a sinner, Christ’s obedience has made me a saint.

I have been keenly aware of my own lack of righteousness lately. A sobering and depressing reality. But the good news of the gospel is this: the obedience that establishes my righteousness before God is not my own. The basis of my righteousness is not my obedience; the basis of my righteousness is Jesus’ obedience. And whereas my obedience waxes and wanes, Jesus’ obedience is always perfect. Therefore, my acceptance by the Father does not wax and wane, but is as steady as Jesus’ obedience. Hallelujah!

So then since my righteousness is based on Christ’s obedience and not my own, am I content to go on sinning? No way! Knowing that Christ’s obedience is the basis of my righteousness does not lead to carelessness about obedience but actually provides the necessary fuel for genuine obedience.

Here is my reason to rejoice today despite intimate knowledge of my own failures: by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Thank you Jesus!