What Paul wants to do is take this occasion of comparing the work of Christ with the work of Adam,

or the effect of Adam with the effect of Christ,

and by comparing it and contrasting it, take us deeper into

the doctrine of justification by grace through faith apart from works.

How is Christ's work far greater than Adams?

In this episode of Light and Truth, John Piper opens Romans 5, 12 to 21 to explore the superiority

of Christ's obedience to Adam's disobedience.

This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on June 18, 2000.

The main point of this text is that what Christ has done for all who are in him is far greater than what Adam did for all who were in him.

That's the main point of this text.

It's all about the superiority of the work of Christ for those who are in him over against what happened to all who were in Adam.

That was stunning enough.

There are parallels and there are contrasts.

And the point is to show that there's a greatness about what happened through Christ

that surpasses the parallels with Adam.

For example, the obedience of Christ is parallel, but vastly superior to the disobedience of Adam.

And he's going to make that clear.

Second, the righteousness imputed to those who are in Christ on the basis of this obedience is parallel to,

but vastly superior to the sin imputed to those who were in Adam.

Third, the life that comes from the imputation of this righteousness based on

that obedience, this righteousness, this life is far superior, though parallel to the death

that we all received through our sinning in Adam.

...