Taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and death spread to all men because all men sinned. But 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 face of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.” 
Romans 5:12-16

How familiar are you with your family tree? 

How far back can you record your family lineage?

Maybe you are very grateful for your tree. Or, perhaps, you have had to overcome a less-than-positive ancestry. Two lineages that have been studied and compared are that of Jonathan Edwards and Max Jukes. Edwards is a renowned pastor and theologian who was instrumental in the Great Awakening of the mid-1700s. His family line has included numerous pastors, lawyers, doctors, and even a vice president. On the other hand, Max Jukes, who lived around the same time as Edwards, has a family line that includes alcohol abuse, poverty, prison time, prostitutes, and even convicted murderers. One family tree points to life and faithfulness. Another is a legacy of death and destruction.

In Romans 5:12-16, Paul gives us a picture of two other family trees. We see the family tree that goes all the way back to the beginning of creation.

Verse 12 says:

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and death spread to all men because all men sinned.” We all are connected to our first fathers in the garden of Eden. We all come from the lineage of Adam, a lineage of sin that leads to death. This is not a popular topic in our culture today. Sin is not something that people want to hear about or be confronted with. We must come face to face with our sin if we are going to truly understand the beautiful gift that has been offered to us through Jesus Christ.”

But verses 15 and 16 show us a very different tree:

“But 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 face of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.” 

This is the invitation to be set free from the curse of that first family tree! This free gift of a new family tree in Christ brings life and reconciliation once and for all to those who receive, in faith, what Christ has done for us.

What great news! No matter your family history, we all have an open invitation. We are granted the privilege of becoming adopted sons and daughters of the Creator.

Stop living trapped in that first family tree, and receive God’s call to live a new legacy that is rooted in Jesus!

Choose your family tree!

DIG DEEPER
Read “What Does it Mean to be a Part of the Family of God?” at GotQuestions.org