I. The Problem of Original Sin Transmitted from Adam and the Issue of Human Existence
Romans 5:12–21 is a crucial passage in which Paul contrasts Adam and Jesus Christ, explaining that each one serves as a “representative” who binds humanity either in sin and death or in righteousness and life. When Pastor David Jang expounds on this text, he particularly underscores the power of the gospel and the importance of “solidarity” through the logic that “many became sinners by one man’s sin, and many receive life by another man’s obedience.” This point directly relates to the significant Christian theological issue of the doctrine of original sin. According to Paul, the reason sin is imputed to all people lies in the fact that it originated in that single individual, Adam.
Modern individuals often feel resistance to the idea of “Why am I a sinner just because Adam sinned?” However, the Bible proclaims that humanity’s universal sinfulness—our inherent inability to be free from sin—stems from the disobedience of the first human, Adam. Pastor David Jang explains, “The reality we experience is far from the original beauty of Eden that God intended; it is a world where death reigns—a world of absurdity and violence. This in itself signifies that we are already spiritually dead, and Scripture testifies that this death began with Adam’s sin.” According to the Bible, Adam reached disobedience by distrusting God’s Word, and that disobedience opened the door to sin, allowing death and destruction to enter. Therefore, as a result of the sin committed by Adam as the representative, all his descendants were infected with a propensity to sin. This is, in essence, the foundational reason for the universal suffering and death experienced by humanity.
Even though human beings indeed commit sins, Pastor David Jang tackles the question, “Why does Scripture emphasize so strongly that humanity cannot claim to be without sin?” The divine judgment on sin and death is not merely about moral wrongdoing but constitutes an “ontological state.” We might think, “We’re still alive, so we’re not actually dead,” but Paul makes it clear that, in a spiritual and ultimate sense, we are already in death. In this respect, original sin is an unavoidable yoke upon all humanity. From the moment we are born, we exist in a corrupt world that operates apart from God’s will.
Paul says that “sin was in the world before the law.” Here, “the law” refers to the commandments God gave to Moses, indicating that sin existed even before the law was handed down. The only difference is that, absent a clearly stated law, people were not fully aware whether something was sin or not. Yet, as obvious as Cain’s murder of Abel or Adam’s eating of the forbidden fruit were sinful acts, Scripture shows that distrusting and disobeying God even before the law was already sin. While the human conscience naturally discerns that “murder, rebellion, and disobedience are wrong,” the introduction of the law served to “legally and formally” define sin. Nonetheless, the law does not free us from sin entirely. Though it reveals sin for what it is, it lacks the power to remove sin or grant salvation.
Continuing on, Paul highlights the period from Adam to Moses—before the law was given—and asserts that death “reigned” like a king. It wielded despotic authority over all humanity. This recalls Paul’s depiction of humanity as “slaves to sin,” suggesting that everyone faces the tyranny of sin and death from which no one can liberate themselves. Pastor David Jang uses this point to explain to modern listeners that we live under the “structural dominion of sin and death”—that even without the law, somehow all people are subject to sin and death. He notes that it is not just social structures or personal moral weaknesses but a deeper dimension in which humanity collectively stands under the power of death, and this ultimately proves the historical fact that we continue to live in a state of perpetual exile from Eden.
Scripture calls Adam “a type of the one who was to come.” Just as Adam exercised a decisive influence on humanity, Christ likewise assumes the role of the “second or last Adam,” who will have a decisive influence as well. Thus, Paul’s declaration in Romans 5:14 that “Adam is a type of the one to come” means that just as Adam, humanity’s progenitor, transmitted sin and death to all his descendants, the coming One (Christ) would, conversely, bring righteousness and life to all who believe in Him. In his preaching, Pastor David Jang emphasizes, “We think we live our daily lives by our own will, but in reality, we are born under Adam’s influence and inevitably live drawn to sin. However, Jesus Christ, the new Adam, breaks this hold and brings us new life.” This is precisely the powerful proclamation of the gospel in Paul’s argument, offering a breakthrough in the overwhelming reality of sin and death.
Paul states that the law came in “in order that the trespass might increase” (Romans 5:20), meaning it was introduced to make sin all the more evident. This leads to the famous statement, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” No matter how much sin accumulates or how death devours all human life, grace arrives with an even greater power. Pastor David Jang interprets this passage by saying, “The more we see the utter depths of the inescapable grip of sin, the more it highlights the vastness and might of God’s grace.” In other words, the more the law exposes sin, the deeper we sink into guilt and fear—yet at the same time, we come to see how absolute and powerful the realm of grace in Christ truly is.
The declaration that “all humanity became sinners through one man, Adam” is not easy to accept in today’s highly individualistic culture. Yet Scripture repeatedly emphasizes “solidarity.” Even those unaccustomed to communal thinking can grasp the analogy: “When a representative of a country makes a treaty, the entire population is affected.” This was readily accepted in the historical and social context of the ancient Near East, where the notion that “one individual” could act on behalf of the whole was the norm. For those who strongly resist the idea of original sin, Pastor David Jang offers this perspective: “Ultimately, this interpretation also provides the key to explaining ‘how Christ, the new Adam, conveys His righteousness and life to us.’” In other words, even if we find it difficult to concur, if we reject this principle of representation and solidarity, we inevitably must also reject the logic of salvation the gospel presents.
The doctrine of original sin teaches that humanity is naturally bound under the dominion of sin. It is a condition that our free will and good deeds alone can never fully resolve. We are born under the yoke of sin, and no ethical or moral acts can usher us into true righteousness. This lies at the core of salvation in Protestant thought, and Pastor David Jang’s preaching similarly urges that we must not “shy away from the doctrine of original sin.” He clarifies that the purpose is not to highlight human weakness or worthlessness but to underscore how absolute and precious Christ’s work of salvation truly is.
Hence, the conclusion of this first section is clear. The sin and death that originated in Adam have already taken hold of humanity in a colossal existential crisis, and the law intensifies this sin and pronounces judgment, driving us into a corner. But this dire situation does not mean that hope is obliterated. On the contrary, our consciousness of sin makes us open our eyes to the grace and saving power that Christ offers. Therefore, even though the idea of sin being imputed to us from Adam may feel uncomfortable or unfair, it is precisely the starting point of human existence—and an essential gateway to grasping the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Pastor David Jang strongly affirms, “Though Adam’s world of sin may seem unassailable, God had a plan of grace even more powerful, concealed until now,” leading us to the second section: the obedience of Jesus Christ and the imputation of righteousness.
II. The Obedience of Jesus Christ and the Imputation of Righteousness
In Romans 5:15–19, Paul carefully contrasts Adam and Christ. Just as sin and death came upon humanity through the disobedience of one man (Adam), so righteousness and life come through the obedience of another man (Jesus Christ). Pastor David Jang, in both his sermons and writings, interprets this to mean: “Just as original sin was imputed to us through Adam, now through Christ, original righteousness is imputed to us.” Church tradition connects this imputed righteousness to the doctrine of justification by faith.
The term “the obedience of the one man, Jesus Christ” points to His atoning sacrifice on the cross. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 and onward, Paul again compares the first Adam and the last Adam (Christ), declaring that while the first Adam “was from the dust,” the last Adam “is from heaven.” Whereas the first Adam became “a living being,” the second Adam—Jesus—became “a life-giving spirit.” A “living being” simply possesses life, but a “life-giving spirit” has the power to impart life to others. Therefore, Paul stresses that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection have the power to “make us alive.” Pastor David Jang summarizes, “Christ’s obedience was not merely a moral example. It is the very source of life that forever revives fallen humanity, and the decisive event whereby God’s righteousness is imputed to us.”
The “concept of imputation” introduced in the doctrine of original sin expands to “the imputation of righteousness” in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Adam’s imputation of sin to humanity rested on his position as representative, and Christ likewise imputes His accomplished righteousness in the same legal manner. The result of the work done by our representative and head applies to everyone who belongs to Him. At this point, Pastor David Jang remarks, “The concepts of representation and solidarity run throughout Scripture and may seem unfair to us, but from the very beginning, God created humanity as a communal entity. The ideas of one body, one lineage, and one community occupy a vital place in the Christian worldview.”
God’s plan of salvation is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, following the era of the law—which merely exposed human helplessness. While the law defines sin but cannot resolve it, Jesus bore the penalty for sin upon Himself, dying in our place to open the path for us to be “declared righteous.” Hence, in Romans 3:24–25 Paul proclaims, “They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a propitiation by His blood, through faith.” Pastor David Jang references three images here. First is the notion of redemption, where a payment is made in a slave market to set a slave free; second is the notion of justification, where the accused is declared innocent in a courtroom; and third is the idea of atonement or propitiation in the sacrificial system, where a substitute offering removes sin. All of these metaphors converge in the event of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, rooted in His shed blood and obedient sacrifice on behalf of humanity.
Throughout Scripture, we also see “the solidarity of blessing,” which reaches its pinnacle in the obedience of Jesus. In the Old Testament, when God established His covenant with Abraham, He promised that “all nations will be blessed” through him and his offspring. This covenant was not limited to Abraham alone but extended through his lineage to the entire nation of Israel and ultimately to the whole world. Pastor David Jang explains, “The covenant God made with Abraham is fully realized in the New Testament in Jesus Christ. Everyone who belongs to Christ, everyone who believes in Him, receives that blessing corporately.” Thus, though Jesus’ obedience occurred once in history, its effect transcends time and space, applying to all believers simultaneously.
However, the imputation of this righteousness is not automatically granted; it is personally applied to us through faith. Paul emphasizes that we are justified “through faith in Christ Jesus.” This indicates that our personal union with Jesus, our representative, is necessary. Pastor David Jang clarifies, “Ultimately, sin comes to us through Adam naturally at birth, irrespective of our consent, but Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us through our faith.” This is the paradox of grace. Humanity helplessly inherits sin from Adam, but Jesus graciously offers us His righteousness. And the way to accept this gift is through faith, not by our own effort or merit.
Paul concludes with a triumphant statement in Romans 5:21: “So that, just as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” It means that the far more powerful obedience of Jesus Christ has overthrown the reign of death. Whereas death once held dominion, now grace reigns. Pastor David Jang explains, “The gospel is not just about washing away sins; it brings an entirely new system of government within us. We are no longer subjects under the dominion of sin but citizens under the reign of ‘life’—the kingdom of God. That is the essence.”
Romans 5:18–19 offers Paul’s summary: “Just as through the disobedience of one man (Adam) many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one man (Christ) many will be made righteous.” Pastor David Jang identifies this as the decisive encapsulation of Paul’s teaching. The passage fully affirms the universality of sin and death while simultaneously proclaiming an even more powerful universality of righteousness and life. No one can hinder the blessing of Jesus Christ’s obedience, and its power and authority were part of God’s original, sovereign “plan of improving the seed” from the beginning of creation. If the seed of disobedience brings death and decay, the seed of obedience yields righteousness and life.
Isaiah 53 likewise illustrates this through the prophecy of the suffering servant. Although “He bears our infirmities and dies,” a new “seed” will spring forth from His death (Isaiah 53:10). This refers not to physical descendants but to the “spiritual offspring” who emerge through the atoning work of the suffering servant—those who believe in and follow the Messiah. Pastor David Jang refers to this as a form of “seed improvement,” stressing that if we inherited the genetic code of sin and death from Adam, we now inherit from Christ the genetic code of righteousness and life, becoming new creations. Galatians 2:20 summarizes this theology: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Though we are born as descendants of Adam, through union with Jesus we become the offspring of Christ—those who live by righteousness and life.
Thus, this second section answers how Jesus Christ’s obedience and the righteousness imputed to us through Him set us free from sin and death and open a new dimension of life. We who once belonged to Adam’s kingdom of sin and death are now transferred, through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, into the kingdom of grace and life. And this is realized individually through faith. Pastor David Jang says, “We must not understand this astonishing truth merely as doctrinal knowledge; we must embody it in our daily life and spiritual practice. For now it is grace, not sin, and life, not death, that exercises dominion over us.”
III. The Practical Significance of the Doctrine of Representation and the Principle of Union
The central structure of Romans 5:12–21 is Paul’s interpretation of human history through the persons of Adam and Christ. This concept is known theologically as the “Doctrine of Representation” or “Federal Headship Theory,” which teaches that Adam, as humanity’s head (federal head), imputed sin to all, while Christ, as the head of the church, imputes righteousness to those who belong to Him. A related concept is the “Principle of Corporate Solidarity,” which holds that we are united both with Adam and with Christ, according to Scripture’s teaching.
Pastor David Jang notes that “we see in ordinary life how a single individual can have an immense impact on history. When a head of state signs a diplomatic agreement, the outcome affects all citizens; similarly, if the head of a household makes a certain decision, it can lead the entire family to ruin or prosperity.” Thus, the biblical principle of representation and union is not simply an abstract notion. Indeed, the Old Testament itself shows striking examples: in Korah’s rebellion, the entire family perished; in Achan’s sin, he and those associated with him were punished. Such instances demonstrate how sin does not remain an isolated personal matter but spreads corporately across the community. This pattern of sin, judgment, blessing, and reward emanating from specific individuals to the whole was widely accepted in ancient communal societies.
The same principle serves as the key to the heart of the gospel. Once we grasp how the curse through Adam extended to all humanity, we can more easily comprehend how salvation through Christ is given to all who believe in Him—because members of a group share in the actions of their representative. Pastor David Jang stresses, “We need to grasp the concepts of representation and union with a realistic perspective. In our highly individualistic world, we often reduce everything to ‘just me and God.’ But Scripture is thoroughly predicated on communal solidarity. From the very beginning, we were in Adam, and now we are in Christ. We must choose between the two.”
Citing Jesus’ statement in John 15, “I am the vine; you are the branches,” Paul (and many Christian teachers) argue that your life’s fruit depends on which “vine” you are grafted into. If you are grafted into Adam’s vine, you inevitably bear the fruit of sin and death; if you are grafted into Christ’s vine, you bear the fruit of righteousness and life. The command to “abide” in Christ goes beyond merely attending church or showing up in worship services; it refers to genuine union, allowing His life and power to operate within us. Pastor David Jang proclaims, “Union is not just a theological theory; it wields real transformative power in our existence. When I am in Adam, sin is natural. But when I am in Christ, His righteousness, love, and power flow into me, and I live in a wholly different way.”
When discussing the doctrines of representation and union, Galatians 2:20 is often cited. Paul confesses, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” expressing union with Jesus in the most dramatic sense. The old self (the one belonging to Adam) has died with Jesus, and now the life of Jesus moves in us. Thus, faith in Christ means more than simply “I believe in Jesus so I’ll go to heaven”; it calls us to live as “new creations in Christ, here and now.” Pastor David Jang emphasizes, “This new self-understanding transforms everyday life. Rather than giving up, saying, ‘Since I’m from Adam, I can’t help but sin,’ we cling to the identity that ‘I am an already justified person, united with Christ.’ This is the power of the gospel.”
Other scriptural examples of representation and solidarity include God’s covenant with Abraham—that all nations would be blessed through him—and the instance of Elijah, whose prayer withheld rain from the land and then brought it again. Though Abraham and Elijah were individuals, the covenant they received and the power of their prayers spread corporately to those around them. Likewise, in the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the definitive representative who took upon Himself the burden of sin that we could never bear, and as a result, His righteousness and life are extended to us corporately—this is the heart of the gospel. Pastor David Jang applies this to the pastoral setting: “The church is the body of Christ. We are united with our Head, the Lord, and we practice and spread His life and grace as a community. Through the church, the saving work of Christ is extended, and within the church, we bear one another’s burdens, praying and worshiping together in a life of mutual solidarity. All these things should be understood under the framework of representation and union.”
So what concrete fruits can these doctrines of representation and union bear? First, a change in self-identity. We are born as Adam’s descendants, but the moment we believe in Jesus, we instantly become descendants of Christ. Even if at times we still feel hopelessly addicted to sin, our renewed understanding is that we have already been granted new life in Christ, providing “the assurance that sin no longer reigns in our lives.” Pastor David Jang repeatedly stresses that this sense of liberation is the starting point of living out the gospel.
Second, it fosters belonging and communal identity. Just as we are connected to all humanity in Adam, so we are connected to all believers in Christ. Believers are not solitary islands but are members of one body. This sense of corporate fellowship is deeply biblical, aligning with Paul’s statements in Ephesians and 1 Corinthians that “we are the body of Christ, and individually members of it.” Pastor David Jang teaches, “When we grasp representation and union, the reasons and motivations for church life become clearer. We must remain in fellowship with our Head, Jesus Christ, to receive spiritual nourishment, and we must grow together through mutual support as members of one body.”
Third, it produces a new attitude toward sin. Previously, sin was natural and unavoidable; now that our representative has changed, we have the possibility of overcoming sin. Of course, we still face temptation and fail at times, but our fundamental identity has shifted from “a sinner in Adam” to “a righteous person in Christ.” Therefore, we can firmly say “No” to sin, and we have the privilege of running to God immediately through repentance. Pastor David Jang describes it this way: “On our journey of sanctification, our greatest driving force is the fact that we are united with Christ. Because Jesus died in our place, we must regard ourselves as dead to sin, presenting ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness.”
In the end, though the doctrines of representation and union may appear to be abstract theological ideas, they directly inform our daily Christian walk. All our acts of faith—gathering for worship, partaking in the Lord’s Supper, or publicly declaring through baptism that we have ‘entered into Christ’—are inseparably linked to these doctrines. Pastor David Jang teaches, “Adam was our old head, but Christ is the Head of the church. Changing our head changes the authority, order, and values that govern us. When we deeply grasp and apply this truth, we experience genuine freedom from sin and death, living under the reign of grace and life.”
In Romans 5:20–21, that final note rings out: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” Paul’s words form a final crescendo of praise for God’s grace. To humankind, trapped under the shadow of death with no escape, the obedience of one man, Jesus Christ, has opened a new path. Pastor David Jang, reflecting on this passage, preaches, “When the severity of sin leads us to despair, that is when grace all the more powerfully arrives. By the obedience and righteousness imputed through Christ, we are freed from the tyranny of sin and can boldly approach God. This is the most revolutionary news in human history.” He expounds that the old world has passed, and an entirely new order has dawned in Christ. He then encourages us to meditate on the real and concrete transformation and hope this truth brings to individuals, the church, and the world.
Ultimately, the central message of this passage is unmistakable. Whereas Adam’s sin introduced a history of sin and death, Jesus Christ has opened a new history of righteousness and life. This is not mere theological theory but a transformative power that alters the lives of believers in the here and now. The old self that belonged to Adam is dead, and we now live as new beings in Christ. According to the doctrines of representation and union, we do not overcome sin by our own strength or ability. Rather, our Representative, Jesus, has already gained the victory, and we share in that victory to live as righteous people. Pastor David Jang calls this truth “the essence of the gospel and the engine of Christian faith,” urging all who follow the path of faith to move beyond sin into a life of freedom and vitality—and to live in gratitude and praise through Romans 5:12–21.