Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
To say that sin brought death is somewhat of a cliché in the Christian church today. Yes, sin did bring death but do we really understand the scope of that death? Sovereign grace contrasts the religion of our day. To fully understand the scope of what death means makes sovereign grace of necessity in the salvation of sinners. To illustrate this let us look at what sin brought into the world.
By sin NATURAL death came into the world.
Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
By sin LEGAL death came into the world.
Romans 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
By sin ETERNAL death came into the world.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
By sin SPIRITUAL death came into the world.
2 Peter 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
What came about by the fall of the first Adam is death upon all.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
All the seed of Adam, all that he represented fell into the effects of sin. All inherited natural, legal, eternal, and spiritual death. All are dead in trespasses and sins. Can a dead man cure himself? Can a dead man do that which would make himself acceptable before God? Can a dead man, if a condition were given to him, perform that condition which would commend himself to God? The answer is very quickly no. Man cannot do that which would save himself because he is legally dead, he is spiritually dead. What awaits him is a physical death and an eternal death. He is a dead man that is going to die. That is the state in which man finds himself. Listen to the what the Lord said to Paul in Acts 26.
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Paul was sent to a people who could not open their eyes, who were in the dark, and who were under the power of satan. That is where all mankind finds himself.