Romans 5:20-21 - Grace reigns

20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Grace Abounded All the More

***

V. 20 - “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase” - Not that the Law caused people to sin more or worse. People were now aware of what actions were sinful, because they were spelled out. For example, you probably were not very aware of what a speed limit is (other than your mother telling your father he is driving over the speed limit). But when you were ready to get your own drivers license you found there are speed limits everywhere! In towns, 25 MPH; on highways, 55 MPH; on freeways, 65 MPH; around schools, 20 MPH. Now you know, and you know when you are breaking that law.

“but where sin increased” - As people were made aware of sin, the realization of their lost condition became more profound. If you think you have only sinned a little bit, then you tend to think you only need a little bit of grace. When you begin to see how vast and how deep are the breadths and the depths of you sin nature, you begin to realize all is lost and hopeless. If you owe the bank $20 for a bounced check, that’s one thing. If you owe $20 million, how do you pay that? If you owe God your life because of your sin, what can you do? God’s grace is there for the little white lie. Grace is there for the anger and hate. Grace is there for the rebellion against Him. God gave Himself to cover all the sin of the world. His grace is greater than all our sin.

Marvelous, infinite matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face, Will you this moment His grace receive?

Chorus
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin!
Hymn by Johnston & Towner

V. 21 - “So that, sin reigned in death” - This verse echoes verse 17, above. Death commands our attention and fears. Death is the result of sin. Sin is the driving factor in all of our activities and life on earth. Sin reigns. James Madison (one of the authors of the U. S. Constitution) said, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary... “ Laws are necessary to control the government and the actions of men.

I am a big fan of science fiction (as mentioned another time), and also of mystery stories. The science fiction writers are peering into the future and speculating on the condition and actions of mankind. Not many of the authors have a positive outlook on the behavior of humans. Likewise, there are almost no Christian protagonists. Finding other planets, or other sentient life forms, does not change the anger, hate, greed, jealousy, rebellion - sin - in mankind. The future is no better than the present - because sin reigns. The authors will not acknowledge that sin is the problem. Likewise, there is no solution to the sin. Sin reigns. Death reigns as a result.

The outlook for mystery writers is much the same. There are no believers in the fictional private investigator professions. Sin reigns, Death follows.

“even so grace would reign” - As sin and death grow and spread, God’s grace is there. It is always greater than sin and death. You and I see the grace for us - as little or as much as we need. I am not sure we are aware of how much greater is God’s grace than our need.

God’s Grace is greater than sin and death. God is greater than all - men, women, angels, planets, stars, galaxies, the universe.
God’s righteousness is greater than all. God’s righteousness is given through His grace to us.
God’s righteousness is demonstrated by the gift of His Son who died for us. He was the sacrifice that paid the penalty for all sin.
God’s righteousness is in you when you have Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That gives you the gift of eternal life. No second death; no eternal separation from God’s glory.
Grace reigns. Righteousness and eternal life are yours in Jesus Christ. There is no other way.
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) 
 Grace Reigns!
***
End of Chapter

Romans 5:15-19 - Transgression vs. Gift

15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

On the Other Hand...

Paul lays out four ways Adam’s act of disobedience affects us, contrasted to the ways Christ’s obedience affects us.

***

V. 15 - “the free gift is not like the transgression” - Adam may foreshadow Christ Jesus. Despite the similarities, the differences are HUGE. Both are ‘firsts’ - first human and first in the church. In Adam we have received the inheritance of death. In Christ we receive eternal life. In Adam, you have no say on whether you want the sin nature - you have it by being born. His transgression bequeathed it to you. Death is not a gift to mankind. However, eternal life in Jesus Christ is a gift. Unlike the inheritance from Adam, humans get the opportunity to accept or reject the gift of life Christ offers. Because Jesus Christ lives, we are bequeathed life through Him.

“by the transgression of the one” - This is the explanation of ‘original sin’. Adam’s sin and the sentence pronounced is visited on all his descendants. (See: Gen. 2:16-17 and Gen. 3:1-21) The verse says the results is ‘the many died’. What an amazing understatement! Not just many die - we all die.

“the grace of God and the gift of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.” - It is simple. All sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) Therefore, all die in their sin. We are lost. We are doomed. What shall we do? God has done it for us. By grace and by gift - we are blessed by Jesus! For the next few verses, the one man, Adam, is compared to the one Man, Jesus. More accurately, the results of Adam’s disobedience is compared to Jesus’ obedience and sacrifice. I think these verses provide the most thorough analysis of this topic in scripture.

V. 16 - “The gift is not like...” - Two men, two different results. “One thing is not like the other..” (Song from Sesame Street). The gift came from the man who did not sin. The other result is directly the result of sin.

“for on the one hand” - God handed down His judgment on Adam. That first disobedience, that ONE rebellion resulting in condemnation for all who followed. The condemnation, separation from God, is referred to as the second death. Also, the curse was placed on the world, which would become Satan’s princedom. “Life is hard, and then you die” is a snarky way of saying don’t expect anything good out of this life. Corruption and decay of the world and mankind reigns until Christ returns to establish His eternal kingdom.

“but on the other hand” - Adam sinned - we all die. Jesus died - so we may live. The free gift restores the world, the universe, to the “as designed” condition. The many, many sins of the world required a perfect sacrifice to cover them all. Anything less than perfect means some were missed. The treatment protocol for  cancer may involve chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery. The goal is to eliminate all of the cancer cells in your body. One cancer cell may begin to grow and spread, which may be fatal.

All sin must be eliminated in order to purify the world. I do not think the phrase “from many transgressions” means that sins piled up, and when a sufficient number occurred an alarm is triggered. Klaxons go off in heaven; God springs into action. Based on the context, “from many” probably includes the sin of other humans - all the other humans.

V. 17 - “death reigned through the one” - Looking back into Genesis, we can see that death started very soon after they left the Garden of Eden. Abel was killed by an angry Cain (Gen. 4:4-11). Mankind is corrupt and God brings on the Flood, saving Noah and his family (Gen. 6 & 7). Next, the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9). Abraham appeals to God for Sodom and Gomorrah - in vain as it turns out (Gen. 18 & 19). And so it goes, all the way to today.

Death is all around us, whether from natural causes - illness and accidents - or criminals and terrorists. Murder, rape, robbery and thievery. Abortion clinics have killed more than 80 million babies - and we are told it is a good thing. Churches in Europe and America are being desecrated, but we are warned not to suspect Islam, but it is a religion of peace. All around us people are calling good as evil and calling evil as good. (See: Isa. 5:20-21)
Because death is the monarch of this world, much of what we do is to hold death at bay.

Benjamin Franklin told us, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” We fear death far more than taxes. Beyond this life is a mystery. We cannot see through that veil. We dread the process of dying, and dread what may lurk on the other side. Our physical deaths are frightening enough.

Jesus told us that belief in Him will result in life, even if we die. (See: John 11:25, 26). How can this be? How do we die, yet retain eternal life? This body which now houses my soul and spirit will pass away, but my soul and spirit lives on. The question is whether the soul and spirit lives on with God, or separated from Him. The people around Jesus understood eternal life. (See: Matt. 19:16; 25:46; Luke 10:25-26) Jesus warned us to fear Him who could kill our soul and spirit. (See: Matt. 10:28) God is loving, but there will come a day when His judgement will be meted out. That is the day when those who reject Him will experience eternal separation - the “second death”. Fear that! (See: Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8) There death reigns. In Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, the entry to hell has this inscription, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.“

“righteousness will reign in life through the One” - What a contrast! In Jesus Christ life reigns! No more death. No more pain. No more shame. No more guilt. The grace is given freely and abundantly through Jesus Christ. There is righteousness. There is life with God. There is praise. There is worship.

Through Adam death reigns; we have sin, condemnation, and death.
Through Jesus Christ righteousness reigns; we have joy, and life.
It is your choice. I can’t make it for you.

Jesus Christ is the King of Glory. He loves us! We need not fear Him. He died in our place. Joy and peace is there with Him.

***

V. 18 - “there resulted condemnation to all men” - All that have followed Adam are under condemnation. The wrath of God remains on them (See: John 3:36). Wrath does not mean out-of-control rage and anger (think: Hulk from the comic book movies). Wrath is the action required to execute God’s sentence against sin. It cannot be pretty or meek and mild because sin is not pretty. It is the natural consequence of rejecting God and His commandments. It is the penalty sentenced and delivered. Condemnation leads to death.

“there resulted justification of life to all men” - Jesus’ sacrifice breaks that link to death for us. Righteousness and eternal life is now available to us all. This does not mean that all will benefit from the righteousness of Jesus. I have heard a story of an immigrant who came on a steamship from Europe. On the trip across the ocean, he ate what little food he had brought in his luggage. He didn’t realize until he landed that his ticket included room and meals on the ship.

Death is penalty we all must face. We have no say in it, because it is in our blood, inherited from Adam. Life is a gift we can choose. We’ve done nothing to deserve life. It cannot be earned.

***

V. 19 - “one man's disobedience the many were made sinners” - Adam’s sin is ours. Through our self-will, either “active rebellion or passive indifference” (see note 1) we are sinners. Notice this is in past tense - the many were made sinners. That one act, in the beginning, is passed down to us all.

“obedience of the One the many will be made righteous” - Jesus’ obedience is the vehicle that transports us to a right relationship with God. The similarity for these two ‘ones’ - we did not earn them, both were given to us. The big difference between these two “ones” - we can choose or reject the gift of life! You don’t get to choose death - it is yours because you are human. God does not force you to choose life. Not all people will choose Jesus. Why? Self-will and pride; rebellion; indifference to what God is offering.
The phrase "the many" is repeated in verse 15 and here. It does not mean 'a lot of people' were infected with sin, which would imply that some escaped the penalty of sin beause they were not part of the 'many'. No. All people, every person, anyone who has ever lived - except of course for Jesus Christ - falls under the penalty of sin. Jesus Christ, because He was both God and man, lived without sin. He voluntarily took the penalty of sin - death - upon Himself on the cross. His death consumed all the death for all those who believe and accept Him.

Have you beleived and accepted Jesus Christ as your savior? If not, you can do it right now! You can pray to God. The following is a suggested preayer:
"Lord Jesus, I need You. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for Forgiving my sins. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
(see: Note 2)

***
Note 1: ‘Law 2’ of Four Spiritual Laws; Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright.
Note 2: Prayer from Four Spiritual Laws; Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright.
***

 

Romans 5:10-11 - Reconciliation

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

***

If... Then

***

V. 10 - This verse is an “If-Then” statement. Simply, the sentence is “If we have been reconciled, then we shall be saved.” The prepositional phrases, ‘while...’, ‘to...’, ‘through...’, ‘by...’ add depth and clarity but do not change the basic message.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God” - Starting a sentence with “For” should get us thinking that the following is based on a previous statement or conclusion. (The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee used to say something like, “We need to see what the for is there for.” ) The conclusion in verse 9 is that we are saved from the wrath of God - that is, we are saved from serving the sentence against us for sin. That sentence is eternal separation from God - the scripture calls this the ‘second death’.

How is it that we were, or are, enemies of God? Do we think we can reject God and His offer of salvation through Jesus and still be His friends? Can we decide to not believe in God, and be either neutral to Him, or not enemies? Can we be agnostic, theoretically neutral towards God?
I think the problem is we don’t take God seriously. Because He is not “in-your-face”, we imagine everything is OK. We deceive ourselves! God is a jealous God, unwilling to share His glory with any other. (See: Exo. 20:5, 34:14; Deut. 4:24) There is no neutral. Jesus phrased it, “For he who is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:40) It is black or white, with no shades of grey. This is part of the spiritual battle that continues around us. Satan opposes God, even tried to supplant Him. (See: Acts 13:10) Satan’s domain is the world. To be friends of the world means to be against the Lord. (See: Jam. 4:4) The flesh (world) is hostile to God. (Rom. 8:7) The hostility goes both directions: our mind and actions are hostile to God, death and separation from God is hostile to us. (See: Col. 1:21, 2:14)

“Reconciled to God” - When you get into a disagreement with a family member or a friend, and then resolve the issue, it can be said you have been reconciled. You have gone from “enemies’ to “friends”. This is being “reconciled with...” God has reconciled us to Him.

“through the death of His Son” - We did not do this. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son did it. See: “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18). Also: “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.“ (1 Peter 1:18-19 ) And, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 )

“we shall be saved by His life” - Both Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection are necessary for our salvation. These two cannot be separated; they are inextricably connected. Just as the sacrificial rules cannot be separated from the Old (Mosaic) Covenant, the resurrection is as vital to our faith as is the crucifixion. It is possible, if not easy, to understand the sacrifices of the OT are a ‘type’ pointing to the New Covenant. It is not our efforts that turn back sin, but the blood of the sacrifice that is effectual. Resurrection as a fundamental is more difficult to see.

The resurrection of Jesus to life is our proof that His death was THE acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the world. Think on this: if Jesus is not resurrected to eternal life, how would we KNOW? That is: if Jesus is not resurrected and witnessed, what proof do we have that we can join Him to live with God the Father? Does it make a difference if we KNOW or not?

Did it make a difference to His disciples?

• They were denying him and hiding in a locked room (See: Matt. 26:70; John 20:19).
• After Easter Morning, they were told He is Risen, yet they were doubtful (See: Matt. 28:17; Mark 16:10-14; Luk. 24:11).
• The reality started to sink in (See: Mark 16:20; Luk. 24:36, 43-46)
• They believed, were filled with Holy Spirit, and preached with great joy, sometimes in defiance of the authorities. (See: Luk. 24:52; Acts 1:3; 2:22-25, 38-39; 4:18-20)
• John reminds us he witnessed these things. (John 21:24)

What a turn-around; what a difference! Quaking and cowering to “We must obey God rather than men!”

***

V. 11 - “And not only this” - God has given us reconciliation and eternal life. We get to give glory to God, because what our Lord Jesus Christ did, and because He lives in us. We can rejoice, for His joy is ours (See: John 15:11; 16:24; 17:13).

“we have now received the reconciliation.” - We received it. We did not earn it. Reconciliation is a gift, not wages earned.

*** 

Romans 5:12-14 - One Man and Death

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--
13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

***

- One-on-One: Adam vs. Jesus -

This paragraph, verses 12-21, Paul compares Adam and Jesus. The key words in this paragraph are “sin - includes sinned, transgression, disobedience” - (14x); “one” (13x); “many” (5x); “all” (4x); “death” (5x); “gift” (5x); “grace” (5x). The theme of the verses: one man brought sin and death into the world, likewise one man brought the gift of righteousness and life into the world.

V. 12-13 - “Therefore” - The beginning of the sentence refers back to Rom. 3:23 - “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

“just as through one man sin entered into the world” - A visual image may help explain: think of the Russian nesting dolls - a big doll when opened up reveals a slightly smaller doll. When that doll is opened, there is another doll inside. There are many smaller dolls inside the biggest one.
Adam, he of the original sin, is the biggest doll. All the rest of humanity resides within that one doll. Adam was infected with the sin. We carry the sin and death within us. DNA testing seems to be very popular now (at least if you watch the number of ads on TV), to determine ‘where you are from’. Whether it is Central Europe or darkest Africa, you will now be able to tell who you are (according to the ads).
You are human. You were born with a sin nature. You inherited it from Adam. That is ‘who you are’. Because Adam was disobedient - he chose to disobey God - sin is baked into our genes. (See: Gen. 2:16-17 and Gen. 3:1-21). It is important to realize this is not just a ‘spiritual’ problem. This physical body which houses our soul, our spirit, and our mind has been corrupted by sin, it will die. God is not going to repair these bodies. At resurrection or rapture we are reborn, given a new body. We will be just like Jesus. (See: 1 John 3:1-2).

“death through sin” - This has been known from the beginning of humanity. See: “Then the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.’ " (Gen. 2:16-17). See also: Ezek. 18:4, 20; Jer. 31:3. I am not sure if physical death was part of the Eden experience, but we know for sure that physical pain and death is part of the curse. Even more, the “second death”, eternal separation from God, is the penalty of sin, and is inherited from Adam and Eve. All creation suffers from that sin.

“so death spread to all men” - The conclusion and heart of this sentence. Paul used two-and-one-half chapters to show that ALL are lost - Jews and Gentiles alike. The last part of chapter 3 and all of chapter 4 showed us that our path to the Lord is through faith, not works.

The premise of 5:1-11 is that we are helpless to save ourselves. The last ‘half’ of chapter 5 is to help us see we have inherited our ‘sin condition’ - just as you have inherited your skin color, eye color, face structure. These are a given to you by your parents and ancestors. You had no choice in any of these physical traits. Similarly, it is the same for your sin nature.

“because all sinned” - See: Rom. 3:23.

“for until the Law sin was in the world” - Sin has always been in the world (always since the Fall in Eden). Even without the Law to identify it as such, sin was here.

“sin is not imputed when there is no law” - This does not mean sin does not exist without the Law identifying it. Sin exists, but without the law it is not enumerated. The murder of Abel by Cain (Gen. 4), the corruption of mankind and the flood (Gen. 6-9),the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18-19), etc., shows that sin was throughout the world long before the Law was given to Moses and the nation Israel. Sin can not be blamed on the influence of the Law. Sin is the natural law of the world.

V. 14 - “death reigned from Adam until Moses” - So, without the Law specifying or identifying sin, its corrupting influence was felt and seen from Adam up until now. From Moses on, ignorance of sin is no longer a valid excuse. Perhaps it never was a valid excuse, but after the Law was given no one could say, “No one told me!”

“Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come” - Adam was the first to sin, no one else could make that claim. Adam disobeyed God, all others copied his rebellion. Adam had specific instructions from God. He violated them. After Adam, no one needed to hear God’s instruction to violate it. Sin is in our DNA. We commit sins because we are sinners, just we are humans because we were born to human parents.

How is Adam a ‘type’ of Jesus? From a dictionary, “A figure, representation, or symbol of something to come, such as an event in the Old Testament that is believed to foreshadow another in the New Testament.” Adam was the first human. Likewise, Jesus is the first resurrected of His church. There were other people were were raised from the dead, both in the OT and NT, but these were not born again to eternal life.
Jesus is the first who was dead, separated from the Father and then resurrected to eternal life, to His glory and honor. For this reason every knee shall bow and every tongue confess He is Lord! We who believe in Him will also be raised to eternal life with Him. We are His church. The life that is His is given to us - baked in to our new bodies, just as sin is baked into these old bodies.

*** 

Romans 5:6-9 - Christ Died for Ungodly

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

***

We Were Helpless!

V. 6 - “For while we were still helpless” - What a good description of our spiritual condition - we are helpless. Building your eternal life on anything that is not God - Greek or Roman mythological gods, the pagan gods of the Philistines and others, your personal efforts, the Mosaic Law, secular philosophies and religions, etc., - is ineffectual. No matter what you do, you are lost.
Work harder! Useless.
Believe stronger!  Hopeless.
There is no way to be right with God based on what you do. Jesus was very specific: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” (John 14:6) He is the only way to be righteous before God. Man is not righteous, is not pure before the Lord. (See: Job 15:14)

It is not by working to achieve it, but receiving a new life from Him. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' “ (John 3:6-7)

The apostles echoed this plan for salvation: "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 )

“at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” - Only God knows why the advent of Jesus Christ during the Roman Empire was the ‘right time’. There are many guesses, which include Pax Romana, and the ‘universality’ of Greek culture in the Roman Empire. It did not come to Asian nations, nor African nations, nor the barbarians of Europe, or the Indians of the Americas. It came through the Israelites, as a fulfillment of the promise to Adam, Abraham, and David. Why then? I don’t know. God does, and that is all that matters. “... So that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:15-18)

***

V. 7 - “For one will hardly die for a righteous man” - I do not think this implies that righteous or good people do not need salvation. Paul just said “Christ died for the ungodly” (v. 6).Of course He died for the lost. It is obvious that the sinners need it. From the human point of view, there may be people who don’t need the saving grace of Jesus. That is not the view from God’s throne.
This verse seems to be a sarcastic aside, sort of a parenthetical comment. (I visualize an actor on stage turning to the audience and giving them information that no one else on stage is supposed to hear.) I think this sarcastically implies that since a righteous man already has a relationship with God there is no need to die in his place in order to bring him to God. However, the Biblical view is the person who is right with God is 'righteous' - it is God's judgement that counts, not our opinion of our righteousness. Jesus warns us that it is possible (maybe even likely) we believe we are more righteous than we actually are. (See: Matt. 5:20; 6:1; 23:28, 29; Luk. 18:9) However, there is no person who is ‘so right’ with God by dint of personal effort who meets God’s standard of absolute perfection and holiness - that is, other than Jesus Christ our Lord. 

“perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die” - This seems to assume that a “good” man is less righteous than the righteous man (again, I think Paul is being sarcastic). Jesus came to save sinners, not the righteous (although scripture also points out there are no good or righteous people). See: Psa. 14:3; Matt. 5:6; 9:13. Remember, the first four-and-one-half chapters in this letter demonstrates that we are all lost without God’s grace.

***

V. 8 - “Christ died for us” - This is the heart of this verse, perhaps the heart of this letter. See: “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18) We were lost, with no hope for having a relationship with God. He saved us from that. (Luk. 19:10) Also, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3)

“while we were yet sinners” - We were (or should that be ‘are’) ungodly, therefore were sinners. We were lost to God, and need salvation. Christ came so that we, who do not deserve this, might be declared righteous. He was the perfect sacrifice.

Note that this act of redemption was done before we were declared righteous. It seems intuitively obvious, but the point is important. If you could be acceptable to God by your efforts, then Jesus’ death would simply be icing on the cake - you would have achieved the goal already. Since righteousness comes to us after Christ’s death and resurrection, then we were sinners and ungodly before He paid the price. Now for all those of us who have lived after 33 AD, the “before” and “after” have this meaning: before we believe and accept Christ as Savior we are lost sinners, after that point we are saved and are children of God.

“God demonstrates His own love toward us” - The reason, or driving force, for saving us - God’s love. See: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:7-9)

***

V. 9 - “Much more then” - There is more to this than it might first seem. Yes, we are sinners, maybe even depraved. Yes, we are helpless in the face of God’s glory and perfection. And yes, God knowing we are without hope provided the remedy in Jesus Christ. He has redeemed us and pronounced us justified. We are “delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). But wait! There’s more!

“we shall be saved from the wrath of God” - The glorious truth of Jesus Christ as Savior is that we do not suffer the sentence of death we deserve. This thought is the central message of this sentence. (See also: John 3:36) There is an interesting thought in Jer. 7:19, in which God points out that people who reject Him are being spiteful towards Him. The problem is they are being spiteful to themselves, for their rejection guarantees God’s judgement will be executed against them. This defiance is not even a Pyrrhic victory.

Side Note: I suspect that as our society has become more and more scientific, relying on reason and logic and the scientific method we have become somewhat immune to the concept of transcendence. The death we face in this physical life is scary enough, and we do not want to face the possibility of a ‘second death’ - one that we cannot see or feel or measure. The Bible is fairly clear there is a death that separates us from God for eternity which is labeled the ‘second death’. That is the death Paul mentions in 1 Cor. 15:55, 56. These verses include a quote from Hos. 13:14.

*** 

Romans 5:1-5 - Justified by Faith

The first three chapters show that all have sinned, and cannot work their way into salvation.

Chapter four shows that even our ‘spiritual father’ Abraham did not work. His faith and belief enabled him to be considered righteous.

In chapter five Paul continues the theme ‘Justified by Faith’. He expands this and begins to show that death came through sin and life comes through faith. He compares and contrasts Adam and Jesus Christ. Sin and death through Adam; faith and life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

***

OUTLINE
5:1-5 - Justified by Faith
5:6-9 - Christ Died for Ungodly
5:10-11 - Reconciliation
5:12-14 - One => Death
5:15-19 - Transgression vs. Gift
5:20-21 - Grace Reigns

***

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

***

Led into Grace by Faith

***

V. 1 - “Therefore” - Which refers us back to chapter four: Christ was sacrificed because of our sin; Christ was resurrected as proof the sacrifice was sufficient - Justification! Based on the conclusion in 4:24-25, we are justified by faith.

“having been justified by faith” - We are justified, that is declared righteous. We did not work for it. From many years ago, there was a mnemonic for “justified” - “Just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned.” This word has a legal sense in that God declares the believer to be righteous and acceptable because Christ took our sins upon Himself on the cross. We are now declared righteous. (See: 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 3:24, 25.) The ‘mechanism’ we exercise to access justification is faith.

That answers the question, “What must I do to be saved?” (See: Acts 16:29, 30) Note: Justification and salvation go hand-in-hand. You cannot be saved without being justified. Conversely, if you are justified you are saved.
This is not a purely New Testament (or New Covenant) concept, In the O.T., God is shown as pleading the case of the sinner and executing the justice for the sinner. The accusers are put to shame, for the sinner has seen the light and lives! (See: Mic. 7:9-10) The judgement against the sinner has been executed. The sentence does not fall on the sinner, but on God Himself.

“we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” - We often think of sinning against God as a “legal” issue - we are guilty of sin. He executes justice for us. We are now free from the penalty of death. That is totally valid. “Peace” implies some type of conflict.

The concept of spiritual warfare is throughout the NT - both in Jesus’ teachings and that of the apostles. Look at: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12) Also: “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds...” (Col. 1:20, 21)
In our natural sinful state we are at war with God. He is Holy, we are not. Satan is the leader and commander of the “forces of darkness”. He is the center and the plotter of evil against the Lord. To be an ally of Satan is to be an enemy of God. The world is Satan’s domain. We cannot love the world and love the Father at the same time. (See: 1 John 2:15-16)
Jesus Himself said He is giving us peace. (See: John 14:27) Paul also emphasizes peace in Phil. 4:7, 9 - “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus... The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

V. 2 - “through whom also” - Wait! There’s More! In Jesus Christ we have peace (v. 5:1) - ALSO, we are the recipients of grace. Every one of Paul’s letters start with a blessing of ‘grace and ‘peace’ (Example: Rom. 1:7, and others.)

“we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand” - We are ushered into God’s grace by faith. Again the emphasis on is on the gift of grace - by His will, and His decision, driven by His love and justice - we are offered salvation in Jesus Christ. There is no other way. Jesus said it, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6). The apostles emphasized it, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.“ (Acts 4:12) Paul says it again here. Paul is not standing on the Law, nor his obedience to the Law. He is standing firmly in grace - God’s gift to us.

“we exult in hope of the glory of God.” - Our joy, our celebration is centered in what God has done. You may know that I am a die-hard Oregon State Beaver fan. OSU had 28 years of losing seasons in the 1970’s and beyond. I was at the game against the University of California when the long losing streak was broken. If the Beavers won that game, they would have a winning season record - for the first time in decades! Near the end of the fourth quarter, the Beavers clinched the game. I stood there with tears in my eyes - finally, finally the Beavers were not losers! There wasn’t a lot of jumping around, just a lot of joy the long wait was over.

Our joy in Jesus our Lord, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit is so much more! By His glory we are saved! We will bask in His glory! We will see His glory and rejoice! Our hope is in the realization the resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees we will be in His glory. This better than anything we experience - marriage, birth of a child, seeing our children grow - all of that pales in the fact of God’s glory and grace.

V. 3-4 - “And not only this” - Now, if you think that is cool, there is even more for us. Even so, it seems hard to see how tribulation could possibly be a good. How we deal with stressful situations is a common theme, especially in the NT. The subjects here: Tribulation, perseverance, proven character, and hope are linked from Genesis to Revelation.
This verse is echoed in James 1:2-4, and 1 Pet. 1:6. Jesus warned us there will be tribulation, but not to worry, He has overcome the world (John 16:33). We will face persecution because we follow Jesus, because He is not of this world. (See: John7:7, 15:20; Luke 21:12) We are to persevere through all these things (1 Tim. 4:16).
See also: Rom. 8:25, 15:4; Eph. 6:18; 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 3:10; 2 Pet. 1:6; Rev. 13:10, 14:12.

V. 5 - “hope does not disappoint” - From a hymn, “Our hope is in nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness.” Hope is one of those interesting words, so simple yet so fraught with meanings we bring to it. See comments made on Rom. 4:18. We often think of hope in terms of expressing a wish or desire. The biblical view of hope is “desire with expectancy”. We can desire to be with Jesus in eternity; we can expect it will happen because of His resurrection from the dead and ascension to the Father. If your faith is not in Jesus; if you have not accepted Him as Lord and Savior, your ‘hope’ is a wish.

“Because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts” - We do not need to just grit our teeth and bear up under trial or tribulation. Our desires are confirmed as viable - God’s love in us is the evidence. Jesus confirmed this with His teachings: "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." ... If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:21-23) Jesus’ commandment? Believe in Him and the Father who sent Him.

“through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” - We are not alone. We have the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised. He is to help us and teach us. The Holy Spirit empowers us. (See: Rom. 15:13; 1 Thess. 1:5; Acts 10:44-45; 1 Cor. 12:3; Titus 3:5; Heb. 2:4; 1 Pet. 1:12; 2 Pet. 1:21; Jude 1:20)

*** 

Romans 4:22-25 - Abraham Gets Credit

22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him,
24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

***

-  -   Credited as Righteousness  -  -

V. 22 - “Therefore” - Based on Abraham’s faith, the following happens, quoted from Gen. 15:6.
I am not sure this is saying Abraham was actually righteous, but he is now treated as being righteous by God. Looking at the Biblical record of Abraham, we can see he was not perfect. He lied about Sarah (or Sarai) being his sister because he feared for his life. Had either of the kings actually had sex with her, all three would have sinned against the Lord. He questioned the Lord when told Sarah and he would have a son. Yet, like David later on, Abraham trusted the Lord, confessed to the Lord, and obeyed Him. Because Abraham acted on his belief in what the Lord told him, he is considered righteous.

V. 23-24 - “Now not for his sake only was it written” - The record was not written for Abraham, but for us. We need to know this (being treated as righteous) is possible for you and me.

This has massive implications for you and me as believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! As we stand before God the Father, Jesus steps up and says “This person is mine. My righteousness is his.” God acknowledges that Christ’s sacrifice paid the price, and indeed we are acceptable to a God as righteous.

Wowsers!

V. 25 - “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions” - Jesus was handed to the Romans to be executed. He was handed over to death. That is the penalty for sin. The example for this in Leviticus chapters 4, 5, and 16.
He was not forced to do this. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:5-9)
Our sin ‘sent’ Him to the cross to be the sacrifice. He did this from love, not coercion. My sin, your sin, separated me and you from God. In our sin, we cannot be with Him in eternity. 

“Was raised because of our justification.” - There is no Old Testament “type” or model of resurrection we can call on. We have prophecy, but not examples. In Abraham, Melchizedek, Moses, and Leviticus Priests we have as “types” of Christ in the Old Testament. The resurrection is a “mystery” - a truth of God revealed in the NT for our benefit. See: (Acts 2:31, 4:2, 33, 26:23; 1 Cor. 15:21; 1 Pet. 1:3) Christ, the perfect sacrifice, died on the cross. His death paid the penalty for our sin - NOT HIS, but OUR SIN.

His resurrection is the proof the sacrifice was completely satisfactory, and the debt paid. God the Father has accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, and now no longer sees the believer as a sin-stained wretch. When God looks at each of us, as individuals (not as a group), He knows the basis for our presence before and with Him is His Son and His Son’s resurrection. It is all the proof, the only proof He needs. I am saved in Christ alone. Praise God. Praise the Son. Praise the Holy Spirit.

*** 

End of chapter