Romans 5
CHAPTER 5
The problem of sin
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 2 through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and in which we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.
6 For while we were yet weak, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous man! Perhaps for the good man some one would even dare to die. 8 But God commends His own love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the anger of God through him. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Adam and Christ
12 So through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, for that 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 them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift. For if by the trespass 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 This gift is unlike the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment came because of one man to condemnation; but the free gift came out of many trespasses to justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned on account of the one man; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life on account of the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 So then. As through one act of sin the judgment came to all men to condemnation, even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came to all men to justification of life. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one man shall the many be made righteous.
20 Now the law was added to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that as sin reigned with the result of death, even so might grace reign through righteousness with the result of eternal life- through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Commentary
5:1 We are counted as if we are righteous even though we are not- because we believe in God’s gracious offer to count as righteous all those who believe in Christ and are baptized into Him. This isn’t mere theology- it gives the baptized believer a real and felt peace with God, which is the most valuable thing we can have in this life. If God accepts us, all else is of little importance.
5:10 The steps of logic here are so powerful. If so much was achieved through Christ’s death, how much more through His resurrection? If so much grace was shown to us before we were born and whilst we were still living the sinful life- how much more now that we are repentant believers? If God gave us His Son, to die in shame and nakedness for us- it’s not for Him to give us anything else, including eternal life.
5:17 Reign in life- We will be king-priests in the future Kingdom of God which Jesus will establish on earth when He returns (Rev. 5:10).
5:19 The one man- Adam
