Romans Chapter Five

[R. J.]

Romans Chapter Five

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Verse 1 is one of those great verses in the book of Romans for a Christian. We are JUSTIFIED by FAITH.

So, our salvation does not match Abraham's EXACTLY. Abraham was not justified completely until he offered up Isaac on the alter. Abraham's WORKS completed his FAITH.

Abraham was also justified by HIS faith. You can verify this by looking at the following Old Testament verse:

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Now let's look at a comparable verse in the New Testament:

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Notice that when Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4, he removed "his".

Under grace, we are justified by the faith of JESUS CHRIST. Here is a verse that substantiates:

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

So, once again, our salvation is not exactly like Abraham's as the Calvinists want you to believe.

The "grace wherein we stand" is salvation in verse 2. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God which for Christians is the "blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13) at the gathering of the body of Christ (i.e. the rapture).

Biblical HOPE is confident that the thing desired will be completely fulfilled in its entirety.

In verse 3, we learn that "tribulation worketh patience". The longer you live, the more you recognize that an immediate solution rarely presents itself. In contrast to our hurried world, God is in no hurry about anything.

The experience of verse 4 is gained from patiently enduring tribulation.

Notice in verse 5 that Paul ends up where Peter does in 2 Peter 1:7 with "the love of God". That is charity, brethren. So every Christian has available "the love of God" in them to dispense to others.

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Many unsaved folks would never consider themselves to be "ungodly". Typically, they will make some self-righteous statement like: "I am not that bad" or "I am not as bad as what's his name".

Verse 7 is Paul's "set up" verse for verse 8. We can all think of examples where a person gave up their life to save a good man's life.

Now, in verse 8 which is a "Romans Road" verse, we have Christ giving up His life to save SINNERS lives.

No human being would do for his worst enemy what God did for us, under the conditions which the Lord operated.

And, verse 9 confirms that we are justified by Christ's BLOOD.

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Notice the TENSES in verse 10 concerning the order of salvation. We WERE (past tense) reconciled to God. We ARE (present tense) being reconciled by Christ's life. We SHALL (future tense) be saved by Christ's life.

The scriptural fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is ALIVE right now is what continues to save us. Here is the verse that substantiates:

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

If Christ were NOT sitting at the right hand of God, ALIVE, we would be in a lot of "hot water" with God.
Christ LIVES in you as well. Otherwise, you would have no "hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). It is Christ's LIVING presence within you that gives life to the new man, that keeps the soul, and that claims that body for His own at the resurrection.

Now, notice the word "atonement" in verse 11. This word (or its plural) appears 81 times in the Old Testament where AN atonement is MADE. The word "atonement" appears 1 time in the New Testament where THE atonement is RECEIVED.

An atonement is a payment made to bring two disputing parties together. Under grace, we do not MAKE an atonement that temporarily covers up the offence as it did in the Old Testament. Instead, we RECEIVE an atonement that completely and permanently RECONCILES us to God.

--- Continued on next post ---

 

[R. J.]

Romans Chapter Five (Continued)

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: 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 to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 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. 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

This entire passage is a great comparison between Adam and Christ.

The theme from this point to the end of this chapter is DEATH. Verse 12 teaches that God passes blessings, curses, and judgment down through a family, tribe, nation, or race due to the actions of one who represented those people before God.

Individuals might escape a curse or judgement or lose a blessing because of a personal action, but the GROUP, as a whole, still bears that thing that God put upon the representive. So it is with us and Adam.

When Adam sinned, his SPIRIT died. Adam's descendants are "children of disobedience" and "children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:2-3). We all have a sinful nature passed down to us from Adam.

In verse 13, Paul is making the point that sin was in the world from Adam until Moses, but sin is not charged to a person who has NO knowledge of the law in their heart (like Romans 2) and who has NO knowledge of the Law in speech or writing (like Exodus 20). So, you don't have to worry about "the heathen who have never heard". Either they have light from God or they are ignorant of good and evil.

In verse 14, we find that DEATH reigned from Adam to Moses. Again, Paul is making the case that even before the Law, death reigned. This was also the case for those whose sins were not like Adam's.

Verse 14 also states that Adam is a "type" of Jesus Christ. You can see the typology in 1 Corinthians 15:45.

In verse 15, Adam's "offence" is compared to the "free gift" of Jesus Christ. Adam's offence earned him the right to die and placed the entire human race under the curse of death. Christ, however, purchased eternal life and, through the grace of God, offers it to whosoever will receive it as a free gift.

Note that the comparison between Adam and Christ is an UNEQUAL one. Adam's trangression affects ALL of mankind whereas Christ's free gift is offered to ONLY those who will receive it.

Verse 16 presents another problem. Adam sinned, therefore everyone sins. However, Christ's obedience doesn't make everyone obedient. Christ's free gift is offered to MANY who aren't obedient in order to make them righteous before God.

In verse 17, notice that death reigned by Adam upon all mankind. If you are going to get the "reign of life", you are going to have to "RECEIVE the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness."

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Praise the Lord that He gave us the "free gift" of eternal life. You don't have to earn it, deserve it or pay for it. It has already been paid for by God and offered to us FREELY. All we have to do is RECEIVE it.

Verses 18 and 19 reiterate what has previously been presented. However, verse 20 adds a new dimension. God's grace is GREATER than our sin.

Note that God's grace is demonstrated in the Old Testament as well. He nearly killed Moses for not circumcising his two sons. However, in His GRACE, he overlooked a whole generation of Israelites who weren't circumcised while in the wilderness. God had a man stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath but allowed the children of Israel to march around Jericho 7 times on the Sabbath and didn't kill ANY of them.

In verse 21, note that our righteousness is not yet complete. If you are trusting Christ, you have His SPIRITUAL NATURE and His imputed righteousness. When our salvation is completed, we will have His PHYSICAL NATURE as well and we will be confirmed sinless forever.

--- End of Romans Chapter Five ---