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Romans 7:1 – Or do you not know, brothers – for I am speaking to those who know the law – that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?

In chapter 7, Paul is specifically addressing the Jews.  Many of them struggled to embrace the gospel, because it seemed like they were renouncing the law, and thus their allegiance to God. 

If we put ourselves in their place for a moment, we can understand their concern.  For generations, the Jews embraced the law as their source of justification and sanctification.  Their national identity said that they were God’s chosen people, and the proof of that was the covenant/law and circumcision. 

So, embracing the gospel by faith while letting go of circumcision and works of the law must have felt like choosing a false god over Jehovah.  

Because of what had been ingrained into them from childhood, it would have been a very real struggle for them to make this change.  In fact, scripture and history both show that many Jews zealously adhered to the law even after becoming Christians (Acts 15:24).

Consequently, in this chapter Paul explains that a born-again Jew (one who has accepted Christ as Savior and Lord) has NOT abandoned the one true God.  They are simply discharged from the obligations of the law.  They are free to enter into a better covenant and to enjoy numerous additional advantages under the gospel. 

GENERAL SUMMARY:  The law has power/authority over a person only as long as it is in effect and the person is alive.  If the law is repealed, its authority is taken away.  If the person dies, the law’s authority over him ceases.  

DIGGING DEEPER:  Or do you not know:  The implication is that Paul’s arguments will stem from common knowledge of the law which all the Jews possessed since they had grown up with its teachings; they were familiar with its requirements and obligations.

Brothers:  Paul addresses the Jewish believers as brothers and rightly so.  He too was a Jew and was once a strong supporter of the law before becoming a Christian himself.  Leaning on the bond of Jewish brotherhood, Paul hopes to temper the resentment of the Jews and prevent them from immediately dismissing his doctrine.    

For I am speaking to those who know the law:  Obviously, the Jews knew the law inside and out.  However, because the Old Testament scriptures were still used in the synagogues, churches and in the Jewish community at large, the Gentiles were familiar with them too.  We can conclude that the Gentiles, though less knowledgeable, still had a sufficient enough knowledge of the law to understand Paul’s arguments.

The law is binding on a person only as long as he (or it) lives:  The phrase ‘is binding’ (your translation may say ‘has dominion’ or ‘lives’) may refer either to man or to the law.  However, in either case, the outcome is the same - dominion of the law ends with death.  Let’s take a closer look. 

The law was given to mankind to regulate our lives here on earth.  The law is considered to be binding (or to have dominion or to live) as long as it is in full force.  However, a law is abrogated it is considered dead.  At that point, it no longer has any power or authority over people.  It cannot require our obedience, neither can it condemn us or inflict any kind of judgment or punishment against us. 

For example, in January of 1920, the United States passed laws which collectively became known as Prohibition.  These laws forbid the manufacture, sale and/or transportation of intoxicating liquor.  Once these laws were enacted, they became living and/or binding.  Anyone caught breaking the law was found guilty and punished accordingly.

However, in December of 1933, these laws were repealed.  In essence, the law of Prohibition died.  It no longer had any authority/power to demand obedience from people, or to condemn them, or to pass judgment upon them for issues related to alcohol intoxication.

Similarly, people who are dead are also released from the authority of the law.  Suppose a man was arrested for breaking the laws of prohibition, but he died that same day.  At that point, the law had no further power over the dead man; it could not drag him into court or pass judgment upon him or punish him.   

Romans 7:2 – For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Once a marriage law/covenant is enacted, the woman is united to her husband and he to her.  The marriage contract remains in force until one of the parties dies.  At that point the contract is nullified.  Both parties (the living and the dead) are released from the obligations of the contract.  The living partner is now free to enter into a new contract.

DIGGING DEEPER:  A married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he lives:  Paul now gives an example of the authority of the law.  His example involves the law of marriage.  This is an example we can all easily understand, because it is common in our society too.

When a man and woman in our society decide to marry, the first thing they must do is obtain a marriage license from the state in which they live.  Once that license is signed and filed, it becomes a legal document that binds both parties to each other.  From that point forward, neither can marry anyone else. 

But if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage:  The marriage contract discussed above remains binding as long as the man and woman are both alive.  (For the sake of simplicity, we are eliminating the option of divorce.)

If the husband dies, the marriage contract becomes void and the woman is free to marry another man.  In the same way, if the woman dies, the marriage contract is void and the husband is free to enter into a new marriage contract with a different woman. 

Paul’s point is this:  The binding obligations established by the law are nullified by death.

Romans 7:3 – Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive.  But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  The law of marriage stipulates that if a woman has sexual relations with a man other than her husband, she has committed adultery.  However, if her husband dies, the marriage bond she had with him is broken.  In that case, she is free to marry another man and if she does, she is not considered an adulteress when she has sexual relations with him.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive:  If a man and woman are married, both are under the yoke of the marriage law/covenant.  Neither can ‘live with’ or have sexual relations with a person other than their spouse.  If they do, the law considers it adultery.

But if her husband dies, she is free from that law:  As we already discussed, when one person in the marriage dies, both are automatically freed from the marriage covenant.  The living party is legally free to marry someone else.  

And if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress:  If a widow marries another man and has sexual relations with him, the law does not consider it adultery because she has committed herself to another marriage contract with her new husband.  

Romans 7:4 – Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Now Paul shows the spiritual application of the temporal example of marriage that he just used.  Remember, Paul’s point is that death dissolves or voids any covenant made between two parties. 

Jesus instituted the new covenant of grace with his death and resurrection. When we place our faith in Christ, we are identifying with him in his death.  In so doing, we have essentially died to the law.    

Because we have died to the law, the covenant we had with it is void.  We are no longer bound to it; it’s power over us is broken.  We are now free to enter into a new covenant with someone else – Jesus Christ.  Our new covenant with Christ will result in fruits of righteousness and holiness which are pleasing to God.  

DIGGING DEEPER:  Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ:  There was a time mankind had no other option but to look to the law for justification in the sight of God. 

However, when the appropriate time came, God sent Jesus to fulfill the law and institute the new covenant of grace through his death and resurrection.  When we place our faith in Christ, we are identifying with him in his death and resurrection:   

Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So that you may belong to another:  Since we have been crucified with Christ, we have died to the law, and since death dissolves legal obligations, we are no longer bound to the law.  It no longer has dominion over us.  We are free to enter into a new covenant with Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

Here is why that is significant:  As long as we were bound to the law, we had no hope because the law was incapable of justifying us in the sight of God.  But now we are in a new covenant with Jesus Christ, who CAN (and does) justify us in God’s sight. 

Additionally, because of our covenant with him, we received the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live lives of righteousness and holiness that are pleasing to God.  How true it is that what is impossible with man is possible with God!

Mark 10:27 - And Jesus looking upon them said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.’  

To him who has been raised from the dead:  Through his death and resurrection Jesus abolished the law that condemns every sinner to eternal death. 

Ephesians 2:15-16 - …by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he [Jesus] might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross…

Now that the law has been abolished, we are no longer obligated to depend upon it as our means of justification.  Because Jesus has released us, we are at liberty to enter into a new covenant with him.  

Galatians 2:19 - For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

In order that we may bear fruit for God:  Those who place their trust in Christ receive numerous gifts and benefits including the indwelling Holy Spirit.  With his assistance, we can produce fruits of obedience, holiness and righteousness which are pleasing to God and which magnify his glory.

Romans 7:5 – For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul emphasizes his prior point by showing us the effects of the law.  When we lived under the covenant of the law, evil passions ruled our hearts and minds.  This resulted in sinful thoughts and behaviors which in turn produced evil fruit in our lives.  Eventually, physical and spiritual death were the end result.

DIGGING DEEPER:  While we were living in the flesh:  This refers to the time before we embraced the gospel and trusted in Christ as our Savior.  It was the period of time when we allowed our carnal minds to rule our bodies, resulting in unrestrained sin.

Our sinful passions aroused by the law:  Sinful passions refer to any/all of our evil propensities, lusts and corrupt desires.  These evils do not originate in the law; they come from our own sinful, fallen natures. 

However, these sinful passions are inflamed or aroused by the law when it forbids us to indulge in them.  In other words, knowing that we should not do these things makes us desire them all the more! 

James 1:14 - But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Were at work in our members:  The phrase ‘our members’ simply refers to ourselves – our bodies and our minds.  The point is that our evil desires seek to use our bodies and minds as instruments to secure the gratification they crave.

To bear fruit for death:  Whether you realize it or not, everything you do is fruitful.  The gratification of our evil desires produces fruits of sin such as crime, destruction, envy, murder, pride, conflict, hate, etc.  These fruits eventually lead to death.   

James 1:15 - Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

So, we find that bondage to the law produces sin which leads to eternal death.  The good news is that the opposite is also true - a covenant with Jesus produces righteousness which leads to eternal life.

Romans 7:6 – But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

GENERAL SUMMARY: We have been released from one covenant so that we can enter into another.  Formerly, we were bound to the dead and formal letter of the law.  Now, under the new covenant of grace, we serve God through the active, living Holy Spirit.

DIGGING DEEPER:  But now:  Formerly, when we were under the law, evil desires led to a life of sin.  But now we have entered into a covenant with Jesus Christ.  This covenant leads us into a life of righteousness and holiness. 

We are released from the law:  We are released from the law in the sense that we no longer depend upon it as the means of our justification and sanctification. (However, we still have to obey it.  More on that later.)

This is reason for rejoicing, because the law was a covenant of works.  Because we were unable to perfectly keep the law, it brought us only condemnation and death. 

Having died to that which held us captive:  As we pointed out back in verse four, Christians are dead to the law.  Since death severs any legal contract between two parties, our bondage to the law has been broken.   

So that we can serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code:  As discussed above, the bond between the law (written code) and the Christian was broken when we identified with the death of Christ.  This makes us free to enter into a new covenant with Jesus as outlined in the gospel.  In that covenant, we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who assists us in our Christian walk.

II Corinthians 3:6 – [God] who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.  For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Under the law, Jews served God in outward forms and ceremonies.  Now, under the covenant of grace, Christians will serve God in spirit from the heart.

Philippians 3:3 – For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh…

• The law required circumcision in the flesh.  Grace requires circumcision of the heart. 
• The law required ceremonial washing.  Grace requires washing by the word of God. 
• The law required the application of blood on the altar.  Grace requires the application of Christ’s blood upon our hearts. 
• The law required exact conformity to an external code.  Grace inspires allegiance to the law of God written on our hearts.

The new way of living by the Spirit proves that we are dead to our old ways of living.  We have been born again or made new creatures in Christ and are now set apart to live lives of holiness and righteousness.  This new nature is clearly visible to the world in the way we talk, think and live our lives.  We are a living testimony to the grace of God.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Today’s post speaks a lot about death.  Death is something we tend to fear.  Generally speaking, most people don’t even like to discuss it.  But as we noted in today’s post, death has its benefits. 

The death of Christ made atonement for our sin.  And because we identify with him in his death (see our discussion on baptism in the last post), our bond with the old covenant is dissolved.  In other words, it was death that set us free from the law and allowed us to embrace the covenant of grace.

Although it seems strange, physical death also has its benefits.  Our physical body is the house for our spirit.  Our spirit will live forever, but our bodies will not.  Because our physical bodies are under the curse of sin, they are subject to pain, disease and break downs.  Eventually, they will simply wear out and we will die.

When death occurs, it does us a favor – it separates our spirit from our decaying body.  Our spirit goes to heaven, while the body stays here on earth.     

Once this separation has occurred, we are free to be joined to a new body – a body fit to house our spirit for eternity.  God will give us this new body when we are either resurrected or raptured at his return (I Corinthians 15:51-55).

Incidentally, this gives us at least one reason why God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden.  If they had eaten of the tree of life, they would have been forever trapped in their sinful, decaying mortal bodies:

Genesis 3:22-23 - And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.  

The bottom line is this – Christians do not need to fear death.  Death separates us from our old, sinful flesh and allows us to pass into heaven where we will forever be with Christ.  Death paves the way for us to receive the new bodies that God as designed for us.

Let me offer you some relief:

Let’s be honest – not everything that is new is an improvement!  (I am particularly thinking of computer upgrades here, but there are many other examples as well). 

But with God, we never have to worry.  When he does something new, we can be sure it will be amazing.  For example, when God fulfilled the law and opened up the way for the new covenant of grace, we received some amazing benefits:  

• By entering into a new covenant with Christ Jesus our Redeemer, we have been made new creatures (II Corinthians 5:17).  All of the old, crummy, shameful things we loved and did have been removed from us; we are not that person anymore!  What a relief!

• Life is no longer a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’; obedience is no longer secured through fear of punishment.  Now we willingly obey out of grateful love for the freedom and multiplied blessings given to us by Christ.  We no longer need to fear when we make a mistake; sin is removed from us through humble repentance.  What a relief!

• The new covenant of grace does not leave us to serve God out of our own ability; we have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God living in our hearts.  He is our constant companion throughout our life on earth.  He is always standing by to lead, guide, empower and strengthen us for service.  What a relief!

Let me offer you some strength:

Here is some more good news about the new covenant of grace: 

The law was limited in the sense that it was only concerned with outward obedience.  The truth is, it had no power to change or renew our hearts. 

Under the law, mankind was always in a state of turmoil.  The thoughts and intents of his heart were constantly sinful, but he was always under pressure to outwardly fulfill the righteous commands of the law.  The pressure to perform was immense and the guilt for failure was heavy.  

But now, under the covenant of grace, this has changed.  The gospel renews our hearts first.  We are then free to act out our new righteous thoughts in our everyday life (our speech and actions).  Thus, our inner turmoil is gone and peace reigns in our lives. 

When we are at peace within ourselves, we are free to devote all of our strength and resources into serving our glorious, loving, amazing, merciful, omnipotent King!

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Romans 6:19 – I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations.  For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul makes his appeal in language that is easy to understand using examples that everyone is familiar with.   His point is that before we were saved, we were slaves to sin.  But now that we are redeemed by Christ, we should be fully dedicated to righteousness which manifests in personal holiness.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Speaking in human terms:  This phrase was common among the Greek writers.  It refers to concepts or examples that were commonly understood by the majority of people. 

It also refers to the manner in which the information was given – in a popular or simple style as opposed to the deep and sometimes obscure writing of the philosophers. 

Because of your natural limitations:  There is a very good reason for Paul to speak in ‘human terms’.  Specifically, he does so because the Christians of Rome are inexperienced or unfamiliar with heavenly things.  Paul’s discourse on righteousness wouldn’t do them any good if it was given in ‘Christian jargon’ which they couldn’t understand.   

This is a lesson we should learn.  If we want to relate spiritual truth to people who have never heard the gospel or who have no religious training at all, it would be best to use common examples to explain spiritual ideas. 

For example, in this study we have compared salvation to a free gift.  Using that analogy we have explained that salvation is free to us, but Jesus paid the price for us to receive it.  When we use common everyday examples like this, it really helps get our message across.

Just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness:  Technically, we could define sin as voluntarily presenting our minds and bodies as slaves to impurity/wickedness/lawlessness.  Before our salvation, each one of us lived our lives this way. 

In Romans chapter one, Paul discussed our sins and perversions at length.  He proved that our sin placed us in bondage which led to even greater depths of moral depravity.  The more we sinned, the deeper we were immersed in wickedness; the deeper we got in wickedness, the more we sinned!  It was a hopeless cycle that we could not break. 

It is worth noting that we ‘presented’ ourselves or in other words we willingly sinned.  It was something we wanted to do; we took great delight in our it.   

This principle still applies today.  Those who are apart from Christ devote their bodies and minds to sin.  They enjoy it and revel in it, not realizing that sin drags them further and further into bondage and deeper levels of depravity.  

Now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification:  Thank God, he did not leave us in that hopeless situation!

Now that you have been justified in the sight of God by faith in Christ, your bodies and minds should be servants of righteousness.  We now willingly and gladly dedicate ourselves to doing what is right in God’s sight.  Just as sin leads to greater and deeper levels of depravity, so righteousness leads to greater and deeper levels of holiness and sanctification.  Every aspect of our minds and bodies has been redeemed by Christ:

• Formerly our mouths were used for cursing and lying.  Now they are used to praise God and encourage others. 
• Formerly our ears were used to listen to foul stories, gossip and slander.  Now they are used to hear the gospel and the cries of the lost. 
• Formerly our hands were used in every conceivable sin.  Now they are used to minister the love of God to the saints and to the lost. 
• Formerly our eyes were used to seek out lust, now they are used to search the scripture and look for good works.
• Formerly our minds were focused on ourselves and how to obtain our own desires.  Now they have been renewed by the word of God.

Of course, as we have mentioned in the past, redemption is instantaneous, but sanctification is an ongoing process.  Thankfully, Holy Spirit is present to assist us.  

Romans 6:20 – For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  When you were a sinner, no righteousness was found in you.  Now that you belong to Christ, no sin should be found in you.

DIGGING DEEPER:  When you were slaves to sin you were free in regard to righteousness:  This circles back to the thought that you can’t serve two masters.  Sin and righteousness are polar opposites.  You can be a slave/dedicated servant of righteousness, or you can be a slave/dedicated servant of sin, but not both.

Paul is expressing the thought that when a person is a slave/servant of sin, they are completely submersed in it.  It occupies all their time, energy and thoughts.  Their will is fully submitted to it.  They are utterly void of any righteousness. 

Think of it this way: If you take a sponge, hold it under water and squeeze it a couple of times, all the air will be gone.  It will be completely full of nothing but water.  That is a picture of us as sinners.  We were like sponges soaked in the water of wickedness; no molecules of righteousness (air) were found in us.

Although he doesn’t specifically say so, the apostle is implying that when you become a servant/slave to righteousness, you will be totally submerged in it; to the best of your ability, you will seek to squeeze all sin out of your life.

Romans 6:21 – But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?  For the end of those things is death.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Remember, this chapter deals with the question of whether or not the gospel plan of justification by faith leads one to increased sin.  Paul has shown over and over in different ways that the answer is ‘no’.  In fact, he has proven that the opposite is true – the gospel leads men and women to live lives of increased holiness.

In this particular example, he uses our own past experiences.  Paul wants Christians to consider the benefits they received from sin.  When they recall the bitterness, slavery and addiction that sin brought, they will not continue (or increase) in sin, they will abandon it. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  What fruit were you getting at that time:  ‘Fruit’ refers to rewards or advantages.  Paul wants each person to stop and consider what they gained or experienced when they were sinners.

The obvious answer is that the fruits of sin are things like bitterness, anger, hate, broken relationships, disappointment, frustration, addiction, etc.  Any pleasure derived from sin eventually crumbles into ashes or hardens into bondage.  If we are honest, we will admit that there is no profit or lasting good to be gained through sin.

From the things of which you are now ashamed:  At one point we all reveled or delighted in sin.  We were foolishly proud of the things we did.  We had no sense of sin and no fear of God.

But once we placed our faith in Christ, our understanding was enlightened.  We understood how disgusting our former thoughts and behavior were to God and to others.  We realized that through sin, we degraded ourselves. 

At that point, our sin ceased to be a matter of pride and instead became a matter of shame.  It did not make us ‘cool’ in the eyes of others; it was source of humiliation.  Worse yet, we had to face the fact that there was no one else to blame - we brought that shame upon ourselves.       

For the end of those things is death:  The inevitable outcome of a life of sin is death, both physical and spiritual. 

Having escaped the penalty of sin through Christ, why would any true Christian ever seek out sin again?  To do so would mean guaranteed death. 

Galatians 4:8-9 – Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.  But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

As one bible commentator it, ‘In the past sin was unprofitable.  In the present it is shameful.  In the future it will be deadly, for the wages of sin is death.’

So, we find that Paul is giving yet another proof/reason why free, abundant grace does not result in continued sin, but in a life of holiness. 

Specifically, Christians now have a full understanding of how disgusting and worthless their sin was.  It provided nothing of value in their lives; it made them offensive in God’s sight.  In the end, it brought only death.  From the standpoint of personal experience, Christians will forsake sin and turn to lives of holiness.   

Romans 6:22 – But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Verse 21 outlined the fruit you reap when you sow sin in your life.  The final outcome of sin is death.  Verse 22 discusses the fruit you reap when you sow righteousness in your life.  The final outcome of those who practice righteousness is the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ.

DIGGING DEEPER:  But now:  Now that you have received salvation through Jesus Christ.

You have been set free from sin:  The authority and dominion of sin has been broken in your life by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

And become slaves of God:  Having been set free from the kingdom of darkness, you are now a member of the kingdom of heaven, with Christ as your King, God as your Father, and Holy Spirit as your advisor.  Your life is dedicated to Jehovah; you willingly yoke yourself to him.

Matthew 11:29-30 – Take my [Jesus] yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

The fruit you get leads to sanctification and eternal life:   The fruit of sanctification includes (but is not limited to) peace, contentment, joy, comfort and success/victory. 

A life of holiness/sanctification is profitable in many ways:

• It conforms us to the image of Christ.
• It glorifies God.
• It promotes the gospel.
• It ensures the good of our neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40).
• It prepares us for the world to come.   

Those who have trusted in Christ as Savior will naturally practice sanctification and will eventually receive eternal life in the next age. 

Before we go any further, let me make one thing crystal clear - our sanctification/holiness does not earn us a place in heaven (Isaiah 64:6).  Eternal life is NOT based on our works.  We receive eternal life as a free gift from Jesus Christ when we place our faith in him as our Redeemer.  Our sanctification is the natural result of our life in Christ.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Throughout this chapter, Paul has shown in different ways that the free gift of justification does not lead to an increase in sin.  In fact, the opposite is true – justification leads to a life of increased holiness. 

Our choices in this life determine our final, eternal outcome.  Sin guarantees death.  Salvation (the free gift of Christ Jesus) guarantees eternal life.

DIGGING DEEPER:  The wages of sin is death:  ‘Wages’ refer to that which is a person earns or deserves.  Wages are not a gift; they are something owed to us.  Since most of us work for a living ourselves, we understand this concept.  If our employer promised to give us $50 an hour and we worked 10 hours, we earned $500, and our employer is obligated to pay us. 

Throughout the fifth and sixth chapters of Romans, Paul portrays sin as a king.  Sinners are the soldiers in his army.  They serve him.  They fight under him and for him.  As their employer, sin must pay wages to sinners.  The wage they were promised/guaranteed is death, so that is exactly what they can expect at the end of this age.  Sin is obligated to pay them what is owed. 

Ezekiel 18:4 - …the soul who sins shall die. 

There are people who like to accuse God of being unjust for sending people to hell.  By saying that, they show their ignorance.  God is perfectly just.  People in hell will be treated exactly as they deserve to be treated; they will receive exactly what they earned.   

But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord:  The sinner receives exactly what he has earned but, thank God, the Christian does not! 

As Christians, we receive gifts from God, not wages.  These gifts include (but are not limited to) mercy, peace, joy, satisfaction, salvation and eternal life.  All the benefits of heaven are given to us solely because of the goodness of God; we have done nothing to earn or deserve them.  

Because we have done nothing to earn them, God will receive all the credit and glory for our eternal life.  Our final outcome is a living witness to the mercy and grace of God, which will be made known to the entire universe. 

The atoning work of Jesus Christ is the channel through which these blessings flow.  

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today’s post we noted that Paul spoke in ‘human terms’.  In other words, he avoided using Christian jargon or fancy words when trying to explain the gospel. 

I know most of us don’t confuse people intentionally, but it might be a good thing for us to pause and consider the terms/phrases we are using when we share Christ.  We might want to adopt some examples that are clearer to those who have no religious background.  We should not assume that everyone understands terms like ‘saved’, ‘justified’ or ‘raptured’.

Let me offer you some relief:

Sanctification, the ongoing, lifelong process of spiritual growth in each believer, is never finished on this side of eternity.  Until our fallen nature is changed and we are released from our fleshly bodies, we must be on constant guard against sin. 

Most of the time, we can be victorious:

I Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

However, at times we will still fail.  When that happens, don’t be discouraged.  Don’t give up.  Don’t beat yourself up.  (Satan would love it if you did that!)  Instead, just repent and get back to your kingdom work!  Holy Spirit will help you overcome the next time.

Let me offer you some strength:

The Christian life is a busy life.  We have family obligations, social obligations, work obligations and ministry obligations, just to name a few. 

I suspect that most of us don’t spend a whole lot of time dreaming about what heaven will be like.  But I think it would be beneficial if we did. 

The final outcome of the Christian is eternal life in heaven.  It will be a place of unimagined splendor, opportunity, love, fellowship, discovery and worship. 

Obviously, we don’t serve God just to obtain eternal life; we serve him because we love him.  But spending time imagining the gifts he plans to shower on us gives us strength to fight another day in this life.  It motivates us to continue the (sometimes) painful process of personal holiness.  So, if you’re feeling a bit tired or weary, spend some time studying or dreaming about your life in eternity.  Read the testimony of someone who went to heaven and then returned to earth.  It will make today’s struggles easier!

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Romans 6:12 – Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

At the conclusion of chapter five, Paul declared that grace was abundant and free.  This led to the mistaken conclusion that Christians should continue or increase in sin, because that would glorify God.  In chapter six, Paul gives several examples that prove this is not the case.  In fact, Paul will show that abundant grace results in holiness.

Paul’s first example was taken from the rite of baptism.  His second example was based on the fact that as Christ was once dead but now lives to God (and will never die again), so we being dead to sin are alive to God and therefore we no longer obey sin.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Based on the reasoning of verses 8-11, Paul concludes that sin should not be allowed to reign in our lives. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  Let not sin therefore reign:  To reign is to have sovereign power or authority.  Let’s apply this analogy to the present case.  If sin is the king, then his throne is the heart of a sinner.  The members of the body are his royal court who always seek to do his bidding.  Lust and temptations are its weapons.  Spiritual blindness, sensuality and ignorance are its strongholds. 

In our own power, we have no ability to break free from the bondages of sin.  But, praise God, Jesus came to our rescue.  He broke the power/authority of sin in the atonement; therefore, it should NEVER rule over the life of a Christian. 

In your mortal body:  Jesus did what we could not do – he won the victory over sin and broke its power over us.  Now, with the help of Holy Spirit, it is up to each Christian to do their part – to crucify the lusts and desires of our flesh and live lives of holiness to God.  This process is called sanctification. 

Scholars make much of the fact that Paul uses the term ‘mortal body’ in this verse, as opposed to the term ‘flesh’.   They believe he made this word choice for a couple different reasons.

First, to remind us that the delights and pleasures of sin cater to our mortal bodies, which generally only exist for about 100 years or less.  Therefore, the term ‘mortal body’ is meant to call attention to the temporary nature of our earthly existence.  The point is that we should affirm and uphold the desires of our spirits (which live forever) as opposed to the flesh (which will perish soon enough).  

Second, Paul is giving us a word of encouragement by suggesting that our battle with sin won’t last forever.  At some point in the near future, we will pass from this life to eternity, where Christians will be free from the influence of our sinful flesh.  Paul describes this as the mortal putting on immortality:

1 Corinthians 15:54 - So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

To make you obey its passions:  It is true that at the present time sin dwells in us.  But there is a difference between being influenced (or even tricked) by sin and allowing it to have ruling power in all we do. 

Jesus gave us many great and wonderful gifts through the atonement.  One of these is the gift of Holy Spirit, who comes to live within our hearts.  He is our constant friend, teacher, guide and strength.  The process of sanctification is carried out through a partnership between him and us.  The power of sanctification that he gives us is far greater than the ruling power of sin. 

As we live lives of holiness, we testify that we belong to God. 

Romans 6:13 – Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Each of us has a free will; God allows us to choose how we will act.  Given this choice, Christians should resist the impulse to sin.  Instead, we should devote our lives to righteous/holy living.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness:  Simply stated, don’t yield to temptation and embrace sin.  Satan will never stop tempting us to sin.  We should not be alarmed by that; it’s Satan’s normal method of operation.  Keep in mind that there is no sin in being tempted.  As long as the devil is offering us the opportunity to sin, the sin is still his. 

But once we accept his offer and seize the temptation, then we cross the line into sin.  Essentially, his sin becomes ours.  The good news is that because Jesus has broken the reign of sin in our lives and because Holy Spirit is our helper, we can successfully resist temptation.  When we do, the devil runs from us:

James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.    

But present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life:  We use the ESV translation which says ‘present’ yourselves to God.  The King James versions says ‘yield’ yourselves to God.  I think I prefer the King James because it reminds us that we must bend our will to the will of God. 

John 3:30 – He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.   

If we yield to sin, we are serving Satan and the end result will be death.  If we yield to righteousness, we are serving God and the end result will be life here on earth and eternal life with Christ in the next age.  

And your members to God as instruments for righteousness:  Paul uses the word ‘members’ to mean the tangible parts of your body (your mouth, hands, feet, etc.) as well as the intangible parts of your life (things like your will, your understanding and your affections).  All of these things are under the control of your heart/mind which means you get to choose how you will use them.

When we were sinners, we dedicated our members to Satan.  But when we accepted Christ as our Redeemer, we pledged our hearts/minds to God; we are now devoted to him.  It logically follows that our ‘members’ would be dedicated to him and his service. 

Colossians 3:5,7-8 - Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry… In which you also once walked, when you lived in them.  But now you also put off all these…

Practically speaking, we should think and speak the truth, seeking to edify and build up others.  We should be full of praise and worship to God.  We should use our feet to walk the paths of righteousness and to seek out the lost.  Our hands should be dedicated to kingdom labor like good works and spiritual warfare.  This is how we use our members as instruments of righteousness.

Romans 6:14 – For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  This verse is not a command or an exhortation pointing to something we should do.  Rather, it is an absolute promise of God. 

Since we have placed our faith in Christ, we are under grace as defined and outlined in the gospel.  We are forever free from the bondage and dictates of the law which result in death.   

DIGGING DEEPER:  For sin will have no dominion over you:  Here is something we need to understand:  Sin is defeated, but it isn’t dead yet. 

Christ has broken the ruling power of sin in our hearts/minds, which means it no longer has the ability to force us to do its bidding.  Its hold over us is no longer absolute.

Nevertheless, even after we receive Christ as Lord, sin is still within us because of the fallen nature we received from our forefather Adam.  As you well know, sin still tempts us.  Sin still does everything within its power to hinder us from doing what is right.  Sin still seeks to master and ensnare us by tricking us into voluntarily submitting to it.  Sin will never stop trying to regain complete control of us. 

Now here is the good news:  Paul assures us that as Christians, sin will never again rule over us.  It’s like a coup has taken place in our lives.  Sin has been dethroned in our hearts; Christ is now the Lord of our life.  Even though sin fights to regain control over us, its efforts are futile - it WILL lose.  We are no longer citizens of the kingdom of darkness.  We are now citizens of the kingdom of grace/heaven and though we may occasionally stumble and fall, our King is and will forever be Jesus Christ.

In other words, this verse is an absolute promise from God – sin no longer has the power to enslave and rule over us.  

This promise provides a major reason for us to forsake sin and live lives of holiness to God.  It shows how free grace results in increased holiness, not increased sin.

Since you are not under the law:  Paul is not referring to the law of nature or the law of Moses (the Jewish Law).  He is referring to the law of sin.  Those who are apart from Christ are ruled by the law of sin which terrorizes and condemns all those under its power.  Those who are subjects of sin are under a curse which leads to death. 

But since we have placed our faith in Christ, we have dethroned the law of sin within our hearts.  It no longer controls us or determines our destiny.

But under grace:   As Christians, we have seated Christ on the throne of our lives.  We live under the covenant of grace as outlined in the gospel.  We enjoy justification, peace with God, fellowship with Holy Spirit, strength and joy in the midst of the trials and the hope of a future in heaven.

Through grace, Holy Spirit teaches us to deny worldly lusts and sins while simultaneously encouraging and strengthening us to live lives of holiness and righteousness which are pleasing to God.

Romans 6:15 – What then?  Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?  By no means!

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul asks the rhetorical question, ‘Should we go on sinning because we are now free from the law and we live under grace?’  Obviously, the answer is ‘no’.  

DIGGING DEEPER: What then:  The apostle now anticipates and addresses a possible objection from his readers. 

Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace:  Some people might argue that if we are no longer under subjection to the law (which condemns sin), and we are now under the covenant of grace (which provides free pardon and forgiveness), why wouldn’t we just continue in sin?  

To some, that seems like the most reasonable course of action.

By no means:  Of course, Paul instantly rejects this line of reasoning.  Here’s why:  Grace frees us from the penalty of falling short of the commands of God.  However, it does not remove or nullify the commands themselves; grace does not eliminate the difference between good and evil.

For example, God’s law says that we should not commit adultery.  If we should happen to stumble and fall into that sin, we can rest assured that we will receive forgiveness if we truly repent and change our ways. 

Nevertheless, the certainty of forgiveness does not make the command against sin (in this case adultery) null and void.  The only thing removed by grace is the curse of sin; the commands of God which define sin still remain.  We are still under an obligation to keep his commands to the best of our ability. 

Blatantly sinning in anticipation of guaranteed forgiveness is a flippant abuse of the grace which Christ bought with his blood.  No true child of God would show such disrespect to the priceless sacrifice of our Lord and King.

Freedom from sin implies service and dedication to God just as freedom from God implies service and dedication to sin.  You can either serve God or sin, but not both.  

Romans 6:16 – Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul is still discoursing about whether or not free grace produces an increase in sin.  He has given several examples to show that the opposite is true – free grace produces increased holiness.

This time he proves his point using the example of slaves and masters, which was a very common situation back in that day.  He will show that you can either serve God with willing obedience which leads to righteousness or you can serve Satan by sinning which leads to death. 

DIGGING DEEPER: You are slaves of the one whom you obey:  Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, slaves were considered the property of their master and he could do with them as he pleased.  A slave might be kept for life, sold to another or even set free. 

Under a bad master, the slave was oppressed and even abused; the comfort and well-being of the slave was never considered.  Beasts were often treated better.  The slave’s very life may well have depended on the whims of his owner.

Under a good master, the slave was treated with dignity. His or her well-being was always considered when the master made decisions.  These slaves did not live in fear of losing their lives.  Many of them did not wish to be free; they wanted to stay in the service of their master.

In Paul’s example, each one of us is a slave who can choose their master.

Either of sin, which leads to death:  There are people who choose to serve sin.  They are not unwilling servants; they eagerly embrace and seek out sin with delight.  But eventually they are brought into a true state of slavery/bondage to Satan.  They find themselves incapable of serving the true God, because no one can serve two masters. 

John 8:34 – Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”

At this point, they are hopelessly stuck in a cycle of evil, oppression and wickedness.  Only grace can deliver them.  If they don’t turn to Christ, they will eventually reap the wages for the work they have done – eternal death (Romans 6:23).

Or of obedience which leads to righteousness:  There are also people who willingly choose to serve God; they diligently embrace and pursue a life of obedience to his ways.  They desire to be holy as God is holy.  Through the ministry of Holy Spirit they strive to conform themselves to the image of Christ: 

II Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

That kind of obedience leads one to a life of righteousness.  Thus, the Christian finds himself or herself incapable of serving sin or increasing in sin, because no one can serve two masters. 

Thus, Paul proves once again that abundant free grace results in increased holiness, not increased sin.   

Romans 6:17 – But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,

GENERAL SUMMARY:  But thanks be to God, that although you were at one time a servant of sin, you have now heard and embraced the gospel message from the heart and become servants of God. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  But thanks be to God you who were once slaves of sin:  Paul is addressing the Roman Christians in his original letter.  He expresses heartfelt thanksgiving to the Lord for the salvation (spiritual freedom from sin) they have experienced.

As modern-day Christians, we too have reason to offer praise and worship to God.  Just like those in the Roman church, we too were once slaves to sin, but now we saved.  We are free to offer our willing obedience to God.   

Have become obedient from the heart:  The key phrase in this verse is ‘from the heart’.  God is not interested in empty conformity to his commands.      

For instance, the Jews could (and often did) perform external religious rites (such as fasting, giving alms, etc.) that seemed to be righteous acts, but they were vain and unacceptable in God’s sight because their hearts were far from God.

Mark 7:6 – And he [Jesus] said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me…’”

(See also Isaiah 58.)  God is looking for willing obedience to his commands, which results from a true spiritual change in the heart.    

Jeremiah 17:10 – “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Once our hearts and minds are renewed in Christ, that change manifests in our choices, actions and words.  Only then do our outward actions please the Father.  

To the standard of teaching to which you were committed:  Our translation says ‘standard of teaching’.  Your translation may say ‘form of doctrine’.  In the original Greek, this phrase refers to metal which has been cast into a specific shape with a die or mold, like a coin. 

In Paul’s analogy, the gospel message has stamped the image of God on the souls of all who believe in him.  We might also say that the gospel has melted the heart of the believer and molded him into the image of God.  Paul is referring to the initial salvation experience of every believer.  When we trust in Christ, our hearts are recast in his image, which is one of holiness and righteousness. 

From that moment on, it is the duty of each Christian to adhere to this model; we must allow the full manifestation of God’s righteousness and holiness to become imprinted on our hearts.

Ephesians 4:24 - …and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

The overall idea is that every Christian should make their life the truest possible representation of God’s image.  We are to reflect his love, righteousness, holiness and other traits in every aspect of our lives.  We do this through willing obedience.  

Romans 6:18 - …and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  As Christians, we are no longer slaves to sin.  We have been set free through the atonement of Christ and are now willing servants of righteousness.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Having been set free from sin and having become slaves of righteousness:  Those who put their faith in Jesus experience total emancipation from sin which in turn results in complete dedication to righteousness. 

In other words, through faith in Christ, we have been liberated from the bondage of sin.  Having been liberated, we have passed into the kingdom of righteousness.  Therefore, it is fitting that we should completely turn away from sin and eagerly pursue righteousness, in keeping with our service to God. 

Since this is the case, grace results in increased holiness, not increased sin.  

Let me offer you some encouragement:

As we noted in today’s post, God is interested in the condition of our heart, because it determines the course of our lives.  A heart full of righteousness produces fruit that is pleasing to God.  A heart full of sin produces fruit that glorifies Satan. 

For this reason, we should occasionally examine what is within our hearts even though that can be a difficult process.  King David had the courage to pray this prayer:

Psalms 139:23-24 – Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: ee if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Make no mistake - this is a bold prayer!  Nevertheless, I encourage each one of us to consider doing the same thing.  Let’s allow God to have full lordship of our lives.  

Let me offer you some relief and strength:

Today’s post talks about temptation and sin.  If you are alarmed by the amount of temptation you face, let me offer you some relief and strength by changing your perspective.

There are over 8 billion people in the world right now, and the number is growing.  Although it may not seem like it, Satan’s power and resources are limited.  There is no point in him wasting time and resources on people who are already deeply entrenched in his kingdom.  Those people are already slaves to sin they will find wicked things to do without any temptation at all.

Satan is smart enough to save temptation for people like you – Christians who have committed their lives to God.  Satan wants to side track you or destroy you because you have the ability to introduce people to Christ.  Holy Spirit can work through you to bring deliverance and freedom to his slaves.  Satan’s worst nightmare is for those under his control to be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven; he will do everything in his power to stop that.  

With that in mind, please understand that your temptation is not a sign that you are a failure – it’s an indication that you are on the right track!  Stand strong!  Continue to resist temptation and be a witness for Christ!  

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Romans 6:8 – Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

Welcome back, dear readers!  Paul has been giving us a discourse on the unlimited grace that God provides for mankind.  Some people in the early church mistakenly believed (and even taught) that people should continue in sin, because that glorified God’s grace.

Paul has absolutely refuted this claim.  In our last post he used the rite of baptism to show that unlimited grace does not result in unlimited sin.  Rather, it results in justification and sanctification which both reflect an increase in holiness.  Paul also proves that God is never honored by sin; that which is detestable in his sight cannot bring him glory.  

In verses 8-11, he gives yet another illustration of how grace results in holiness. 

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul will argue that as Christ was once dead but now lives to God (and will never die again), so we being dead to sin are alive to God and therefore we no longer obey sin.

If we have died with Christ: The first thing to notice about this verse is that it deals with life in the present, not the future. 

In other words, right now we are involved in the process of sanctification, which is a commitment to daily mortification of our flesh.  It involves saying ‘no’ to our sinful lusts/desires and training ourselves in righteousness. 

For example, we might be trying to overcome the sin of gossip (or cursing or complaining or other sins of the tongue).  As we go about our day, we will no doubt discover a juicy tidbit of information that we would love to tell someone else.  However, because we are familiar with the scriptures, we know gossip does not please God. 

James 3:6 - And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

Because we are dying to sin, we keep our mouth shut rather than repeating the rumor we heard.  Instead of passing on gossip, we can pass on words of encouragement to someone else. 

Thankfully, we don’t depend upon our own flesh to get this job done.  Jesus has blessed us with his Holy Spirit, who helps us actively put sin to death in our lives.  The more times we respond in righteousness, the easier it becomes.  Eventually, that spirit of gossip will be removed from our life.   

We believe that we will also live with him:  It naturally follows that if we have communion or fellowship with Christ in his death, we will also have fellowship with him in his resurrection.    

Again, this happens right now.  Although we are not perfect/sinless, we are dead to sin and alive to righteousness; every day we live in newness of life (holiness, grace, glory). 

Plus, we will also obtain everlasting life with Jesus for all eternity.  Once we get to heaven, our communion with him will take on new levels.  It will be even more intimate and result in the highest imaginable levels of joy, happiness and satisfaction.  We will enjoy his presence through the endless ages of eternity!     

Romans 6:9 – We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul assumes that all Christians are aware of the fact that when Jesus was resurrected, he conquered death.  Therefore, death no longer has any authority over him and so he will never die again. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead:  Paul is pointing out an indisputable fact which is accepted by all Christians - Christ was raised from the dead.

This fact is absolutely certain - the prophets prophesied about it, Jesus himself spoke of it, the angels affirmed it, the apostles (and others) witnessed it and Holy Spirit confirms it.  This fact is the very foundation of our justification and eternal life.      

Will never die again:  In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices had to be made over and over and over again to cover the sin of mankind.  But that is not the case with Christ.  He died once to make atonement for sin and his work was sufficient for all the sins of mankind - past, present and future: 

Hebrews 9:12 - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Therefore, there will never be a need for him to die again. 

Death no longer has dominion over him:  Jesus has won the victory over death.  Death is now subject to him; it is under his authority and has no power over him.  For this reason, he will live forever:

Revelation 1:17-18 - …’Fear not, I [Jesus] am the first and the last, and the living one.  I died and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’

It should be noted that Jesus voluntarily submitted himself to the power of death.  He did this because it was part of the divine plan of salvation.  Not surprisingly, it was impossible for death to hold him.  Submitting himself to it for a brief moment, he destroyed it forever, for our sakes.

John 10:17-18 – For this reason the Father loves me [Jesus], because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.  This charge I have received from my Father.

(See also Acts 2:24).  The bottom line is that because we believe in Christ, we are dead to sin and alive to holiness, therefore, we do not increase in sin, we strive to remove all sin from our lives.  Formerly, we willingly embraced all our evil desires and passions, but now we set our affections on the things above:

Colossians 3:1-2 - If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

For those who embrace Christ, sin has no more dominion over them than death has over the glorified body of our Redeemer.

Romans 6:10 – For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Jesus died once to atone for the sins of all people; now he is alive forevermore sitting at the right hand of God and promoting the glory of the Father.  The implication is that we should be doing the same thing – glorifying God by living lives of holiness.

DIGGING DEEPER:  For the death he died he died to sin:  In other words, the purpose or design of Christ’s death was to destroy sin.  Through his death and resurrection, he annihilated the power and dominion that sin formerly had over us.  Obviously, he did this for our benefit, not his own. 

It naturally follows that Christians (who are baptized into his death) will gladly destroy sin in their lives.  Instead of indulging in it, they will renounce it, despise it and seek to root it out of their lives.  The death of Christ is the motivation for our holiness. 

II Corinthians 5:15 - And that he died for all, that they who live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again.   

Once for all:  As we already noted, the death of Christ was a one-time event.  It will never be repeated (Hebrews 7:27, 10:10 etc).

But the life he lives he lives to God:   Jesus now lives in the eternal and incorruptible kingdom of God where he sits at the right hand of the Father, seeking to promote his glory.

Just as we identified with Christ in death, so we identify with him in life.  This means that we too seek to promote the glory of God by living lives of holiness that are pleasing to him. 

I Peter 2:21-22 – For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.    

So, Paul once again shows that free grace does not increase sin.  The sacrifice of Christ motivates us to follow him in righteousness.  Grace increases holiness, which glorifies God.

Romans 6:11 – So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Our relationship to sin is dead.  Now, through Christ Jesus, we have a relationship with God.  As his children and we live lives of holiness to him.  

DIGGING DEEPER:  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin:  As we discussed in a prior post, to be dead to something is to disown it or to have nothing to do with it.  To die to something can also mean to be liberated from it. 

Take, for example, a husband and wife.  If one of them dies, the bond between the two is broken.  The husband’s death frees or liberates the woman from the bonds of the marriage contract.  After his death, she is free to enter into a new marriage contract.

And alive to God in Christ Jesus:  In the same way, when we identify with the death of Christ, he breaks the yoke of bondage that sin had over us.  Because he liberated us from sin, we are free to enter into a new contract – a contract of life to God in Jesus Christ. 

This new life makes us eager to live lives that promote the glory of God.  It is our desire to follow and obey him, to pledge our allegiance and devotion to him.

We might also think of it this way:  In John chapter 15 Jesus tells us that he is like a vine and we are like branches connected to him.  Just as the branch lives from the nourishment/life found in the vine, so we live to God through Christ.  Because we obtain our nourishment from Jesus, we will be like him – we will desire to live lives of righteousness.   

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:

Jesus has done what only he could do – he broke the power of sin in our lives.  Now we must do our part – we must commit ourselves to living lives of righteousness which are pleasing to God. 

To be honest, there will be some days when we are victorious over sin and some days when we lose the battle.  But on those occasions when we fail, Jesus is right there to forgive us once again.  He doesn’t love us any less when we fall short.  He does not condemn us or cast us aside or withdraw his Spirit from us. 

When you fail, don’t become discouraged.  Just repent, pick yourself up, and get back in the fight!

Let me offer you some strength:

Standards of holiness or moral purity do not come from society, or Hollywood, or the latest best-selling book, or social media (thank heaven), or those who are considered ‘good people’. 

The bible, the uncontested word of the living God, sets the bar for our holiness.  So don’t deceive yourself by following someone else’s example or by comparing yourself to the world.  Look to the scriptures and Holy Spirit will soon show you areas of your life that need to be mortified or brought under control. 

When Holy Spirit deals with you, don’t resist him.  It may be difficult to change, but with his help, all things are possible.  The more you conform to the image of Christ, the more God can (and will) use you to bring him glory and to accomplish things in his kingdom:  

2 Timothy 2:20-21 - But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor.  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and fit for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.  

 

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Romans 6:1 – What shall we say then? Are we to continue to sin that grace may abound?

Now we come to Romans chapter six.  Up to this point, Paul has proven that all people are sinners and no one can be justified in the sight of God through works.  Rather, mankind is justified by faith in the atonement freely provided by Christ.  That atonement brings much, much more than simply justification.  It also brings peace, joy, hope of heaven, relationship with God, the presence of Holy Spirit, strength to overcome and other benefits too.

At the end of chapter five, Paul concluded by saying that where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.  He proved that grace is more than sufficient to cover all our sin. 

This raises a new train of thought.  If divine grace is as abundant as Paul just declared, won’t this cause people to continue (or even increase) in sin, since the abundance of divine grace can cover the cost?  Why bother even trying to live by the commands of God?  Besides, if God is glorified by forgiving us, wouldn’t more sin bring him more glory?

In the next three chapters, Paul will show that the opposite is true.  God’s plan of salvation (justification by faith in Christ) does NOT lead people to sin.  It leads people to holiness.  Furthermore, God is never honored by sin.  That which is detestable in his sight cannot bring him glory.

In this chapter, Paul will use various arguments and illustrations to show that once we have a relationship with Christ, the Father and Holy Spirit, our hearts are changed.  These changes produce a hatred of sin and a desire for holiness. 

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Based on the proven concept of the abundance of grace freely given to mankind, we might assume that people will (or should) keep on sinning in order to display the grace of God.  This is wrong thinking.

DIGGING DEEPER:  What shall we then say:  What can we conclude or what should we do, now that we know justification is the free gift of God which comes through Jesus Christ and that is has nothing to do with our own works? 

Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound:  There is evidence to suggest that during the early days of the church, a false and deadly concept was gaining a foothold in the church.   Specifically, some people were saying that the doctrine of justification by faith made obedience to the moral law useless.  In other words, there was no need to live a holy life, because grace was big enough to cover all sin.  Some even suggested that an increase in sin would be good, because that would magnify God’s grace (Galatians 5:13, I Peter 2:16, Jude 4)!!

To make things even worse, some people were saying that the apostles themselves ordered their disciples to sin that grace might abound (Romans 3:8)!   

But just as he did in chapter three (Romans 3:31), Paul refutes that false belief.  He proves that justification by grace does not make the law useless.  In fact, the opposite is true.  Because of the free gift of grace, Jews and Gentiles are under an obligation to live holy lives.

He also shows that God cannot be glorified by sin.  Sin is the cause of wrath, not grace (the effective cause of grace is the love and compassion of God).  Therefore, God is not glorified in the commission of sin, he is glorified when the power, influence and reign of sin in our lives is destroyed.  Grace does not teach us to engage in sin, but to abstain from it.

Romans 6:2 – By no means!  How can we who died to sin still live in it?

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Before giving a fuller explanation of his position, the apostle avoids any confusion by giving his readers a clear answer:  NO!  NEVER!  We should NEVER continue in sin so that grace can abound.  He will show that this is actually an impossible scenario, since Christians are dead to sin.

DIGGING DEEPER:  By no means:  Paul gives a very clear and very strong denial of what was implied in verse one.  In our generation we might say ‘no way’ or ‘that’s not happening’.  The bottom line is that sin can never be used to promote or advance grace.  In the next few verses, he will tell us why.

How can we who died to sin still live in it:  To live to something is to be wholly given up to it; to have an intimate connection with it at all times.  For example, if we say a person lives for football, that person is focused on everything that pertains to football whether they are eating, sleeping or breathing.  All their thoughts are continually centered on it, all their opinions are filtered through it, and all their spare time is devoted to it.  

Now let’s consider the opposite scenario.  To die to something is to despise it, to have nothing to do with it; to be totally separate from it.  For example, when a person quits smoking, we could say they were dead to tobacco. 

We can say the same for a person – we sometimes say a certain person is ‘dead to us’ which means that we no longer acknowledge them or have anything to do with them.  All fellowship/relationship with that person is cut off.

Bearing this in mind, it becomes obvious that if you are dead to something, you can’t continue to be part of it. 

Paul’s point is that mankind was once dead to righteousness because of sin (Romans 6:23).  But now that Jesus has died and been resurrected, the potential exists for each person to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness, providing they place their faith in his atoning work. 

II Timothy 2:11 – It is a faithful saying:  For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.

Before we go any further, we need to understand the difference between justification and sanctification.  Both involve being dead to sin, but in slightly different ways.

Justification:  When we place our faith in the sacrifice of Christ (when we become saved or accept salvation) we are immediately justified.  Justified persons are dead to sin because sin is no longer imputed to them; that debt was paid in full by the blood of Christ.

Because the power of sin has been broken in the lives of justified persons, death no longer has authority over them either.  Christ will raise them from the dead at the last day and give them eternal life in heaven.

The point is that justified people are dead to sin because Christ broke the power of sin (and death) in their lives once and for all.  This is an instantaneous event that happens the moment one trusts in Christ.  At that exact time, the ‘old man’ dies and we become new creations in Christ:

II Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Sanctification:  Sanctification is the process of dedicating ourselves to God.  It can only occur after we are justified.  Once we accept Christ as Savior, Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts.  He initiates and assists us with the process of sanctification.  In this process, we actively practice putting sin to death (dying to sin) in our thoughts, actions and bodies. 

Because of the change Jesus brought about when he justified us (the old man has passed away and we are made new), sin is no longer our goal.  We no longer take pleasure in it; we find it despicable and abominable.  We do everything in our power to remove it from our lives in every way, shape and form.  This is NOT an instantaneous event.  As Paul will shortly indicate, it is a protracted process that takes place over time.  Although we will become holier as time goes on, this process won’t be fully complete until eternity.

This means that Christians will continue to fall into sin from time to time.  We must actively work to crucify the evil tendencies that are still in our hearts.  The bottom line is that the power of sin in our lives is broken, but we need to enforce that victory by dying to the sin in our lives on a daily basis. 

Justification and sanctification are both forms of dying to sin.  Dying to sin is exemplified in the Christian rite of baptism.

Romans 6:3 – Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

GENERAL SUMMARY:  The rite of baptism is a spiritual representation of the death and resurrection of Christ.  In baptism, Christians identify with Jesus; we become dead to sin, and we are resurrected into a life dedicated to God. 

Paul’s point is this:  Because we are dead to sin, we no longer want to have anything to do with it.  Our natural inclination will not be to continue in sin or to increase in sin, it will be to eradicate (crucify) it from our lives. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  Do you not know: Paul is in the process of proving that free, abundant grace does not result in increased sin.  In fact, the opposite is true.  God’s divine plan of salvation results in hatred of sin and a devotion to holiness.  This truth is reflected in the rite of baptism.

By using the phrase ‘do you not know’, Paul is saying that this truth should be clearly evident to all Christians.

All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus:   The phrase ‘all of us who have been baptized’ means all professing Christians.  All Christians should follow the command of the Lord to be baptized in water.

When were you baptized?  Since it was likely a long time ago for many people, let’s take a few minutes to review what we know about baptism.

Baptism is an ordinance (or sacrament) of the church.  Ordinances are outward rites or symbolic observances commanded by Jesus.  They are visible, outward declarations/signs of invisible, inward changes that have taken place in the heart of the believer. 

Protestant churches observe two ordinances – water baptism and the Lord’s Supper (communion).  The Roman Catholic church also observes the ordinance of baptism, along with six others (confirmation, eucharist/mass, penance, unction/anointing the sick with oil) marriage, and orders/ordination of priests/consecration of nuns).

Jesus established water baptism as an official ordinance when he gave us the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of this age.

Jesus set an example for us by being baptized himself in the Jordan river by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17).   As we would expect, all the apostles upheld the commandment of Jesus for converts to be baptized (Acts 2:38, Acts 10:48, etc.).

As we already mentioned, baptism is an outward sign of something that has taken place in the heart of a person.  Baptism is a declaration.  It affirms that we have taken the name of Christ, that we have been spiritually ingrafted or implanted in him, that we have become members of the body of Christ (the supernatural union of the believer with Christ as our head).  Baptism signifies a permanent and intimate relationship with Jesus.   

Galatians 3:27 – For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The word ‘baptize’ comes from the root word ‘baptizo’ which means to immerse.  Therefore, in the Protestant church, people are normally baptized by being fully immersed in water and then being brought up again.  As they are being submersed, the pastor will decree that the Christian is being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, as commanded by Jesus in Matthew 3:13-17.

One very important point needs to be made here.    We are not saved because we are baptized, we are baptized because we are saved. 

Salvation or justification is the result of repentance for your sin.  It occurs when you ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and you invite him to be Lord of your life.  Once you have done that, THEN you should be baptized in water, because baptism is an outward sign of the change that has taken place in your heart.

Baptism symbolizes the work of Christ within our inner man.  Let me explain.  As you well know, Jesus died upon the cross, he was buried in the tomb and arose on the third day.  Likewise:

• When the Christian is baptized, they are publicly declaring that their sin has been nailed to the cross and they are now dead to sin. 
• Being submersed under the water is symbolic of burying our old nature (old man) which is now dead to sin. 
• Coming up out of the water is symbolic of the resurrection of Christ into new life.  Because of Jesus, we too are raised to newness of life and are dedicated to holy living.

In other words, baptism is an outward declaration that the Christian has died to his life of sin and is now alive to God.  Because of this, the Christian will no longer live in sin, regardless of the boundless grace provided by Jesus.

Were baptized into his death:  The baptism of a believer has a strong similarity to the death of Christ.  He died FOR sin.  Because of what he has done for us, we die TO sin.     

Romans 6:4 – We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  After his death on the cross, Jesus was buried in a tomb.  Three days later, he was resurrected to life.  Similarly, during baptism the believer is submersed in water which signifies being buried after the death of sin.  When the believer is lifted from the water, it is symbolic of being raised in newness of life; our lives are now dead to sin and we live to God. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death:  Paul’s goal here is to show that by the solemn profession made at baptism, we declared ourselves dead to sin, just as Christ was dead to the world around him when he was buried.  This is a symbolic action which testifies to the world that we have trusted in Christ as our savior.  

Let’s think of it in practical terms.  Burial is the natural, final consequence of death. Despite what you might see in horror films, buried people don’t return to life.  When you bury someone, it shows that no revival is possible. 

Thus, when we are buried with Christ in baptism, we are fully dead to sin.  It no longer reigns/has authority in our lives. It no longer has us in bondage. Because we have been justified, sin’s power over us has been broken and it can never rule over us again.  

Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father:  Jesus rose from death by the glorious, omnipotent power of God.  Only he could accomplish this.  Similarly, we rise from the water of baptism into a new life of holiness to God.  This is only possible by the power of God at work in the plan of salvation. 

Once again, the metaphor of dying implies two things: 

• First, immediate freedom from the bondage of sin.  This was accomplished when we first placed our faith in Christ.  He did what we could not do – he broke the power of sin and death in our lives, making us new creatures in Christ.  We call this justification.
• Second, dying implies a continual mortification of our flesh; a life of daily death to our sinful natures and impulses.  We call this sanctification.

Colossians 2:12 - Buried with him [Jesus] in baptism, in which also you are risen with him through the faith of the working of God, who has raised him from the dead.

We too might walk in newness of life:  Paul uses the word ‘walk’ to mean our conduct or the manner in which we live. 

Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious, omnipotent power of God, which is the power of the Father (Romans 6:4), the Son (John 2:19) and Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11).  Just as Christ arose, so should we arise out of the grave of sin and walk in the new life of holiness he has made possible for us.

Our lives are inextricably connected to that of Christ.  Just as he made the transition from death to life, so our old sinful man/nature is destroyed by the death of Christ while his resurrection makes us new creatures/creations, designed to live in holiness to God. 

I Peter 1:16 – Because it is written, ‘You will be holy; for I am holy.’

Paul stresses the power of God in the resurrection of Christ.  This is fitting for two reasons.  First, it reminds us that God is well able to raise us from death.  Thus, we have full confidence in his promise of a final resurrection at the end of time.  Second, only the power of God is able to resurrect the dead soul of a sinner and enable him to walk in holiness.

Romans 6:5 – For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  When we trust in Christ as our Savior, we are identifying with his death on the cross.  Because he rose to immortal life after his death, we too can expect to enter a new spiritual life of holiness (and eternal life in the next age).

DIGGING DEEPER:  If we have been united with him in a death like his:  In this study, we use the ESV version of the bible, which says ‘united’.  Your translation may say ‘becoming one’ or ‘planted together’. 

This is an unusual phrase which literally means ‘sown or planted at the same time’ or ‘plants that sprout up together at the same time’.  It describes things that are intimately connected or joined together.

For example, when a farmer plants a field of corn, the corn is ‘planted together’ in that the seeds are planted at the same time, in the same place, and they will (more or less) spring up at the same time.  They will grow together, ripen together and wait for the harvest together.  We might describe it as a field of corn, but it is actually thousands of similar plants growing all at once.  

We are like that field of corn.  Because Christians are intimately connected to Christ in both his death and resurrection, we would expect our lives to resemble his – they will be lives of holiness, not wickedness and corruption. 

We shall certainly:  There can be absolutely no doubt about it - if we die to sin through Christ, we will also be resurrected to eternal life through Christ.  The example of Christ’s resurrection from the dead is the proof that God will also raise us up at the last day.

Be united with him in a resurrection like his:  If we resemble Christ in regard to his death (he died FOR sin, we died TO sin), we should also expect to resemble him in regard to the resurrection.  He rose from the grave, we rise from the death of sin to a new life where sin is no longer our master.  Because the power of sin is broken, we can live lives of holiness that are pleasing to God.

Colossians 3:1 – If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Let’s go back to the analogy of being ‘planted together’.  Picture a branch that has been grafted into a tree.  When we trusted in Christ as savior, we were removed or cut off from the sinful, degenerate stock of Adam and grafted/planted together into the noble and righteous stock of Christ.  We receive our life from him just as the branch receives life from the tree trunk.  Because we receive life from him, we will grow to be like him.

We might also think of it like a seed planted in the ground.  The sacrificial death of Christ is the soil into which believers are planted, like a corn kernel is planted in the ground.  We grow out of his sacrifice, deriving strength and life from him.  Since he is dead to sin, so are we.  Eventually, through his strength, we produce fruit.  Again, this is a picture of unity and intimacy.  If we are alive in Christ, we are dead to the ways of sin. 

Once again, Paul proves his point - free and bountiful grace does not lead to increased sin, but to increased holiness.

Romans 6:6 – We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  In the death of Christ our old man (our corrupt nature) died.  Because it is dead, it no longer reigns or has power over us. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  We know that our old self:   Paul uses the phrase ‘we know’ to indicate that the statement he is about to make is obvious and widely known to all Christians.

Paul uses the phrase ‘old self’ or ‘old man’ to denote our sinful and corrupt natures which include the passions, lusts and evil desires that exist in our hearts before they are renewed by Christ.  This is the nature passed down to us from Adam.

Ephesians 4:22 - …to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires…

(See also Colossians 3:9, Galatians 5:24, Colossians 2:11, I Peter 4:1).  The old man loves sin and is eager to indulgence every kind of evil desire and wickedness. 

Was crucified with him:  The power of sin has been broken or brought to nothing by our justification.  Now, with the help of Holy Spirit, we will finish the job through sanctification.

Paul personifies our corrupt nature as an ‘old man’ who is put to death by crucifixion – a slow, agonizing and tortuous way to die.  Paul uses this phrase to describe the painful and protracted struggle which every Christian goes through as we circumcise our hearts, kill our worldly desires and die to our evil passions so we can live our lives unto God (sanctification). 

Our corrupt nature must be crucified to show our conformity and likeness to Christ in his crucifixion.  The old man is fastened to the cross of Christ for only by its power he is slain (we are powerless to kill our old man by ourselves).   We can only do so through by partaking of the death of Christ. 

Every Christian understands this battle because it is common to all of us.  Though Christ broke the power of sin for us, we still must enforce that victory in our own lives.

 In order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing:  The ‘body of sin’ is simply another way of saying the ‘old man’.  In this case, Paul pictures all of our various sins and wicked desires joined together into a single monstrous body which is ready, willing and able to use all of its members to commit sin.  Nevertheless, it is destroyed by the work of the cross.

So that we would no longer be enslaved to sin:   The idea presented here is that when we were children of Adam, sin reigned over us; it was impossible for us to do anything BUT sin.  However, once we were justified by faith, we were grafted into Christ, who delivered us and made us victorious over sin.  We do not immediately cease to sin, but victory is assured.

Romans 6:7 – For one who has died has been set free from sin.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  The person who has conformed to the death of Christ has been justified/set free from the reign of sin because death releases one from bondage.     

DIGGING DEEPER:  When a servant dies, he ceases to be under the control of his master.  No matter what the master does, he no longer has any authority or jurisdiction over the servant.  He can no longer dictate what the servant will do.

Likewise, the Christian was subject to sin before his conversion but now he has become dead to it.  He is therefore released from the control of his former master, Sin.  Sin no longer has dominion in the life of the believer; it cannot force him to do anything.  

The overall meaning of the passage is that person who has accepted Christ by faith and been made a partaker of Holy Spirit, has had his old man destroyed is not only justified freely from all sin, he is also wholly sanctified to God.  As such, the Christian will not continue or increase in sin, he or she will increase in holiness.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Today’s post speaks about the rite of baptism.  Baptism is a command of God.  It is a declaration that you have been justified by Christ, and you are in the process of becoming sanctified. 

If you haven’t been baptized, you need to do so immediately.  Don’t rebel against a direct command of God. 

If you were baptized as a child, you should consider doing it again since you are now at an age where you are declaring for yourself that you are submitted to Christ.   

If you were already baptized at an age where you understood what you were doing, but you are rededicating your life to God, you can certainly be baptized again if you feel the need. 

Let me offer you some relief and strength:

It is one thing to sin.  It is a totally different thing to serve sin. 

To serve sin is to willingly yield our obedience to evil, to embrace and indulge in every wickedness that comes into our minds.  No Christian would do that.

However, during the process of sanctification, we will have failures and make mistakes.  When that happens, don’t sweat it!  We can simply bring those sins to the cross, where Jesus will cover them with his blood. 

Whatever happens, never give up!  Holy Spirit will continue to strengthen us as we active seek to live holy lives unto God.

 

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Romans 5:18 -Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

In chapter five, Paul has been comparing/contrasting the work of Adam and of Jesus.  He now closes his argument by finishing the original comparison he began in verse 12 and documented in verses 13-17. 

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Through one act of sin/rebellion (the original sin of Adam) all people were condemned to physical and spiritual death.  Through one act of righteousness/obedience (the atonement of Christ) justification is made available to all people which results in physical resurrection and spiritual life.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Paul has proven that the one trespass of Adam resulted in condemnation and eternal death for all mankind (the natural seed of the first Adam).  This occurred because he was representative of the whole human race.   As his physical descendants and we receive his fallen nature.

In a similar way, the one righteousness or one righteous act of Christ makes the free gift of the gospel (eternal life and all its benefits), available to all of mankind.  Those who place their faith in him, both Jews and Gentiles, are his spiritual seed.

However, this doesn’t tell the full story.  As Paul pointed out in verses 13-17, the actions of Adam and the actions of Christ are not equal.  The righteous act of Christ is deeper, wider, fuller, bigger and richer than the sin of Adam.  The action of Christ is utterly extravagant.  He gives us an abundance of grace which far exceeds the sin of Adam because it not only removes the guilt of Adam’s one offence, but of ALL the sinful offences we ever have or will ever commit. 

Jesus was able to make this sacrifice because he was fully human and completely perfect; no one else could have provided salvation for the whole human race.  

Although he doesn’t specifically state it, Paul is once again stressing that the righteousness of Christ is freely given without works.  The law, unless perfectly obeyed at all times, is of no use in justification before God.  Therefore, the Jews are on equal footing with the Gentiles.    

Paul also makes it very clear that it is the sacrifice of Christ which reconciles us to the Father.  Only Christ could bring perfect balance between the mercy of God and the justice of God. 

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible sums up the matter perfectly:     

Through the disobedience of Adam, a sentence of condemnation to death, without any promise or hope of a resurrection, passed upon all men; so, by the obedience of Christ unto death, this one grand righteous act, the sentence was so far reversed, that death shall not finally triumph, for all shall again be restored to life. Justice must have its due; and therefore all must die. The mercy of God, in Christ Jesus, shall have its due also; and therefore all shall be put into a salvable state here, and the whole human race shall be raised to life at the great day. Thus both justice and mercy are magnified; and neither is exalted at the expense of the other.

Romans 5:19 – For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Adam’s disobedience opened the door to sin.  Once the door was opened, the rest of mankind followed him in.  By entering into sin, all of us are brought under a sentence of condemnation.    

The obedience of Jesus opened a door to justification before God, salvation and all the benefits of the gospel.  These are available to anyone who will enter into a relationship with Christ.

DIGGING DEEPER:  As by one man’s disobedience:  This verse is not a mere repetition of what has already been said.  It is a clarification or an explanation.  By Paul’s former statements, some might conclude that people were condemned solely due to the actions of Adam and that they had no guilt or blame of their own. 

Many were made sinners:  But (as we would all admit, if we are honest), that was not the case.  Adam’s disobedience was the instrumental or principal cause of sin; he opened the door to sin and allowed it into the human race.  But we all willingly (and eagerly in some cases) followed his example and embraced sin for ourselves. 

So, in this verse Paul is affirming that all people of every generation are sinners and are thus under condemnation as the result of our own works/choices.

By one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous:  Scripture tells us that the obedience of Christ was an element of the atonement:

Philippians 2:8 – And being found in human form, he [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

(See also Hebrews 10:7).  Through Christ’s obedience and sacrifice, the door to justification/righteousness was opened to everyone.  In order to enter in, we must willingly place our faith in Christ and become obedient to his commands.  There is no other way to obtain justification/righteousness:

Acts 4:12 – And there is salvation in no one else [only Christ Jesus], for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

In fact, scripture describes our righteousness as filthy or polluted rags:

Isaiah 64:6 – We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

In other words, Jesus did what we could not do.  Through his obedience, he satisfied God’s requirements of justice and provided righteousness for us.   

Thus, Paul has undeniably shown that there is no salvation in the works of the law.  All people (both Jew and Gentile) are guilty of sin, and all must be justified through faith in Christ.

Romans 5:20 – Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more…

GENERAL SUMMARY:  At this point, Paul anticipates some questions on the part of the Jews. 

They believed that the Law of Moses was the answer to their sin problem; they thought it was given to nullify the evils of sin that were introduced by Adam.  If they could prove this was the case, then the law could save them and redemption through faith in Christ was unnecessary.  

But if they couldn’t prove that justification came through the law, then other questions were raised:  If the law was incapable of making one righteous, then what was its purpose?  If the plans of God centered around Christ, why does the law exist at all?  What good was it? 

Paul anticipates and addresses these questions/objections in verses 20-21.  He states that the law did not diminish sin; it identified and defined it.  This had the effect of increasing it.  Therefore, the law could not overcome the evils of sin.  

But there was no need to worry; grace was more than capable of atoning for every single sin, no matter how many there were. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  The law came in to increase the trespass:  Before the law was given, people’s understanding of their sin may have been muddled or unclear because they were unaware of the absolute standards of righteousness.  They compared their actions to the actions of others (tradition) or to their consciences which were tainted by culture and by sin.   

But once the law became known, man was able to compare his actions to the divine commands of God and the differences between the two were more apparent. 

In other words, sin itself did not change after the law was introduced; it just became more clearly defined, more apparent and more easily identified. 

In the original Greek language, the phrase ‘came in’ means ‘entered incidentally’.  The meaning is that the entrance of the law at Sinai was not the primary or essential feature of God’s divine plan of justification.  It was given for a subordinate purpose – to more fully reveal and define the evil which entered the world through Adam.  And that is exactly what the law did/does.

Because of the law people had a better understanding of sin – their hearts and minds were enlightened.  When the law appeared, ignorance of evil disappeared. 

The law pricks our hearts and consciences showing us that we are greater sinners that we thought.  The increased revelation of sin highlights our need for salvation through Christ.  Thus, the law leads us to Christ (you won’t seek help if you don’t realize you need it).    

We might think of it this way:  If you look at a star in the night sky, it looks like a tiny dot.  But when you look at it through a telescope, you discover it is bigger than earth itself.  So it is with sin. 

If you can’t see your sin clearly, you think of it as small and insignificant.  But when you examine it under the telescope of God’s righteous commands, Holy Spirit steps in and causes you to realize just how big and dreadful and overwhelming your sin really is.  We call this Holy Spirit conviction.

John 16:8 – And when he [Holy Spirit] is come, he will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

This is a good thing, because Holy Spirit doesn’t leave you in that place of hopelessness and despair.  He immediately leads you to salvation which can only be obtained by the terms outlined in the gospel - by faith in Jesus Christ.

But where sin increased grace abounded all the more:  The law revealed the true depth and breadth of our sin, which was much greater than we ever imagined.  There is no doubt that sin is big and powerful and ugly – but it is no match for grace!

Grace is the favor and mercy of God.  It ‘abounds’ or is super-abundant.  In other words, no matter how big our sin is, the mercy of God is bigger! 

We can see God’s superabounding riches in the following ways:

• In the nature of mercy – it is the richest and sweetest of all blessings.  There is nothing better than a sinner finding pardon in the sight of God.  And yet, God does so much more than just mark our record as ‘paid in full’.  He gives us access to his presence, he gives us peace and joy, and eventually he will glorify us in heaven. 

 

• The method of mercy – Mercy (the forgiveness of sin and the justification of the sinner), is dispensed only in the way God prescribes – through the precious blood of Christ.  It is his obedient, all sufficient sacrifice which pays our debt and restores our relationship with the Father.  Our works play no role in justification.

 

• The abundance of mercy - Mercy abounds to us in the forgiveness of all sins, past, present and future.  Secret sins, open sins, sins of commission, sins of omission, small sins and big sins - all are marked as ‘paid in full’ by the sacrifice of Christ!  God’s mercy and his justice are perfectly balanced and fulfilled in Jesus.

 

• Mercy is perpetual - Grace pardons all sin without exception and without revocation.  Because our sins are paid in full by the blood of Christ, they can never be charged to our account again.  Scripture tells us that God casts our sin as far from us as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12).

 

• Mercy brings us the ministry of Holy Spirit – The ministry of Holy Spirit is one of the abundance of blessings included in grace.  Once he enters our hearts, he never leaves; he is constantly at work.  He assists in conforming us to the image of Christ, he bestows gifts and graces into our lives, he seals us for the day of redemption and he prepares us to receive the exceedingly great weight of glory that will be ours in heaven.    

Psalm 130:7 - Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is abundant redemption.

Clearly, our faith can rejoice and triumph in the thought that were sin abounded, grace did much more abound!

Romans 5:21 - … so that as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Sin prevailed over all of mankind bringing both physical and spiritual death.  Now Christ, who has dominion over death, prevails.  He brings resurrection from the dead and eternal life.

DIGGING DEEPER:  As sin reigned in death:  Sin is a powerful thing.  It has the ability to ensnare us through our lustful desires.  It has the means to obstruct and hinder that which is good.  It has the power to captivate or enslave us in evil.  And, as Paul remarks here, it has an authoritative, ruling power - until the plan of God’s salvation unfolded in Jesus Christ, death reigned over mankind without exception.  

Grace also reigns through righteousness:  But there is hope for mankind.  The grip of death has been broken.  Grace (salvation and all of its benefits) now reigns in the lives of all those who are justified in Christ. 

However, it should be noted that there is a difference of opinion among scholars about the reign of grace. 

Some scholars believe Paul is referring to the grace which flows from the heart of God.  Those who hold this view believe that grace reigns in all aspects of man’s salvation through righteousness.  This belief is consistent with God’s mercy and justice both being perfectly fulfilled through the work of Christ.

John 1:17 – For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Others believe Paul is referring to the grace which is found in the hearts of saved/converted saints, where it reigns/has dominion in our lives and it leads us to true holiness.  This grace will reign in our lives until it is perfected in glory and results in eternal life.

Regardless of which opinion you hold, grace reigns!

Leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord:  Once again Paul draws a comparison:  Sin results in death, but the result of God’s plan of justification is eternal life. The gospel overcomes any and all sin; grace is more than sufficient to meet all the evils of this world and to lead us to salvation.

The bottom line is that our salvation and our victory over sin/death cannot be attributed to any merit or works on our part.  We cannot obtain it by keeping the law.  It comes solely by the grace of God, the work of Christ and the wooing of Holy Spirit. 

Thus, Paul concludes that eternal life is only possible through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I Corinthians 15:26 – The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Although we are still impacted by sin and death, both cease to reign the moment we turn to Christ and both will be defeated at the end of this age.

Let me offer you some encouragement and strength:

Today’s post talks a lot about God’s mercy.  We have discovered that God’s mercy is extravagantly rich and super abundant.  We receive it because of God’s love and compassion, not because we deserve it.

In the book of Luke, Jesus gives us a parable that exemplifies mercy.  It’s called the Good Samaritan.  The parable is shocking because Jews (the victim) and Samaritans (the man who showed mercy) absolutely despised each other; it would be unheard of for one to show mercy to the other at all.  But the Samaritan didn’t only show minimal mercy, he was generously merciful.

At the end of the parable Jesus tells the lawyer to go out into the world and show the same generous, undeserving mercy to others:

Luke 10:37 – And he [the lawyer] said, “He that showed mercy on him.”  Then Jesus said unto him, “Go, and do you likewise.”

As servants of Jesus, we are under a command to show mercy to others, even those who don’t deserve it.  This shouldn’t be too difficult when we remember how undeserving we are of the mercy God has shown towards us. 

Let’s make a special effort this week to show the abundant mercy of God to someone in need.  

Let me offer you some relief:

In today’s post, we noted that Jesus did what we could not do – he made atonement for our sin and justified us before God.  

Aren’t you relieved that we’re not under a system of works?  Can you imagine what it would be like to constantly worry about doing enough good things to counteract all the evil you’ve done?  Can you imagine the stress of making a mistake?  Aren’t you relieved that the blood of Christ is able to forgive all your past, present and future sins?

What a relief!  The grace of God is amazing!

 

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Romans 5:15 – But the free gift is not like the trespass.  For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

In our prior post we saw Paul making a comparison between Adam and Christ.  Adam allowed sin into the world.  Whether by imputation or by actual trespass, sin was found in every single human being after Adam.  And since sin results in death, every person ever born is under the physical and spiritual curse of death.  That’s the bad news.  

Now Paul will discuss the good news – the work of Jesus overcomes death and brings life to those who trust in him.  The life he brings is much more powerful than sin.  In verses 15-17, Paul shows how the free gift of God bestows blessings that are far beyond the consequences of Adam’s offence (sin).

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul is in the midst of a comparison between the effects of Adam’s sin and the effects of Christ’s sacrifice.  His main point is to show that the benefits of salvation are far, far greater than the evils of sin. 

There is a greater measure of grace procured by Christ than of condemnation given through Adam.  Grace abounds because salvation doesn’t just cancel out our sin, it showers us with additional blessings.

DIGGING DEEPER:  But the free gift is not like the trespass:  The trespass mentioned in this verse (your translation may say offence) refers to the fall of Adam from his state of obedience into a state of sin. 

The free gift Paul is talking about is the righteousness of Christ, which justifies us in the sight of God.  We call it grace or salvation.  It is a gift from God to us:

Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

As with all gifts, it is free to the one who receives it.  In other words, we didn’t contribute to our own salvation in any way.  We did nothing to deserve it or earn it.  There was no way we could purchase it.  Paul is especially pointing out that the Jews can’t obtain it by being circumcised or keeping the law (neither can the Gentiles, for that matter).

All we did was accept the gift by faith in Christ.  Through his obedience and sacrifice, he paid the full price for our justification. 

Question: What does Paul mean when he says the trespass and the free gift are ‘not like’ each other?

Answer:  He means they differ in scope and extent, as explained below.  

For if many died through one man’s trespass:  ‘Many’ means the whole human race, both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 5:18).  Paul asserts that as the result of Adam’s initial sin, death reigns in the life of every person on earth.  He doesn’t say how this was done (through imputation or trespass), he simply states the undeniable truth of the situation – through one sin, the whole human race was doomed.

Much more the grace of God:  Grace is the divine favor, kindness and mercy of God which he bestows on mankind.  Grace includes salvation.    

Salvation is not simply the forgiveness of sin.  As Paul has already shown, it includes forgiveness, peace, joy, hope of future glory, the gift of Holy Spirit, an assurance of a future in heaven, restoration of our relationship as God’s children, the ability to rejoice in God himself (his attributes) and much more.

Now pause here for a minute and consider what you know about our heavenly Father.  Based on his attributes, his word and what you personally know about him, what level or measure of grace would you expect him to give us?  Would he be stingy and miserly or would he be generous and bountiful?

Obviously, because of the nature of God, we would expect him to grant us an overflowing, super-abundance of good.  We have every reason to believe that the amount and scope of the grace/good things he gives us through Christ will FAR exceed the evil that resulted from sin.  And that is exactly what we find:   

• Sin separated us from God.  Salvation not only grants us forgiveness, it exceeds evil by giving us an intimate relationship with God and full access to his presence. 
• Sin brought death to every aspect of our lives – our finances, our relationships, our health, etc.  Salvation not only gives us life, it far exceeds evil by restoring what was lost and blessing our future. 
• Sin made us hopeless for the future.  Salvation not only gives us hope, it exceeds evil by giving us purpose:

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

We might also look at it this way – Adam was a mere mortal man.  If his sin was able to bring wrath upon his natural seed (mankind), how much more will the obedience of Christ (who is fully God as well as fully man) be able to impart immeasurable life and blessing to all his spiritual seed.

 And the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ:  Paul’s main point centers on the phrase ‘one man’.  He is drawing a parallel between Adam and Jesus.  By one man (Adam) sin and death entered the world.  Also by one man (Jesus Christ) God has brought salvation PLUS other amazing blessings as well.  These are available to the whole world.  They are obtained by faith in Christ.

Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Has abounded:  Again, note Paul’s emphasis on the abundance of gifts and blessings given to us through Christ.  God never gives us barely enough; he is a God of abundance. He gave us a tsunami of mercy and grace which overwhelm the evil that plagues mankind.  

We can’t help but notice that Adam’s sin was selfish.  He was motivated by a desire to satisfy his own lust and to obtain good things for himself.  He rebelled against God to get what he wanted:

Genesis 3:6 – So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Jesus’ sacrifice was selfless.  He was motivated by love and compassion and a desire to reconcile mankind to the Father, saving us from eternal death.  In order to do this, he made himself completely obedient to the Father, even though that obedience meant death on the cross:

Philippians 2:8 – And being found in human form, he [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

So we see that the restoration brought by Christ was for the good of the entire race; it has abounded for many.

Romans 5:16 – And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin.  For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Here is another way in which the effects of the work of Christ differ from the effects of the sin of Adam.  Specifically, guilt and judgment came upon all people through the one sin of Adam.  The one sacrifice of Christ covers all/every sin that people have ever or will ever commit.    

In other words, the gift of Christ exceeds the sin of Adam in sheer volume. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  The free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin:  Paul points out another way in which the effects of the work of Christ differ from the effects of the sin of Adam. 

Just to reiterate, the ‘free gift’ refers to the benefits resulting from the work of Jesus (including salvation/forgiveness).  The ‘result of one man’s sin’ refers to the original sin of Adam; sin came from that one crime.

For the judgment following one trespass:   In this verse judgment is used in the traditional sense – the sentence passed by a judge for guilt.  It is the declared penalty for wrongdoing.  Specifically, it refers to the sentence which God passed upon Adam for his one offence, which left the human race in ruin. 

Brought condemnation:  The effect of the one sin of Adam was to produce condemnation for mankind; all of us were placed under the sentence of the law and declared transgressors.  Thus, all humans are subject to both physical and spiritual death.

But the free gift following many trespasses brought justification:  While the judgement and sentence from a single sin result in guilt and condemnation, the free gift takes the form of justification for multiple sins. What a glorious contrast! 

The justification of Christ absolves us not only of the guilt of Adam’s original sin, but of the countless offences we commit throughout life.  In other words, the sacrifice of Christ is so powerful, it can forgive every single offence committed by every single person for the entirety of time.  

Furthermore, it doesn’t matter what the sin/offence is; there is no sin which cannot be forgiven.  Christ offers freedom and deliverance and restoration from murder, envy, lust, greed, gossip, lying, hate, (insert your sin here), etc. 

The fact is, every single fault and offence committed by the entire human race for all time is atoned for by the one, single sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 10:10 - …we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 9:12 - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he [Jesus] entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

God’s people can rejoice knowing that Christ forgives our past, present and future sins.  Just as we keep sinning, he keeps forgiving us when we repent.  He does not do this with stinginess; he freely and liberally justifies us because we are loved by the Father, Son and Spirit! 

Clearly, grace abounds!  Clearly the one single sacrifice of Christ is far superior and far more powerful than the one, single sin of Adam!

Here is something else to consider:  Since the sacrifice of Christ was more than enough to atone for all sin, then his sacrifice defeated death and as a result we would expect all people to be raised from physical death on the last day.  This is exactly what we find in scripture: 

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 - For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

(See also John 11:24, I Corinthians 15, Mark 12:18-27, etc.).  However, resurrection from physical death does not guarantee spiritual life.  All of us will be resurrected physically; some to eternal spiritual life and some to eternal spiritual death:

John 5:28-29 - …an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

What is the status of your relationship to God?  Are you in intimate fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit or has your relationship grown cold as the result of neglect?  How much do you read his word?  Do you hide it in your heart?  Do you recognize sin in yourself, or do you think you have achieved perfection?  As you meditate on the superior benefits of the gift Christ provided, you might want to take an inventory of your own life and make some changes, if necessary.

Romans 5:17 – For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  This verse is a reiteration of what was said in verse 16.   It might be stated this way – Christ far surpasses Adam.  The sin/rebellion of one is overcome by the righteousness/obedience of the other; the curse of one is made void by the grace of the other.  The death which comes from one is obliterated by the life which the other bestows.

Why would Paul repeat himself?  I believe he wants the reader to stop and reflect on the goodness of God.  He wants us to realize or be mindful that the grace of God is FAR superior to the power of sin.  This will add joy and fullness to our everyday lives.  It will give us yet another reason to share Christ with others.  It will result in spontaneous praise and worship to God.  Also, it brings us to the conclusion that each person must trust in Christ rather than in his own works/righteousness.  This was especially important in the early Roman church. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  For if, because of one man’s trespass death reigned through that one man:  The result of Adam’s one sin was death for all people.  As we already noted, death is personified as a king who relentlessly pursues the destruction of mankind, one person at a time.

Much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness:   Paul once again points out that if one man’s sin caused death for all, how much more do we have reason to believe that those who are delivered from sin by Christ are accepted of God and will reign with him in life. 

It should be noted that the free gift of righteousness does not refer to personal holiness (that is obtained through the ongoing work of Holy Spirit), but to the righteousness of Christ which we receive by an act of faith.  This gift leaves no room for personal boasting.  Instead, it gives us reason for thankfulness.

Reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ:   Life stands opposed to the state of death that reigned because of Adam’s sin.  Life is complete freedom from condemnation as well as temporal and spiritual death.  This life is available to us through the work of Christ. 

After he imparts life to us, we will reign with him.  This is the eventual and certain outcome of the saints of God: 

Revelation 22:5 – And night will be no more.  They [Christians, servants of God] will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

The word ‘reign’ is often applied to the saints in heaven (Revelation 5:10, 20:6).  It means that Christians will be exalted to a state of complete bliss in heaven – we will be triumphant over all enemies, we will have ultimate victory, and we will eternally share in the splendors of heaven along with Christ (Revelation 3:21).  Hallelujah!

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

Has your spiritual life become ho-hum, mundane or even boring?  If so, perhaps you’ve forgotten that the grace of God is not simply the forgiveness of sin.  It is so much more!!

The grace of God is overflowing and abundant.  It opens doors for victory in this life, for meaningful work in his kingdom, and for restoration of the dead areas of your life (just to name a few).  All these benefits (and more) are freely available to us through the work of Christ. 

If you are not experiencing excitement in your salvation, then now is the time to remind yourself of the benefits God has freely given to you. 

What would you like to accomplish in this life for the kingdom?  What dead area of your life do you want to see restored?  Where do you need a victory?  What is your purpose in life?  Who is the person you want to introduce to Christ?

Remember, all things are possible with God!  Begin to lean into him and follow the promptings of Holy Spirit so you can live the exciting, joyous, fruitful, victorious life that Christ has provided for you.   

I Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned –

Welcome back, dear readers!  So far in this letter, Paul has shown that man has no means to justify himself in God’s sight.  But there is good news.  He has also clearly established the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ.  He is now in the midst of showing us the benefits of this doctrine.  Here is what he has shown so far:

• Justification by faith produces peace (Romans 5:1). 
• Justification by faith produces joy in us because of the assurance of future glory (Romans 5:2). 
• The joy and assurance we receive sustains us during afflictions and hardships (Romans 5:3-4). 
• Justification by faith includes the invaluable ministry of Holy Spirit in our lives (Romans 5:3-4).   
• Justification by faith guarantees our salvation, because Christ died for it (Romans 5:6); this is the highest expression of the love of God for us (Romans 5:7-8). 
• Justification by faith restores the relationship between God and man, making us the children or friends of God (Romans 5:9-10).   
• Being the children/friends of God gives us peace and joy; it allows us to rejoice in God himself (his character and attributes) (Romans 5:11).

As we move on, here is something to keep in mind: many bible scholars consider the rest of this chapter to be one of the most difficult passages in the entire New Testament.  It is highly unlikely that we will fully understand every single nuance of meaning that Paul is expressing in this passage.  Nevertheless, there is still benefit in studying it.  Whatever level of wisdom and insight we discover is not only useful now, it can also be used as a foundation for future study.  So, let’s dig in.

Beginning in verse 12 Paul gives us the bigger picture.  He shows the great evil which was introduced into the world by sin, and then proceeds to prove that the benefits of atonement/justification are far greater than the evil mankind allowed into the world.  Keep this in mind – it is the general scope of the remainder of this chapter.   

Paul’s goal is to call our attention to the work of Christ and the plan of justification he brought forth.  Paul will show that as evil as sin is, the atoning work of Christ is far superior.  It is bigger, greater, deeper, richer, fuller and more glorious than anything we have considered so far.  It is the greatest gift that has ever been given.   

His point is made through a comparison of the ‘first’ Adam (who allowed sin into the world – see verse 12) and the ‘second’ Adam, Jesus Christ (who brought life and righteousness into the world – see verse 17).  Through some complex reasoning, Paul proves what was lost by Adam is fully restored by Jesus.  As a secondary theme, Paul also continues to show that both Jews and Greeks/Gentiles find redemption through Christ. 

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Adam was responsible for allowing sin into the world.  Sin, in turn, brought death into the world.  From that moment forward, every single person who was born was born a sinner.  Because we are all sinners, we are all under the curse of death.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Just as sin came into the world through one man:  Most of you reading this blog are familiar with the sin of Adam and Eve.  However, now is a good time to give ourselves a quick reminder of the facts. 

God created Adam from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7).  He made Eve using the rib of Adam (Genesis 2:21-22). This couple was given the task of managing the garden of Eden on behalf of God (Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 2:15).  They were allowed to eat all of the produce of the land with one notable exception:  They were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which was in the middle of the garden:

Genesis 2:16-17 – And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

(Keep this verse in mind because it plays a central role in Paul’s discussion.)  Through the serpent, Satan planted seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind/heart about the goodness, truthfulness, faithfulness and love of God.  She apparently relayed these thoughts to Adam and the two of them chose to rebel against God by eating from the tree (Genesis 3:1-7).  Through their actions, sin entered the world and it affected the entirety of creation – mankind, the animal kingdom and the earth itself.  This is often called the original sin.

It might be argued that Eve was the first to sin, so she should be used as Paul’s example.  But the thing to keep in mind is that Paul is not showing the order in which sin entered the world, but how it was propagated or passed down to future generations.  Since man sows his seed into the woman and thus propagates the next generation of humans, sin is said to be passed through Adam.

And death through sin:   The end result of sin is always death (Romans 6:23, James 1:15, I Corinthians 15:56).  In fact, sin and death are inseparable; they are like Siamese twins, so when sin came into the world death automatically came too.  This is true in both a physical and spiritual sense. 

Physically, every single person will die.  In some sense, we could say that we are physically born into death, because death is the final outcome for every person. 

The same is true spiritually.  We are born into sin, which has alienated us from God.  Unless we are justified by faith in Christ Jesus, we will remain under the curse of spiritual death for eternity.

So death spread to all men:  In our current study, the critical thing to understand is this:  Adam was more than just an individual.  He was the father of the human race.  Everything he did affected his offspring. 

At the beginning of creation, Adam received the gifts of God, the calling/authority of God (as manager/steward of the earth) and the favor of God on behalf of all mankind.  In other words, these blessings were to be transferred from him to all future generations of his offspring.

Therefore, when Adam rebelled against God and embraced sin/death, this became part of the legacy that he passed on to every single human offspring. 

Think of it this way:  You can’t give someone something you don’t have.  You might desire to give your kids a million dollars, but if you don’t have it, you can’t pass it on.  Once Adam corrupted his own nature with sin, there was literally no way he could produce sinless offspring because he himself was no longer sinless. 

Thus, every single person is born under the curse of sin and death; it is the inheritance of our forefather Adam.

Now before you start grumbling about Adam, keep in mind that each one of us has made the exact same choice multiple times.  Every sin we commit is by way of our own free will; we too choose to rebel against the righteous commands of God.  By choosing death over life and rebellion over obedience we have sealed our own destruction without any help from Adam.

Because all sinned:  Here is where the difficulties begin.  This small phrase has sparked decades of argument and differences of opinion among Christians.  These concepts will be discussed more fully in verse 13, so fasten your seatbelts!   

Romans 5:13 - … for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

Before we jump into this verse, I want to make sure we understand that the thought Paul began in verse 12 is not actually completed until verse17.  The verses in between (13-16) are regarded as a parenthetical; they give us more detail about the ways in which man sinned. 

Taken together, the main thought in the last half of this chapter goes something like this:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned …[how] much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Paul is comparing the consequences of one man’s sin (Adam) to the consequences of one man’s sacrifice (Jesus).  It is important that we keep this in mind, as Paul’s argument will take a few twists and turns along the way, and we don’t want to lose sight of his main point.   

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Some of Paul’s readers might argue that you can’t break the law if there isn’t any law to break.  People undoubtedly sinned before the law, but how could they be liable to death, since they couldn’t be charged with a violation?

DIGGING DEEPER:  For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given:  The ‘time before the law was given’ refers to the period of time between the creation of Adam and the giving of the Mosaic Law on Mount Sinai, after Israel was rescued from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 19-20).  This is a time period of approximately 2500 years.   

There can be no question that during this time, men sinned.  Evil and wickedness were rampant in the generation of Noah, at the Tower of Babel, in the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and their families, in the Egyptians, and in the Canaanites.  Sin and corruption were firmly rooted in the human race as a whole.

But sin is not counted where there is no law:   Someone might argue that even though mankind obviously sinned during this period, they could not be held guilty because sin is a violation of the law and where there is no law there can be no violation.

It is true that there must be a law in place before that law can be violated.  For example, in our previous discussion we pointed out that if there is no posted speed limit on a particular road, drivers cannot be cited for speeding no matter how fast they go.

However, sin was obviously producing death, so some law must have been broken by someone at some point.  Bible commentators differ in their interpretation of what occurred and what law(s) were broken.  Let’s look at the main theories. 

One - Some bible commentators believe the ancient world was governed by the law of nature/conscience.  This refers to a sense of right and wrong written on the hearts/minds of every person.  Any violation of conscience was a sin.  

Under this theory, men and women in the ancient world broke the law of their conscience, which would result in a charge of sin which automatically triggered a sentence of death.  In other words, each person was held accountable for their own personal sin.    

Two - Other scholars point to what is known as the ‘positive law of God’.  This refers to the direct commands of God given to mankind.  For example, God expressly forbid Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil:

Genesis 2:16-17 – And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Since Adam and Eve broke the specific command God gave them, it was sin.  Under this theory, failure to keep any of the positive or revealed laws of God would result in sin and eventual death. 

The difficulty with this theory is that while we know all people from Adam to Moses died, we can’t be sure that every single one of them knew about the positive commands of God.

Three – Theory number three moves straight to the fact that death existed in the world and since death is the result of sin, then by default man broke some kind of a known law which existed in the ancient world. 

It could have been a positive law of God or it could have been the law of nature, or some suggest it could have been the law of tradition (right and wrong as taught by your parents), or maybe even a law we don’t know about.  The breaking of this law was sin which resulted in death.  

Think of it this way:  Let’s suppose that you went out into your backyard this spring and you discovered a nest of baby bunnies.  You look around, but you don’t see any adult rabbits.  However, we know that baby bunnies are the result of the union between an adult male rabbit and an adult female rabbit.  Therefore, even though we don’t see these rabbits or know any details about them, we can be 100% certain they exist, because we see/experience the results of their existence – the baby bunnies.    

Now let’s circle back to the scripture at hand.  It is a well-established truth that sin brings death.  Since people living in the time period between Adam and the Mosaic law suffered death, then by default they sinned by breaking a known law.  According to this theory, we don’t necessarily have to pinpoint the exact law(s) they broke; we just know they broke them. 

Four – Theory four says that individual sins could not be directly charged against people because there was not a universal law known to all.  This theory maintains that the original sin of Adam (rebellion against a positive/direct command of God by eating from the tree) was imputed or charged to every single person who was an offspring of Adam.    

In other words, sin was imputed to each individual member of the human race as a result of Adam’s sin; every person born of the seed of Adam is born into sin.  Again, the thought is that once Adam sinned, he could not pass on a sinless nature to his children.  Everyone received a nature already tainted by sin and already infected with death.   

This does NOT mean that each individual during the specified time period (from Adam until the Mosaic law) was innocent of personal transgression.  Obviously, we know that is not true. 

Rather, it means that through Adam’s transgression, all people are born with the seeds of corruption and death already rooted within their natures.  People are not only born into sin, they add to that sin by nurturing and watering those seeds with every conceivable form of moral depravity and rebellion.

Regardless of which theory you believe to be correct, the bottom line is the same:  As the result of sin, death reigned over all of mankind.      

Side Note:  Paul proves that the law is not the cause of death.  The law merely defines our sin and pronounces the appropriate penalty for it.  It is obvious that sin is the cause of death, since sin and death existed in the period between Adam and the Mosaic Law. 

Romans 5:14 – Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  The Jewish Christians believed that redemption by Christ was a kind of counterpart to the Mosaic law.  Paul shows that redemption was something much, much greater - it was the counterpart or remedy for all sin/evil (including death) introduced by Adam.  ‘All’ includes every sin whether or not it was a violation of a positive command of God.  

DIGGING DEEPER:  Yet death reigned:  Death (the wages of sin) reigned over all of mankind from Adam until Moses.  Therefore, one of two things must be true – there was some kind of known law that each person broke or Adam’s sin was imputed to all of his offspring.  Regardless of how the sin was manifested, it brought death to everyone. 

In this passage, death is personified as a king who rules over all generations with a cold iron fist.  No one wishes to be in his presence, for his only gifts are grief, woe, tears and desolation.  His reign is absolute and universal; whether young/old, rich/poor, male/female, slave/free all eventually bow down to him - no one escapes.  

Paul’s point is this:  The fact that people died is full proof that they were sinners.

Side Note:  The reign of death would be eternal, if it weren’t for the gospel and the salvation purchased by Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!  

I Corinthians 15:26 – The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.  

From Adam to Moses:  As we already noted, the time period in question is a span of about 2500 years.  The bookends for this period are the positive law of God given to Adam in the Garden of Eden (don’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil) and the Mosaic Law given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai.     

Even over those whose sin was not like the transgression of Adam:  Adam’s sin was the breaking of a positive command of God. 

But that was not the case for every person who lived during that 2500 year time period.  Some of them sinned by breaking the laws of nature/conscience.  Some broke the laws of tradition.  Some may have broken a revealed law of God that we do not know about.  

Alternatively, all may have been counted as sinners through the imputed sin of Adam. 

Regardless, in all cases the end result is the same:  Sin which resulted in physical and spiritual death.    

Who was a type:  In this case, type means pattern or parallel.  Paul uses the word ‘type’ to show that there were certain similarities between Adam and Christ: 

• Adam was created by God in a sinless state; Christ was born into this world pure and free of sin. 
• Adam was created to be the ruler of the garden/world; Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  All things are subjected to his authority (Hebrews 2:8).  
• Adam was the covenant head to all his offspring.  In other words, he entered into an agreement with God to steward the creation and this covenant was passed to his offspring.  Christ entered into an agreement with God to justify creation.  He is the covenant head of salvation, which he passes down to all who are his offspring (all who place their faith in him for justification). 

Perhaps more importantly, we find a pattern or parallel between the results of the conduct of Adam and the results of the work of Christ: 

• Adam was the root of sin.  By his disobedience death came upon all men. 
• Jesus is the root of holiness.  By his obedience, life is restored to all men. 

Of the one who was to come:  This phrase was commonly used by the Jews as a reference to the Messiah (Luke 24:21, John 11:27, Hebrews 10:37). 

Again, Paul is pointing out a similarity between the results of the conduct of Adam and the effects of the work of Christ. In Adam all die; in Christ all are made alive.  Since death came into the world by man (Adam), so by man (Jesus) also came life/resurrection:  

I Corinthians 15:21-22 – For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection on of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Thus, what was lost by Adam’s sin is restored by Christ’s righteousness. The work of Christ is much, much more than just a counterpart to the law.  Because he is the remedy for all sin of every kind in every generation, salvation cannot be limited to the Jews. 

God, who is more ready to pardon than punish, made salvation available to all who fell under sin - all of mankind.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

With the exception of Jesus, the sin of Adam affected every person who has been or will be born.  The things you and I do are not quite so powerful, nevertheless we too have the ability to affect those around us.

Our actions have often been compared to a rock thrown into a still pond, which causes ripples to travel across the entire body of water.  This is an accurate analogy, because the things we do and say have the power to affect others. 

This very day, you and I have opportunities to speak to others.  Instead of speaking death and destruction, let’s choose to speak words of encouragement, righteousness and life. 

This very day, you and I have opportunities to help/minister to others.  Instead of passing by, let’s choose to stop and be good Samaritans, showing the love of Christ to those who have been beaten down by evil. 

May everything we say and do today be a rock which causes ripples of God’s love to touch those around us.

Let me offer you some relief and strength:

As we noted in today’s post, Bible scholars have argued for years and years about the propagation of sin in the lives of mankind.  Was Adam’s sin imputed to us, or were men charged with individually breaking the law? 

In the end, it really doesn’t matter.  Facts are facts – all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  The only really significant question before us is this:  What will we do about our sin?

If you are reading this blog and you have never given your life or Christ, or if you were a Christian at some point but your love and service to Christ have grown cold, today is the day to make things right:

II Corinthians 6:2 - …Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Don’t let the author of death, chaos and confusion (Satan) rule your life anymore.  Bow your head now and cry out to Jesus for forgiveness.  You can speak to him in your own words; just sincerely confess your sin and ask for his forgiveness.  Acknowledge his atoning sacrifice and invite him to be the Lord of your life. 

If you need help, you can use this prayer as written or as a guide to help you:

Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I need and want Your forgiveness. I accept Your death as the penalty for my sin, and recognize that Your mercy and grace is a gift You offer to me because of Your great love, not based on anything I have done. Cleanse me and make me Your child. By faith I receive You into my heart as the Son of God and as Savior and Lord of my life. From now on, help me live for You, with You in control.
In Your precious name, Amen

 

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Romans 5:6 – For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.    

In our prior post, we discovered that Christians who are justified through faith in Christ receive a number of benefits from our heavenly Father.  These include peace with God, admission into the grace and favor of God, and the hope of future blessings/glory of God.  All of these things give us reasons to rejoice. 

We can also rejoice during trials and afflictions because of the fruit they produce in our lives - patience, character and hope. 

In today’s post Paul gives us further reasons to rejoice.  Not surprisingly, these too are based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Let’s take a closer look.    

GENERAL SUMMARY:  No human being has the power or strength to produce their own justification and thus reconcile themselves to God.  However, through the death and resurrection of Christ, God provided a solution which magnified his mercy by securing our salvation while at the same time honoring his hatred of sin and fulfilling his divine justice.  Only God could do such a thing!   His love for us is clearly displayed in this work.

DIGGING DEEPER:  While we were still weak:  In the original Greek, the word translated ‘weak’ is usually used in a physical sense.  It is applied to people who are sick, feeble or touched by disease (Matthew 25:39, Acts 5:15, etc.). 

However, in this verse it is used in a moral sense.  Paul is specifically using it to say that no one had the power or strength to resist sin.  Neither did anyone have the ability to justify themselves/atone for their sin, or to deliver themselves from the wrath of God.  

Obviously, this situation describes mankind as a whole, because in Romans 1-2 Paul proved that both Jews and Gentiles were unable to live righteous lives.

But we can also apply this truth to each individual person.  Each one of us were born into sin and found ourselves under the wrath of God from day one.  Because we have no power to justify ourselves, we remained enemies of God until the time when we accepted Christ by faith.

So, the time ‘we were still weak’ refers to the period of time that each of us spent apart from God.  It began when we were born (or reached the age of accountability) and it ended once we were reconciled to God through Christ. 

For some, this was a short time span, perhaps under ten years.  For others, it may have been decades.  For the person who did not accept Christ until on their death bed, it could be classified as an entire lifetime.

At the right time:  This phrase has several interpretations. 

First, it may be viewed as the ‘proper’ time – the time when all of mankind’s efforts to keep the Law or to live righteously under the law of nature proved futile.  Despite the enlightened reason of the Greeks and Romans, and despite the efforts/works of the Jews, nothing was found which could save mankind.

Had Christ come immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve, the pride of mankind would no doubt have insisted that we could have eventually redeemed ourselves.  In this scenario, we would never have fully realized how desperate and hopeless our circumstances were/are.

On the other hand, had Christ delayed his coming until the final moments of time, the faith of the church may not have withstood such a long test.

But God, who is perfect in all of his ways, sent Christ into the world at the ‘proper’ time.  

Second, it may be viewed as the ‘fixed’ time – the time which God had appointed for the coming of his Son.  This time was established by the wisdom of the Trinity before the world was formed, and had been spoken of by the prophets.

Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

(See also Genesis 49:10, Daniel 9:24-27, John 8:20, 17:1, 13:1). 

Third, it might be viewed as the ‘most favorable’ time – the time when the societies of the world were best positioned for the spread of the gospel.  At the time of the incarnation, most of the world was governed by a single empire (Rome).  Thus, there was a single currency, an official language, and a consistent set of laws.  Plus, there was a large portion of the world living in at peace.  This, coupled with an amazing system of roads, made it possible for the rapid spread of the gospel throughout the known world.  

 Any or all of these explanations can define the ‘right’ time.  What we can say for sure is that God knew exactly when to send Christ into the world to provide redemption for us.  

Christ died:  The death of Christ is an undisputed fact.  It was foretold in prophesy, it was exemplified in the blood sacrifices of the temple, it was revealed by Christ himself both before his death and after his resurrection.  It was the bedrock of the ministry of the apostles.  It is one of the great articles of the Christian faith.  Even his enemies have never denied it.

The death and resurrection of Christ is also the most tangible, distinct and infallible proof of the love of God for mankind.  Take a moment to think about it – Jesus is an equal part of the divine Trinity, yet he agreed to leave the splendor of heaven, set his glory aside, and limit himself by taking on a human body of flesh.  He came to earth out of love for us, but when he offered himself as a sacrifice for our sin, mankind rejected, abused, mocked and even cursed him.  God appointed him (and he agreed) to suffer the full penalty of God’s wrath for a group of ungodly, unworthy, and rebellious people. What further proof of his love could God possibly give us?   

For the ungodly:  The ungodly are simply sinners, whether Jews or Greeks/Gentiles.  They are the same people referred to as those ‘without strength’.

Just how ungodly was mankind?  Scripture gives us an idea of the terrible progression of sin and rebellion in our lives:

Mankind’s fall from God: Having fallen into sin, mankind is without the spiritual strength to live in the state of holiness and righteousness in which we were created.

We then progress to a state of ungodliness:  Having lost the ability to do what is just and holy, we no longer have the ability to worship/serve God as we should.  We no longer allow God to constantly abide in our hearts or minds.  Thus, we move further and further away from righteousness while falling further and further into sin and depravity (see Romans chapter one).    

From ungodliness we move into a constant state of sin:  We no longer have a true moral or spiritual foundation.  True rest and satisfaction are only found in God, but since we don’t know him, we search for these things in the world.  This results in frustration, futility and deception.  The ultimate outcome is even more transgression against God, which results in us earning even more wrath.

Eventually, we become enemies of God:  Because we have indulged in sin, it has increased in strength; it is now fixed and rooted in every aspect of our lives.  Our hearts and minds have been poisoned with it to the point that we hate God and are cruel to our fellow man.

In the midst of all our rebellion and evil, Jesus died for the benefit of (or instead of) the ungodly (see also I Timothy 2:6, Luke 22:19, etc.).  Why would he agree to do that?  It was love that motivated him:

Ephesians 5:2 - And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.    

As a side note, let’s ask this question:  Have you ever noticed that some sinners are more evil than others?  Why is that?  Why doesn’t everyone sink to the lowest possible level of depravity?   

The answer is that even though all of us were born with seeds of evil in our hearts, we cultivate them differently.  Some people are restrained from utter evil by societal, parental or religious restraint.  Some people listen to their consciences, while others do not.  Some people have more freedom/opportunity to sin than others.  This results in different levels of sinfulness and depravity. 

The good news is that there is no sin which God cannot forgive.  Anyone can be touched by the power and influence of Holy Spirit, who convicts us of sin and calls us to repentance, thus breaking the cycle of evil in our lives:

John 16:8 - And when he [Holy Spirit] is come, he will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…

Romans 5:7 – For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die –

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Verse six showed the immense love of God by sending Jesus to die for our sin.  Verses 7-8 show just how remarkable that love is by comparing the love/actions of God towards us (John 3:16, Galatians 2:20) to the love of one man for another.  

Paul concludes that there may be an instance where a person would lay down his life to save that of a friend, but that friend would have to be an extraordinary individual of eminent worth or goodness (in our eyes). The implication is that no human is going to be willing to die for a person who has no goodness or worth; yet that is exactly what Christ has done.

The love of Christ, displayed in his sacrifice for sinners, far transcends any human example of love; it is matchless and unparalleled. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  For one will scarcely die:  It is possible that at some point during the course of history we could find a person who laid down their life for another.  But that event would be very rare.  When it did occur, it would only happen with great difficulty soul-searching.  

For a righteous person:   The ‘righteous’ or ‘good’ person mentioned in this verse refers to a man or woman who appears to be righteous/good in the sight of others because of good works, or because they promote the public good, or because they have produced some benefit to mankind (like a scientist who makes a medical break-through).  It doesn’t refer to someone who is righteous in God’s sight.   

As ‘good’ as this person may seem to be by our standards, the vast majority of people would still not die so that ‘good’ person could live.

Though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die:   Again, although it is highly unlikely, a circumstance might arise in which a person would lay down their life for another individual which they consider ‘good’ – a person who exhibits kindness, goodness or charity; perhaps a person who is our friend.  The average person would be much more likely to die in place of a friend than an enemy, or even someone they don’t know.

John 15:13 – Greater love has no one that this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Some bible commentators suggest that the friendship of David and Jonathan may have risen to this level, but this is speculation because neither man died for the other.  The bottom line is that it is extremely rare for someone to die in place of another person.

Romans 5:8 - … but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  God is very different from man.  He proved his love for us by sending his beloved Son to die for us, even though we were neither righteous nor good.

DIGGING DEEPER:  But God shows his love to us:  God manifests his love to us in a remarkable and amazing way – by the death of his beloved Son.  This action has so fully demonstrated his love, that there can be no doubt about it.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  

This action firmly establishes both the love of Christ, who was willing to be born in the flesh and give up his life, and the love of God, who was willing to give up his Son for us.  It also implies the love of Holy Spirit, because the Trinity is always in perfect agreement.  

In that while we were yet sinners:  As we saw in verse seven, there is a remote possibility that a man (or woman) might possibly die for another person if that person had some notable goodness in their life.

God, on the other hand, sent his Son to die for us even though we were corrupt sinners with no redeeming value.    

It should also be noted that God’s love (which is certain, pure and perfect) was not a response to the love of man.  He loved us before we had any interest in him at all (I John 4:19).  God’s love originates in his divine nature and it is poured out upon us as a result of his sovereign will and pleasure.  We did nothing to earn or deserve it.

I John 4:10 – In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Christ died for us:  Christ died in our place; by dying on the cross he made it possible for us to be justified in the sight of God, and to be delivered from God’s wrath.  This is the ultimate proof of God’s love for us.

Romans 5:9 – Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  God’s love to man is expressed/proved in the gift of Christ.  Through the death of Christ mankind is justified in God’s sight.  Through the resurrection and life of Christ, mankind experiences salvation and escapes the wrath of God.   

DIGGING DEEPER: Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood:  As you know, we are justified in God’s sight through the atoning death of Jesus Christ.  This statement focuses our attention on the fact that it was the DEATH of Christ that provided justification for us. 

Much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God:  This statement focuses our attention on the fact that the RESURRECTION/LIFE of Christ provides for our salvation.

The connection between the life of Jesus (his resurrection after the crucifixion and entombment) and our salvation is clear.  Because he lives, we live also:

John 14:19 - Yet a little while, and the world sees me [Jesus] no more; but you see me: because I live, you shall live also.  

The resurrection of Christ was a confirmation that God was pleased with his obedience.  His ascension and life are confirmation of his role as the Mediator between God and man.  In his role as Mediator, Jesus will function as our advocate before God.  If (or more accurately when) we sin, Jesus will intercede for our pardon based on his blood sacrifice:

I John 2:1-2 – My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Simply stated, in verses 9-10 Paul is pointing out the difference between justification (which is associated with Christ’s death) and salvation (which is associated with his resurrection/life).

Think of it this way: Justification is an instantaneous act of God, based on the death of Jesus.  When we embrace the sacrifice of Christ as payment for our sin, God instantly marks our account ‘paid in full’.  We are released from the debt of our sin because Jesus paid the price for it.     

Salvation, however, is not instantaneous.  It is a process:

Philippians 2:12 – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

I Peter 2:2 – As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby:

Hebrews 12:1 - …let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Even though we are children of God, we will continue to experience trials and temptations.  We will continue to stumble and fall and get up again as we grow from spiritual babies into mature spiritual soldiers in the kingdom of God.

Our salvation will only be fully realized once we are separated from our fallen natures/sinful flesh – in other words when we reach heaven.  In the meantime, Paul wants us to rest assured that if God was willing to justify us through the death of Christ, he will also, without question, guarantee our salvation/freedom from his wrath, through the resurrected life of Christ.   

Romans 5:10 – For if, while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Verse ten is really a repetition of verse nine.  Paul is making two points here:  

• Jesus redeemed us from sin through his humiliation and death on the cross.
• Now that Jesus lives and reigns in the place of exalted power and dominion, there is NO WAY that he will abandon us; his life is the guarantee of our ultimate salvation.

DIGGING DEEPER:  While we were enemies:  The work of justification was undertaken when we were still enemies of God.  This is significant because it shows that God was the one who initiated the work.  We know that whatever good work God begins, he always completes.  Thus, we have the assurance that God will perfect our salvation.

We were reconciled to God:  Christ removed the barrier between us and the Father, making it possible for us to be reconciled. 

He satisfied the demands of the law (which called for payment of our debt) and so upheld God’s justice.  He also subdued, changed and sanctified our hearts delivering us from rebellion and bringing us into submission to the authority of God. 

Thus, Jesus broke down the barriers on both sides, producing reconciliation.  Now we are the children of God, not his enemies.   

By the death of his Son:  The reconciliation just discussed was possible only through the death of Christ.  It could not be produced by the works of man or by the law.

Much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life:  We were justified by the death of Christ.  We live or are saved by the resurrected life of Christ.

Hebrews 7:24-25 - …but he [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.  Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

John 14:9 – Because I live, you shall live also.

Once again, verses 9-10 say the same thing:

• Reconciliation is the initial act that happens when we are justified in God’s sight.  It entails the removal of our sin and guilt which is made possible by the death of Christ.   
• Salvation is a process.  It is the means by which we are transformed into the image of Christ.  Salvation is guaranteed by the continued working of the risen Savior, through the power of Holy Spirit.  It is made possible by the life and power of the risen Christ. 

Romans 5:11 – More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  We not only rejoice in peace, in the hope of glory, and in tribulation (verses 2-3), we also rejoice and glory in God himself, who has become our God and merciful Father through the work of Christ Jesus.    

DIGGING DEEPER:  More than that:  Reconciliation is only the first of the blessings we receive when we have faith in Christ.  We can now rejoice that God is our Father because all enmity between us and God has been fully removed by Jesus Christ.

We also rejoice in God:  Our relationship with the Father is cause for rejoicing.  He is the fountain of all grace, peace, blessings and salvation. 

We can rejoice in his attributes like justice, mercy, truth, love, wisdom, faithfulness and holiness.  We can rejoice that God is omnipotent, omniscient, immutable and sovereign.  We can rejoice that he holds the keys of death, hell and the grave.  We can rejoice that we are sons and daughters of the Most High God. 

We can rejoice that God is who he says he is, and that he will do what he says he will do!

We can rejoice that our relationship with God is not passive.  In other words, it doesn’t only consist of receiving atonement - atonement is just the beginning!  Our relationship with him will forever grow and change as we learn more and more about him.  We will never run out of reasons to rejoice in God!

One of the functions of Holy Spirit is to produce a full conviction of the love of God in our hearts/minds.  This conviction produces our rejoicing and assures us of our final salvation.    

Through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation:   The only reason we can rejoice in God is because Jesus made it possible through his death and resurrection.  Only through him do we have a future hope.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Scripture tells us that God has prepared things for us that are so amazing and wonderful, we can’t even imagine them:

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.’

If you are going through a difficult time right now, encourage yourself with the thought that you are a child of God.  One day, Jesus will return to earth and escort us to heaven where there will be no more pain, sorrow or tears. 

Once there, we will NEVER be separated from God again!

Let me offer you some relief and strength:

Scripture tells us that we are not ignorant of Satan’s tactics.  We all know that he constantly tries to get us to take our eyes off of God and look at our circumstances instead. 

If he is successful, we will become fearful, depressed and anxious.  Our faith in the promises of God will waver.  If we aren’t careful, he will steal our joy and our victory.

The moment you realize that you are looking at the impossibility of your circumstances instead of the power of your God, stop and begin to rejoice. 

Remind yourself that God is all powerful, that he reigns forever, that he loves you, that his blessings are endless, and that he never fails.  Before you know it, you will be living in faith and walking in victory!

 

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Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Sinners are the natural enemies of God (Colossians 1:21).  Being an enemy of your Creator naturally produces anguish, turmoil and fear.  But once we place our faith in the atonement provided by Christ, our relationship with God is restored and peace replaces fear. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  Therefore:  Having been justified by faith, the Christian receives a number of benefits from our heavenly Father.  The first benefit Paul mentions is peace with God. 

Since we have been justified by faith:  Once again, it is prudent to clarify this phrase.  The act of believing does not justify us.  If it did, then in a sense we could say that our justification was the result of our own works. 

When Christians use the phrase ‘justified by faith’ what they really mean is that we are justified by God (Romans 8:33) through the death/shed blood and resurrection of Christ (Romans 5:9).  Faith is simply the way in which we receive that justification. 

You might think of it this way:  We often say that eating nourishes us, even though it’s the food (not the act of eating) that gives the nourishment.  The act of eating is the way we receive that nourishment.

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  Sinners are the enemies of God (Romans 8:7, Ephesians 2:16, James 4:4).  Because of this, the mind of an unrepentant sinner can never enjoy peace or rest.  Instead, the sinner is often agitated, anxious, fearful and hopeless because deep down, they are worried about the coming judgment/punishment of God; they have no hope for this life or for eternity.  

Isaiah 57:20-21 – “But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.  There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.” 

But when a sinner embraces the atoning sacrifice of Christ, everything changes!  Peace and calmness suddenly overtake his heart and mind, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.  Tranquility saturates the Christian’s entire being, because he (or she) is no longer under the judgment/wrath of God; they have passed from death to life:

John 5:24 – Truly, truly, I [Jesus] say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

The peace of God replaces all the fear and worry of judgment/condemnation that filled the sinner’s heart and mind prior to being forgiven: 

Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

(See also John 14:27, John 16:22, Acts 10:36, Galatians 6:15-16, etc.).  True peace comes exclusively through Christ; the world has absolutely nothing to do with it.  Because the world doesn’t give (or even contribute to) peace with God, it can’t take it away either. 

It’s no secret that as a Christian, you will still experience trials, hardships, loss and disappointment in this life.  However, because worldly circumstances cannot affect the peace that Christ brings us, we will always have peace during the storms of life.  What a comforting thought!

Romans 5:2 – Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  A second benefit to justification by faith is our admission into the grace and favor of God.  

DIGGING DEEPER:  Through him:  Admission into the grace and favor of God comes only through Jesus Christ.

Many commentators maintain that this is an even greater blessing than the peace previously mentioned by Paul.  Those who hold this view point out that a traitor may be pardoned by the king without receiving his favor or being admitted into his fellowship. 

For example, Absalom was pardoned by his father King David, but he was not allowed to see his father’s face (II Samuel 14:24).  This meant that Absalom had no real relationship with the king; he did not have the right to come into his presence, and he certainly did not expect any favors or blessings from David.

Likewise, God could have pardoned us from our sin without showering us with his favor and blessings.  Can you imagine how different life with be if that were the case?

We have obtained access by faith:  I know it’s annoying for me to keep repeating this, but I’m going to do so nonetheless… Faith is not an act which earns us a reward.  If it was, then we would technically be saved or blessed by our own works. 

Faith does not make us deserving of pardon; it merely positions us to be eligible to receive that gift.  In the same way, faith makes it possible for us to receive the favor and blessing of God, which are provided to us through Jesus Christ. 

Have you ever noticed that in scripture, Jesus is described as ‘the way’? 

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In other words, Jesus is the way or the means by which we can receive the blessings and favor of the Father.  He is the Mediator between God and man.  He introduces us into his Father’s presence, gives us a chance to come before his throne with our requests, and makes our service acceptable to him.  It is his intercession before the throne of God allows us to continue in our justified state.  Simply stated, all access to the Father (and his blessings) comes through faith in him.

Into his grace:  Grace is the divine favor of God towards mankind.  It includes love, kindness, mercy, pardon/reconciliation, etc.

In which we stand:  To stand is to constantly and firmly abide.  This indicates that faith is not a fickle belief that changes from day to day, nor does it dry up when trials come.  True faith is firmly rooted in the heart and it endures throughout life.  It allows us to stand firm against all the attacks of Satan and the temptations of the flesh. It allows us to have boldness, courage and freedom from fear as we submit to the will of God. 

Because we stand in faith, we constantly and firmly abide in the grace/divine favor of God.  Again, this is an incredible blessing.  Because of Christ’s mediation, every justified person is not only forgiven, they abide in the grace and favor of God. 

And we rejoice:  Justification in God’s sight naturally brings joy into our lives: 

Isaiah 12:3 – With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

(See also Isaiah 35:10, Isaiah 52:9, John 16:22-24, Acts 13:52, Romans 14:17, I Peter 1:8, etc.).  There is an old song that says, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” - and how true that is!

Every Christian should be living in a state of joy because we have been freed from sin and death.  As if that weren’t enough, God has chosen to shower us with blessings both now and in the age to come.  If you want some joy right now, think about this:  God has unknown heights and depths of blessing waiting for us in heaven!   

In hope:  Hope is a complicated emotion.  It consists of two parts: a desire for something and an expectation of obtaining it.  If either of these elements is missing, hope cannot exist. 

For example, suppose you wanted to keep a full-grown lion as a pet.  The desire for the lion is there, but there wouldn’t be any reasonable expectation of obtaining one, because it is illegal for a private citizen to own a wild animal.  So, you don’t have any real hope of having a lion as a pet.   

The opposite is also true.  Suppose you were one of the 10 richest people on the planet, but you had no desire to own an expensive car.  Even though you would have a reasonable expectation of getting any automobile you wanted, hope would not be present because you had no desire for it.

In the present case, Paul is saying that Christians have hope for the glory of God.  In other words, we have both an earnest desire for it and a confident expectation of obtaining it.  Let’s investigate this further.

Of the glory of God:   Glory means splendor, magnificence, distinction or honor.  In this passage, it refers to the everlasting honors, blessings and happiness which God has prepared for his people.  (It’s not the magnificence of God himself).  These honors and blessings have been promised to us by God, and he will give them to us through Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.

We will receive the full honors and blessings of redemption after we triumph in the completion of our earthly work, after we are finally free from sin and after God has wiped away every tear and removed all our pain.  In other words, we receive them once we get to heaven.

We are pilgrims here on earth, yet we know that a future inheritance awaits us in the next life.  As a Christian you should definitely have a desire to obtain that inheritance.  We serve God out of a motivation of love, but at the same time there is nothing wrong with encouraging yourself with thoughts of the joys of heaven.  Your desire for the blessings of heaven is one-half of your hope.

The other half of hope is a reasonable expectation of receiving what you desire.  Since God is the one that has promised us these blessings, we know that they are guaranteed to us.  Thus, we have hope for the glory of God!

Romans 5:3 – Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Clearly, Christians have solid reasons to look forward to the future blessings/glory of God.  But we also have reasons to rejoice now.  Although it seems strange on the surface, trials and afflictions give us reasons to rejoice because of the fruit they produce in our lives. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  Not only that: The future (eternity with God) holds many promises of blessing and rejoicing.  But believers have reasons to rejoice in this life too. 

But we rejoice in our sufferings:  Let’s begin by examining the word translated as ‘suffering’. 

Some bible scholars limit the definition of suffering to tribulations/difficulties that arise as a direct result of being a Christian, such as slander, abuse, punishment, discrimination, death, etc. 

For example, in Acts 16 Paul and Silas were beaten and put into prison for casting a demon out of a slave girl.  Under the first definition, this would qualify as suffering.

Other bible scholars believe that suffering includes all the trials of this life, even those situations that are not directly related to the gospel. 

For example, if you got into a car accident on your way to Walmart and you were permanently injured, that would qualify as suffering under the second definition. 

You are obviously free to decide which definition to believe, but for the purposes of our study, we will adopt the second definition – all suffering (even that which is not the direct result of the gospel) can result in rejoicing because God uses it to produce fruit in our lives. 

Romans 8:28 – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Knowing that suffering produces endurance:  Our study uses the English Standard Version of the bible, which uses the word ‘endurance’.  Your translation may say ‘perseverance’ or ‘patience’.  All these terms can be used interchangeably.

The question is, how does God use suffering to produce fruit in our lives?  It’s important that we know, so when hardship or suffering comes, we can view it correctly and rejoice in what God is doing.

Let’s begin by looking at the bigger picture.  How do trials/hardships affect Christians?  How do they affect sinners?  Is there a difference between the two?

We will examine the position of the sinner first.  When a hardship or trial comes their way, they are irritated and troubled.  It is their natural inclination to murmur, complain, and blame others. 

Their trouble produces impatience and frustration, which leads to perplexity, despair, discontent and confusion.  This is natural because they do not enjoy the comfort, joy and assistance of God.  In fact, they often blame God for their situation, becoming more and more rebellious and acting out against him in anger.  The longer the hardship lasts, the more brutal, desperate and self-centered they become.

Where will they turn for help?  They have only two resources – mankind (who is not always reliable, helpful or merciful) and Satan who is their father (who isn’t going to help because he loves death and despair).  For the sinner, there is no guarantee that anything good will come out of their trial.

Now let’s examine the position of the Christian.  When we experience a trial or hardship, we recognize that that situation did not sneak up on us while God was asleep.  Rather, it was filtered through him first.  Therefore, his hand is in it and since God only gives good gifts to his children, that hardship holds some kind of value for us. 

In addition, we have somewhere to turn for help.  Holy Spirit, who came to abide with us when we trusted in Christ for justification, will be our constant companion and guide as we work through that circumstance with peace and joy.  With his help and guidance, we can:

• Learn to develop patience/endurance. 
• Draw closer to the Father. 
• Practice hearing his voice more clearly. 
• Learn to restrain our sinful passions and gain control of our flesh. 
• Allow Holy Spirit to produce his fruit in our lives.
• Build a testimony to unbelievers. 

For example, let’s suppose you went to the doctor and received a bad report.  That qualifies as a hardship.  The Christian will enjoy the benefits of support from family, friends and other Christians.  But more importantly, they can turn to their heavenly Father, who not only loves them but has the power to intervene in their situation.  The Christian realizes that God didn’t cause that disease, but he allowed it to touch their life.  Therefore, it is under his control and can be used for good.

The Christian will grow closer to God as they search his word, meditate on his promises, and seek him in prayer for healing and guidance in how to treat the disease.  As they spend time in his presence, they will learn to listen more closely to God’s voice.  They will find more and more reasons to praise him as they experience his presence through the trial. 

It is likely that Holy Spirit will change some of their attitudes or shift their priorities.  He will take away their pride, their self-reliance, and other sinful passions.  He will use this opportunity to grow spiritual fruit (love, joy, meekness, etc) in their lives.

In the end, the Christian won’t just have ‘head knowledge’ of God as a healer and provider, they will have experiential knowledge that God heals/provides!  This results in an amazing testimony which they can share with others.  Through their trial, others may come to know Christ.

So, we find that it is not the tribulation itself which causes us to rejoice, it is the benefits we get from it – sanctification, growth of spiritual fruit, building a testimony, experiencing God’s presence and provision, etc.

Think of it this way: When precious metals are refined, they are passed through fire which burns out the impurities.  In the end, the metal is more pure, more desirable and more valuable.  Similarly, with the help of Holy Spirit, trials burn the impurities out of our lives.  This makes us more like Christ, makes us more valuable for service in his kingdom and results in greater blessings for us in heaven.  These are all reasons to rejoice.

Finally, it should be noted that sometimes God develops patience in our lives by making us wait for the fulfillment of a promise.  This essentially has the same spiritual effects as enduring a trial. 

Hebrews 10:36 – For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Romans 5:4 - … and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul goes on to show that our faith has progressive benefits.  When we are patient in trials, it produces character.  Character, in turn, produces hope. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  Endurance produces character:  The ESV translation uses the word ‘character’.  Your translation may say ‘experience’. 

Paul is showing us a progression in our faith.  Patient endurance of trials/hardships produces character (strength in moral excellence; strength in our faith).  It gives us practical spiritual experience. 

In the prior verse, we brought up the example of metals purified by fire.  However, fire doesn’t just purify metals; it is also used to test the genuineness of the metal.  Something may appear to be made of gold or silver, but when it is put under the test of fire, it may be revealed to be something entirely different. 

In this case, our suffering acts like fire – it tests our faith.  It proves to us that our faith/belief in God is genuine.  Through the practical experience of suffering, we learn to trust in God’s intervention in our lives.  Repeated hardships prove to us that God is who he says he is, and that he does what he says he will do.  Our character is developed and strengthened when we prove that He is utterly trustworthy. 

Because we know that God has been faithful in the past, we have no fear of the future.  We know he will be faithful no matter what comes our way.  In other words, experience produces undeniable proof that our religion is true. 

1 Corinthians 1:9 – God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

And character produces hope:  Testing refines and confirms our faith, and through that faith springs hope.  Our hope is not static; it increases and becomes stronger by the experiences of hardship and the subsequent knowledge that God is faithful.

I Peter 1:6-7 – In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Thus, the Christian has hope in two distinct ways and in two successive stages of the Christian life.  First, we receive hope immediately on believing along with a sense of peace and full access to God.  Second, we receive another infusion of hope after the reality of our faith has been proved through afflictions/trials.

Romans 5:5 - … and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

And hope does not put us to shame:  As we noted previously, hope consists of two parts – a desire for something and a reasonable expectation of obtaining it. 

By the time we go through the testing associated with trials/afflictions, we have developed a very practical trust in God.  We have a firm confidence that God will keep his promises to us.  Since we are fully persuaded that he will keep his promises regarding our everlasting future and since we greatly desire to have these blessings, we have hope. 

This hope will never bring us shame; it will never disappoint us or deceive us.  Because our hope is based on the promises of God (who never fails), we are assured of obtaining the object of our hope – the eternal blessings set aside for us in heaven.

It is possible that Paul had Psalms 22 in mind when he was writing to the Romans:

Psalms 22:4-5 – In you [God] our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.  To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts:  To be poured out is to be abundantly, generously or copiously given.  In this case, it means that God’s love is generously given to each and every Christian.  By the working of Holy Spirit, the children of God are conscious of the intense love of God for us.  His love fills us, quickens us, and invigorates us.  It is the motive for our obedience, and the reason we love God:

1 John 4:19 – We love him [God], because he first loved us.

This love sustains us in our tribulations and afflictions.  

The same concept (that of abundant/generous pouring out) is used to refer to the influence of Holy Spirit which is poured upon or abundantly imparted to mankind (Acts 10:45).

Through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us:  As Christians, we often say that ‘Jesus lives in our hearts’.  That is not exactly the case.  Scripture tells us that it is Holy Spirit who actually indwells our hearts:

I Corinthians 6:19 – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?

Holy Spirit enters our hearts the moment we embrace justification by faith in Christ.  From that very moment he begins to work in our lives.  He is the effective agent in our progressive walk with God:

• Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer, assisting us in circumcising our hearts. 
• Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ. 
• Holy Spirit strengthens us and comforts us.
• Holy Spirit produces spiritual fruit in our lives.
• Holy Spirit helps us with prayer and intercession. 
• Holy Spirit empowers us for service in the kingdom of God.
• Holy Spirit enlightens our understanding of the word of God.
• Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts to every believer.
• Holy Spirit is the one who pours God’s love into our hearts and fills our minds with peace, love and joy.

The presence of Holy Spirit within our lives is clear proof that God loves us and that it is his will that we should be saved.  In fact, Holy Spirit seals us until the day of redemption; he marks us and keeps us until the time comes for us to receive the fulfillment of the hope we have for eternity.

Ephesians 4:30 – And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Through the working of the Spirit our hearts are infused with the love of God, which produces peace, love and joy in the hearts of believers, regardless of outward circumstances.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Here is a comforting thought:  Paul was near the end of his life when he penned the letter to the Romans.  By this time, he had faithfully endured as much or perhaps more suffering than most other people (II Corinthians 11:16-33). 

And what conclusion did he reach?  His testimony was that faith in Christ was sufficient for sustaining him in even the most severe trials.  If God’s grace was sufficient for Paul’s trials, it will be for ours too.

Let me offer you some relief:

Although it sometimes seems like the trials and sufferings of this life will never end, the truth is that they are temporary.  The day will come when either God calls you home, or Christ returns to earth and takes you directly to heaven.  In either case, your suffering will be over and you will receive the blessings God has in store for you!

Let me offer you some strength:

The world cannot rejoice in affliction because they have no guarantee that they will endure the trial or that anything good will come from it.  This is not the case for the Christian. 

As a Christian, you will endure just as many (if not more) hardships than sinners.  But your hardships are different.  You have hope.  You know that these afflictions are working to purify your faith and draw you closer to God. 

So, the next time a hardship comes your way, don’t whine or complain or get angry.  Instead, partner with Holy Spirit to receive the most benefit from your experience.