Romans 5:
Results and blessings of Justification
1. 1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
a. Justified by faith. He’s not going back into justification laid out in latter chapter 3 and chapter 4. Remember justification is two things 1) what God did for you and 2) What God did to you. The first, having taken your sins and having dealt with them and you. Putting you to death and raising you to life. Having washed your stain with his blood and your souls having been intertwined sharing the same fate (baptism) . God then did something to you, he sanctified you, made you holy. Holiness itself came upon you and took up residence in your heart. God himself promising to abide there forever. God will raise you to heaven some day.
b. Peace. He is stating that since that has taken place. We have peace with God. Not peace of mind. Not inner peace, not internal. It means I am no longer at war, a peace treaty has been ratified and all hostilities have halted now and forever. God is no longer my adversary, but my friend. We are no longer at enmity with each other, we are at peace. I cannot have internal peace until I have external peace with God. Story of the USS Missouri when in Hawaii. Ship used for the surrender of the Empire of Japan. Established a state of peace between the two countries.
c. When I come to the gospel, it’s not that I need to make peace with God; it’s that God has made it possible and has remedied the warfare with man. That wrath of God that came upon me when measured against the law, God’s righteous standard, that wrath and thundering God of Sinai, God has buried his axe of anger in Christ and has ceased from his hostilities against me and is now at peace and reconciliation with me through Christ Jesus.
2. 2, By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
a. Access. What a glorious statement especially to the Jew. He had been separated all his life. He never had access to God in the temple, only the high priest and that was only once a year. He always needed a mediator between him and God. The law separated and condemned but was not accepting. The temple had the middle wall to separate the Jew from the inside of the temple. Then there was the veil as a reminder that there was a separation between God and man with no access to the inner sanctum. Now God has torn the veil in two at Christ’s death ripped from the top down.
i. Veil. Not a trivial matter since the veil was the width of a man’s hand (appx 4” thick).
1. Mat_27:51, And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
2. Mar_15:38, And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
ii. Eph 2:18 For through Him we both have ACCESS by one Spirit unto the Father.
iii. Heb4:16 Let us therefore come BOLDLY to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
b. Stand. 64 times in NT. Not the vertical position of the body. Means to take a position and hold it. Having been persuaded of the truth, you stand on that ground.
c. 2Cor 12:9. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” The sufficiency of the grace is a provision. So we stand in the adequacy of his provision.
d. 1Cor 2:5. “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
e. 1Cor 15:1,2. 1, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2, By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
f. 2Cor 3:7-11. Moses’ glory was nothing in comparison. “7, But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8, How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9, For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10, For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11, For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
3. 3, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4, And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
a. TRIBULATIONS. What are tribulations? They are the difficulties, trials and problems in life. Most religions advertise and speak of ways to avoid tribulation by adherence.
i. Rom 8:28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
ii. All things work to the good. God is able to even use tribulation in our experience to glory. Such that we can joy even during tribulation.
b. Why is tribulation necessary? What is it directed at or supposed to do?
c. Jam 1:3. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” This process works something in you, produces a yield of biblical patience in you. At the end of the process of v3, you will hold fast to the truth, the testimony, the experience you have which being persuaded of the hope that God has promised you, he will deliver as though it had already happened. And you wait patiently for the adoption as sons into your father’s kingdom.
d. 2Pet 1:7-9 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than that of gold, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom having not see, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
e. 2Cor 4:17. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”.
f. 2Cor 11:30. “If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.”.
g. 1Pet 5:10. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”.
h. 2Cor 6:4-7. “But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6, By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9, As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10, As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things”.
i. Two lists: , in necessities, in distresses, 5, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, honour and dishonor, evil and good report, deceivers, unknown, dying, chastened, sorrowful yet rejoicing, poor, having nothing.
ii. pureness, knowledge, kindness, Holy Ghost, love unfeigned, the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.
iii. These tribulations, life experiences build something eternal, glorious and holy within. God uses it all to build in you a temple fit for heaven. So we rejoice not in the tribulation itself, for it has no intrinsic value, but what is produced at the other side. For it is fashioned with heavenly hands building in us the glory of God, some blessing, some rejoicing, some facet of God’s character, some attributes that bring me higher and taller, more confident and sure, steadfast and standing in the glorious hope set before us.
i. PATIENCE. Tribulation works patience. The product of the tribulation is biblical patience. Holding fast to our faith, not giving up, not letting go, staying in the faith. So that being faithful unto death I stand in the truth fashioned in this heart of flesh.
j. Biblical Patience gets stronger just like anything. How does a tree’s roots get stronger? How do muscles get stronger? By stress, by tribulation, by working them until they hurt. In muscles the fibers tear and are rebuilt a little thicker, a little stronger. In trees, same thing, upon stronger winds stressing the roots, they go a little deeper, grow a little thicker. So it is within the human soul. When faith is tried and tested; when it is stressed and its fibers are torn, it rebuilds a little stronger a little thicker. It becomes tougher, able to handle more, stands a little higher, with more confidence; sees lesser things in a light of superiority having a history of overcoming. Whenever I have read of true Christians either in the bible or in extra-biblical accounts, the one’s worth anything were the ones who had gone through tribulation. Missionaries standing in a desert climate, with little food, clothes, money. Surviving hostile witchdoctors, tribal superstition and religions. People engaged in spreading the gospel, encountering hostility, physical or verbal abuse. Look at the chapter 11 in the book of Hebrews and it’s account of the brothers and sisters throughout history, the account of their faith.
i. Some folks get bitter with God. They say, I have prayed and then God let this happen. They accuse God and bring railing indictment and charges against him. What they need is more trial, till their testimony changes to praise God for no trial today. That I didn’t take a step and have a prickle stick my foot. Praise God that I am not sick, look every day with thanks and praise and contentment.
k. EXPERIENCE. God could not create experience in my experience. You cannot get experience without living through it. Experience necessitates living through it. However, experience without tribulation is worthless. The people who are of value are those who’ve had tribulation, responded to it correctly and have grown and matured through the hard knocks of life. They are able to reach down a little deeper into the soul to things where others come up empty. There are skills and knowledge and confidence that are lacking in those who’ve not gone through the tribulation. Like a trapeze artist he climbs to death defying heights and performs a ballet in the air. Whereas someone who’s never experienced it is in fear for his life and would almost surely die trying those things.
4. 5, And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
a. Hope. “Rom_8:24, For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25, But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”
b. 1Cor 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” If all we had in this life was hope without Christ, then we’d be most miserable of all people. We are giving up things to be a Christian. We are sacrificing “supposed” fun and temptations. The Christian experience is filled with postponed gratification, self denial and loss of freedom.
c. Col 1:5 “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;”.
d. 1Jn 3: 2, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3, And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
e. Hope is that certainty of that blessed hope that second coming and our place and position in heaven. That is the biblical definition of hope.
f. “Heb_6:19, Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”
g. So this tribulation works experience and the experience works hope.
h. Do you know what makes you want to go to heaven? This life. When young don’t think that, everything is ahead of you. You’ve not “experienced” things. You want a career, get married, do this and that. But after you’ve experienced enough of this life. After you’ve experienced enough tribulation work some patience and some experience, then that experience says I want to see the Lord, I want a new body, I want to be in the Lord’s presence and am tired of the planet earth.
i. Most belief systems are designed to keep us from adversity. And if adversity comes, then your God has failed you. Most belief systems are designed to keep you from getting sick, get you wealthy etc. The bible says, that even in all of that, the bible gives us hope. Paul says, if all we had in life was hope, then we would be of all men most miserable. If this life was the only hope we had, we would be most miserable. That’s because we are giving up so much. We’re giving up allot of thrills and pleasures and denying ourselves to be Christians. We are turning our back on fun in many cases, a path of self denial. And as a result we get persecuted and misunderstood. When I know what’s beyond, there is nothing you can say to me that’s going to make me ashamed of the Lord Jesus.
5. 6, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
a. While we were still at war with God, while we were still mocking God, while we were still making God in our own image, while we were still changing the truth of God into a lie, while we didn’t like to keep God in our knowledge, were unthankful, not giving God the glory and praise He deserves; during that time God became man and died at the hands of men, doing a deed on their behalf that would go thankless, ignored, branded a vile thing and unscholarly and uneducated, archaic and despised. Consider the kind and character of this God of the bible that would do such a thing. He is so far beyond the limitations of human compassion, pity and prideful inhibition.
6. 7, For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
a. It’s one thing to die for a right cause, just man or a loved one, but would you die for the person that raped your wife and daughter and left their tortured, dismembered bodies in a hole out in the wilderness? Would you give up your life for the murderer who killed your father for fun? Or the horrendous, the men who molest children to their death, the cannibals who go into the villages warning that they will be back next week to eat children and do. Certainly the flames of hell were made for such as these. Even still those who’ve trodden under foot the Son of God, hath called the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace? God seeing our hopeless state, unable to remedy our desperate condition, separated from God and alone in the world took pity. He went to the cross, spread his arms and said, I love you this much. Having paid a debt he did not owe, because I owed a debt I could not pay.
7. 9, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10, For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
a. Much more. Paul makes this statement 5 times in this chapter. He is excited and professing how great the promises and the work of God is. He proclaims these 5 contrasts to illustrate:
i. Rom_5:9, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
ii. Rom_5:10, For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
iii. Rom_5:15, But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
iv. Rom_5:17, For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
v. Rom_5:20, Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
b. Summary: justified by His blood, saved from wrath; enemies reconciled by His death; saved by his life; offense of one many dead, grace and gift of God abound to many; one man’s offense death reigned, receive abundance of grace and gift of righteousness reign in life by one, Jesus; where sin abounded grace did more.
8. 11, And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
a. Only time the word “atonement” appears in the KJB NT and is the only translation that has it here. However it appears 81 times in the whole bible. When examining ALL 81 verses, they all mean a blood sacrifice for a covering over sin. There was an atonement that needed to precede a forgiveness or reconciliation. You could not have a reconciliation without an atonement and an atonement without a reconciliation was useless.
b. The atonement was temporary. It needed to be performed once every year for Israel at Yom Kippur “the atonement”. In fact the reconciliation was also temporary as well. It was a temporal covering for sins, but “Heb_10:4, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
c. Change. If we change atonement to reconciliation in this verse, then we remove the fulfillment of the atonement being fulfilled. We skip the atonement and jump right to reconciliation with no atonement made. No blood sacrifice, no payment offered, skip right past the fulfillment of the atonement that would be permanent, no need for yearly renewal, implemented by a flawed human man, no longer inferior for the putting off of sins. No fulfillment of that final sacrifice. Rom 6:10 “For in that he died, he died unto sin once; in that he liveth he liveth unto God.” He didn’t die yearly- annually, not monthly, not weekly or daily or minute-by-minute. He died ONCE!
9. Overview of verse 12-21.
a. Series of Contrasts. Paul is about to setup a series of contrasts between Adam and Christ. It will contrast things such as sin unto death and righteousness unto life. The purpose is to use Adam as a reference to demonstrate God’s grace to man contrasted with the consequences of the works of the flesh. God’s grace being the works of God poured out upon the sinner, the unrighteous, the condemned, the dead and alone. The Grace of God
i. Adam versus Christ contrasted 9 times. By one is mentioned 11 times meaning that two of them had no contrast but were statements.
1. Sin entered world 1. Righteousness entered by the gift of God
2. Death by one 2. Gift of Life by One
3. Offense many dead 3. Grace and “the Gift” by grace to many made alive
4. Judgment/condemnation 4. Free gift unto justification (legal statement)
5. Death reigned 5. Gift of righteousness, reign in life
6. Offense/judgment/condemnation 6. Gift of Righteousness, justification, life
7. Disobedience-Sinners 7. Obedience – righteousness
8. Law entered so sin abounds 8. Grace entered and abounds further
9. Sin reigned unto death 9. Grace reign through righteousness unto life
10. “12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
a. Death passed upon all men by way of sin. Two things happened in Adam’s sin. 1) Separation from God and 2) Blocked from partaking of the tree of Life!!! Therefore, death passed upon all men because there was neither of these two options available anymore. 1) God would never dwell with man again until Christ would return and God would justify him, sanctify him, and anoint him holy by indwelling him. 2) Man will never take part of the “Tree of Life” until after Christ’s righteousness and gift of indwelling life. Then having been washed in the blood of the lamb, given the white raiment of righteousness, received their reward and crowns, then brought into the heavenlies and have access to the tree.
b. Eph_2:11, “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12, That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” This is the state of the unsaved man when he enters into the world; without Christ, no hope and separate from God.
c. Confusion and Errant Teaching on verse 12
i. Adam influenced generations to sin. Sin was the influence of one. If this were so, then the parallel in Christ would be then that his righteousness did nothing more than influence us to righteousness.
ii. All actually sinned in Adam. All were in Adam, present in Adam when he sinned, so it wasn’t just Adam who sinned but all sinned with him. Therefore all die for actual sin. If man dies for his own sin, then the parallel must be that he lives because of his own righteousness. If Adam’s acts made us sinners, the Christs acts made us righteous. So that the condemnation to all men for their participation in actual sin, then eternal life to Christians is deserved reward for their participation in actual righteousness.
iii. Covenant sinners – federal headship. Covenant churches. Teach that all did not sin, but are accounted by covenant to have sinned. Adam being the federal head, by him acting on behalf of the entire human race. All are blamed but not guilty. Some make covenant with God for the salvation of their children. In this teaching men, women and babies are to blame and worthy of the flames of hell. God is angry with the human race for their passive participation in a failed covenant with Adam.
iv. Sinful Nature. Adam’s sin caused a pollution, a sinful nature to be deposited in man. They teach that not all sinned but that all are “made” sinners. It is not the condemnation passed down from the original sin, but the effect. When Adam sinned, his “nature” became corrupt and passed along the depraved state to all his descendents. This started with Augustinian teaching in the 5th century and continued through history to Luther, Calivin, the Puritans, Hodge and a host of contemporaries. They say that all men die, though having not sinned personally or in Adam, but because they were born depraved and unable to do righteousness. From the womb they are wicked. The fetus is an abomination to God, babies and infants God holds them blameworthy and laughs as he holds them over the flames of hell. Covenant view there is no organic link to depravity. In seminal view, is man organically participated in sin, then guilt is direct and personal and moral depravity the result of all simultaneously in Adam. If no organic link (sinful nature), then moral depravity must be the creation of God. In other words, if only Adam sinned and only he is blameworthy, and his descendents are born with natures vile to God, then all are damned and blameworthy for no fault of their own and faulted for something they could not be, unable to be.
11. 13, (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14, Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15, But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.16, And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17, For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
a. Personal Note from God to the reader in Verse 13-17. It is explaining verse 12. Notice that the explanation addresses all four of the issues. It addresses “did all sin Adam’s sin?”, “did Adam’s sin influence us to sin?”, “was Adam’s sin a headship representation of all men, therefore we sinned by proxy?” Why are there all these views? Does their commonality reveal their origin? These views attempt to reconcile V12’s “all sinned” with God’s justice. In other words, we are all damned for a reason, and the reason is …”. They try to rationalize damnation. What actually damns man? What helps us wade through the misinformation and navigate the scriptures are the previous passages in Romans.
b. V13 No law to impute them. In other words, even before the Mosaic law was in the world there was sin. But there was no law to condemn them. There was no “Thou shalt not’s” to accuse them. However, they were still accountable to the truth which they held. Just like Romans chapter 1-3 told us. Even though they didn’t sin like Adam did. They didn’t do what he did but they still sinned.
There was no law to impute them of sin, however, they still had the accountability of the truth which they held. Remember Pauls’ statement in Rom 1:18.
c. V14 not sinned as Adam did.
i. This is the affirmation that they didn’t sin the same sin Adam sinned. Therefore, they did not participate in the original sin. It was Adam alone who sinned. However, the consequences of his actions were passed down. Not depravity, not corruption, but separated from God and death by virtue of no access to the provision God had made to live forever. So death passed to all men.
ii. Paul has taught us that men are damned for the “truth they hold in unrighteousness”. We are taught that all have sinned but our justification and salvation is upon all individuals that believe. No proxy salvation involved, no intermediary covenant involved. If the headship of Adam’s sin damned us by our co-disobedience, then Christ’s righteousness saved us by our co-obedience. If we actually sinned with Adam, then we actually obeyed with Christ. Then heaven is a deserved reward and payment for our obedience. God becomes a debtor to give me my portion, my wages and would be in sin if he withheld. Obsurd!
d. Figure of Him to come. Adam is being used as a figure of Christ, an illustration. He is not Christ’s parallel. But his deeds and consequences are being pralleled. He is referenced 9 times in the NT. 2-geneology; 2-mentioned with Eve; 3-contrasts with Christ.
i. Luk_3:38, Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
ii. Rom_5:14, Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
iii. 1Co_15:22, For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
iv. 1Co_15:45, And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
v. 1Ti_2:13, For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
vi. 1Ti_2:14, And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
vii. Jud_1:14, And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
e. The Gift/The free gift. What is “the gift”? The word is mentioned 59 times in the bible, 38 times in the NT; most mentioned in Romans, some 8 times with 6 out of the 8 in chapter 5. With a few exceptions, it most always means a sacrificial offering. Putting all 8 verses in Romans together: it is Spiritual, free, by grace, unto justification, it is righteousness, reigns in life, unto justification of life, gift of God. All of them are attributes, but only ONE explains what it is. It is RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is the righteousness of Christ. That when we are IN Christ we gain His attributes. 2Cor 5:21 says “He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
f. Put it together. Adam sinned and brought the curse of death (separation from God, no access to the tree of life). Christ brought the abounding “gift of grace” which is the righteousness of God by faith of Christ upon all that believe and therefore acquire his life; which is eternal life having resurrected from the dead dieth no more. This was the author’s note to explain v12.
12. 18, Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
a. Having introduced and written a personal note from verses 12-17, Paul then says, THEREFORE. What is the THEREFORE there for? It is saying, all these things being true, now when I say judgement came upon all to condemnation, now we summarize “the gift of righteousness” came upon all men which works unto the justification of the “life” given to them. That life is Christ, God himself comes and makes his home, his abode in the heart of Man. Life itself comes and takes resident in his heart. God’s Spirit inter-dwelling with my spirit, fellowshipping with me day by day. I share in his life, I partake in His counsel, his wisdom, his love and goodness. As I dwell with Him, I add to my faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. The gift is a gift that has no bounds, has no limit and is alive and reigning in this life and the next.
13. 19, For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
a. False Concept in Christian teaching. It is not saying when Adam sinned, we were in him and we all sinned. When Christ obeyed, we were in him and are righteous because we actually obeyed. If Adam’s sin caused us to be “made” sinners, then Christ’s obedience caused us to be “made” righteous. It didn’t. It was IMPUTED to us as righteousness (just like Abraham’s faith Gen 15:7). This is justification by faith just like an appointed office. If we were made righteous, then “the gift” wouldn’t be a gift but payment for our being righteous. You see how changing the word of God just a little can result in wrong conclusion and doctrinal error and heresy?
b. Made. This word (Gk kathistēmi) occurs 27 times in NT, however it is used both in the context and other passages as one “made” a judge or “made” a mayor. Made, ordained, appointed, set, conducted (made Paul).
i. 2Co 5:21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
ii. Made Sinners. This is not speaking of creating a person for the purpose to sin. Not tooling someone to sin. If it were, then God would be condemning those who had been made sinful to eternal death and the flames of hell. Like preacher Charles Finney stated “If man is in fault for his sinful nature, why not condemn man for having blue or black eyes?” In other words, if a man is made a certain way, then he cannot but do otherwise to what is function and characteristics employ. If we are “made” sinners, then it is a logical fallacy and we know that God is not illogical or unjust. He is the creator of truth and logic set as universal law. This would truly be the epitome of injustice if this heresy were true. But man was made to commune with God, but apart from God he is insufficient against his flesh, the influences and enticements of the world and the devil. Our modern culture and society with its pulls and allurements, its values and pressures are too much for the man without God. But what about the man of God, surely it is too much for him as well right? God forbid. We’ll see what God has to say about this in Chapter 6.
iii. Made Righteous. As mentioned above, we are made righteous like an appointment, an office. We are given the gift of righteousness by Jesus Christ. So that God sees me with the same righteousness as Christ. If it were not true, I would not be able to enter into the heavenlies, come boldly to the throne of grace, speak with God face to face. As 2Cor 5:21 states “I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD”.
14. 20, Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
a. What was the purpose of the Law? That the offence of sin might abound, might be more sinful, that sin by the commandment might become more sinful. It was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Gal 3:24. Where the law imputed judgment to me of wrongdoing and condemned me by it, grace abounded much more the forgiveness of my sin. Remember God could not just forgive sin and still be just. He needed a legal remedy while reconciling us to Himself needed to maintain righteousness and justice. A myriad of moral beings are watching his government and his every move. God is removed from indictment of wrongdoing but maintains justice while reconciling sinners. We saw in previous chapters it was an impossible dichotomy in which His wisdom had thought through. It is impossible to reconcile it by any other means or created being in the universe. In fact, the solution could only be made possible by God doing it Himself. Thus eliminating all others from the solution.
15. 21, That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
a. Reigning righteousness in this life and after. God has given us “the gift” of righteousness that it would rule over and reign in this life and the next. God did not create this gospel as a theoretical or hypothetical solution we will see in Chapter 6. He gave us something tangible and practical for overcoming this world. It is the essence of the divine power has given us all things which pertain to life and godliness THROUGH the knowledge of him who has called us to grace and virtue. Understanding the foundation of our righteousness is inclusive in what is called SANCTIFICATION. In Chapter 6, Paul will deal head on with this subject and will draw from these verses Paul just laid out for us.
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