I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      In Romans 4, Paul established that Christians, like Abraham, are justified by faith.

                                                             1.      Abraham was not justified through his works, circumcision, or the works of the Law of Moses, but he received the promise of God and was justified because of his faith.

                                                             2.      Christians become heirs of Abraham and receive justification because of their faith in Christ Jesus.

B.      As we study Romans 5, we will see that Paul declared the abundance of blessings that the faithful in Christ enjoy through Him.  Consider a listing of these blessings:

                                                             1.      Justification (vv. 1, 18)

                                                             2.      Peace with God (v. 1)

                                                             3.      The grace of God (vv. 2, 17, 20, 21)

                                                             4.      Hope of the glory of God (vv. 2, 4)

                                                             5.      Perseverance (v. 3)

                                                             6.      Proven character (v. 3)

                                                             7.      The love of God (v. 5)

                                                             8.      The Holy Spirit (v. 5)

                                                             9.      Salvation from the wrath of God (v. 9)

                                                          10.      Reconciliation to God (v. 10)

                                                          11.      The free gift of eternal life (vv. 15-17, 21; 6:23)

                                                          12.      Righteousness (vv. 17, 19)

C.      Now let us consider the context where these blessings are declared (Rom. 5:1-21).

II.      PEACE WITH GOD, JOY IN TRIBULATIONS

A.      As a result of being justified through faith in Christ, we now have peace with God (Rom. 5:1-2).

                                                             1.      Prior to our justification, we were enemies of God (v. 10) because of our sin.

                                                             2.      Now, because Christ has taken our sins away, we can have peace with God once again.  See Ephesians 2:11-22.

B.      In spite of having peace with God, we now have tribulations with men and Satan.  Nevertheless, we rejoice in those tribulations (Rom. 5:3-8).

                                                             1.      Paul told Timothy that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2Tim. 3:12).  This persecution typically comes through men who are agents of Satan.

                                                             2.      Although the natural reaction to persecution is despair, the spiritually minded will rejoice because they know with certainty that it will result in good.

a.       Tribulation leads to perseverance, perseverance leads to proven character, and proven character gives us hope.  See also Matthew 5:10-12; Acts 5:41; James 1:2-4.

i.         Those who endure tribulations will learn perseverance, endurance, and patience.

ii.        Those who demonstrate perseverance have proven their godly character.

iii.      Those who have proven godly character have the evidence that their faith is genuine.  Therefore, they can honestly expect for the promises of God to be fulfilled unto them, which is their hope.

b.       We know that our hope will not be disappointed because it is founded on the love of God, which has been undeniably demonstrated to us.

i.         Who can doubt the love of God?  When we were helpless, ungodly sinners, He gave His Son to die for us.  It is the greatest demonstration of love ever known.

ii.        If we cannot doubt the love of God, then we cannot doubt the hope that He gives to us.  We know for certain that He will bless us in Christ as He has promised.  See Romans 8:32.

III.   SALVATION FROM GOD’S WRATH

A.      Whereas we have been justified by the blood of Christ (His death), much more now we are saved from God’s wrath by His life (Rom. 5:9-10).

                                                             1.      Jesus shed His blood and died for our sins.  He suffered the punishment for the sins that we committed so that we could be justified (made righteous) in the sight of God.

                                                             2.      Now, Christ lives and acts as an intercessor and mediator for us, pleading for us before the Father so that we may be spared from His wrath even when we sin today (Heb. 7:25; 1John 2:1-2).

B.      Therefore, we rejoice, for Christ has reconciled us back to God (Rom. 5:11).

                                                             1.      Not only did Christ bear the punishment for our sins and save us from the wrath of God, but He also restored friendly relations between us and God.

                                                             2.      As a result of Christ’s work, we can have intimate relations with God, address Him as our Father, and come before His throne in times of need.  See Hebrews 4:14-16.

IV.    DEATH THROUGH ONE MAN, LIFE THROUGH ANOTHER

A.      The message of Romans 5:12-21 is that we are more blessed through the works of one man, Christ, than we are cursed through the works of another man, Adam.

                                                             1.      Several contrasts and comparisons between Christ and Adam are made throughout this text.  This is why Paul said that Adam was a “type” (foreshadowing) of Christ.

a.       All died through Adam’s transgression, but grace abounded to all through Christ (v. 15).

b.       All were condemned through Adam, but all were justified through Christ (vv. 16, 18).

c.        Death reigned through Adam, but life reigns through Christ (v. 17).

d.       All were made sinners through Adam, but all were made righteous through Christ (v. 19).

                                                             2.      There is also a contrast drawn between the Law of Moses and the grace of God in verses 20-21.

a.       In the likeness of Adam, the effect of the Law for Israel was an increase in their transgressions, and violators of the Law were punishable by the Law.

b.       In contrast to these effects, the grace of God through Christ abounds more than these transgressions.  Therefore, where sin had reigned in death, now grace reigns in life.

                                                             3.      In each contrast, the effects of Christ’s righteous work are shown to counteract and overpower the effects of Adam’s sinful work.

B.      Let us consider some points of this text that traditionally have presented difficulty to Bible students.

                                                             1.      Verse 12 expresses that death spread to all men through Adam because all sinned.  This does not indicate that we have inherited the guilt of Adam’s sin, but rather it means that we have received the effects of his sin.

a.       When Adam sinned, all of his descendants sinned only in the sense that he represented all of mankind.

i.         Consider a parallel case in Hebrews 7:9-10, where Levi is said to have paid tithes to Melchizedek while he was still in the loins of Abraham.  Levi did this only in the sense that Abraham represented Levi when he paid the tithes.

ii.        Likewise, when Adam sinned, he represented all of mankind and introduced sin.

iii.      Notice verse 19.  Just as through Adam’s disobedience many were made sinners (i.e., sin was brought into the world), so also through Christ’s obedience many are made righteousness (i.e., the righteousness of God through faith was brought into the world).

b.       Therefore, we have not inherited the guilt of Adam’s sin, but we have received its effects.

i.         God’s law to Adam was for him and his posterity.  When he sinned, he initiated the punishment for all of mankind.

ii.        Death is the effect of sin, but eternal life is the effect of Christ’s obedience.

                                                             2.      Verse 14 says that death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam.  This does not mean that those people did not sin, but rather it means that their sin was different from Adam’s sin.

a.       The sin of Adam was a deliberate setting aside of God’s given law.  It was a choice to reject the word of God in favor of the word of another.

b.       If there was a code of laws for those who followed Adam until the Law of Moses, it is not recorded.  However, as we have read in Romans 1:18-21, man is accountable to God for what he knows of God within himself at least.

i.         We know that God communicated with Adam, Cain, and others, and perhaps He gave them specific laws that are unrecorded.

ii.        Regardless, all men were guilty of wickedness and evil that was contrary to the divine spark that God placed within them.  See Genesis 6:5-7.

c.        Therefore, death reigned until the Law of Moses because mankind was wicked and evil in the sight of God.

V.      CONCLUSION

A.      Certainly, we must marvel at the magnitude of the things presented in this chapter.  These are things that have affected the whole of the human race for all time, and they are the basis for understanding God’s scheme of redemption.

B.      At the close of chapter 5, Paul presented the concept of grace abounding wherever sin has increased.  This will introduce the subject of the next chapter, which is the Christian’s death to sin.