Romans 5 - Where Evil Abounds, Grace Abounds All the More!

Click Here to Read or Listen to Romans 5

Peace and Hope

Paul points out the benefits we receive by being justified by faith in what Jesus has done for us on the cross. The first benefit is "peace". Peace with God is different than the peace the world promises. Worldly peace is based on being in power. The one who is in power thinks they can keep the peace, which they may do for a period of time. But this peace can be taken in a heartbeat and usually never lasts as human history shows us. 

Peace with God is something different. God's peace is an eternal peace that comes to us through the Holy Spirit when we come to believe. Paul calls this a "peace which passes understanding" in Philippians. It comes through prayer and through the Holy Spirit. It is a supernatural. Even though someone can be suffering, they can still maintain perfect peace. This was the peace that Stephen had when he was being arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, 

"All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel." - Acts 6:15

The other benefit of being saved by faith is hope. Paul mentions hope three times in the first five verses. Hope is also something that cannot be taken from us either. Hope also comes from the love of God, which is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. And hope does not disappoint us because it is gift. Our hope is in Jesus Christ. 

 Paul then talks about the timing of our salvation. At just the right time Jesus died for us. When we realized we were powerless in sin, Christ died for us. God didn't die for us because we were such great people. He died for us purely out of love. Someone might die for a good person, but rarely will a person die for an evil person. But God proved his love that while we were yet sinners Jesus died for us.

Note we had nothing to offer to God, but he gave everything to us. We were completely sinful, and God gave us Jesus who was sinless. Though we were unrighteous we received a righteousness not our own. We call this the "great exchange". The main point us that we did not do anything to deserve God's love but God gave us everything we needed to be saved. 

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

Paul then examines the problem we all were born with, sin. Sin entered the world through the first human, Adam. Since we all come from Adam, we have all inherited a sinful nature. Sin was in the world before God gave the Law to Moses. Paul then makes an interesting connection between the death of Adam, and the life of Christ. 

Through one man brought the trespass that lead to death, Jesus we have received grace and righteousness, which will last forever. Just as sin led to reign of death of all people, God's grace in Jesus reigned in life for all people. One trespass led to condemnation, one act of righteousness brought life. 

When God gave the Law to Moses, as summarized by the Ten Commandments, one would think it would have curbed sin. After all rules create law and order right? But not according to Paul. With the bringing of the law, lawlessness not only continued by grew all the more. But fortunately for us, when sin increased grace abounded all the more. 

I believe Paul is totally try to shred any idea among the Jews that they could justify themselves by keeping the Law. For everything the Law could not provide or do, God gave to us in Jesus Christ. Though we all share the same problem we all have been given access to the same solution in Jesus. 

Finally, Paul tells us in verse that we stand in this grace we have received by faith. 

Standing in grace means that:

· I don’t have to prove I am worthy of God’s love.

· God is my friend.

· The door of access is permanently open to Him.

· I am free from the “score sheet” – the account is settled in Jesus.

· I spend more time praising God and less time hating myself. - Guzik

God’s grace gives us something and takes us somewhere. It gives more than never-ending life. Eternal life has the idea of a present quality of life, God’s quality of life, given to us right now – not simply when we die. - Guzik

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