Romans 5: Justification

[Preliminary Note: Because we believe it is important to follow the flow of Paul’s teaching, we continue to provide a brief summary of each previous chapter to provide present context:

• Ch.1 The sinfulness of the world
• Ch.2 All – Jew & Gentile – are under God’s judgment, background is irrelevant
• Ch.3 Jews are the same as Gentiles in that salvation only comes through faith in Christ
• Ch.4 Abraham illustrates how justification (being put right with God) only comes through faith – now, believing what God has said about Christ

NOW he spells out, first the fruits – peace, joy in sufferings that bring further fruits, then the wonder of Christ dying while we were still ungrateful sinners, then the wonder of how sin by Adam opened the door for all mankind to follow and experience death, but despite this Christ came and died for us all, bringing the possibility of justification, forgiveness, righteousness and eternal life]

• v.1-11 The Fruit of Justification
• v.12-21 Death came through Adam, Life came through Christ

v.1-11 The Fruit of Justification

v.1-5 Justification, peace with God, and hope

v.1,2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

v.3,4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

v.5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

[Note: The outworking of Justification (being put right with God) thus brings peace with God in the life we now live and the glorious eternal future that is ours. This means we can even know joy when life seems tough because that builds perseverance, character, and hope in us. Hope – which is about the future – is confirmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit who He’s given us

v.6-8 Sinners but Christ still died for us

v.6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

v.7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.

v.8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

[Note: We were powerless and ungodly, but Christ still came for us. That’s incredible because it’s rare for someone to die on your behalf but this is how God shows His love for us, by sending Jesus to dedicated sinners!]

v.9-11 Justification = no fear of judgment, reconciled to God who we glorify

v.9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

v.10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

v.11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

[Note: So if justified, how much more can we be confident when we face the Final Judgment. If He reconciled us when we were still His enemies, now we can be utterly sure He’ll hold on to us now we are His, so we give Him all the glory [not to us].]

v.12-21 Death came through Adam, Life came through Christ

v.12-14 Adam, Sin, & Death

v.12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

v.13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.

v.14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

[Note: The big picture is amazing – it started with sin entering through Adam and thus death followed, true of all sinful mankind. This was true before the Law made sin even more obvious, it just wasn’t declared, but death still occurred for all from Adam to the giving of the Law by Moses.]

v.15-17 Death followed Adam, life flows from Christ

v.15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

v.16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.

v.17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

[Note: Death flowed for all from that one man and now life can flow to all (who will receive him) from Christ. This gift of justification is different – one man’s sin opened the way for guilt by all and thus condemnation, but many sins have been dealt with by the one man, Christ. Sins and death flowed from Adam, grace and righteousness flow from Christ.]

v.18-21 The significance of two acts & of the Law

v.18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.

v.19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

v.20,21 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[Note: One sin brought condemnation for all, now one act [Christ’s death] results in possible justification and life for all [who receive it]. Disobedience by Adam led the rest of us to be sinners; the obedience of Christ made righteousness possible for many of us. The Law emphasized the reality of sin so we could see our need of God’s grace and salvation that brings eternal life.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: