Romans 5:1-21
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
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 those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
While one rebellion to the will of God brought condemnation on us all, in Christ it only takes one response of faith towards God for all the sin that would have eternally condemned us to be dealt with by Jesus’ obedience to the cross. The grace He freely offers us as a gift becomes alive in the simple release of our life into His hands. He’s done it all and taken all our debt, even when we were sinners, and by following Him in obedience/faith there is reception and activation of that grace. For those who stand fast in this wonderful grace, there is an ability to remain obedient to the Way with a hope that cannot be dissolved by the grandest of tribulations. The belief that determines our destiny is no longer in what we can do, but in what He’s already done for us. To follow Him in obedience is to be assured of the place His obedience won for us.
This chapter has so much and is just so powerful if we can really comprehend what Jesus did for us! My study Bible says verse 7-8 like this, “ Rarely for a righteous man will one die. Yet, perhaps, for a good man, some would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
I saw this deeper this morning. I would absolutely give my life, if it would save my husband or my children’s lives. But there are people I have encountered, where I don’t think that would be the case. I don’t have a relationship with them, or they are undesirable people to be around, or whatever else, so I would have a hard time taking their place of death for them. Yet this is exactly what Jesus demonstrated. He took the beatings and ultimately died for me. Before I loved Him, before I cleaned my mouth up or my habits up. Before I decided to follow Him and love Him, instead of just knowing of Him from a distance. He paid the price for me being a terrible person long before I was even born. What a precious gift.
While this is staggering already, I see in mimicking Him, how important it is to love those who hate me. To bless those who persecute me. To wish well those who would like to see me fail or who have hurt me. It’s not based on them and their behaviors, this walk of love is based on me and my choice of allowing love to cover as Jesus did. Ouch. I need to do better. I think we as a church and body of Christ, need to do better. Being a disciple of Jesus and His representatives on this earth, requires us to lay down our lives and desires to serve the God who is beckoning those who are lost.
There is so much to be excited about and rejoice about in this chapter, something sunk in a bit differently today: verse 10 in AMP says “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved (from the consequences of sin) by His life (that is we will be saved because Christ lives today)” It’s in us! The old man is gone and it’s Christ in us! He lives and continues to live in and through us, transforming us to fulfill His purpose- reaching people today, now. If we but get our heads out of ourselves and on His life in us, amazing things!