Romans 5

The Multiplied Blessings of Justification

I’ve heard it said that Romans is built on four “therefores.” Remember it’s a logical argument. “Therefore” signals a conclusion or a major development of thought.

We saw the one at the end of chapter 3, after Paul finishes laying out his case against the law, he says, ‘Therefore we conclude that a man cannot be justified by the works of the law--it’s going to take something else to save us.”

Here, at the beginning of chapter 5, he says, “Therefore, because we’ve been declared righteous by faith, we now have peace with God, and that changes the way we look at life.”

We’ll see another huge on In 8:1, “There is therefore no condemnation for those of us in Christ Jesus, which means we have access to all the privileges of the Christian life that sons and daughters of God should have.”

And finally, maybe the biggest one of all in 12:1: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”                    - JD Greear

Here is one of Paul's great lyrical passages in which he almost sings the intimate joy of his confidence in God. Trusting faith has done what the labor to produce the works of the law could never do; it has given a man peace with God.             - William Barclay

Since We Have Been Justified

Vs. 1 - Therefore, since we have been justified by faith

"Therefore" signals that what follows rests on what has preceded. Paul now put the question of whether justification is by faith or by works behind him. He had proved that it comes to us by faith.       - Thomas Constable

In the first eleven verses, we have the blessed results of justification by faith, along with the most comprehensive statement in the Bible of the pure love and grace of God, in giving Christ for us sinners.                - Newell

Peace  

vs. 1 - we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who stand justified need not fear God’s wrath since Jesus Christ has made peace between them and God by His death.            - Thomas Constable

Access 

vs. 2 - We have also obtained access through him by faith

Jesus’ perfect life and substitutionary death made a way for men to approach a holy God.

And this access to God, or introduction to the Divine presence, is to be considered a lasting privilege. We are not brought to God for the purpose of an interview, but to remain with him; to be his household; and by faith, to behold his face, and walk in the light of his countenance.         - Clarke

Hope 

vs. 5 - This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts

Hope in this sense is not a mere wish for something, but the expectation of something that is certain. It is an assured belief that enables believers to persevere through difficulties, and in the process develop Christian character.      - Don Fleming

We can rejoice in tribulations because God has revealed that He uses them to produce steadfast endurance and proven character in those who relate to their sufferings properly.     - Thomas Constable

Holy Spirit

vs. 5 - through the Holy Spirit who was given to us

Rescue 

Vs. 8 - But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

vs. 9 - How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.

2 Corinthians 5:21 - He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 53:5 - But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Reconciliation 

vs. 10 - while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God

The fact that Jesus Christ died for us is the final proof of God's love. It would be difficult enough to get a man to die for a just man; it might be possible for a man to be persuaded to die for some great and good principle; a man might have the greater love that would make him lay down his life for his friend. But the wonder of Jesus Christ is that he died for us when we are sinners and in a state of hostility to God. Love can go no further than that.                  - William Barcaly

One Man’s Disobedience, One Man’s Obedience

This might be one of the densest doctrinal sections in Romans.  In chapter 4, Paul used the story of Abraham to show how Abraham’s life illustrates justification by faith. In chapter 5, he’s going to go all the way to back Adam, the first man, to show how Adam’s story points to Jesus. He’s going to show that all of history can be told as the story of two Adams.                - JD Greear

It is important to understand that the Adam and Eve account is not an optional passage to be accepted or rejected, or allegorized away. According to Paul’s theme here in Romans 5, you can’t take away the truth of Genesis 3 without taking away principles that lay the foundation for our salvation.          - David Guzik

Sin Entered through Adam

Vs. 12 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.

The Bible views the human race as existing originally in Adam. Therefore, when Adam sinned, humankind in general was involved in his sin. This doctrine is known as original sin; that is, humankind sinned originally in Adam.                    - Don Fleming

Because of this choice, death passed upon all. That means every disease; every natural disaster; every painful struggle with cancer; every child born with a birth defect; every divorce; every rape; every war; every case of abuse; even hell itself goes back to this choice.

In calling Adam our representative, God is saying that what Adam chose is what we all would have chosen had we been given the choice. Keep in mind, God was not some passive observer. He was the infinitely wise Creator. He is omniscient and understands everything about us. And he knew that how Adam acted would be how each us would react in that situation.              - JD Greear

The Law Reveals Sin

Vs. 13 - sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law.

Some may have asked how men could have been guilty of sin before they were even aware of the law of God.  Paul answered that Adam broke the law he was given. 

People died before God gave the Mosaic Law. If there is no law, there can be no transgression of law. Since death is the penalty for transgression of law, why did those people die? The answer is they died because they sinned "in" Adam. Adam transgressed God’s law in the Garden of Eden, and ever since his descendants have transgressed God’s law, not just the Mosaic Law. This accounts for the universality of death.               - Thomas Constable

Righteous Came through Jesus

Vs. 19 - For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Adam’s sin has brought disastrous consequences for the entire human race, but God’s grace is more than able to cancel those consequences. His gift is not just the opposite of Adam’s sin; it is far more. Adam’s one act of sin brought condemnation and death, but God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ brings justification and life, even though people have repeated Adam’s sin countless times.            - Don Fleming

The first Adam disobeyed God and selfishly ate from a forbidden tree, bringing a curse on earth. The second Adam obeyed God and sacrificially climbed up onto a tree to take the curse into Himself. The first Adam brought death upon the whole human race; the second Adam restored life to all who would receive it.           - JD Greear

Abounding Grace

Vs. 20 - The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more

Paul has shown us that the law does not justify us. Now he shows that in itself, the law doesn’t even make us sinners – Adam did that. Then what purpose does the law serve? There is a clear purpose for the law and part of it is so that the offense might abound. The law makes man’s sin clearer and greater by clearly contrasting it with God’s holy standard.             - David Guzik

The great virtue is this. Paul conserves the truth that mankind was involved in a situation from which there was no escape; sin had man in its power and there was no hope. Into this situation came Jesus Christ, and he brought with him something that broke the old deadlock. By what he did, by what he is, by what he gives, he enabled man to escape from a situation in which he was hopelessly dominated by sin. Whatever else we may say about Paul's argument, it is completely true that man was ruined by sin and rescued by Christ.                  - William Barclay