Romans 5:16-21
by:
Dan Hill, PhD
Pastor, Southwood Bible Church
7655 South Sheridan Avenue
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74113
E-Mail: hill918@aol.com
Romans 5:16
And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned;
for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting
in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions
resulting in justification.
This is a passage that reminds us of the difficulty of the task of justification.
Adam's one offense caused as many spiritual deaths as there are physical
births (less one). When a child is born he is or she is charged with sin,
sin is imputed by the justice of God. This is a real imputation.
Three kinds of imputations:
1) God the Father imputes to Christ that which does not belong
to Him, the sins of the human race. Our sins, that were not His, were set
to his account.
2) God the Father imputes to man that which actually belongs to us in the
first place. Romans 5:12, "Death spread to all men because all sinned."
3) God the Father imputes to the believing sinner that which is not actually
his. At salvation we are imputed with the +R of God.
The perfect righteousness of God is credited to our account. God declares
us to be righteous, which is justification.
II Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
Christ is the last Adam, born like Adam prior to the fall. He is a facsimile
Adam prior to the fall, whereas we are a facsimile Adam after the fall.
Because of one man's sin the entire human race is under condemnation. But
because of one Man's sacrifice the entire human race is eligible for justification.
SO WE COME OUT OF VERSES 16-17 seeing how much greater the work of last
Adam was than the fall of the first Adam.
And we have something much more, much greater by way of this free gift.
Romans 5:17
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much
more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
MUCH MORE is given to those who have now received the abundance of Grace
and the gift of righteousness.
If death reigned over us before salvation now we will reign in life through
the One, Jesus Christ.
To understand what it means to reign in life, consider for a moment what
it meant to be under the reign of death:
No hope, discouragement, no confidence, wondering whether heaven or hell
awaited you, wondering if life was even worth it, no victory, no assurance,
no grace, no divine assets, no divine love.
All of that is changed with the imputation, the gift of righteousness, and
the abundance of Grace:
To REIGN IN LIFE means to have the ongoing benefits of the victory over
death. The Christian life is life that eliminates sorrow, guilt, fear, discouragement,
doubt, and instead builds into the believer confidence, assurance, and the
joy of having a intimate relationship with God.
If you do not reign in life through Christ and have faith, hope, and love,
you will have shame, fear, and anger reign over you.
HERE ROMANS 5:17 does much of what Romans 1:17 has done to this point.
In Romans 1:17 the topic was faith and that topic continued to be the issue
to this point.
Now we have something added to the Christian life. If God did the most for
you when you were a sinner, now that you are a son, a saint, He will do
much more for you.
Romans 5:18
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all
men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification
of life to all men.
What Jesus Christ did for us was a gift; it was grace, and it was an act
of righteousness which results in us having the gift, the grace, and even
the righteousness of God.
The JUSTIFICATION OF LIFE connects to the previous verse where we reign
in life through Jesus Christ.
What a Wonderful Life!
Romans 5:19
For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners,
even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
What is the missing link in this process? Faith!
"will be made" is a future passive verb and looks at what God
does for us when we put faith in His Son.
It is our faith in Christ that unleashes the action of God, thus the passive
verb.
Romans 5:20
And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where
sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Here, Paul reintroduces the Old Testament law.
Remember the question asked at the end of Romans 3?
Romans 3:31, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never
be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."
The word "came in" is the Greek PAREISERCHOMIA and is a Greek
theater term that describes the Law coming onto the stage as a minor actor
to enhance the scene.
The OT Law came on stage to show that man is a sinner and is spiritually
bankrupt in the sight of God.
PRINCIPLES:
1. This statement anticipates Romans 7:7
Romans 7:7, "What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be!
On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law;
for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, You shall
not covet."
2. Paul, as a Jew was very self-righteous. The OT Law taught him of his
sinfulness.
3. Although a minor actor, the Law is from God and therefore it is perfect
and Holy, expressing God's Righteousness and Justice.
4. When set against man the OT Law teaches that man is sinful and cannot
live up to God's standard. The bottom line of the OT Law its that it is
Impossible!
5. But Jesus taught and it is recorded in all three of the synoptic Gospels:
Luke 18:27 that, The things impossible with men are possible with God.
6. Therefore, while a minor actor the OT Law should get the academy award
for best supporting actor.
Verse 20 continued:
"But where sin increased, grace abounds all the more."
The is a comparative clause which shows the superiority of Grace. Grace
is superior to sin.
HOW DOES SIN INCREASE?
1. Continuous increase in sin throughout history. From Adam
to Christ to the Second Advent and even to the end of the Mill reign.
2. One way this occurs is through the increase of people on planet earth.
More people, more sin
3. Another way is sin in the intensity of sin as man tried to eliminate
God from their lives. Mankind becomes more sinful as time progresses.
II Timothy 3:1-5, "But realize this, that in the last days difficult
times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful,
arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving,
irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters
of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied
its power; and avoid such men as these."
4. This increase of sin combined with inherit and imputed sin
sets up an opportunity for Grace.
5. Personal acts of sins, as defined in the OT Law, demonstrates that man
has inherit and imputed sin and PAS show the divine verdict of death upon
mankind.
6. But grace always is greater than the sinfulness of mankind. If sin increases
grace increases, grace is always out ahead of sin.
7. The condemnation of man due to imputed sin opens the door for grace.
Therefore, grace is the genius policy of God to those who are condemned.
Our condemnation opens the door for grace and makes the grace of God even
more brilliant.
It was one thing for God to condemn mankind because of sin but it is even
a greater thing for God to develop a policy of grace towards condemned man.
When we read the Law we see the grace of God as greater than our failure
and sin. What is impossible for man is possible with God.
When we say NO WAY God says . . . MY WAY
So the Law has a wonderful purpose then and even now. We can see in it the
Holiness of God and the sinfulness of man.
So when the Law was written, sin was more defined, more definite, it increased
BUT WHERE SIN INCREASED grace abounded all the more.
Romans 5:21
That, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness
to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This statement serves as a transition to take the reader from the reality
of grace in justification to the potential of grace and its reality in the
CCL.
THE QUESTION THIS CHAPTER ENDS WITH: Does Grace Reign in your life?
End of Lesson 21
Grace Notes
Warren Doud
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