We see in Romans 3:21-4:25 that the sinner is “Justified by FAITH.”

In 5:1-11 we see the BLESSINGS the believer receives:

• Verse 1: “We have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This means we are no longer “at ENMITY with God” (Romans 8:7); we are “RECONCILED to God” (verse 10 with Colossians 1:19-22).
• Verse 2: “We have ACCESS by faith” (Ephesians 2:18 & Hebrews 10:19-22) and “rejoice in the HOPE of the glory of God” (Titus 2:13 with John 17:22 & Colossians 3:4).
• Verses 3-5: “We GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS” for they produce “perseverance, character, hope” (James 1:2-4) and “the LOVE of God is shed abroad in our hearts.”
• Verses 6-11: “CHRIST DIED for the ungodly… while we were sinners, CHRIST DIED for us… when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the DEATH of His Son.”  The DEATH OF CHRIST is the sole basis of our salvation and blessings. We were ungodly sinners and enemies of God, and because of His death “we shall be saved from wrath” and “we rejoice in God.”

In 5:12-19 we see TWO MEN (Adam and Christ) who acted on behalf of the whole human race:

1) Adam’s SIN and its RESULTS:

• “Through one man SIN entered the world and DEATH by sin” (verses 12-14). This is “physical death” (Romans 6:23a & Hebrews 9:27a) and “eternal death” (Hebrews 9:27b & Revelation 20:11-15).
• “By one man’s OFFENSE many DIED” (verse 15). Adam’s offense (eating the forbidden fruit… Genesis 3:6) caused all to be born “spiritually dead” (Psalm 51:5; John 3:6; and Ephesians 2:1).
• “One OFFENSE resulted in CONDEMNATION” (verse 16). All sinners are exposed to JUDGMENT and CONDEMNATION (Hebrews 9:27b and John 3:18, 36).
• “By one man’s OFFENSE DEATH REIGNED” (verse 17). Death rules over people causing all to “fear death” (Hebrews 2:15).
• “Through one man’s OFFENSE JUDGMENT came to all men, resulting in CONDEMNATION” (verse 18). This emphasizes what we saw in verse 16.
• “By one man’s DISOBEDIENCE many were made SINNERS” (verse 19). We saw in verse 15 that all are born “spiritually dead.” Here God classifies them as “sinners” (knowing their “sin nature” would result in “acts of sin”).

2) Christ’s DEATH and its RESULTS:

• “But the FREE GIFT is not like the offense…by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, grace ABOUNDED to many” (verse 15). We saw that Adam’s OFFENSE caused ALL to die, but here we see that the GIFT of God abounds towards ALL WHO WILL BELIEVE on His Son, Jesus Christ.
• “And the GIFT is not like that which came through the one who sinned…the FREE GIFT which came from MANY OFFENSES resulted in JUSTIFICATION” (verse 16). Adam only committed ONE SIN, and it exposed the whole human race to CONDEMNATION but by Christ dying for ALL OF THE BELIEVER’S SIN caused God to declare them RIGHTEOUS (Romans 3:21-26).
• “Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will REIGN IN LIFE through the One, Jesus Christ” (verse 17). We saw that Adam’s offense death held men in bondage and fear, but those who receive Christ’s gift of righteousness through His death “reign in life” (we are no longer in bondage to sin and death and one day we will “reign with Him as kings”…Romans 6:5-14).
• “Through one Man’s RIGHTEOUS ACT the free gift came to all men, resulting in JUSTIFICATION OF LIFE” and “by one Man’s OBEDIENCE many will be made RIGHTEOUS (verses 18-19). The “righteous act” was Christ laying down His life on the cross in “obedience to the Father” to make men righteous before God (John 10:17-18; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Paul’s closes the contrast between Adam’s sin and its terrible results with the victory we can have in Christ, “As sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (verse 21).  (DO)  (723.1)