Peace and Hope Through Justification
Study note
Having established justification by faith, Paul describes its benefits. Believers have peace with God, standing access to grace, and a confident hope in sharing God's glory. Even suffering is transformed, because it produces endurance, which builds proven character, which deepens hope. This hope never disappoints because God's love has been poured into believers' hearts through the Holy Spirit.
1 Now that we have been made right with God by trusting him, we have peace with God. This comes through what our Lord Jesus Christ did. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Through Jesus, we walked right into this amazing grace where we now stand. And we are full of joy because we look forward to sharing in God's glory. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 But that is not all. We can even be glad when we go through hard times, because we know that hard times teach us to keep going. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 Keeping going builds strong character. And strong character gives us real hope. And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 This hope will never let us down, because God has flooded our hearts with his love through the Holy Spirit he gave us. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
God's Love Demonstrated in Christ
Study note
Paul marvels at the depth of God's love: Christ died for us while we were still powerless, ungodly, and sinners -- not when we had earned his favor. This extraordinary love provides assurance: if God reconciled us through Christ's death when we were enemies, how much more will we be saved through his life now that we are reconciled. Believers can rejoice in God through Christ, who has made this reconciliation possible.
6 Think about it: while we were completely helpless, at just the right moment, Christ gave his life for people who were far from God. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 It is extremely rare for anyone to die for a good person. Maybe, just maybe, someone would be brave enough to die for a truly wonderful person. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since his blood has already made us right with God, we can be even more sure that he will save us from God's anger in the future. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 After all, God brought us back to himself through the death of his Son while we were still his enemies. Now that we are friends with God, imagine how completely he will save us through Jesus' life! For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And there is more. We are so happy about what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. He brought us back into a right relationship with God. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Adam and Christ: Death and Life
Study note
Paul presents one of the most profound theological comparisons in Scripture. Through Adam, sin entered the world and death spread to all humanity. But the free gift is not like the offense: where Adam's sin brought condemnation, Christ's obedience brings justification and life. The law entered to increase awareness of sin, but where sin increased, grace increased all the more. Just as sin reigned through death, grace now reigns through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ.
12 Here is how it works: sin came into the world through one man, Adam, and death tagged along with sin. And since every person has sinned, death spread to every person. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 Sin was already in the world before the law was ever given. But without a law, sin does not get officially charged against anyone. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Even so, death ruled over everyone from Adam all the way to Moses. It even ruled over people who did not sin in the exact same way Adam did. Now, Adam was like a preview of Jesus, who was coming later. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But God's free gift is nothing like Adam's sin. Many people died because of what that one man did wrong. But God's grace is so much bigger! The gift that came through one man, Jesus Christ, overflowed to countless people. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And the gift works differently from the sin. One sin led to a guilty verdict. But the free gift that followed mountains of sin led to a not-guilty verdict. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 Death got to rule because of what one man did wrong. But look at the other side: everyone who receives God's overflowing grace and his gift of being made right will rule in real life through one man -- Jesus Christ! For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 So this is the bottom line: one man's wrong act brought a guilty sentence on all people. But one man's right act opened the door for all people to be made right with God and truly live. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 One man's disobedience turned the whole crowd into sinners. But one man's obedience will turn the whole crowd into people who are right with God. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 The law came along and sin got even worse. But wherever sin piled up, grace piled up even higher. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 Sin used to rule, and its payoff was death. But now grace rules instead, making people right with God and giving them eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.