Romans 5:1-20

Romans 5:1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

This verse deserves to be printed in letters of gold. If you can truthfully say this, if it is indeed true of you, you are the happiest people under heaven. Let us read the verse again: «Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:»

Romans 5:2. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We are not only at peace with God, but we are permitted to draw near to him, we have access to him, we have access to his favor, to his grace. We may come to God when we will; for he is reconciled to us, and we are reconciled to him, so we may now think of him with joy and gladness.

Romans 5:3. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:-

Somebody seemed to say to the apostle, «You talk about peace with God, and access to God; but you are troubled in mind, you are sickly in body, you are poor in estate, just as other people are;» so Paul replies, «Yes, we know that it is so, «but we glory in tribulations also:'»

Romans 5:3. Knowing that tribulation worketh patience;-

It is sent for our good; we accept our trials as a part of our estate, and in some respects, the very richest part of our estate. We get more good out of our adversity than out of our prosperity. Our troubles have made men of us, whereas our joys might have unmanned us. Trials have braced us up, and we glory in them, «knowing that tribulation worketh patience;»

Romans 5:4. And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

The longer we wait, the brighter do our eyes get. Our very trials when they have passed over us, leave us stronger and happier than we were before.

Our experience works in us hope.

Romans 5:5. 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.

What a blessed thing it is that, when troubles are shed abroad outside us, the love of God is shed abroad inside us; when we are tried without, we are comforted within; and so we are made strong, and we have no cause to fear.

Romans 5:6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

And as he died for us when we were ungodly, what will he not do for us now that he has sought us as his own? He gave the highest proof of his love to us when we were most unworthy of it, so will he leave us now? God forbid!

Romans 5:7. For scarcely-

Now the apostle goes away from his theme, carried away by the still greater subject of the love of God in Christ Jesus, and the way of reconciliation by Christ, he goes on to that theme: «For scarcely»

Romans 5:7. For a righteous man will one die:-

However «just» Aristides might be, nobody would die for him. However «righteous» a man might be, he would not, by his justice or righteousness, win enough affection to induce anybody to die for him.

Romans 5:7. Yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

There might possibly be some who would die for a John Howard, or a man of that ilk.

Romans 5:8. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

When we were not even just, much less good, «Christ died for us.»

Romans 5:9. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

As he died for us, he will certainly save us. He who died for the ungodly will never cast away those whom he has justified. The death of Christ for his own people is the guarantee that he will love them even to the end.

Romans 5:10. 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.

Did he love us when we were his enemies? Then most assuredly he will love us now that we are his friends. Did his death save us? Then, will not his life also save us? As he took such pains to reconcile us to his Father, will he not take equal pains-nay, «much more» to preserve us safe to the end?

Romans 5:11. And not only so,-

Paul seems to go up a ladder, and when he gets to the top of it, he sets up another on the top of that one, and proceeds to mount that. This is the second time that we have read, «And not only so,»

Romans 5:11. But we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Christ has made atonements for us, and God has accepted that atonement on our behalf. We also have received it ourselves and now we are glad in God-glad that there is a God, glad that there is such a God, and glad that he is our God and Father in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:12. 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:

It was by one man's sin that we all fell through the first Adam. Does anyone object to the justice of that? I pray you, do not object to what is your only hope. If you and I had each one sinned for himself or herself apart from Adam, our case would probably have been hopeless, like the case of the fallen angels, who sinned individually, and fell never to be set up again, but inasmuch as we fell representatively in Adam, it prepared the way for us to rise representatively in the second Adam, Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. As I fell by another, I can rise by another; as my ruin was caused by the first man, Adam, my restoration can be brought about by the second Man, the Lord from heaven.

Romans 5:13. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, ever over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Infants die, although they have never sinned; they die, because death is the penalty of sin; and as they die for faults not their own, so are the saved by righteousness not their own. They die, for Adam sinned; they live, for Jesus died.

Romans 5:15. 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. 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. 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.)

Adam's fall was terribly effectual, it has brought death upon the human race age after age; and Christ's death is wonderfully effectual, for on behalf of all those for whom he died his atonement so prevail as to put their sins away for ever.

Romans 5:19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

That is the wonderful doctrine of «the gospel of Christ.» It is rejected in these evil days; they call it simple, and I know not what beside; but here it is put as plainly as words can put it, «As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.»

Romans 5:20. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound.

The law was not given to Moses to stop sin, or to forgive sin, but to make men see how evil sin is, and to make it evident to them how evil they are.

Romans 5:20. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

There was more grace than terror even in the law. It has served a gracious purpose, for it was given to make us realize our guilt, and so might drive us to seek the grace of God for its forgiveness. Salvation is all of grace. Sin cannot conquer grace; it has had a hard struggle for it, but grace will ultimately win the victory in all who believe in Jesus.

Romans 5:21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The drift of the whole chapter is to comfort believers in the time of trouble by the fact of the great love of God to them in the person of Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour.