WHAT BELIEVERS ENTER INTO BECAUSE OF JUSTIFICATION
Romans 5:1-21
As taught by Dave Lindstrom
I. Those who have been justified (declared righteous) by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ now have these amazing benefits (vs 1-5):
A. Present and lasting peace with God. Peace is the Greek word "eirena" and comes from the Hebrew word "shalom" which means to be complete, sound, safe, free from fault, healthy and prosperous (vs 1; Col. 1:20; Eph. 2:14).
B. Access into the grace (unmerited favor) of God. The Greek word for access is the word for introducing someone into the presence of a ruler (vs 2; Eph. 1:3; Heb. 4:16; 2 Peter 1:3).
C. The ability to rejoice (boast in God; Gal. 6:14) in afflictions, tribulations or sufferings. The justified believer's peace is with God but not necessarily the things or people in this world (James 1:2-5).
1. Sufferings produce steadfast endurance (hupomonan-remain under) to bear up under the pressure of the difficulty (vs 3; 1 Cor. 10:13).
2. Steadfast endurance produces proof of approved character like gold from the furnace which has been purified and tested (vs 4; Job 23:10).
3. Approved character produces hopeful expectation in God and His promises (vs 4; 1 Tim. 3:13; James 1:4).
4. Hopeful expectation produces confidence before God (instead of shame) and a deep understanding that his Holy Spirit lives in us, helping and loving us (vs 5).
Thought: What benefit of being justified has meant the most to you this week?
II. Justified believers should be amazed at the full extent of God's love (vs 6-11).
A. Christ died for the powerless (inability because of sickness and weakness), the ungodly, sinners and enemies (vs 6, 8, 10). In other words, all of us.
B. Rarely will a person die for a righteous person (one who upholds right) although for a good person (someone who does good to others), a person might die. However, God's amazing love is shown in Christ's death for sinners (vs 7,8).
C. We have been justified (declared righteous, past tense salvation) through Christ's death. We are being and will be sanctified (made holy, present tense salvation) and glorified (future) through his life (vs 9-11).
III. Paul answers a few questions on sin and the Law (vs 12-21).
A. Sin and death came into all of the human race through the breaking of God's verbal command to Adam (v 12; Gen 3:1-19).
B. The giving of the Law by Moses was not the start of sin and death because physical death and sin was already present (vs 13,14).
C. Jesus' gift is not like Adam's trespass because Adam's trespass brought death but Jesus' gift brings life (vs 15,16).
D. Jesus' gift is like Adam's trespass in that it was by one man doing one act bringing one certain result (vs 17-19).
E. The purpose of the Law in justification was to show people that they were not able to live up to it. Therefore it was meant to lead sinners to God's grace and mercy (vs 20,21; Rom. 3:20; Gal. 13:24).
Thought: Romans 5:12-21 is a key text in the study of the Biblical concepts of original and inherited sin. For deeper and further study, I recommend "Christian Theology" by Millard J. Erickson, "Basic Theology" by Charles C. Ryrie, or Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem.
