Paul's letter to the Romans
A letter of explaining sin, imputed lawlessness/sin and righteousness, and grace.
Romans 5 - ASV
1. Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
Never in scriptures is it mentioned that we are justified by works.
When we have works later according to our faith, it is still part of faith, without which there is no justification.
Our peace with God is caused by our Lord Jesus. Nothing to do with our works. Nothing to do with our selves being good, having works at any point.
All is Christ. To live is Christ. Christ is the life, the way and the truth.
No one comes to the Father, but/except through Him. Christ is the gate/door.
Christ is the ressurection. Our works do not cause us to ressurect.
We would ressurect through our works if works indeed justifies.
2. through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Our access is by faith.
We live from grace to grace. From saving grace to union grace. There is no saving works; only works in the Holy Spirit, after we have accepted Him into our lives.
Have you done that? Like to start working?
3. And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness;
Here he continues. We are not supposed to read one verse or half a sentence only.
Tribulation has its purpose. It has a place in improving life. It allows us to prove our stedfastness with the Holy Spirit.
4. and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope:
Hope is approved of. We look forward to things that are to come, with certainty.
God is the certainty we rely upon.
5. and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.
Our hearts are filled with the love of God. We are with God because of love/God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit.
6. For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly.
Weak as being helpless as sinners, being tied down by sin, being slaves of sin, unable to see and come near light.
Paul is addressing born again christians who are already free from the bondage of sin, able to be with God, having their sins covered.
The Liberal idea of progressive perfection, gradually becoming christian is alien to Pauline doctrine, and scriptures. Christians have broken the bondage of sin by the power of Christ, and can be unified with God at any time. They are living from perfection to perfection.
7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: for peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die.
Sometimes they do, by earthly terms.
Dying for somebody else is not something unheard of.
8. But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God initiates His love and action. Love does have action. It is no wishful thinking. Not just lip service.
9. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him.
His blood is freely given. It is grace. No works involved.
Those who are not justified will be taste/judged by His wrath.
His judgment is fairly/justly delivered.
10. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life;
Good works from enemies? Which part?
Reconcilation is made through the death of His Son. Killing His Son is no good works.
We shall be saved by His life; not by our works. He has done it all for us.
We just learn/try to follow Him, as christians, as followers.
11. and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Our Lord Jesus is our mediator. Madonna is not.
We pray and rejoice through our Lord Jesus.
We have already received reconciliation. No need to wait till later. It is not a matter of hope. Its done. There is no progressive reconciliation. It is either have or have not, a black or white situation.
Those who have have certainty.
12. Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned:--
Imputed sin through Adam. Through one man, all are counted dead to sin. So babies/infants are also born with sin.
All sinned. No exception. No sinless infant.
13. for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Sin was there even when dormant, inactive.
Since there is law, there is imputed sin. Sin is imputable when there is law.
The law shows that we are counted as sin.
14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come.
Babies do not and have not eaten the forbidden fruit Adam ate.
At the time of Moses, with the establishment of the Mosaic law, the OT, death no longer reigns supreme. For there is the law of faith in the Mosaic law, by which reconciliation is available.
There will be a sacrifice capable of removing sin once and for all.
15. But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many.
Sin freely came by imputation. The free gift also came freely by imputation. Sin can be covered(kaper).
Many died by the trespass/sin of the one/Adam.
Many are saved through the grace of one man, Jesus.
16. And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses unto justification.
This free gift is greater, in that it can even cover many sins/trespasses.
It is a greater justification.
17. For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.
Paul teaches with many verses that sin and death is not produced by a person only when he commits sin/trespasses personally. Paul does not teach the self of many. He taught imputation on the many through one.
There is one Christ for many. Never many for many. Never on a one to one, one by one basis.
18. So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life.
This speaks of the effect of the one.
Seemingly a one to one situation. But the grace from Christ/God is greater, than the trespasses of one Adam/man.
19. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.
Many were made sinners through one man. Many share the same by association.
Christians do not earn righteousness through works. They get it freely from Christ.
Gifts are not earned. They are received. The mere receiving is not counted as part of works.
20. And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:
Mankind sin progressively. Salvation has greater power.
Grace is greater than destruction, hopelessness.
21. that, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The power of sin is death.
The channel of grace is righteousness. The power/effect of grace is eternal life. This power, this grace is channeled through Jesus Christ, who is great enough and embracing enough to be our Lord/Master.
Sin and the law have to let go.
Christ, His righteousness is the end of law.
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