Rom 8:1-39, Despite our frail sinful nature, God's Spirit gives us life, peace, and hope

1. Introduction 1:1-17 (includes purpose, 8-15; and theme, 16-17)

2. The Need for God's Righteousness 1:18-3:20

3. The Imputation of God's Righteousness 3:21-5:21 (description, defense, proof, benefits, and restorative effects)

4. The impartation of God's righteousness 6:1-8:39
1. The believer's relationship to sin 6:1-23
2. The believer's relationship to the law 7:1-25
3. The believer's relationship to God 8:1-39
1. Our deliverance from the flesh by the power of the Spirit 8:1-11
2. Our new relationship to God 8:12-17
3. Our present sufferings and future glory 8:18-25
4. Our place in God's sovereign plan 8:26-30
5. Our eternal security 8:31-39

Our deliverance from the flesh by the power of the Spirit 8:1-11

Rom 8:1-11 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,  2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,  4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

• We just finished up this struggle with sin caused by the new nature.  My mind is being renewed and now I am a slave to God's law while I still retain my sinful nature.  The law was good in revealing sin to me, but bad in that my sinful nature for more reasons to rebel against God.  So what does conclude from this mess?
• We might be failures, but we are not condemned
• The righteous requirements of the law have been met

• The big change is in our mind.  What does Paul say that implies?
• We need to set our mind on what the Spirit desires (we need to submit our mind)
• A mind controlled by the Spirit offers life and peace
• A mind submitted to God is what will please God

• A life controlled by the Spirit is evidence of  that God's Spirit lives within us

• And what does the promise mean, to give life to your mortal bodies?
• It is a quality of life evidence by peace, no condemnation
• The struggle still exists, but also a peace that only maturity in Christ can bring about

Our new relationship to God 8:12-17

Rom 8:12-17 (NIV) Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

• How can a Christian "die" by living according to the sinful nature?
• Could die physically as was the case in Hebrews with the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem
• Can shows signs of spiritual dying exhibited by a lack of joy and peace
• A life lived in contradiction will always seem defeating

• Our new position is as God's children.  What are the implications?
• We are heirs
• We may have to suffer prior to fully comprehending God's glory.  Why?
• Because this was never the life God promised when Adam rebelled in the garden
• We also have rebelled, in our sinful nature, in every possible way.  Adam rebelled against one law.  We have rebelled against many more
• Consequently, this world is not as God intended it to be

Our present sufferings and future glory 8:18-25

Rom 8:18-25 (NIV) I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

• What does our rebellion reveal to us about its effect on creation?
• The creation is frustrated
• The creation is subjugated
• The creation is in bondage (a reference previously to sin)
• The creation is decaying
• The creation is groaning for liberation from decay

• How do we see this?
• Plagues, diseases, virus, famine, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, birth defects, chemical imbalances, etc

• This is not the world God intended.  But it does not show God as evil, but rather us as in rebellion
• God offered us a wonderful creation, we can see the hints of its beauty
• Adam rebelled, but we are just as guilty, because while Adam rebelled against on rule, the law has shown us that we rebel against many laws of God
• APPLICATION: One of the arguments of Atheists is that the existence of so much evil in the world is proof that God does not exist.  Paul's argument is the opposite.  The existence of evil is the proof of our rebellion.  Jesus is the proof of God's love and existence

• And so what do the adopted children do?
• We live in hope
• We wait patiently
• Someday, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, just as God had originally intended

Our place in God's sovereign plan 8:26-30

Rom 8:26-27 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

• Actually, our weakness, Greek word astheneia, means feebleness (of mind or body)
• So it could be referring back to our struggle with the flesh
• NT:769, the state of being ill and thus incapacitated in some manner - 'illness, disability, weakness. (from Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain. Copyright © 1988 United Bible Societies, New York. Used by permission.)
• In other words, our weak flesh probably fights against us praying, and may even tempt us to pray for things that are not according to the Spirit

• The Spirit helps us in other ways as well
• The NASB suggests we don't know how to pray, the NIV suggests we don't what we should pray for
• Probably both are true.  The Greek is ambiguous as well, although Constable believes it favors the NIV
• Jesus teaching on prayer suggests both how and what as well
• Part of the problem is that the best prayers are those aligned with the will of God.  The Spirit knows God's will, and the Spirit reveals the will of God to us--at least to the extent we listen

• It would be wrong to assume that verse 26 is speaking in tongues, since the scriptures never connect tongues with intercessory prayer
• "Groans that words cannot express" literally would be interpreted as an emotion and not as a special prayer language

• In this case, taking into account all the information, the Spirit prays through us not for us

Our eternal security 8:31-39

Rom 8:31-39 (NIV) What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• So, we are left with a weak flesh.  We are not condemned, but we do struggle.  We are children of God, heirs, but we need to live according to the Spirit while on earth, because the rebellion ruins everything around us.  We don't even do a good job praying, but the Spirit helps us in that as well.  It expresses through us God's desire.  It works to renew our thinking.  It fights against the sinful nature.  So what she we say?
• God is on our side
• Look at the evidence
• No one can charge us
• God has already positionally justified us
• No one can condemn us
• Jesus died for us
• Who can separate us from the love of God now?
• Trouble? No.  Hardship? No. Persecution? No. Famine? No.  Nakedness? No. Danger? No.  The Sword? No.
• We are more than conquerors (we already won)
• There is nothing in creation that separate us from the love of God

• This is one of the great arguments for eternal security.  Because if there is something that can separate us, then Paul's words are not true

Rom 7:1-25, The flesh uses the knowledge of sin to increase sin

1. Introduction 1:1-17 (includes purpose, 8-15; and theme, 16-17)
2. The Need for God's Righteousness 1:18-3:20
3. The Imputation of God's Righteousness 3:21-5:21 (description, defense, proof, benefits, and restorative effects)
4. The impartation of God's righteousness 6:1-8:39
1. The believer's relationship to sin 6:1-23
1. Freedom from sin 6:1-14
2. Slavery to righteousness 6:15-23
2. The believer's relationship to the law 7:1-25
1. The law's authority 7:1-6
2. The law's activity 7:7-12
3. The law's inability 7:13-25
3. The believer's relationship to God 8:1-39
1. Our deliverance from the flesh by the power of the Spirit 8:1-11
2. Our new relationship to God 8:12-17
3. Our present sufferings and future glory 8:18-25
4. Our place in God's sovereign plan 8:26-30
5. Our eternal security 8:31-39


Rom 7:1-6 (NIV) Do you not know, brothers — for I am speaking to men who know the law — that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. 3 So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.


4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.


• In discussing the believer's relationship to the law, Paul starts with an example from natural law regarding marriage.  What is Paul's point?
• If the husband dies, the wife is not bound to the law of marriage.  She marries another without any consequences
• If she marries another while her husband is alive (not divorced), she is called adulteress
• How does it apply to the OT law?
• Paul says that we died to the law through the body of Christ, therefore we are not lawbreakers
• We are released from the law
• We serve God in a new way of the spirit and not in the old way
• So we still do serve God
• But it is not the same
• The term "written code" is a very clear description of the OT law
• Additionally, there is some linkage between our sinful passions and the law.  In same way, the law increased our passions (aroused) and controlled us, but not in a good way.  So release from the law is a good thing for us spiritually, although is hard to understand or even explain


Rom 7:7-12 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."  8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.


• The immediate thought then is that the law is sin since it increase our sinful passions.  But that is not entirely Paul's point
• The law made us aware of things that were not sin
• Covetous is an example.  It wasn't really a sin until the law told me it was a sin (that's the good thing).  But somehow that knowledge produced even more covetous behavior (the bad thing)
• Sin used the laws to actually deceive me.  Again the knowledge of my sin is good, but the result is that our sinful flesh used it to make our lives worse
• The law is not at fault for revealing sin to us
• Our flesh, which rebelled against God, rebelled even more when it understood what other areas were sin


Rom 7:13-25 (NIV) Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.


14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.


21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!


So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.


• So, did a good thing (originally) become death to me?
• No, death is caused by sin
• The commandment reveals sin (and also by that knowledge increased sin), but the commandments did not cause death
• The commandments helped me to see how utterly sinful I am
• I already was sinful
• To an extent, my body, seizing the opportunity afforded by the knowledge from the law, became more sinful (the bad)
• But I also became more aware of my sin (the good thing)
• Verses 14-20 reveal the real problem which was not the law but what?
• It is our sinful nature
• It causes us to do what is wrong
• Even when I know something is wrong (through the law) I still sin, because of my sinful nature
• So there is a principle (not law) at work in my body?
• I want to do what is right (I was created to do what is right)
• My flesh wants to do what is wrong
• My mind and my flesh battle (wage war)
• What is the answer?
• Jesus has rescued our mind, now we are a slave to righteousness
• Our body of flesh (sinful nature) remains a slave to sin
• IMPLICATION: previously, both were slaves to sin, but my mind has been released.  I will always struggle to wage war against my sinful flesh.  By the Spirit's power, I can have increasing victory, but I will never be perfect until I have a new body (occurs at glorification)

Rom 6:1-23, Obedience is the pathway to a full life, slavery to sin is a painful way to live

1. Introduction 1:1-17 (includes purpose, 8-15; and theme, 16-17)
2. The Need for God's Righteousness 1:18-3:20
3. The Imputation of God's Righteousness 3:21-5:21
1. The description of justification 3:21-26
2. The defense of justification by faith alone 3:27-31
3. The proof of justification by faith from the law 4:1-25
4. The benefits of justification 5:1-11
5. The restorative effects of justification 5:12-21
4. The impartation of God's righteousness 6:1-8:39
1. The believer's relationship to sin 6:1-23
1. Freedom from sin 6:1-14
2. Slavery to righteousness 6:15-23
2. The believer's relationship to the law 7:1-25
3. The believer's relationship to God 8:1-39
Review: Use chart of justification, sanctification, and glorification
Chapter 3-5 has described our positional justification, now Paul focuses on our progressive sanctification


Rom 6:1-7 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.


5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.


• Why does Paul ask a so obvious question in verse 1? (There are some 70+ rhetorical questions in Romans)
• In 5:20-21, he argued that the law was a good thing because it showed us our sin by increasing our definition of sin
• Our recognition of sin shows us our need for grace, that is, we are completely underserving
• It is a stupid argument, but one that others were making against Paul.  Recognizing our sinfulness is a good thing; being sinful is not a good thing
• When did we die to sin?
• At our conversion, at the point of our rebirth
• Constable (2010) writes, "Paul did not say that it is impossible to live in sin or that sin is dead to the Christian (i.e., that it no longer appeals to us). He meant it is unnecessary and undesirable to live in sin, to habitually practice it."
• Paul has already made the argument that we are justified by faith alone.  He now uses baptism to describe what happens to our life
• Note that other passages clearly show that baptism does not save or that one is not saved if they are not baptized, but …
• Clearly, Paul assumes that all the believers have been baptized
• Our baptism
• Identifies us with Christ' death (sin is paid)
• Identifies us with his resurrection (we are given a new life)
• Identifies us with our future life (we will be given a new body)
• Baptism shows
• Sin was crucified (our old self was crucified)
• Positionally, we are no longer slaves to sin
• We are free from sin
• What does it mean to be freed from sin?
• The "old man" is the person you were before you came to Christ
• That person is dead
• One can choose to adopt his characteristics, but you can never be that old man again
• The old man is not the same as the old nature
• The old nature remains with us until we die
• The old nature is the same as the flesh
• Constable (2010) writes, "I prefer not to use the term "new nature." It does not appear in Scripture. The New Testament presents the Christian not as a person with two natures warring within him or her. It presents the Christian as a person with one sinful nature (the flesh) that is in conflict with the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:16-23). It also speaks of the Christian as struggling with the decision to live as the new man that he or she now is. Our alternative is to live as the old man who we were but are no longer (cf. Rom. 7:13-24).
• Constable (2010) writes, "Death ends all claims."
• Two problems
• The unbeliever may not see himself as a slave to sin, but he is
• The Christian may not see himself as free from sin, but he is
• The chain has been broken -- we are free of sin's domination.  Its enticement will be our struggle until glorification


Rom 6:8-14 (NIV) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.


11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.


• What does Paul say about Christ and his death?
• Christ died to sin.  He cannot die again.  It is a once for all death
• Differs with Catholicism which has a perpetual sacrifice in the Catholic mass
• Jesus cannot die again.  Death's rulership is gone.  Death's mastery is gone
• How does the implication of Christ's death apply to us? ("in the same way")
• His death means that we will never have to come "under the enslaving, spiritual death-dealing power of sin (Constable, 2010)"
• "Since God has united us with Christ we should "consider," "count," or "reckon" ourselves as those who are not under the dominating influence of sin any longer. The verb is a present imperative in the Greek text indicating that we should definitely and constantly view ourselves this way. We must realize that we are free to enjoy our new relationship with God forever (Constable 2010)."
• Paul concludes that this knowledge should affect us how?
• Don't give into sin (you do not have to sin, sin is not our master)
• Don't give into lusts (you do not have to lust, sin is not our master)
• Offer the parts of our body to God as an instrument of righteousness (List from Constable, 2010)
• Eyes -- what we look at
• Ears -- what we listen to
• Mouth -- what we say
• Hands -- what we do
• Feet -- where we go
• Hearts -- what we love
• Minds -- what we think about
• Will -- decisions we make
• Interesting, Paul almost seems to blame the law.  What does he say in verse 14?
• When we were under the law, sin held a certain mastery over us
• When we are under grace, sin has no mastery
• Constable (2010) writes, "Sin will no longer master the believer. The basic reason for this is that we are not under the Mosaic Law as the authority under which we live but under grace. Satan can no longer use the Law to hinder the believer's progress (cf. 3:23). God has redeemed us, not by the Law but by grace. We now live under that authority. Paul [will deal] with the tension this situation creates for the believer in chapter 7."


Rom 6:15-23 (NIV) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey — whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.


19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


• Well if the law is not over us anymore, should we just go ahead and sin?  Obviously not (By no means!)
• We do have an obligation, but what is different?
• We are not obligated to the law
• We are obligated to righteousness.  Apparently righteousness is not the same as the law
• What is the benefit of living in sin?  What do people reap from sin?
• Shame
• Death
• The contrast to living in righteousness is what?
• Holiness
• Eternal life (which is often describes as a quality of life)
• "If our life sucks, maybe the problem is that we living for the flesh and not for God"
• APPLICATION: Constable (2010) writes, "Verses 15-23 teach truth by way of contrasts. Obedience to sin yields unfruitfulness, shame, and death. Obedience to righteousness results in progressive sanctification and the fullness of eternal life."

Rom 5:1-21, Faith is a better foundation than performance-based religion

REVIEW: We conclude chapter 4 with Abraham's example of hope and faith.  Abraham was justified by faith and not by what he did.  Paul now goes into the evidence for the results of justification by faith.


Rom 5:1-11 (NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.


6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.


• Note that the phrase "have been justified through faith" is in the past tense and looks back on an event that has happened, and not on something in the future that might happen.  Our position becomes a historical fact
• What are the results of justification through faith?
• Peace.  Why?  Justification by works would leave us wondering if we have ever done enough
• Access to God.  Why?  Our present position is the result of grace.  Paul says we stand in this grace.  It is an unmerited position, because quite frankly, we could never gain access to God if it depended on us
• Hope of Glory.  Why? Jesus did all the work for us.  Our hope is based upon him and not upon us
• Suffering has a positive impact.  Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope.  Why? Because if we suffer, it is not because we are cursed (OT Law: failure resulted in curses), but because we are loved.  It is the result of a Father who loves his adopted children and wants to see their best
• Verse 6-8 describe those for who Christ died
• Powerless.  There was nothing we could do to change our situation
• Ungodly.  We lived in rebellion to God.  We violated his rules of life
• Not good enough to die for.  We weren't even good enough to die for
• Sinners.  We were opposed to God.  We were wicked
• Paul continues the benefits of justification
• We are saved from God's wrath to come.  I think this is eschatological and refers to the tribulation period when God's wrath is poured out on the world first and then Israel specifically.  This seems to be an allusion, in my opinion, to a pre-tribulation rapture
• Also, we were enemies, but we are now reconciled
• But reconciliation was the hard part according to verse 10-11.  What does it mean we shall be saved?
• This refers to sanctification (the process of becoming more like Christ) and to our final glorification (when we will have our new body like Christ)


Rom 5:12-14 (NIV) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.


• Now Paul comes back to the fall, which is where all this started, and also shows how justification by faith redeems us from its effects
• Many commentators see the usage of Adam and Christ as federal heads of two groups of people
• A federal head acts as a representative of the people
• Examples might be a king or president, or even a parent
• Interestingly, Adam is the federal head, not Eve.  The scriptures say that Eve was deceived but Adam deliberately sinned
• Where does death come from?
• It is a result of Adam's sin
• Gen 3:19c . . . for dust you are and to dust you will return
• People die because of Adam's sin
• People are judged because of their own sin
• But, how can there be sin, since sin is not taken into account when there is no law
• Since there was sin, there was some knowledge of God's law
• Rom 2:14-15 (NIV) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
• Gen 6:5-6 (NIV)  The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
• You do not need the OT law to be guilty of sin


Rom 5:15-19 (NIV) But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.


18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.


• Rob Bell has made a lot of new lately with his book "Love Wins." I believe Bell makes two major mistakes
• He is preaching a false doctrine of "universalism"
• He has created an idol of what he thinks God should be like
• Twice the author make a the statement "the gift is not like the trespass."  So how is the gift not like and how are the same
• One man in both cases
• Sin brought both death and ultimately God's grace
• One resulted in judgment and condemnation, and the other results in grace and the gift of righteousness
• So, is the difference only in the results?
• No, because in one case, the results are earned
• In the other case, the results are a gift
• Verses 18-19 would seem to suggest through parallelism, that just as everyone was condemned to death, not everyone is justified to life, but that violates quite a few of Paul's arguments, including the statement repeated twice, "the gift is not like the trespass"
• The trespass earns death
• Rom 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• A gift is not earned nor is forced upon the individual, a gift must be received.  Only then is it fully the person's right
• John 1:12 (NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God


Rom 5:20-21 (NIV) The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


• So why add the law, if the purpose of the law was to increase the number of sins?
• Our sin reveals our need for a savior
• Since the wages of sin is death, and the gift is eternal life, the more wages earned would seem to make a person more aware of their need
• The law reveals to us things we might not even think our sin.  What are some examples?
• Lust
• Covetous
• Filthy language
• Sexual sins (today's culture bears this out--"what's wrong with sex before marriage?" or "what's wrong with homosexuality?")
• APPLICATION:
• Not everyone will be saved
• Sin brings death, but sin also shows us how desperately we need a savior
• Faith changes our relationship with God from performance-based to a family-based love relationship