[𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘖𝘋 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰. 𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘡𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴”, 𝘣𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘥. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭’𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦.]

In our Emmaus study, William MacDonald opened his comments about Romans 5 by suggesting that in this chapter, Paul addressed the question, “What are the benefits of justification in a believer’s life?” (p 51).  

A brief overview of this chapter in The Gospel Coalition’s study of Romans gave us a glimpse of what some of those benefits might be: “Romans 5 preaches a comfort and peace surpassing each and every earthly circumstance, placing the Christian who is justified by faith in a place of utter security and hope.”

It was good to carefully re-read the chapter, collecting an exciting list of priceless treasures we received when we trusted CHRIST:

• we are right in GOD’s sight by faith (5:1)
• we have peace with GOD (5:1)
• we enjoy a place of undeserved privilege (5:2)
• we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing GOD’s glory (5:2)
• we can rejoice in trials, which develop endurance, strength, character (5:3)
• we hold confident hope that does not disappoint (5:5)
• our hearts are filled with GOD’s love by the Holy Spirit (5:5)
• we enjoy friendship with GOD (5:10, 11)
• we receive GOD’s wonderful grace and forgiveness (5:15)
• we triumph over sin and death through JESUS CHRIST (5:17)
• we are given new life! (5:18)

Mr. MacDonald expanded these thoughts in such a beautiful way, emphasizing our security in CHRIST (pp 52-53):

“If GOD’s love went out to us when we were His ungodly enemies, how much more will He preserve us now that we belong to Him? … We were hostile toward GOD and quite content to have it so; left to ourselves, we felt no need of being reconciled to Him.  Enemies of GOD! (5:10) … But GOD did not share our attitude in the matter.  He intervened in a display of pure grace.  If GOD purchased our reconciliation as such a cost, will He ever let us go?  If CHRIST’s death had such power to save us, how much more will His endless life have power to keep us (Hebrews 7:25)?”

Pursued and purchased at such a cost when we were still enemies of GOD, our Savior has given us the unthinkable position as friends of GOD!  Thinking back to Paul’s statements in the previous chapter that true sons of Abraham reflect the faith of Abraham, it was touching to see this particular echo.  Abraham was called the friend of GOD (James 2:23); now because of CHRIST, we can say the same!

From such a secure place, we can experience something that is also unthinkable in our human, earthly lives – the ability to rejoice in trials!  [It was so interesting to me, personally, to see these verses intersect with a separate study in BSF this week about suffering.]

In Romans 5, Paul reminded us that problems and trials develop endurance, strength of character, and confident hope of salvation (5:3-4).  James reiterated these truths in his own letter: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2-4).

None of us welcomes suffering.  It is nearly impossible to find true joy in pain, struggle, or devastation.  We can be swallowed up by grief, blindsided by betrayal, or crushed by circumstances outside of our control.  

But GOD.  We were reminded in our BSF study this week that it is in those places of deep need that triune GOD longs to meet us and reveal a deeper reality of who He is.  We experience new facets of His heart and His character that expand our understanding and strengthen our ability to place complete trust in Him.  We might have only known Him as Savior, but now understand Him to be Healer, or Provider, or Comforter, or Constant Companion, or All-Wise Counselor, or the One who can speak a new word of creation, breathing new light and life into something that seems hopelessly lost or broken.  

In John 11, we read about the LORD JESUS meeting Martha and Mary in a time of deep sorrow.  Their shock and grief caused them to question His heart, His timing, and His purposes.  But as we read more of the story, we were reminded that our Savior does not dismiss human emotions or rebuke honest wrestling.  He came to them, He welcomed their hard questions, He wept with them.  He revealed Himself to be the Resurrection and the Life and assured them that in believing they would see the glory of GOD!

The faith that saved us is also a faith that grows!  As that faith is tested, the wider and deeper and broader our understanding of GOD expands, and the more clearly we can grasp that He is eternally unchanging and trustworthy!  He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  Because of CHRIST, we are welcomed into the good of all that He is and the innumerable blessings the Father offers us.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of GOD!  How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)

.   .   .

In the remainder of chapter 5, Paul contrasted the impact of two men – Adam and Christ:

• Adam’s sin brought death; CHRIST brought forgiveness of sin (5:15)
• Adam’s sin led to condemnation; CHRIST made sinners right with GOD (5:16)
• Adam’s sin caused death to rule; CHRIST brought triumph over sin and death (5:17)
• Adam’s disobedience made us sinners; CHRIST’s obedience made us righteous (5:19)

I found Mr. MacDonald’s comments about this section very insightful (p 55-56):

“At enormous cost, GOD sent His Son to die as a Substitute for sinners so that no one needs to pay for his sins himself.  Salvation from sin and its wages is offered as a free gift through faith in the LORD JESUS.  Humanity is condemned on 3 grounds: their sinful nature, Adam’s sin imputed to them, and the fact that they are sinners by practice.  But their crowning guilt is their rejection of the provision which GOD has made for their salvation (John 3:18-19, 36).

The one sin of Adam brought inevitable judgment, and the verdict was, “Condemned!”  The free gift of CHRIST, on the other hand, dealt effectively with many offenses, not just one, and resulted in the verdict, “Acquitted!”  

Paul highlights the differences between Adam’s sin and CHRIST’s gift, between the terrible havoc wrought by one sin and the tremendous deliverance wrought from wrath against many sins, and between the verdict of condemnation and the verdict of acquittal.  By the one trespass of one man, death reigned as a cruel tyrant (5:17).  But by the gracious gift of righteousness, a gift of overflowing grace, all believers reign in life through the LORD JESUS.

What grace this is!  We are not only delivered from death’s tyrannical reign over us, but we will also reign as kings, enjoying life now and eternally.  Do we really understand and appreciate this?”

In all honesty, no, I don’t really understand and appreciate ALL that Paul was trying to convey in Romans 5.  When I placed child-like faith in the finished work of CHRIST on my behalf many years ago, I simply rejoiced in the peace that came from knowing I was right with GOD and secure for all eternity. 

I struggle to find words to express the humble gratitude that is growing exponentially through this study.  Slowly but surely, I am beginning to embrace the breadth and width of what CHRIST saved me from AND the abundance of blessings I now enjoy as a child of GOD.

.   .   .

In the final verses of Romans 5, Paul added a few more statements about the law and grace.  The law helps us see how sinful we are, but GOD’s grace will always be greater than our sin.  Where sin once ruled, GOD’s grace now rules instead! (5:20-21).

Mr. MacDonald described these wondrous truths this way (p 57):

“The law did not originate sin, but it revealed sin as an offense against GOD.  It did not save from sin but revealed the awful character of sin.  But GOD’s grace proves to be greater than all man’s sin.  Where sin abounded, GOD’s grace at Calvary abounded much more!

Now that the reign of sin which inflicted death on all men has been ended, grace reigns in righteousness, giving eternal life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD (5:21).  Grace reigns through righteousness.  All the demands of GOD’s holiness have been met, so GOD can now grant eternal life to all who come pleading the merits of CHRIST, their Substitute.”

I also appreciated this final thought from The Gospel Coalition:  

“The Bible reveals the secret to inconceivable and unconquerable joy.  It is this, according to Romans 5:20: if we are in Christ, our sin cannot outpace GOD’s grace.”

As we will see in the next chapter, some were at risk of taking GOD’s grace for granted.  It will be interesting to see how Paul addressed their misguided thinking (that GOD’s grace could grant license to sin, so that His grace would be more clearly seen).  For now, I will sit in awe and wonder at the extravagant gifts I enjoy because CHRIST is my Savior! 

Let us praise GOD for His glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in His dear Son! (Ephesians 1:6, GNT)

RESOURCES:

“The Letter to the ROMANS,” by William MacDonald, Emmaus Worldwide, 2020, Revised 2023.

The Bible Project, video summary of the book of Romans, Parts 1 & 2.

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-1-4/

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-5-16/

“Knowing the Bible: Romans”, by Jared C. Wilson, The Gospel Coalition,  thegospelcoalition.org .