Our Glorious Salvation, Part 1
The book of Romans is the most comprehensive explanation of what God has done for us in Christ. It describes the condition of every man in a logical progression.
Romans 1: God has revealed Himself to every man and we have rejected Him.Romans 2: The Jews are sinful, even though they thought they were not.Romans 3: The Gentiles (all the rest of us) are sinful. In fact, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death.” We can’t justify ourselves and our sin has “shut our mouths” before a holy God.Romans 4: There is no way we can be made right before God (justified) by our works; we can only be saved by faith in Jesus.
Now, Paul comes to one of the most glorious chapters in the Bible: Romans 5. If you don’t really understand this chapter, you will miss the rest.
Romans 5: God has done something for us that only He could do through Christ. We can now have peace facing God if we have been introduced by Christ through faith. And now, instead of standing in condemnation, we stand in a state of grace.
Paul contrasts the difference between where we were (in Adam, our old, sinful, condemned state) and where we are now (in Christ, our new, redeemed state). Notice the 180-degree contrast. Read these verses penned by the Holy Spirit by Paul and the summary below.
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression 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 to the many.
16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sin entered the world Christ
Judgment came from God
We were all guilty and condemned
DEATH REIGNED OVER ALL!
Christ entered and was completely righteous
Judgment for our sin fell upon Christ for us
We are all justified and reconciled to God
GRACE REIGNS over all who are in Christ!
If you are in Christ, you are forgiven! You are justified before God! You are standing before God with peace facing Him. You stand in a state of grace (and forever will). All of this has been accomplished totally and completely by God the Father and His precious Son.
Hallelujah for what Christ has done for us!
