Eternal Life for All

20But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21, NRSV)

When the Law was made known, sin multiplied because now we knew what was against the law. Before we knew what the law was we didn’t know we were breaking it. but now that we know the law we know we are breaking it. But even though sin had increased, grace has increased all the more. Because where there is sin, God’s grace will be even more abundantly than the sin.

So how free are you?

Many will be Made Righteous

18Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19, NRSV)

By one made we are led astray and by another man we are made right.

By one man’s disobedience we are made sinners and by another man’s obedience we are made right.

By Jesus’ obedience to God to go to the cross and bear the shame and guilt we all should bear we are made right with God. Nothing for us to boast, but all for God’s glory.

The Free Gift of Justification

15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:15-17, NRSV)

We say that Adam is responsible for the original sin and the fact all of us are separated from God. But even more than that we are all made right with God through one man, Jesus Christ.

The grace that we receive from Jesus is way more powerful than the sin that keeps us from God.

We all need to rest in the much more grace of God that Jesus gives us.

Sin and Death

12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned—13sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. (Romans 5:12-14, NRSV)

For all have sinned so all will die. Interesting to say it that way. Paul implies here that if Adam and Eve hadn’t sinned that they would have lived forever even without eating from the tree of eternal life.

But because they disobeyed God then they will die. And because all have sinned we will all die. So if we never sinned would we not die?

It is hard to say because we all have sinned and fall short of what God expects of us.

But God is able to lift us up and clean us off.

Would you not sin if you could? What is sin that leads to death?

Peace and Hope

28For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.9Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.11But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 3:28-30, 5:1-11, NRSV)

We are justified by faith. But being justified does not mean we will be free from suffering, but we can take hold of peace that comes from knowing we can hold to the promises of the justification we have.

But we can boast also in our suffering for God, because as Paul tells the Romans, “suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” God has poured His love into our lives through the Holy Spirit. We are saved from the wrath that God would have given us and we deserve because while we still deserved that wrath and were not able to stand in the presence of God, Jesus came and died for each of us. Jesus reconciled us when we did not deserve reconciliation. That is how he wants each of us to live. To show His love to all of the world. not based on who deserves it because none of us did, but just give love, and the fountain will continue to fill out hearts.

Abraham’s Faith

13For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 16For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Romans 4:13-17, NRSV)

Faith is what gets us our inheritance into the kingdom.

If it is us following the Law, then we can do it all on our own and we don’t need God. But we still need the Law so we have order and know our violations. But the Law and adherence to it will not save us. Only God can do that through faith, the faithfulness of Jesus to show us how to live and love.

The Example of Abraham

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. 5But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. (Romans 4:1-5, NRSV)

Pretty simple actually when you look at it the way Paul lays it out here. When you work, the money you earn is not a gift but is due to you for the labor you did. But the gift we received from God by which we are made right is not due to us for works we have done but is the gift of God.

So if you believe God then you are like Abraham and are justified by God.

But isn’t believing a work? Yes and no. It could be, but it also isn’t.

Faith is trusting that the promises are true but really isn’t doing anything.

So Believe the promises and be justified.

Justified by Faith

27Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,30since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:27-31, NRSV)

We can’t boast about our place in the kingdom because we did nothing to earn it.

We are all made right by God and it is nothing we ourselves have done.

And we don’t get to do whatever we want, now that we know that God has freed us from our past life, we must live the life he has called us to.

So how do we live to show His love to the world?

Made Right with God

21But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;24they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26, NRSV)

We have all fallen short of what God expects from us, there is no exception to that we are all sinners and deserve to be separated from God, but God gave us Jesus to make a way for us to be redeemed. Because of His righteousness, we are justified to God.

So if we believe that what the Bible says is true then the promise is true for us. If we believe and have faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are justified by God.

It is all God’s doing and nothing we do that justifies us.

Do Not Judge

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. 2You say, “We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.” 3Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:1-4, NRSV)

Why do we judge?

And if you say you don’t judge, please take a moment to think about that. We all judge, it is human nature, but why do we judge?

Usually, we judge someone else because it takes our eyes off of us and our issues, and puts the focus on another. It highlights the problems we see in their lives and helps to push away the things we should be working on.

It is that last line of the reading we should focus on for our lives, “Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” The kindness we have from God should shine a light on the issues in our own lives and we should seek repentance about them. We need to get our life right with God and show others the love God has for us all.

How can we repent rather than judge?