The Aaron Papers www.the-aaron-papers.net
A STUDY IN COVENANT THEOLOGY
ROMANS CHAPTER 5
(Our access by grace is defined:)
ROMANS 5—“1Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 2through 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.
3And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: Knowing that tribulation works steadfastness; 4and steadfastness, approval; and approval, hope: 5And hope puts not to shame; because the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us."
aaron-Then here in verses 6-8, we are given the condition that all peoples are in before God’s blessed grace is received:
"6For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: Yet peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die. 8But God commends his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
aaron-Even in our former failed estate, as we were hopelessly lost there in our sins, God’s grace absolutely flowed to us through Christ’s finished propitiatory work.
aaron-We then move on to see the full affect of God’s boundless grace:
"9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him." Ref.1:18
aaron-It is not a matter here of anything at all that we might contribute of ourselves: Everything necessary to our salvation has been accomplished by God himself:
"10For 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. 11And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received the reconciliation."
aaron-Paul now define sin with respect to the law—in the light of God’s grace:
"12Therefore, as through one man, sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned: 13for until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless 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.
15But 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.
aaron-Once again, this is talking about God’s free and unmerited grace through Christ’s finished propitiatory work on the cross—the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
16And 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.
17For 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. 18So 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. 19For 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."
aaron-We must not overlook the complete passive role that is being assigned here to God’s whole creation. It was only through the direct act of another that their conditional state as being either sinners or righteous was determined. The active role here is assigned just to the first and the Second Adam. Ref.1Cor.15:45-47
aaron-The law exposes the sins that God’s grace expiates:
"20And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly. 21That, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."