Romans 6:19-23

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19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves 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 of 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. ~ Romans 6:19-23

Today, we conclude our study of Romans 6 where the Apostle Paul is teaching us about our sanctification. In order to do so, Paul has presented a contrast between being a slave to sin and being a slave to God. Righteousness is God's definition of all things as found in His word, the Bible. Righteousness shows us the right way, the way of God, the culture of God. And, when we are being defined by God, we will know His holiness or wholeness. A life of righteousness is what we all long for, we just have difficulty understanding it because we are yet sinful. The enemy has long set out to lead us to believe that God's definitions of things is binding and not to be trusted. This is why we have such a hard time seeing the good in His culture.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness."

The righteousness of God renders His holiness. God's holiness is wholeness or completeness. It renders in us the sense of security that we all long for. What often leads us to serve sin or a degradation of the truth is our insecurities and our subsequent lack of trust in God. The last of the ten commandments is "do not covet." Covetousness is desiring what we do not have and it reveals our lack, which is what causes us to lust for that which we do not have. When we are defined by God, we grow in security or that sense that there is substance at the bottom of our lives. When we grow in His security, we will be on the pathway to being made more complete and whole. When we experience wholeness that the truth provides, we will recognize the utter idiocy of serving and being defined by sin. 

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "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!"

The opposite of love is not hate; it is selfishness. Adam and Eve chose self over love. They chose self over God. Sin demeans God’s value. It states that God is not worthy of praise, loyalty, and obedience. Sin dishonors God. Sin fails to rightly glorify God. Our sin brings shame upon God, ourselves, and others. Shame is traced in the Bible all the way back to the Fall when the first couples "eyes were opened." Their shame made them hide from one another and God. Shame is that emotion that comes into our purview with the guilt that sin ushers into our lives. Much of our sanctification is designed to deal with this shame which prevents us from moving forward in our intimacy with God and others.

When we serve and obey sin, we invite death into our existence.  This death includes guilt and shame. Generally speaking we feel guilty for what we do and we feel shame for what we are. Whereas, shame focuses on a negative evaluation of the self, guilt focuses on the negative choices that we make because of the gulit. It is impossible to know the true meaning of life until we know the true meaning of death and all of its forms.

Death is the product of sin. Sin desires to make our addicted to it more important than God. Sin and all of its associates want to take away our humanity. Sin wants to tear our lives apart and, through us, the lives of those around us. When we choose to be defined by sin, it does not take us long to discover that it is quite dumb of us to go the way of sin. The frustrating thing is that it is our default mode. When we understand the negative consequences, we will have acquired the wisdom to shirk sin. This does not mean that we will ever be perfect or sinless this side of heaven, but it does mean that we can grow in God's wisdom and subsequent sanctification. And, once we understand the positive consequences of being defined by God, we will become more determined to walk in God's ways. 

Being a slave to God means we’ve been freed from sin. Twice in Roman 6 we are commanded to "present ourselves to God." In so doing, we turn our backs on that which wants to destroy us, namely the flesh. And, as a result we are freed to experience the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. This life is what the Bible calls "eternal life."

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of 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."

God's holiness frees us from our guilt and shame. And, as long as we cling to sin, to the things that we know are wrong, we essentially refuse to enter into the freedom that Christ died to give us. The result of being freed from our guilt and shame is that others benefit from that which God brings into our yielded lives. This is partly why I say that the greatest purpose and result of our sanctification is that others benefit. When we walk in His light we enjoy His deliverance and His wisdom. When we are freed from the ugly work of sin, namely shame and guilt, we are freed to be less selfish and more selfless. This is the genius of God: that even our sin, guilt and shame are useful in His deliverance in and through our lives.

Eternal life is the opposite of the lies of the enemy has delivered. The life the Lord Jesus died to give us is a free gift. God has known all along that the answer to our frequent identity crises is not first and foremost focusing on who we are, but focusing on who He is. This enables us to know more than eternal life, this enables us to know Him who is eternal life.

Romans 6:15-18

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"15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one 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 have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." ~ Romans 6:15-18 

Today, we continue our study of Romans 6 where we are learning about the overall theme of sanctification found in Romans 6-8. The specific theme in Romans 6 is the Christian's relationship to sin. Sanctification is about the salvation of our soul. And, the soul is made up of three parts: our minds, our wills and our emotions. So, sanctification is what it looks like for our souls to be in the process of being delivered from the domination of sin. 

In v.15-16 of today's passage we read, "15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"

The Apostle's question here is slightly different than the question in v.1 but essentially the same. In v.1, the question is: "Can we go on abiding in sin, living in a lifestyle of sin?" But now, the question is "shall we sin." Paul is raising the question of whether a Christian ought to choose to sin occasionally because he enjoys the momentary pleasure that sin gives.

We all face this proposition multiple times in a day. We are so tempted to sin because sin appeals to our sin nature and it is so doggone fun, but it is foolish to serve sin. At times, we all are confronted with the feeling "Why not give in? After all, I'm not going to hell because of this. My salvation rests on Christ and not on me. And actually, God is not going to reject me because of this, for the Law does not condemn me any longer. I am not under the Law. It is love that will discipline me; Law will not condemn me. I'm already forgiven; so why not deliberatetly sin?" 

As believers in Christ, we can go on and sin deliberately, even if it is only occasionally, but we must be mindful of what sin does to us. Sin is out to destroy us. When we yield to sin, we are in danger of becoming slaves to sin. In John 8:34 we read, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he that commits sin is the slave of sin." A slave is someone who is not in ultimate control of his own actions, someone who is at the disposal of another person, someone who has to do what that other person says. When we choose to tell a lie, we give one of the clearest evidences of the operation of this principle in our lives. When we tell one lie, we can be sure one is soon to follow.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance." 

This verse literally reads, "You have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine into which you were delivered." It does not read "which has delivered to you." It reads, "into which you were delivered." The Apostle used the Greek word here that means "a casting mold." And, the mold is in the shape of a servant. When we came into this world, we were poured into a mold, and when we came out after the molten metal cooled, we came out as slaves of sin. But, thank God that we responded to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by obeying the form into which you were poured. When God saw us as slaves to sin, by His great grace, He melted us down and reduced us to His mold.  And, with God as our newfound Father, our goal is now to be defined by Him and His righteous culture. The key is to obey Him from our hearts. And the engagement of our hearts with God's heart comes as we learn to trust Him. And the more we go through the trials of life, the more we will get to know His heart for us.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

When we were born again, we began to see the utter idiocy of sin. The cross of Christ delivered us from the rules that we long thought would obtain for us rightness before God. The cross erased our past and has given us a future full of promise. The cross of Christ has set us free so that we can now grow in the culture of God. Once we get to this place, we gladly choose to be slaves of righteousness. In fact, it is really not that smart to obey sin. It is wisdom that leads us to obey God and His word.  And, our obedience to God's word is the expression of our faith in Him. And it is in this context that we learn to trust Him to the point of being slaves to His righteousness.

Romans 6:11-14

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11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. ~ Romans 6:11-14

Today, we return to our study of Romans 6 where the Apostle Paul is instructing us on the topic of sanctification. Having established that the believer in Christ has a civil war going on in his soul, the Apostle is now giving us the steps that aid us in learning to live according to God's culture.

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts."

The Apostle began v.11 with the word "likewise" because he is tying the instructions he gives in today's passage with the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus mentioned in the previous verse. Every believer in Christ "has died to sin with Christ" which means that we have been given the power to say "no" to sin and we now do not have to obey sin. As we have pointed out before, sin is selecting another definition of anything other than God's definition. When we trusted Christ as our personal Savior, His power was made available to us to choose God's way of thinking and living. When we reject sin, we do so because Christ lives in us.  

The first step involved in being defined by God's culture is to "reckon ourselves dead to sin." The Apostle utilized the Greek word from which we get our English word "logic." This word means "to calculate," or, "to estimate something to be true." It means: What God says to be true in His word is true, thus we choose to live our lives accordingly. So, to "reckon" something is to believe something to be true so much that we make choices in concert with that truth. 

When we turn away from sin, we discover that our old habits are deeply engrained in us. In time, we discover that we have the power to say "no" to sin because we have the life of Christ within us. Thinking His thoughts and walking in His ways will always be a struggle this side of heaven, but as we grow in our faith, learning God's faithfulness, we will move forward toward the freedom the Lord Jesus died to grant us.

I think of the Robert the Bruce in the movie, Braveheart who was a "Nobleman." Along with other "Noblemen," Robert the Bruce had made a pact with King Longshanks of England that they would turn a blind eye as the English soldiers would periodically invade Scotland, pillage the land and rape the woman. Just as long as the English would not bother the land or the women of the Noblemen. At the end of the movie, Robert the Bruce, the former coward, had had enough. And in the end of the movie it was Robert the Bruce who turned his back on his cowardice ways and fought for the freedom of Scotland. 

This is a picture of today's passage. We decide to be defined by God, not just for our freedom, but for the freedom of all those who would be touched by the ministry of God in and through our lives. This is why I say that our sanctification is not so much about us changing as it is about our lives being useful to others who see God's work of transformation in and through our lives.

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."

The second step involved in this process of our sanctification is in "presenting ourselves to God," which is when we experience intimacy with God. When we trust God, then allow Him to define us by obeying His Word, it will be then that we experience His heart in and through our lives. Since the Lord Jesus died for us, He conquered sin and death. As a result, sin is a dethroned monarch. Even though we know that our sin has been forgiven us, dethroned sin will always try to stake its claim on us. But, we do not have to obey it. When we let God define us, we make choices that are in concert with His word. We choose not to steal because God has told us not to steal, and, we choose to tell the truth because God has told us not to lie.

The word "instruments" can be translated "weapons." Instead of allowing the devil to use our minds, our wills and our emotions, for his purposes, we choose to yield our souls to God, allowing Him to define us. This is basic military strategy. We do not give our weapons to the enemy, and, as soldiers, we never give the enemy the upper hand. So, we choose the weapons of our God to battle the mental games the enemy tries to play with us. This is why it is so important for us to hide God's word in our hearts. 

Most believe that once we become believers in Christ that the goal is to adhere to the Law of Moses. As we have pointed out, this is impossible even though we have been made righteous in God's eyes. We have been so engrained with this way of thinking that when we sin, even as believers in Christ, we think God gets angry with us and we have to go through some period of time to earn His kindness back. This is not so.  

The believer in Christ is no longer under the Law. Now, we are under God's grace which is the greatest change agent in the world. You see, once we become saturated by God's grace, our hearts are changed so much that we will find that we can't wait to be defined by God; not because we have to but because we want to. The Lord Jesus died so that we could not only be righteous in God's eyes, but also that we might know His life of holiness in and through our lives. The wholeness that His holiness brings to our souls has such an affect on us that we will daily live out of this idea: Less of me and more of Him.

Romans 6:6-10

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6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  ~ Romans 6:6-10

Today, we return to our study of Romans 6 which is about the believer's relationship with sin. The broader subject in this section is our sanctification which is the process through which God delivers our souls from the bondage of sin.

Having traced the parallel between what happened to the Lord Jesus when He was crucified on the cross and the battle that takes place in the life of the new believer in Christ, the Apostle Paul now addresses what he calls "our old man." The moment we were conceived, we were infected by the disease of self. And this is "the old man."

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "... knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin."

The Lord Jesus Christ was crucified in order to bring to an end sin. While Christ hung on that tree, all sin was judged in His body. As a result, for those who place their faith in that finished work on the cross, the penalty and power of sin has been broken. Even though the Lord Jesus never sinned, "He was made sin for us." While on that cross His body became possessed and controlled by sin. That is why his body died. His body was rendered powerless with regard to sin. That is why he was buried. He was buried to show that the sin in his body was made useless and unresponsive. 

The parallel teaching here is that when our spirit died in Christ, then the body of sin was rendered powerless. Before we became  believers in Christ, even when we tried to be good, we couldn't. This happened because we were slaves to sin. But now that the bond has been broken, we have been freed to have a personal relationship with God though Christ. And, the believer in Christ, as a result, does not have to sin. If we do, it is because we allow it to happen. But we are no longer slaves to sin.

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him."

Having been freed from the power of sin, the believer does not have to be defined by sin and death. In fact, we have been freed to experience a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus since He is alive and we were raised to new life in Him. We must be realistic to understand that within the believer in Christ who has been born again, there is now a civil war going on. On a given day the believer is presented with the temptation to obey sin that is still in us or to obey God who came into us when we were born again. The process of sanctification bears this fact out as the believer lives his life.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God."

Contrary to what most believe the Christian life is not about the perfecting of the believer, it is about the pronouncement of the life of the Lord Jesus in and through the yielded life of the believer. Christianity is a personal relationship with God through which He navigates life for the believer as the believer depends upon Him to do so. No one earns God's favor. No one maintains God's favor. 

So, to live life as if I have got to get it right is inconsistent with the fact that Christ earned God's favor of us. Christianity is living daily life with the minute by minute choice to act and react to what life throws at us. In essence, now that we have come into relationship with God, we are now learning to listen to Him, interact with Him and follow Him as He navigates our lives. And, when we appear to be getting it right, we must be careful to give Him the credit because He is the One producing the results.

In his song, The Great Adventure, Stephen Curtis Chapman frames up what the Apostle Paul has been presenting to us. In that song Chapman sings, "Come on, get ready for the ride of your life, gonna leave long faced religion in a cloud of dust behind. And discover all the new horizons just waiting to be explored. This is what we were created for! Saddle up your horses, we've got a trail to blaze through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace. Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown. This is the life like no other. This is The Great Adventure."

Romans 6:3-5

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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 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ~ Romans 6:3-5

Today, we return to our study of Romans 6 which is about the sanctification of the believer in Christ. Whereas justification is a one time event in the life of the believer in Christ, sanctification is a process whereby God installs His culture into the believer. Today's chapter is predicated on the question that the Apostle Paul asks in v.1, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" 

One way that we discover a theme in a passage is to take note of the repeatedly used words therein. And, you will notice that the word "sin" is used in Romans 6 some seventeen times. Therefore, the theme of Romans 6 is the relationship between the believer in Christ to sin. This is the apex arena for the process of change that the Lord Jesus died to render in the lives of all who have come to believe on the Lord Jesus as our savior.

When the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Rome, he addressed some of the most affluent, well educated people in the world at that time. These to whom Paul wrote had tried all this world has to offer to fill the holes in their hearts to no avail. This is why Paul spends the first five chapters of this letter making the case that only the grace of God can really satisfy us. But, most often the church has distorted the grace of God by equating Christianity with moralism. As the Apostle develops in the remainder of this book, it is the grace-saturated life that is God's answer. 

Moralism is not the same as the grace-saturated life for moralism is religion because it is based upon our efforts to try to get life right. The problem with moralism is it says that on the cross the Lord Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, but now it is up to us to get life right. Moralism has a second chance mindset, whereas the grace-saturated life brings us to an end to ourselves. Moralism reduces the Lord Jesus to a moral example to be emulated. As a result, moralism eventually reduces salvation into guilt for our failed attempts at trying to imitate Christ. The problem with this is we can't. Rather than needing one second chance to get life right, we need a whole new life. And, that whole new life is the very life of Christ come to abode in and through us.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?"

The major key to Christianity is that we learn to embrace the new life that is offered to us in Jesus Christ. The world around us says we have to grab all the life this world has to offer before we die. The Lord Jesus says just the opposite. It is only when we begin to learn to die to self that we really begin to live. And, nothing prevents us from being fully alive like fear.

The Lord Jesus died to give us a life that we could not produce for ourselves. The life that the Lord Jesus offers is life of the eternal nature and it brings us to real freedom. Most believe freedom is the ability to do what we want to do, how we want to do it, when we want. This is not true because we are our own worst enemies, even though we have been born again. Real freedom is the ability to be what we were created to be. And that is to have a personal relationship with our Creator, whereby He gives us His transforming life. 

In v.4-5 of today's passage we read, "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 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his."

The justification of the believer in Christ is not just a legal matter, it's a living relationship. Our justification brought to us the very life of Christ. Therefore, the power to live the life the Lord Jesus died to give us is not the result of us learning to imitate the Lord Jesus. No believer in Christ can avoid sins power by merely imitating the example of the Lord Jesus to get life right. We can no more do this any more than we could avoid falling off a building by imitating Superman. Imitation is not what this newfound relationship with God is about and it is not the essence of Christianity. 

The key to the life the Lord Jesus died to give us is impartation. This is why the Apostle uses the object lesson of water baptism. The believer in Christ, according to the scriptures, is in Christ. This means that we through our baptism have been identified with Him. Therefore, whatever happened to Him, happened to us. When He died, we died. When He rose from the dead, we rose from the dead. When He conquered sin, sin was conquered in our lives. This does not mean we will be perfect. It just means that we will no longer be defined by sin.

Through our living union with the Lord Jesus, we have a new relationship with sin. The believer in Christ has made a break with his past. We are dead and buried in our identification with the death and burial of the Lord Jesus Christ. Due to this we are also risen with Him in newness of life. So, the key is to learn to appropriate His resurrected life and death into our lives. And now, we are no longer servants to self and sin, we are now servants to the living God whose life is setting us free from even our fear.

Romans 6:1-2

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"1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" ~ Romans 6:1-2

Today, we transition into Romans 6 where a new topic is introduced. In fact, in Romans 6-8 we will be instructed on the topic of sanctification. Up to this point in the book of Romans, Paul has been building a case proving that "...there is no one who is righteous." He has also established the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to buy back man from the clutches of sin and death. So, in Romans 4-5 we learned about justification by faith which is what renders our salvation.

As we transition into Romans 6-8 we will learn about sanctification or the process whereby God is changing the soul of the believer. Our souls is made of three parts: our minds, our wills and our emotions. It is our justification gets us into heaven and our sanctification gets heaven into us now. We might say that sanctification is the acquisition of the wisdom of God. Or, the ability to live in concert with God's culture.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?"

Everything the Apostle Paul presents in Romans 6 is in response to the question, "Since the grace of God was so magnified by our sin, shouldn't we continue to deliberately sin so that His grace will be magnified even more?"

Now, it is imperative that we understand the Apostle Paul is talking about a lifestyle of sin, not just a single sin or two here and there. Even though we have trusted Christ as our Savior, we will yet sin. Being a Christian does not mean that we will cease to sin. In this verse, the Apostle is describing the lifestyle of a believer who deliberately chooses to ignore God's definition of things and embraces what he knows to be opposite of God's definitions. He also knows this is foolishness.

In November of 1981 I had been a Christian for only a couple weeks. A few friends, knowing that I was struggling with my dad's death, came to my house and invited me to go out on the town with them. Their goal was to cheer me up. While riding in the car, we did what we had done so many times before; we smoked a couple of joints. Many, many times before, we had done this. However, for the first time in my life, I felt guilty over what I was doing. I didn't understand why I felt guilt. It took me quite some time before I began to understand why I had that experience: it was the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I had been born again and the presence of God in my life, caused me to have a new angle on life. Even though I was a brand new Christian, I instinctively knew that it was unwise to smoke marijuana. This happened because I had entered into a personal relationship with God and through His Holy Spirit He had begun changing me from the inside out which is what sanctification is.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" 

In this verse the Apostle Paul begins to answer the previously asked question. The question? Should we continue to live a lifestyle of sin so that God's grace may abound and be magnified in our lives? Paul's answer was the strongest adversative he could have chosen. How could those who had come to understand the utter futility of sin continue to make the choice to be defined by it intentionally?  

The Apostle is giving us another comparison, pointing out that if we are dead to sin, it is mindless to conclude that we would want to continue to serve the tyrant that once enslaved us. This is an argument of intelligence. Prior to our relationship with Christ, sin was our natural way of thinking. We depended on our sinful default mode to live our lives. But, when we turned to Christ and trusted Him as our Savior, it all changed. It does not make sense that we would choose to live in the muck and the mire of sin, especially since we have been born again and we see life anew. Again, Paul wasn't speaking of a believer's occasional falling into sin, because that happens to everyone. No, Paul was speaking of those who intentionally, willfully choose to sin as an established pattern of their life.  

Essentially, the Apostle is telling us to get up and to start growing in this newness of life that we have been given through the Lord Jesus. The problem for those to whom Paul wrote this book was they believed that their obedience to the rules earned them God's favor. They also believed it resulted in salvation. But throughout Romans, Paul has been showing us that there is no way we can earn God's approval. To be holy is to be defined by God and to choose to live accordingly.

But the great news is that God's favor towards us comes not on the basis of what we've done for Him, but on the basis of what He's done for us. He doesn't expect any of us to pass the course before enrolling in it. And, our enrollment will be finalized when we get to heaven. The Lord Jesus decided to take the test for us and then He chose to give us the grade that He got, and He got an A-plus. 

Our understanding of this wonderful truth should revolutionize the way we live our lives. Holy living is sanctified living which is set apart living. We have been set apart to live in concert with His culture which yields the fruit of the Spirit in and through our lives. If we have been saved, we will bear fruit because God's presence is in our lives. Salvation produces holy or whole living, primarily because holy living is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. And, the purpose of our sanctification is that others might look into our lives and desire what we have ... an honest relationship with the God of the universe who is delivering us from this world and ourselves.

Romans 5:18-21

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18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 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. 20 The law was brought in 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. ~ Romans 5:18-21

Today, we conclude our study of Romans 5. These last four verses in Romans 5 bring to a conclusion this massive section on justification by faith alone. Over and over and over the Apostle Paul has been making this comparison between Adam and the Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas Adam made a very bad choice and rendered the worst news ever to mankind, the Lord Jesus chose to come to earth to be the satisfying sacrifice so that all could be redeemed from death.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people."

In this verse the Apostle Paul is drawing to a close his argument in this section on justification by faith. The Greek word translated "trespass" means "a false step, departing from the path, to go astray." This refers to when Adam first sinned in the Garden of Eden. God had commanded Adam not to eat from from this one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam had the entire world at his disposal, except for this one tree. But, Adam chose the way opposite of God. He saw it with his eyes, he desired it in his heart, and as an act of flagrant, defiant disobedience to God, with his eyes wide open, Adam took the fruit of which God had said, “You shall not eat of this fruit.” As a result, through Adam's "trespass" sin and death contaminated the world and its inhabitants. 

But, the story does not end there. God saves us through Christ because it corresponds to the way we were condemned through Adam. Justification unto life corresponds with condemnation unto death. And our condemnation, at its deepest root, comes not from what we did individually but from what Adam did as our representative. And so our justification, at its deepest root, comes not from what we do but from what Christ did. The reason Paul developed this comparison between Adam and Christ is to make clear that the root cause of our justification is the righteousness of Christ which came to us through the obedience of Christ.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "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."

Once again Paul reinforces the contrast between the first man, Adam, and the God-Man. In this verse hope, yet again, abounds and gains the upper hand for anyone willing enough to receive it. The result through Christ is quite different than the result that happened through Adam. Righteousness is the gift given to the believer in Christ. 

"The obedience of One" is a reference to the generosity of the Lord Jesus when He willingly chose to leave the perfection of heaven to come to earth eventually going to the cross and being made a sacrifice for sin. Just as Adam's sin was imputed to all men, Christ's obedience was imputed to the willing of heart to believe in this wonderful promise from the One who fashioned us in our mother's womb. The Greek word translated "righteous" means "the justified ones." These are not justified by their actions, they are justified because God has declared them justified through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "20 The law was brought in 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."

The Law of Moses has never produced righteousness in man. It was actually given to accentuate to man his inability to be good enough. The more sinful man gets, the more he has to, out of desperation, throw himself into the grace of God that is found in Christ Jesus. In this context, man's desperation makes him cry out to God. All of this is a means of God's grace. And, it happens when we have come to an end of ourselves. 

Five times in the greater context of today's passage, we see the phrase, "all the more." The Apostle used this phrase in order to communicate how efficacious is the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. And, the efficacy of Christ's gift is not understood properly unless we gain a biblical understanding of sin. This explains why Paul has spent so much time making this comparison. Under sin and death, we were rendered dead to all that is good. And, the only answer to man's damned condition is the grace of God.

The grace of God is always one-sided. It has to be, otherwise, it would not be grace. God's grace is much greater than sin and death which was poised to render incalculable pain into our existence. That is until the grace of God showed up on the scene. The law put our depravity and utter hopelessness on display. God's grace put the Lord Jesus Christ on display. This is why once sinners have come to know the Lord Jesus, they begin a journey at learning to adoring the one who laid down His life for His friends. In fact, as believers in the Lord Jesus, we will forever be learning the amazing nature of God's grace which is so powerful, it is slowly changing our hearts. I can only imagine what eternity will bring.

Romans 5:15-17

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"15 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 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of 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!" ~ Romans 5:15-17

Today, we return to our study of Romans 5. As we have pointed out before, the theme of Romans 4-5 is salvation or justification by faith. In today's passage we see that the rebellion of Adam produced death, whereas the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ rendered justification and eternal life. 

In addition, we see that the Law of Moses rendered an increased understanding of sin and its effects. In context, the Apostle Paul draws a contrast between Adam and Christ in order to help us to understand more deeply how helpless we were before trusting Christ as our Savior.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "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!"

In all of his New Testament writings, the Apostle Paul mentions Adam seven times. Sin entered the world when Adam made his choice, then death, and death spread, then death reigned. Through one man's choice catastrophic change encroached upon all mankind. And, we are still to this day experiencing its repercussions. 

Since all of mankind was born in Adam, sin and death is our reality and eternal life has never been an option for us. When we were born, we had not the ability to choose between life and death. In fact, we didn't understand that we were sinners, locked in the cage of sin until something happened causing us to consider the most important questions of life. We sin because we were born with the nature to sin. 

Once we began to understand that we were sinful, we had a choice to turn away from ourselves to God for His help. When we began to understand the gospel, we had another choice to believe in the free gift offered to us through the second person of the Godhead. Once we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, we began to discover that our worth and acceptance is only realized through Him.

As we grow in our understanding of sin and ourselves, we quickly realized that the Lord Jesus is not an idea. He is a person who invites those who are weary and broken enough to cry out for the love and forgiveness and grace and mercy and rest from the God of the Bible.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification."

Adam's single sinful choice brought in judgment and death. He trespassed once and brought death to all mankind. In like manner, Christ died once bringing justification to all humble enough to place our faith in Him. That is the contrast between Adam and the Lord Jesus. Adam trespassed once and brought death to all while the Lord Jesus died once and brought life to the willing. Not only did Adam’s act sentence mankind to sin and corruption, it delivered condemnation. On the other hand, Christ's work on the cross resulted in our justification and sanctification. 

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "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!" 

Adam's decision to put himself on the throne of his heart permitted the efforts of the enemy to reign over everyone in the whole human race. This means not only did death come to us at the end of our lives, but death and it corruption reigns throughout our lives. 

The death that came through Adam is the absence of life. It is emptiness, loneliness, misery, depression, boredom and restlessness. The life the Lord Jesus delivers to those who believe in Him is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. The life of the Lord Jesus brings vitality and fulfillment. This parallel is given so that we might see how much more we have in Christ than we ever had in Adam.

The results of the free gift of forgiveness completely overpowers the results of sin. Whereas sin set us against God, righteousness through Christ made us right with God. Then, God began the process of setting us free from the false definitions of ourselves and our lives that we had once embraced. 

This freedom that God has delivered to our souls now is making us more honest and authentic. This freedom informs us that it is okay to be honest about our sinfulness, even though God has declared us perfect in His eyes through His Son. Now, life is no longer about us, it is about Him. When we live in concert with God's definitions of all things we are effectively saying, "To Him be all of the glory!"

Romans 5:13-14

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13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where 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 is a pattern of the one to come." ~ Romans 5:13-14 

Today, we return to Romans 5 where the Apostle Paul is ratcheting down the idea that we are justified before God only through His grace and our trust in His goodness. In context, Paul explains that the reason death reigns over all people is because the sin of Adam was passed down to all people. In other words, the consequence of rebelling against God brought about death in every way, spiritually, psychologically and physically.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law."

The presence of death is the evidence of sin. Since death reigned from Adam to Moses, then death is not a result of sins, it's not a result of breaking a direct command of God, it's not a result of violating a direct statement from God because prior to Moses the law was not there. Sin can't be charged to one's account when there is no law. How could we be guilty for breaking a rule if there is no rule? Since from the time from Adam to Moses there was no law and death reigned and people did not die because they broke a law, then it was their sin nature that was the culprit. When Adam denied God's definition of life, he broke God’s command to not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. As a result sin entered this world and infected everyone in it. 

Adam broke the specific command of God to not eat off the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In essence that tree represented Adam's choice to define life for himself apart from God. Even though 2500 years elapsed between Adam and Moses, after God gave His Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, every single person on earth realized we are unable to define ourselves properly and to live our lives properly for ourselves. And, when we denied God's definitions in Adam, sin and death began its reign.

During the time that passed between Adam and Moses, God had not given the Law to the people. There was no written or spoken Law of God for them to break. Therefore, they couldn’t have broken any of God’s Laws because for them, there was no law. And yet they still died. You see, although the people from Adam to Moses did not sin by breaking a command of God, they still suffered the consequences of sin which is death. Through Adam's very first sin, death passed down from him to all people. We call this "Original Sin."

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "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 is a pattern of the one to come."

In this verse the Apostle compares Adam with the Lord Jesus Christ. The word "one" appears 11 times in the greater context of this passage. Just as it was through one man, one sin, that death was born in this world, it is through one man, one sacrifice, one right choice that eternal life was made a possibility for fallen man. So, both Adam and Christ performed a one-man show. They did something that affected the whole crowd. 

Those who say that it isn't fair that God punishes us for Adam's sin lacks the perspective of God. God does not punish anyone for Adam's sin. He punishes us for our sin. We are sinfully corrupt because sinfulness has been passed on to us through Adam. Those who say that it isn't fair both deny reality and are quite arrogant thinking they have escaped the infection of sin. Whether we understand it or not, this passage reveals the fact that when Adam sinned, he plunged the whole human race into the destructiveness of the rebellion against God. We have been all born with sin at work in us, and, as a result, death is taking its toll in and through us.

The word, "reigned" appears five times in the greater context of this passage. Through Adam death reigned over mankind. That means we are separated from God, the very Author of life. Eternal life comes to those who bow their will to the Lord Jesus Christ. The reign of Christ is realized by the believer in Christ once he places his faith in His finished work on the cross. This reign of Christ is eternal life. Destruction flows from the stream of Adam, whereas, the life that has the touch of eternity on it flows from the stream of Christ. 

Today's scripture ends with, "Adam is a pattern of the one to come." The One to come is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Adam was a pattern or a type of Christ not because they are similar to each other, but because they are dissimilar to each other. Adam is the type of the Lord Jesus in the opposite sense. 

The good news of the gospel of Christ is that the grace of God gives us the freedom and space to be honest about our fallen condition even though we have been totally forgiven of our sin. God is a realist, He knows that we have yet to be delivered from the power and presence of sin. We must bask in the glow of the fact that the penalty of sin has been removed from us through Christ. This enables us to know eternal life or to have a personal relationship with God. And, in our attempt to bask in His acceptance of us through Christ, we learn to be defined by the One who came to deliver to us this new life with Him at the helm of our lives that will never end.

Romans 5:11-12

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"11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned." ~ Romans 5:11-12

Today, we continue in our study of Romans 5 where the Apostle Paul is instructing us about justification by faith. So much false teaching comes out of our lack of biblical understanding between justification and sanctification. Justification is what must happen to us in order for us to get into heaven. Justification is a one time event when we believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross resulting in making us right with God. Simultaneous to being made right with God, the Holy Spirit makes our spirit alive to God. Sanctification, on the other hand, is a process whereby heaven is getting into our souls now. Sanctification takes place in the changing of our minds, wills, and emotions. We could say sanctification is when we gain God's wisdom. Justification gets us into heaven and sanctification gets heaven into us now.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

The Greek word translated "reconciliation" was commonly used in financial transactions signifying an exchange. Every purchase involves an exchange. In return for the money a customer gives a merchant, he receives whatever goods or services he is purchasing. Thus with the completion of the transaction, the two parties were said to be reconciled. This is what the Lord Jesus did on our behalf. He laid down His life as a sacrifice so that we could become the children of God.

The word "boast" can also be translated "rejoice." As a result of being reconciled to God through the finished work of the Lord Jesus, we rejoice in God. No matter our circumstances, when we understand the greatest gift ever, salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, we can not help but rejoice that we have been redeemed unto God and He is now involved in our lives. Our ability to boast in God is dependent upon the joy that we experience once we know that our sins are forgiven us and we have entered into a personal relationship with God. God loved us when we were at our worst, and, He demonstrated His love by sending His Son to rescue us. True joy is when we have discovered that God, our Creator, did all of that to rescue us because He thought we were worth it. 

Three times in Romans 5 we are given reasons for rejoicing: The first is in v.1, "we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." The second is in v.3 "we also glory in tribulations." And, according to v.11 "we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

These three kinds of rejoicing represent three levels of spiritual maturity. These are not necessarily chronological levels, but these are levels of understanding truth and responding to it in such a way that we grow in our faith and are deepened in our walk with the Lord. Notice again that Paul, as he so frequently does, reminds us that everything that comes to us comes through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Himself said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me." Even though we have been infected by sin, through the Savior we can access the kind of life that has the touch of eternity on it. And, our salvation is not merely a future reality, it is a present joy in anticipation of our present and future salvation.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned."

All of the misery in this world is due to one man's sin. Sin came into the human race through that one man, Adam, who was not the originator of sin. According to 1 John 3:8 we learn that the devil inaugurated sin, then, he tempted Adam who took the bait. Even though Eve ate of the forbidden fruit first, it was Adam whom God held responsible because Adam was the head of the first family.

Once Adam violently rebelled against God, the immediate result was degeneration in Adam’s nature. Death invaded Adam and he died and he began to die. He died completely spiritually while he began to die physically and psychologically. Adam was consumed by the corruption of sin and self. Adam's fall took down the entire human race into corruption, and all of creation has suffered because of it. In the Garden of Eden, Adam enthroned himself as god, as he refused God's definition of life.

Yet, there is good that comes out of this very dark story. Sin and death is the black velvet behind the diamond of God's Son who came to redeem man back to life, real life. It is very difficult to appreciate the work the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross without understanding how bad our rebellion was and is. In fact, to the degree that we understand how wretched sin is will be the degree to which we will appreciate what the Lord Jesus did for us on that cross.

For those who trust in the goodness of God, the sin that we have a hard time forgetting, God remembers no more. If we resist embracing the humility that is required to cry out to God for forgiveness, we will remain dead in our sins and trespasses. But, when we embrace the gifts of humility and honesty, we become the candidates of God's forgiveness. This is really the issue for all of mankind. Embracing the humility and honesty required to steer our souls to the generousness of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:9-10

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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, while 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! ~ Romans 5:9-10

Today, we continue in our study of Romans 5. You will remember that the book of Romans is divided into five sections: Romans 1-3 is about the sinful condition of man, Romans 4-5 is about salvation or justification by faith, Romans 6-8 is about sanctification, Romans 9-11 is about the sovereignty of God, and, Romans 12-16 is about service. Today's study is found in that second section of Romans: salvation: the justification of the believer in Christ.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!"

Even though we deserve the wrath of God, when we believe in Christ as our Savior, we are rescued from God's wrath. This fact is underscored by the choice of the Lord Jesus from eternity past to become the Savior of all who are humble enough to believe that His sacrifice earned our rightness before God. We were doomed. We had absolutely no hope. But God intervened. His wrath was removed from us because we came to the place where we chose to believe that the death of Christ on the cross was the fulfillment of all of the Old Testament types and prophecies. 

Our justification required Christ’s blood to be shed for us. He is the faithful offering, the satisfactory substitute for all sinners willing to believe that His perfection replaced our imperfection. This is what it means when it says "His blood" which is a graphic way to symbolize the sacrifice the Lord Jesus made on our behalf on the cross. Through His death, the Lord Jesus not only absorbed God's wrath but He absorbed our sin. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "For God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he acted as the representative for all of humanity. That's why the Lord Jesus is called the last Adam in just a few verses. Everything Adam messed up in the Garden of Eden, the Lord Jesus came to undo. And, once we have believed in Him, our sin is forgiven us through Christ. That means we will never have to worry about being the object of God's wrath. And, in accordance with the promise of God through Christ, He will never leave us or forsake us.

In John 5:24 the Lord Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life." Note that He did not say, "will have." Nope, He said, "has everlasting life." This promise is given by God to those who believe in Him and this promise is given throughout the Bible. In fact, right on the heels of man's rebellion in the Garden of Eden, God responded for the first time in the Bible with the promise of salvation. In Genesis 3:15 we are given the first promise of salvation in the Bible. In that verse God promised that the Seed of Eve would one day crush Satan and sin and death. Everyone knows that the woman doesn't have the seed, the man does. And, this Seed is not man's seed, it is God's. The "Seed" points us to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ so many years later.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "For if, while 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!"

The Apostle Paul argues from greater to lesser, and his words are both logical and theological. His main argument is: If the dying Savior reconciled us to God, then surely, a living Savior will keep us reconciled to God. If God can bring a sinner to heaven, then surely God can keep a saint while on the earth. 

Since our sin could not keep us from God's love before we were saved, nothing can keep us from his love now that we're saved. Since our sin was not a barrier to the beginning of our salvation, then it will never be a barrier to the completion of our salvation. If our past and our future salvation is secured by God, and it is, how can you and I ever be insecure about our status as children of God? 

God is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the One who has begun a good work in us, and, He will complete what He started. Our safety depends on God's nature and promise, not ours. Our access to His love does not depend upon us, but upon Him. This means the Lord Jesus not only pardons us, He also preserves us. He not only heals our souls, He keeps our souls for eternity.

Romans 5:6-8

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"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 person, though for a good person 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." ~ Romans 5:6-8

Today, we continue our study of Romans 5 where the Apostle Paul has been highlighting the basis and the benefits of our  justification in Christ. Having considered these, today, we continue to consider the background events that led to us coming to the place that we believed on the Lord Jesus as our savior. 

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."

Suffering is looked upon much differently by those who have been born of God's Spirit. Suffering, in and of itself, does not produce the qualities of heaven in us automatically. The key is in seeing our suffering as evidence of God's love, and not His rejection. When this happens, the Holy Spirit deposits into our hearts an experience of the love of God. But, if we see our suffering as evidence of God's rejection, we will be frustrated, angry, resentful, miserable, and defined by self.

Most people, when pain comes into their lives, blame God. We do this because we instinctively know that He is the only one who can do something about our circumstance. And, if our understanding of His sovereignty is limited, we will feel rejected and unloved by the Lord. This will especially be the case if we view the unwanted suffering in a negative light. Due to our poor understanding of what love truly is, it is almost impossible for us to think we are being loved when we are hurting. This is why we must understand the argument that the Apostle is presenting in today's passage.

The words, "At just the right time," provides great comfort to those struggling to trust this God whom we can not see with our eyes. God's sovereign timing is always perfect. We find it very difficult to see this when we are going through the dark moments of life, but, it is none the less true, God's timing is always perfect. This is why patience is such a huge commodity in this process. When we are patient and give God the time that He needs to bring all the pieces together, our lives end up being a beautiful tapestry of His love and grace.

Notice the last half of v.6, "When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." 

One of our biggest maladies is we have blinders on our ability to see broadly. Once we begin to garner the ability to see more broadly, we will begin to see how dependent we are upon God for everything in our lives. This type of vision enables us to see that when we were hopeless and powerless to do anything about our lost estate, when we had no ability to improve our condition, when we had no capability to help ourselves, Christ died for us. Nothing performs the overhaul that is needed in our hearts better than His sovereign choice of us even when we were His enemies.

In the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ we see ourselves as the helpless sinners that we are. When we look at Him as He hung on that cross, we see how ungodly we are. That which nailed Him to that cross is ugly, selfish and scary. As a result, we all arrived on the scene as the enemies of God. This is what caused the Lord Jesus to come and to break through all of our sin and the resulting despair, shame, and sorrow. He came to demonstrate the love of God for all of mankind who are trapped in this state of blindness at the hands of the prince of darkness.

Since God loved us when we didn't deserve it, we can conclude that this suffering is not the result of God's rejection of us. In fact, our suffering is the direct result of our rejection of God. And, since suffering is evidence of our fallen reality, God uses it to make it possible for us to come to know Him. As we grow in His wisdom, we recognize more and more that suffering has become the unique tool of God's sovereignty to accomplish our sanctification. 

Our faith enables our hearts to see God. It is in the darkest moments that we see His heart best. Darkness creates a platform for the light. It is at our most darkest moments, that we are most blessed because it is the darkness that makes more obvious to us the father heart of God. 

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person 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."

The apostle Paul provides a contrast between divine love and human love to show us the vast difference between the way man loves and the way God loves us. Human love is almost always based on the attractiveness of the object that it loves. And if the object is more attractive, there's more love. If the object is less attractive, there's less love. That's human love. It is object-oriented. It is based upon the value, worth, status, and beauty of the object.  

God's love is not like human love. God's love is not object-oriented it is subject-oriented. It is part of His nature, His character, completely independent of the beauty, attractiveness, and value of the object. His love is completely dependent on the quality of the subject giving the love. It is unusual to love and to sacrifice for a scoundrel, a villain, a cheat, a thief, but God is so inclined.

Understanding God's love enables us to conclude that God is never going to stop loving us. The greatest gift that we have is our confidence in the permanence of our salvation through Christ's perfection alone. Since God loved us when we were unable to earn His love, He will continue to love us now that we are His children. This is where the security of the believer in Christ is accentuated. And, when we face hardships, we must not conclude that God has turned His back on us. No, we must conclude that these hardships are evidence that He loves us. This is why we read in Hebrews 12:6, "God disciplines those whom He loves."

Romans 5:3-5

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3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, 4 because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. ~ Romans 5:3-5

Today, we continue our study of Romans 5 where the Apostle Paul outlines the benefits that come to the justified believer in Christ. Having consider the first two benefits, today, we consider the third benefit of the one who has been justified before God through his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas, in the past we have peace with God, in the present, we have access to His grace, and, in the future we have glory. In today's passage the present is addressed.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings." 

Having just made the statement "we boast in the hope of the glory of God," the Apostle Paul now turns our attention to sufferings. It is not strange that the believer in Christ encounters trials and tribulations. It is normal. In fact, trials and difficulties are half of what God uses to develop our faith in Him. The other element that He uses to develop our faith or our heart's ability to see Him is His spoken word. See Romans 10:17 for more on that. Having said that, unless the believer in Christ is living in such a way that he is being defined by God and gaining God's transcendent view of life, he will not "count it all joy when he falls into various tribulations." 

The word "glory" in v.3 is written as a present middle subjunctive which is best translated "should rejoice for oneself." This concept of rejoicing in our suffering is a result of learning to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We could call this wisdom or the ability to transcend and recognize how the dots in life, be they good or bad, connect. In the end the process that we are engaged in, our sanctification, is about our growing ability to think and choose according to God's definition of things.

A personal relationship with God renders for the believer in Christ a unique perspective especially on the difficulties of life. The believer in Christ rejoices in his sufferings because he knows something the unsaved man does not know. It is something his faith in the God of the Bible enables him to know, a kind of inside information that he has due to the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. 

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

This unique knowledge of the believer in Christ tells him that "suffering produces perseverance." The Greek word used here for perseverance literally means "to abide under, to stay under the pressure." Pressure is something we want to get out from underneath in most cases, but suffering teaches us to stay under, to stick in there and hang with it. 

In addition, the believer in Christ who is learning to transcend, understands that "perseverance produces character." The Greek word for character carries with it the idea of being put to the test and approved. It is the idea of being shown to endure through the hardships all the while being defined by God's culture. The idea is the tree shaken by the storm develops deeper roots. This means the very trials and tribulations of life, God uses to define and shape us. They make us long for God and heaven more and more.

In 1963 the USA Navy built and deployed the Thresher, a submarine. At the time, the Thresher was the most advanced submarine of its kind. After it was deployed, it descended deep into the Atlantic ocean. However, as it reached 1300 feet, it imploded. The cause of the implosion was faulty welding. The pressure on the outside of the vessel was greater that the pressure within. This is a reminder that in order to withstand the pressures of the world, the substance within the soul of the believer in Christ must be greater than the pressures on the outside. This is the character that the Apostle is referring to here.

Next, the transcending believer in Christ understands that "character produces hope." My mind turns to one of my most favorite movies ever, Shawshank Redemption. In that movie, there are two friends who have two very different perspectives on life. Both are prisoners in a maximum security prison. Andy, played by Tim Robbins is hopeful; Red, played by Morgan Freeman is pessimistic. Andy believes that he would shrivel without hope. Red believes that hope would sever him from reality. To Andy, hope is necessary. To Red, hope is dangerous. Eventually, Andy’s perspective wins out, and Red is won over to the side of hope. There comes a point in the movie when Andy writes to Red, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.”  What a great illustration of what it looks like to live transcendently, living life viewing everything through the lens of God's word. Of course, due to the fact that we are still sinful, we will never be prefect at doing this.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." 

The reason any of us live transcendently or have character is due to the fact that God lives in us. When we trusted the Lord Jesus to be our savior, the Holy Spirit came into our spirit making us alive to God. This explains why our hearts are tilted toward God. The Holy Spirit is the down payment or the engagement ring from God that our salvation is real and lasting and guaranteed. This verse is not talking about our love for God, it is talking about God’s love for us. The reason our hope doesn’t disappoint is because God’s love is eternal and it has been poured out within our hearts.

Perhaps, you will remember that day in 1990 when the forces of Iraq invaded the neighboring country Kuwait. As the TV cameras were rolling, not one Kuwaiti was seen in the streets of Kuwait City. But, in a matter of days, the Americans went in to Kuwait and pushed back the Iraqi forces. The scene after the Americans had entered Kuwait City was quite different. The streets were filled with Kuwaitis shooting their guns in the air and rejoicing over their liberation from the Sadaam Hussein lead aggressors from Iraq. This true story from the past provides for us a picture of what the Holy Spirit does for the believer in Christ. And the more we are trained by Him to think and live God's way, the more we will view life through the lens of the Scriptures. This is how we live the transcendent way, the way of rejoicing in our sufferings.