notes by Rhyne Putman

The Grace In Which We Stand
Romans 5 

Benefits of Justification

Our New Status

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:1-2 (NASB Update)

·        Peace with God isn’t mere peace of mind, but a change in status.

·        We were once at enmity with God; we were His enemies. 

·        Now, through Jesus’ work on the cross, we have peace and access to Holy God.

·        Our Peace with God (v. 1) takes care of the sins  we committed in the past.

·        Our Access to God (v. 2a) allows us to come to Him in the present.

·        Our “hope in the glory of God” (v. 2b) promises us a share in God’s glory in the future.

·        We exult, or boast, not in our own righteousness,  but in His.

We not only rejoice in the hope of God’s glory being manifested, but we rejoice in suffering as well.  Suffering is never a pleasant process, but that’s exactly what it is, a process.  In this process we are conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus.

The Process of Holiness

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5 (NASB Update)

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.”

Romans 5:3-5 (King James Version)

·        We are made like Jesus through tribulations.

·        We ultimately rejoice in suffering that makes us righteous.

·        We don’t boast in the sufferings themselves, but what God is doing through suffering—giving us experience, developing proven character.

·        Our experience in turn gives us hope for the future.

·        The hope found in God is never disappointing.  

The Proverbs tell us, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”[1].  As we wait for God to fulfill our hopes, He pours out our love into our hearts.[2]  

The Love of an Awesome God

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:6-8 (NASB Update) 

·        God demonstrates His awesome love like this: even though we were still doing the things He hates (Proverbs 6:16-19), Jesus died for us.

“Some of us are afraid that God’s not going to look at us, so we’re doing all sorts of things to get God to take notice.  But folks, God notices you.  The fact is, He can’t take His eyes off you.  However badly you think of yourself, God is crazy about you.  God is in love with you.  Some of us even fear that someday we’ll do something so bad that He won’t notice [us] anymore.  Well, let me tell you, God loves us completely.  And He knew us at our worst before He ever began to love us at all.  And in the love of God there are no degrees; there is only love.”[3]

--Rich Mullins

Christian Recording Artist

“God loves us not because we are lovable, but because He is love.”

--C.S. Lewis

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Romans 5:9-10 (NASB Update)

·        The wrath of God that we deserved was satisfied with Jesus’ sacrificial death, meaning that He took the punishment so we don’t have to.

·        Reconciled, reconciliation: brought into harmony with God.[4]

“And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Romans 5:11 (NASB Update)

          Quite simply put, we can rejoice and boast in God through what our sweet Lord Jesus has done!

The First & Second Adams

“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--for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 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.”

Romans 5:12-14 (NASB Update) 

·        Sin is imputed (or credited to us) to us because of Adam’s sin.

·        We come out of the womb spiritually dead, that’s why Jesus told Nicodemus that a man must be “born-again”.  (John 3)

“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. 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. 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.”

Romans 5:15-17 (NASB Update) 

·        Because of one man’s sin (Adam), everyone dies.

·        Because of the transgression we are condemned in sin.

·        Because of one Man’s gift of grace (Jesus’ work on the cross), many are justified.

“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. 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. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 5:18-21 (NASB Update)

·        We are all born sinners with sinful natures; we have inherited them from Adam. 

·        Jesus’ obedience (Phil 2:8) made us righteous.