Chapter 5:12-21

COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

By Dr. John R. Stone

Romans 5:12-21

5 12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 5:12-21 NASB)

Overview:

In this section Paul reaches the final step in laying the foundation for justification (the act of declaring men free from blame) by grace through faith. He explains that we can be made righteous through Christ because we were made sinners through Adam. In Eden, Adam was the representative head of the human race, and therefore, everyone born into the human race inherits his guilt. On the cross, Christ is the representative for all who put their faith in Him, and therefore all who put their faith in Him are made righteous in God's sight. Because of Adam's sin we were made sinners, and because of Christ's righteousness we can be made righteous. Adam's sin was reckoned (credited) to us by birth, and Christ's righteousness is imputed (reckoned) to us through faith. This is the doctrine of imputation. Imputation means that something is put to our account, something is reckoned (considered) as belonging to us. God considers us to be guilty because of what Adam did, and when we put our faith in Christ, God considers us to be righteous because of what Christ did on the cross.

The gospel of grace rests upon the truth of three great imputations (reckonings). Adam's sin is imputed to us. Our sin is imputed to Christ as our substitute on the cross. Christ's righteousness is imputed to us through faith. We get Adam's sin; Jesus gets our sin, and we get Jesus' righteousness. Because we are born guilty with someone else's sin, we can be born again with someone else's righteousness. This blessed truth is what Paul develops in this passage as he lays three building blocks for the doctrine of justification through imputation.

Inherited Guilt(5:12-14)

The imputation of Adam's sin to the human race explains man's desperate condition. We know that we all inherited Adam's guilt because everybody from Moses to Adam died even though there was no law in place to condemn them (5:13). Even babies, who committed no sin of their own, died.

Unmerited (Undeserved) Favor (5:15-17)

The imputation from Christ to us is different from the imputation of Adam to us. In Adam we all died; all who are in Christ are made alive. Because of Adam's one transgression in the Garden of Eden, we all were made sinners, but because of the grace of God demonstrated through the death of Christ on the cross for us, the gift of life is offered to all. Condemnation came through Adam, but the free gift of eternal life came through Christ.

Unlimited Grace (5:18-21)

The imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers allows grace to reign where sin has ruled. The verdict is in, and the result is clear. Condemnation has come to all men through Adam, but justification has come to all who are in Christ. The Law of Moses was given so that the awareness of sin might be more obvious (clearly seen), but no matter how hopeless any man's condition might seem to be, God's grace is more than sufficient (enough) to save him. No matter how deep the sin might be, God's grace is deeper still. Just as sin brought condemnation (declaring us guilty), God's grace through Jesus Christ brings forgiveness, salvation, freedom, and eternal life.

—to be continued

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