BIBLE STUDY ON ROMANS CHAPTER 5
~ Pastor Thuamminlian
Chapter 1 Romans : Paul’s purpose for writing the letter - the ways the Gentiles had sinned.
Chapter 2 Romans : Just as how the Gentiles have sinned, the people of Judah have also sinned and they have not been liberated from the laws they have made. They all fall short of the glory of God.
Chapter 3 Romans : If the Gentiles and Judah have sinned, we are no different either and are all sinners and remain bonded in the law.
Romans 5:22 — the word ‘But’ proves that there is still hope for us sinners – HOPE.
Even though we all have sinned, the death of Jesus Christ has liberated us the believers from eternal damnation. How to attain that liberation from sin is through truthfulness and faithfulness in God. It is clearly explained in Chapter 4 Romans that Abraham’s faithfulness in God sanctified him. How to attain total liberation from our sins? Is it by obeying the law or by being faithful and truthful to God just like Abraham? If Chapter 4 explains how faith in God will save us like how Abraham was saved, Chapter 5 explains how it does - the fruits of salvation.
I feel that Christianity of this age seems to stop at Chapter 5. Chapter 6 talks about sin and death. Chapter 7 talks about the liberation from law. We will be focusing on Chapter 5.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1 — It is through faith that we have been justified and it is also our memory verse. It is clear that it is not by obeying the law alone that we have been liberated from our sins. It is by faith in God alone. The fruits of faith are:-
- Understanding of God: It talks about our state of mind. The war between God and humans no longer exists. When we finally accept God, we grow an understanding of God.
‘Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!’ [Romans 5:9]
- We receive grace and unmerited favor from God. We receive salvation when we accept Jesus as our only Savior.
‘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! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.’ [Romans 5:10-11]
- Hope — When we were sinners, our life had no meaning but the love of God gives us hope. Through Jesus, we are finally able to receive the glory of God. Not only our spiritual but our body will receive those blessings.
- Steadfastness and character, understanding, knowledge — All the hardships give us these fruits and mould our life to make us better and understanding of the world and give us hope. This hope is not for free.
‘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 5:5]
- God’s love — Even when we sinned against God, Jesus died for our sake and that alone proves the love of God and his mercy.
‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ [Romans 5:6-8]
The Holy Spirit was given to believers and it is through this Holy Spirit we are able to see the Love of God. And that love is even when we were meant for eternal damnation because of our sinful nature, Jesus died for us. Christ’s sacrifice bridged the gap between us sinners and God from the sinful days of Adam and Eve.
Human beings tried everything to appease God. If people were to reconcile with God through animal sacrifice, then the choicest were offered before God but God’s wrath and anger remained. It is only through Jesus we were reconciled with God and received Salvation.
This only proves how precious salvation is. That salvation had a price. This salvation saved us from misery, hatred, war and damnation. This salvation reconciles us back to God.
Evil came into this world through Satan. What are the far reaching effects of this evil?
‘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 — 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.
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 5:12-14]
Law here represents the Ten Commandments or The Laws during the time of Moses. It is not by Law we became sinners but because we are born that we are sinners. We are sinners since our formation in our mother’s womb, born sinners and not sinners by law.
Imputation is the action or process of ascribing righteousness, guilt, etc. to someone by virtue of a similar quality in another. The sin which entered the world through one person is sanctified with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and for sinners to receive salvation. The Holy Spirit is given to us and God’s grace and mercy is with us and God’s wrath and anger isn’t there anymore.
