Romans Chapter 5

Romans Chapter 5

Therefore, being justified by faith, everyone can have peace with God through our buddy (Paul says Lord, but who’s counting) JC. By him, we also have access by faith into grace wherever we may be, and we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God (does that mean, we’re only hoping for his glory, it’s not a given?) Not only this, but we can even glory in tribulation which works our patience. But, don’t worry because patience works experience which then works our hope. (Yipes, that’s a lot of muscles I didn’t know I had, and I certainly didn’t know they were connected. )

Hope doesn’t make us ashamed because we can spread our great love of God to everyone all of the place because the Holy Ghost gave it to us. (Did the Holy Ghost really need to give it to us, at this point, shouldn’t we all be loving God without his interference? Is asking that blaspheming against the Holy Ghost? Am I going to hell yet? In one simple word: yes.)

When we didn’t have any strength, Christ died for the ungodly. (Well, not all the ungodly, just the one’s who are willing to turn the corner and believe in him. The rest of us can await a fiery doom with the poor worms). Even more than that, because we’re now justified by his blood (gross! Again!), we’ll be saved from wrath. (Isn’t it God’s wrath we’re being saved from, can’t he just calm down? I’m pretty sure that would save everyone in a less grotesque way).

Even more than THAT… When we were enemies (oh no, were we ever enemies? I thought we used to be friends, a long time ago, but I haven’t thought of you lately at all… oh wait… that was something different. Paul is still addressing miscellaneous Romans, not me, and he’s referring to being enemies with God), we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. (Yeah, I don’t understand how that particular murder/suicide reconciles anything). But even better than mere reconciliation, we get to be saved by his life. (I suppose there’s no need to repeat that this concept also doesn’t make sense).

But, we’re not done yet! We also get to enjoy God through JC who gave us the gift of atonement. Once upon a time, sin entered the world through one man (that’s Adam, for those of your who aren’t Old Testament scholars), and because of this death came. Death came eventually for everyone who sinned, but the kick is… EVERYONE sins! Hah! Suckers, no getting around it. The thing about it, Paul tells us, is that until Moses’ special law sin was in the world. Did the law get rid of sin? Nope. But sin isn’t attributed or counted when there’s no law. But death still reigned from Adam to Moses, even for people who didn’t sin in the same way as Adam, “who is the figure of him that was to come”. (I don’t know if Paul is trying to say JC resembles Adam or what!)

But unlike the offence, the gift is free. (Oh sure. Of course.) Because through the offence of one man, many were dead. But, because God’s grace gets spread to everyone from one man, who is good old JC! And just as judgment came for the one who sinned and he was condemned, JC’s free gift gives you justification even if you’ve committed many offenses. (If God’s so keen on forgiving us, why couldn’t he just forgive Adam and his lovely wife Eve for eating from the tree of knowledge? Why does God hate learned people so much?)

So, by one man’s offence death reigned, but it’s super wonderful that by the grace of God the gift of righteous can now reign because of JC. (Who knows why he had to wait so long to both redeeming people).

Did you miss it the first few times, one man brings death, the other eternal life? In case you did, Paul repeats it a few times in various words. I’ll spare you, just this once.

Also, the law comes into play, because now we can see where the offenses are. But don’t worry because where sin abounded, grace was even more present! Why, you ask? Well, (couldn’t spare you forever) as sin has reigned and brought death, even still grace reigns through righteousness into eternal life by old JC.