Note first, verse 2, "this grace in which we stand." It's like we have moved from one room, God's wrath, into another room, Grace. That's where we now are. Because we are there we now also experience a number of FRUITS of being there, fruits of justification.

The first fruit is PEACE with God. No longer is He angry with us, no longer need we be fearful of His anger, no longer are we separated from Him. There is peace.

The second fruit is HOPE. Previously we were wandering and had no future but what we could make of it. Now we have God's word that things will be different, and hope for something different, better and wonderful, in the future is kindled in us.

The third fruit is LOVE. This is because we now have the Holy Spirit within us, the Spirit of God and God, of course, IS love (1 John 4:8) But Paul recognises that we still have to live in the world and that often brings sufferings & trials. But, he says, that in turn brings further fruits, PERSEVERANCE and CHARACTER and those in turn give us HOPE again. In trials and difficulties we are changed, and as we are changed the truth is worked in us by the Holy Spirit, and we become sure there is something better yet to come. This is hope.

D. Application?

1. Thank the Lord that our inheritance is Peace, Hope and Love.

2. Thank Him that He IS changing you.

Chapter: Rom 5

Passage: Rom 5:6-11

A. Find Out:

1. When did Christ die for the ungodly (2)? v.6

2. What has God demonstrated? v.8a

3. When did Christ die for us? v.8b

4. What has happened? v.9a, 10a

5. What is and will be happening? v.9b, 10b

6. What does that leave us doing? v.11

B. Think :

1. What is Paul emphasising about the time of Christ's dying?

2. What is the link between what has happened and what will happen?

3. What sort of approach to our lives should this leave us with?

C. Comment :

Paul now makes a big emphasis on the 'when' of Christ dying. Look, he says, Jesus Christ died for you when you were still powerless, when you were still an ungodly sinner. He did that for you long before you ever gave him a thought. He knew what you were like before you ever came to know him, and that's why he died. He knows what you are like today and what you will be like tomorrow, changed but not perfect in thought, word and deed. That's why he died!

Very well, Paul continues, if we can understand this wonderful truth, don't you see it means that if he's done that, then God's wrath isn't towards us any longer, we're reconciled to God and daily He's going to save us, for we certainly need Him every day. He HAS SAVED us and He IS SAVING us. It's something He did and is doing. He did reconcile us and the fruit of that is that he is saving and blessing us daily.

This means our past is dealt with and the way is open for Him to help us and change us in the present, and all we can do is rejoice in the wonder of knowing and loving God through Jesus. The natural response to this wonderful news is rejoicing. If we don't rejoice it probably means we haven't grasped the wonder of it!

D. Application?

1. Christ's death bought our justification.

2. Christ's life brings us daily salvation.

Chapter: Rom 5

Passage: Rom 5:12-14

A. Find Out:

1. How did sin enter the world? v.12a

2. How did death come to all men? v.12

3. What came first, sin or law? v.13

4. When had death reigned? v.14a

5. Over whom did it reign? v.14b

6. Who was the original command breaker? v.14c

B. Think :

1. Read Genesis 2:17 / 3:22 How was Adam able to receive eternal life and

how instead did he receive death?

2. How was death shown by Paul to be part of the human condition even

before the law came?

C. Comment :

We must go slowly to take in the importance of what Paul is saying. He starts out saying something in verse 12 which is picked up in verse 18, that there is a contrast between effects of sin and effects of Jesus' obedience, then digresses to explain about sin and death.

Sin is disobedience to God. Sin first came into the world through Adam and because of sin, death followed. Physical death came after many years for Adam had a long life. Spiritual death, the absence of the life of God in our lives, came very quickly. Adam was put out of God's presence as were all who followed Adam, the whole human race.

This all occurred long before the Law was given. Death came in because the ONE man sinned. Yes, all men subsequently sinned as we've seen in previous chapters, but death was the inheritance of the whole human race. Previously in chapter 1 Paul had declared that all men were under the wrath of God and now he reaffirms that the result of that is DEATH, the absence of LIFE! The Gospel must, therefore, be big enough to handle this side of the sin of man. Yes, it overcomes even death and brings us back into contact with God's life.

D. Application?

1. Thank the Lord that HE is Life and that we can know Him and therefore

have life, because of Jesus.

2. Life means movement, change and......?

Chapter: Rom 5

Passage: Rom 5:15-17

A. Find Out:

1. What was not like the trespass? v.15a

2. How did it come? v.15c

3. What did it bring? v.16c

4. What actually is it? v.17c

5. What resulted from one trespass? v.15b,16b,17a

6. What came for those receiving the gift? v.17c

B. Think :

1. List the things that Adam's failure brought.

2. Note differences : the results of Adam's failure and Jesus' death.

3. What is the picture of life conveyed here?

C. Comment :

In case anyone should object to Jesus being compared with Adam, Paul now contrasts the effects of Adam's sin with the effects of Jesus' death.

First, he says, death for all came through one man. Death is in fact the exclusion from the presence, and therefore the life, of God. Excluded from God's presence, all men died. But, he says, God's grace and God's gift of righteousness are able, through Jesus, to match that and bring men back into His presence.

Judgement and condemnation came and death "reigned" over men, ruled over men, held sway over men. Now, by way of comparison, Jesus' sacrifice brought life. Death overshadowed the human race as a result of sin, but now God's righteousness means that we can live. The previous era had been one of fear, condemnation, guilt and death, the new possibility is of righteousness and abundant life through Jesus.

Paul uses the word 'gift' five times in these few verses, to emphasise yet again this is free , and three times speaks of God's grace, which is that freely bestowed approval and blessing of God, the ability or provision from God for sinful men, to take them from what they were to something new. Transformed by the free gift of God's grace!

D. Application?

1. Thank the Lord that you are a recipient of the wonder of His grace.

2. Grace brings Life, abundant, joyful LIFE!

Chapter: Rom 5

Passage: Rom 5:18-21

A. Find Out:

1. What are the two results achieved? v.18

2. How is that expressed again? v.19

3. What 2 things achieved the 2 results? v.19

4. How was law added? v.20a

5. But what matched this? v.20b

6. What was the end result? v.21

B. Think :

1. What again, was Paul's objective in these verses?

2. Why, do you think, did he want to do that?

3. Why do you think WE need reminding of these truths?

C. Comment :

Continuing to contrast the era of sin with the possibilities of justification, Paul seeks to ensure we are very clear on what he is saying. He is a good teacher and repeats his points a number of times to ensure we take them in.

Disobedience in Adam brought condemnation to all men, i.e. when Adam sinned he and Eve were put out of God's presence, for a sinner could have no place there, and thus ALL men were condemned to be put out of the presence of God and live outside the place of His blessing. This was man's lot, for ALL have sinned.

Obedience by Jesus to His Father's will meant our sins were paid for and we were declared righteous when we believed him. When the Law came all it did was point out sin even more. The Law showed up sin without dealing with it. It just meant that sin seemed to increase. But, says Paul, when there seems more and more sin, there is more and more grace to meet it. Death, being excluded from God's presence, meant that sin prevailed over all men. Now we have been brought back into God's presence and made righteous in His sight, grace now prevails or rules in our lives.

D. Application?

1. Our inheritance means LIFE that has no end and which gets better and

better!

2. Praise Him and joy in these things.

RECAP: "Fruits of Justification" - Rom 5

SUMMARY :

In these 5 studies we have seen:

  - the first fruits are PEACE, HOPE and LOVE

  - the secondary fruits are PERSEVERANCE and CHARACTER while will

     live in this world

  - there is also ASSURANCE that Jesus died for us and we are accepted as

     we are

  - that Adam brought sin and subsequently death, but Jesus brought

     obedience and therefore ETERNAL LIFE

COMMENT :

Because we have been justified we have peace with God, and love from God, and hope for the future. Jesus died for us as sinners and so we can be reassured that now we are justified we are to receive the fullness of His salvation. Death came with Adam but Eternal Life with Jesus. Our future is, therefore, assured both here on earth and into eternity.

LESSONS :

1. We have peace, love and hope

2. We have acceptance and daily blessing

3. We have been promised eternal life

4. Eternity started when we were saved!

PRAY :

Thank the Lord that He has reconciled us to Himself, imparted His love into us, and given us a hope for tomorrow, and that we ARE accepted by Him, just as we are!

PART 5 : Death to the Past!

In this last Part watch for the wonder of the POSITION that is ours today. We HAVE died to the past old life, we HAVE died to sin and the law, so none of them can have any power of us. In fact we are now alive to God by the power of His Holy Spirit within us and our life is led by Him. It is the fact of Jesus' death for us AND the presence of His Holy Spirit within us today that accomplishes all these things. Watch for them!