Therefore, since we have been justified [that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God - Yehovah] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God - Yehovah [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, (Yehovah’s anointed one). 2 Through him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope (In the NT the word “hope” expresses a cherished desire along with the confident assurance of obtaining that which is longed for) and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God - Yehovah [the manifestation of His excellence and power]. 3 And not only this but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance; 4 and endurance, proven character (spiritual maturity); and proven character, hope and confident assurance [of age upon age lasting salvation]. 5 Such hope [in God’s – Yehovah’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s – Yehovah’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given to us.
6 While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time the Messiah died [as a sin-offering sacrifice] for the ungodly. 7 Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to willingly give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a good man [one who is noble and selfless and worthy] someone might even dare to die. 8 But God - Yehovah clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, the Messiah died for us. 9 Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by his blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the wrath of God through him. [The “wrath of God,” with the definite article in Greek, anticipates the outpouring of God’s wrath on rebellious sinners at the end of the tribulation (Revelation 6:16, 17)] 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God - Yehovah through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by his life [that is, we will be saved because the Messiah lives in us by his spirit today]. 11 Not only that, but we also rejoice in God - Yehovah [rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, through whom we have now received and enjoy our reconciliation [with God -Yehovah].
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all people [no one being able to stop it or escape its power], because they all sinned. 13 Sin was [committed] in the world before the Law [was given], but sin is not charged [against anyone] when there is no law [against it]. 14 Yet death ruled [over mankind] from Adam to Moses [the Lawgiver], even over those who had not sinned as Adam did [Literally in the likeness of Adam’s transgression]. Adam is a type of him (the Messiah) who was to come [Adam was meant to rule over the earth as God’s – Yehovah’s representative].
15 But the free gift [of God -Yehovah] is not like the trespass [because the gift of grace overwhelms the fall of man]. For if many died by one man’s trespass [Adam’s sin], much more [abundantly] did God’s – Yehovah’s grace and the gift [that comes] because of the sinless life of the one man, Jesus the Messiah, overflow to [benefit] the many. 16 Nor is the gift [of grace] like that which came through the one who sinned. On the one hand, the judgment [following the sin] resulted from one trespass and brought condemnation, but on the other hand, the free gift resulted from many trespasses and brought justification [the release from sin’s penalty for those who believe]. 17 For if by the trespass of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one (Adam), much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in [eternal] life through the One, Jesus the Messiah.
18 So then as through one trespass [Adam’s sin] there resulted in condemnation for all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted in the justification of life to all men [Salvation is available to all people who respond and place their personal trust in the Messiah]. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience [his rebellion against God - Yehovah] the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of the one Man the many will be made righteous and acceptable to God and brought into right standing with Him. 20 But the Law came to increase and expand [the awareness of] the trespass [by defining and unmasking sin]. But where sin increased, [God’s remarkable, gracious gift of] grace [His unmerited favor] has surpassed it and increased, even more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness which brings eternal life through Jesus the Messiah our Lord.
Note: We all find it very easy to self-righteously protest when people try to lay responsibility for past individuals’ issues at our door. One of the most popular questions from people is “Why do we have to suffer because of someone else’s sins? Why do we feel the effects of Adam and Eve’s sin? They chose to eat the forbidden fruit. Not me.”
The answer was that Adam was the federal head of all his descendants and therefore his descendants are affected as a result of his rebellion against his creator and God.
All our sins do great damage to our brothers and sisters in the lord Messiah and to the world around us. Even when we earnestly try to do good, our plans often seem to backfire. Why? Because we don’t call out to our God – Yehovah as asking Him to fill us with the enabling power of His Spirit to enable us to not give in to the sins of the flesh, the allurements of this world, and the wiles of the Adversary, Satan.
Note: God told Adam after the very first sin, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain, you shall eat of it all the days of your life” [Genesis 3:17]. He wasn’t the only one who has both suffered and contributed to this curse. Paul called all of us the ‘sons of disobedience’, noting, “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” [Ephesians 2:3]
“Do you remember what your life was like before you surrendered to the Messiah Jesus? You were an enemy of God - Yehovah living in blindness, a lost soul without hope. You were ungodly, guilty; and the wrath of God was "abiding on you" (see John 3:36).
How did you find forgiveness and acceptance before God? How did you enter the blessed assurance you were saved, rejoicing in the love of Jesus the Messiah? Was it because God - Yehovah saw something good in you? Did you possess some inherent righteousness that attracted Him to you? Did you earn His favor with obedience and kindness?
“No, absolutely not. No one is ever saved by his/her own works or merit.
Many believers struggle with accepting the full view of their own corruption from sin. There are many sincere believers today who have not yet submitted to the righteousness of the Messiah. They have not totally committed to walking in obedience to the words his God and Father Yehovah gave to him to give to the world. They still go about trying to please God - Yehovah by their good deeds. They accept salvation by faith but then they want to take over from there.
Note: What was the root of the original sin? Eve believed Satan’s lie that they could be as God - Yehovah. Adam was not deceived as Eve was, took the fruit from Eve’s hand and ate it. He knew that if she died he would also die. In his mind, he thought if Eve was going to die because she ate the fruit, he didn’t want to be alone in the garden and so ate the fruit of the tree of good and evil and chose to die with her.
Note: Wouldn’t be nice if we could cross over some unseen barrier and achieve perfection without the pain and uncertainty of passing beyond death?
Our sin must be exterminated by the most relentless methods possible. God will accept nothing less as he roots sin out of us and pulls us through death, the final barrier that will ultimately set us free. Nothing can be left behind. No speck of sin may be ignored. How does He do so?
He has reconciled us to Himself by the sin-offering sacrifice of His uniquely begotten son Jesus. When we come to call on the name of the Lord Jesus the Messiah, we will obey his command to repent and be baptized. As we walk into the water we will have died to self [selfishness] and died with the Messiah Jesus and rise out of the water and receive the promised Spirit we become new creations in the Messiah Jesus.
In union with him, we become holy and the righteousness of God – Yehovah, which is nothing of ourselves but is all that Jesus is! All things are ours in the Messiah Jesus, because of the amazing grace of our God and Father Yehovah who loves us as His sons and daughters in the lord Messiah Jesus.
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