Justification Series: Justification and the Obedience of Jesus Christ

In Romans 5:16 and 18, Paul teaches justification through faith in Jesus Christ is available to all of sinful humanity as a result of Jesus Christ’s act of obedience to the Father’s will in suffering His wrath on the cross as a substitute for all of sinful humanity.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 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 was a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (NIV84)

In Romans 5:16, Paul presents a contrast between the “verdict” following Adam’s disobedience and Christ’s obedience in that the former was judgment and condemnation whereas the latter was justification.

There are two different words that are translated “gift” in Romans 5:15 and 16, namely, the nouns dorema (δώρημα) and charisma (χάρισμα) with the former referring to the gift itself whereas the latter refers to act of giving generously and freely to someone.

In Romans 5:15, the noun charisma (χάρισμα), “the gift” is a reference to the obedience of Christ to the Father’s will in going to the cross and dying a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on the cross on behalf of all of sinful mankind.

This is indicated in that the noun is used in contrast with the noun paraptōma (παράπτωμα), “the trespass,” which refers to Adam’s act of disobedience to the Lord’s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In Romans 5:16, “the gift of God” refers to the sinner receiving the gift of righteousness as a result of exercising faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior because it is used in contrast the result of Adam’s disobedience in the garden of Eden.

Christ’s act of obedience is the foundation or the basis for justification of sinners since His spiritual and physical death on the cross propitiated the Father’s holiness that demanded that every person in human history-past, present and future be judged for committing these sins.

This enabled the Father to declare justified any sinner who exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

“Brought justification” is composed of the preposition eis (εἰς), “brought” and the noun dikaioma (δικαίωμα), “justification,” which is used in contrast with the noun katakrima(κατάκριμα), “condemnation,” which refers to the penalty of condemnation that resulted from the guilty verdict rendered by God after Adam sinned.

Thus, katakrima (κατάκριμα) means, “condemnation” and refers to the legal status of the sinner being condemned under the penalty of spiritual death, physical death and eternal condemnation.

Therefore, the noun dikaioma (δικαίωμα) refers to the legal status of the sinner being righteous as a result of God declaring them righteous after imputing His righteousness to them the moment they trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

The preposition eis is employed with the accusative form of the noun dikaioma (δικαίωμα) as a marker of result indicating that the gracious act of Jesus Christ on the cross arose from innumerable sins committed by sinful humanity “resulting in” making available to the entire human race justification through faith in Jesus Christ.

The point Paul is making in Romans 5:16 is to contrast the verdicts that resulted from Adam’s disobedience and Christ’s obedience with the former resulting in condemnation whereas the latter resulting in justification.

On one hand, the transgression of Adam in the Garden of Eden resulted in his condemnation as well as his posterity.

On the other hand, Christ’s spiritual and physical death on the cross, which dealt with the sins of the entire world-past, present and future resulted in the availability for all Adam’s posterity of justification through faith alone in Christ alone.

Paul is attempting to strengthen his readers’ faith in Romans 5:16 by accentuating the greatness of God’s grace policy towards sinners demonstrating how it goes far beyond God’s display of judgment.

In His grace, love and wisdom, God provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ whose spiritual and physical death on the cross satisfied that which His holiness demanded, namely that transgression demanded condemnation and that many transgressions demanded even greater condemnation.

He also provided a substitute righteousness in the sense that because His Son was righteous for us, God can now declare us justified through faith in His Son despite our innumerable transgressions.

God’s grace has triumphed over the sins committed by the entire human race because He provided a substitute righteousness for us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

In Romans 5:18, the apostle Paul presents the contrast between the “extent” of Adam’s act of disobedience and Christ’s act of obedience.

In this passage, he states the full comparison between Adam and Christ that he began in Romans 5:12.

Paul’s statements in Romans 5:13-17 are parenthetical.

In Romans 5:13-14 teaches that spiritual death reigned between the fall of Adam and the giving of the Law to Moses even though no one committed the same sin as Adam and no one was under the Law.

Thus demonstrating that the entire human race received the imputation of Adam’s sin and were thus sinners by nature.

In Romans 5:15, Paul teaches that Adam’s act was not identical in essence to Christ’s act.

Then, in Romans 5:16, he presents the contrast between the verdict resulting from Adam’s act and Christ’s act.

In Romans 5:17, Paul presents the contrast between the consequences of both acts.

Romans 5:18 summarizes his arguments in the paragraph and resumes and completes the comparison begun in verse 12.

In Romans 5:18, the comparison emphasizes that just as one man’s act of disobedience, namely, Adam’s, was the basis for their condemnation so Jesus Christ’s act of obedience to the Father’s will is the basis for the believer’s justification and reconciliation.

In Romans 5:19, the comparison emphasizes that just as the entire human race were sinners by nature because of Adam’s disobedience so all those sinners who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, will be declared righteous by God.

By making this comparison between Christ and Adam, Paul intends to demonstrate that what God accomplished through Christ’s act of obedience is as universal in its scope and consequences as was the act of disobedience by Adam.

Also, it demonstrates the superiority of Christ’s act of obedience.

In Romans 5:18, “the result of one act of righteousness” refers to Christ’s obedience to the Father’s will in going to the cross and dying a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on the cross for all mankind.

The voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical death of Jesus Christ on the cross is the basis for justification or we could say secured justification for all men since they propitiated or satisfied the demands of God’s holiness, which required that sin be judged.

Therefore, Paul is saying that through Christ’s act of obedience the basis for the offer of justification was established, which produces eternal life, being “extended to each and every person in the human race without exception and without distinction.”

Paul is not teaching that the entire human race is automatically justified as a result of Christ’s act of obedience to the Father’s will in going to the cross.

Rather, he is teaching that Christ’s death established the basis for the offer of justification that has been extended to each and every member of the human race without exception and distinction.

The fact that the sinner has to make a volitional decision in relation to this offer is clearly taught by Paul in Romans 3:21-5:1 and many other passages such as Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16 and John 3:16-17 just to name a few.