Introduction and Overview of Romans 5
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday March 11, 2008
Romans: Introduction and Overview of Romans 5
Lesson # 141
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 3:19.
This evening, we will begin a study of Romans chapter five by noting an introduction and overview to the chapter.
Romans chapter five is the fourth and final part contained in the third major section in the book of Romans, which appears in Romans 3:21-5:21.
The first major section of the book of Romans contains the introduction to the epistle of Romans and appears in Romans 1:1-17 and deals with the revelation of God’s righteousness.
The salutation of the letter is contained in Romans 1:1-7, which identifies the writer as Paul (verse 1) and the recipients of the letter as being believers in Rome (verses 6 and 7) and the subject as being Jesus Christ (verse 1:2-5).
Romans 1:8-13 reveals the purpose of the epistle, namely to benefit the believers in Rome and preach the gospel there.
In Romans 1:14-17, Paul informs his readers that the theme of his letter is that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God to all mankind and is the power of God for salvation, which is appropriated by faith in Jesus Christ.
The second major section in the book of Romans is contained in 1:18-3:20, and in this passage the apostle Paul demonstrates to his readers that both Gentile and Jew have a need for the righteousness of God.
In Romans 1:18-32, he declares that the Gentiles are unrighteous whereas in Romans 2:1-3:8, he teaches that the Jews are also unrighteous before a holy God.
He points out the basis for Gentile guilt in Romans 1:18-23 and the results of that guilt in Romans 1:24-32.
Whereas in Romans 2:1-16, Paul teaches that the Jews are stubborn in clinging to their own relative self-righteousness, which does not measure up to the perfect righteousness of God.
In Romans 2:17-29, he discusses the hypocrisy of the Jews but in Romans 3:1-8, he discusses the privileges that were bestowed upon the Jews by God.
Then, in Romans 3:9-20 he summarizes his statements in Romans 1:18-3:8 by stating that there is a universal need for the righteousness of God.
Next, the third major section of the book of Romans appears in Romans 3:21-5:21, in which Paul addresses the subject of justification through the imputation of divine righteousness at the moment a person exercises faith alone in Christ alone.
He points out to his readers in Romans 3:21-26 that the righteousness of God is imputed through faith in Christ and that is available to both Jew and Gentile as he states in Romans 3:27-31.
Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:21, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.”
Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”
Romans 3:23-25, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed.”
Romans 3:26, “For the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Romans 3:27, “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”
Romans 3:28, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
Romans 3:29, “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also.”
Romans 3:30, “since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.”
Romans 3:31, “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”
Then, Paul presents an example of justification by faith in Romans 4 with Abraham who he states was justified by faith and not works (4:1-8), nor circumcision (4:9-12) and neither by the Law (4:13-17) but rather was justified by faith in the promise (4:18-25).
Romans 4:1, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?”
Romans 4:2, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.”
Romans 4:3, “For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’”
Romans 4:4, “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.”
Romans 4:5-6, “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.”
Romans 4:7, “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.”
Romans 4:8, “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”
Romans 4:9, “Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’”
Romans 4:10-12, “How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.”
Romans 4:13, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”
Romans 4:14-15, “For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.”
Romans 4:16, “For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”
Romans 4:17, “(as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.”
Romans 4:18, “In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’”
Romans 4:19-22, “Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb, yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Romans 4:23-24, “Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”
Romans 4:25, “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”
Romans chapter five is divided into four sections.
In Romans 5:1-11, Paul discusses the results of justification by faith in Jesus Christ by stating that there is peace with God (5:1-5), the believer becomes an object and beneficiary of God’s love (5:6-8) and is reconciled to God (5:9-11) and receives righteousness as a gift through faith in Christ (5:12-21).
Romans 5:1-5 presents the spiritual truth that believers in Jesus Christ have peace with God.
Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”
Romans 5:2 reveals that another benefit of salvation is that the believer has access to God and has been given a confident expectation of a resurrection body.
Romans 5:3-5, “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
In Romans 5:3-4, Paul reveals that another benefit to justification by faith in Jesus Christ is that the believer can experience joy in undeserved suffering, knowing it develops Christ-like character.
Romans 5:5 presents another benefit of justification by faith, which is that the love of God has been poured out into the heart of the believer through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:6-8 teaches that believers in Jesus Christ are both the objects and beneficiaries of God’s love.
Romans 5:6, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Romans 5:7-8, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
In Romans 5:9-11, Paul teaches that the Christian has been reconciled to God through the death of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:9, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”
This passage teaches justification by faith in Jesus Christ results in deliverance from the righteous indignation of God.
Romans 5:10-11, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life and not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
This passage teaches that joy is another benefit of our salvation.
In Romans 5:12-21, Paul teaches that the righteousness of God is received as a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ.
In Romans 5:12-14, Paul discusses the headship of Adam and then in Romans 5:15-21, he presents the headship of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:12-13, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
Romans 5:14, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”
Romans 5:15, “But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.”
Romans 5:16, “The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.”
Romans 5:17, “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:18, “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.”
Romans 5:19, “For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”
Romans 5:20-21, “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”