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!
Romans 5:17 (NIV)
Romans 5:17 gives us a clear picture of grace. It says that by the trespass of one man, death reigned. But through Jesus, we receive God’s abundant grace and righteousness, and we reign in life!
Who is the one man who trespassed? Adam. He sinned, and because of Adam’s mistake death reigned. From the fall of Adam, sin began to dominate.
Sin dominated homes, cities, cultures, people’s minds. It spread like a cancer. It’s why God’s judgment on sin was so harsh. He knew it would spread like wild re if nothing was done. He was like a surgeon looking at cancer, knowing it has to be removed before it metastasizes and destroys the body.
It got so bad in the Old Testament there came a time when almost all of humanity had to be destroyed, but God found one single family that wasn’t completely infected—Noah’s family. God told Noah to build an ark, and they were safe inside it.
This was all a result of the sin dominance that came about because of one man’s mistake. But Romans 5:17 also talks about another man, Jesus Christ, who has given us His grace and righteousness and has made it possible for us reign in life in Him!
The thing to realize is you can’t earn any of this from God. It’s a gift and it’s yours. Remind yourself daily that Jesus paid the ultimate price and His work is finished. As you do, you’ll start to experience the freedom that Jesus came to bring you.