Part 5

004:016 All depends on faith, and for this reason--that acceptance with God might be an act of pure grace,

004:017 so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations."

004:018 Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words "Equally numerous shall your posterity be."

004:019 And, without growing weak in faith, he could contemplate his own vital powers which had now decayed--for he was nearly 100 years old--and Sarah's barrenness.

004:020 Nor did he in unbelief stagger at God's promise, but became mighty in faith, giving glory to God,

004:021 and being absolutely certain that whatever promise He is bound by He is able also to make good.

004:022 For this reason also his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness.

004:023 Nor was the fact of its being placed to his credit put on record for his sake only;

004:024 it was for our sakes too. Faith, before long, will be placed to the credit of us also who are believers in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead,

004:025 who was surrendered to death because of the offences we had committed, and was raised to life because of the acquittal secured for us.

005:001 Standing then acquitted as the result of faith, let us enjoy peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

005:002 through whom also, as the result of faith, we have obtained an introduction into that state of favour with God in which we stand, and we exult in hope of some day sharing in God's glory.

005:003 And not only so: we also exult in our sufferings, knowing as we do, that suffering produces fortitude;

005:004 fortitude, ripeness of character; and ripeness of character, hope;

005:005 and that this hope never disappoints, because God's love for us floods our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

005:006 For already, while we were still helpless, Christ at the right moment died for the ungodly.

005:007 Why, it is scarcely conceivable that any one would die for a simply just man, although for a good and lovable man perhaps some one, here and there, will have the courage even to lay down his life.

005:008 But God gives proof of His love to us in Christ's dying for us while we were still sinners.

005:009 If therefore we have now been pronounced free from guilt through His blood, much more shall we be delivered from God's anger through Him.

005:010 For if while we were hostile to God we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, it is still more certain that now that we are reconciled, we shall obtain salvation through Christ's life.

005:011 And not only so, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now obtained that reconciliation.

005:012 What follows? This comparison. Through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and so death passed to all mankind in turn, in that all sinned.

005:013 For prior to the Law sin was already in the world; only it is not entered in the account against us when no Law exists.

005:014 Yet Death reigned as king from Adam to Moses even over those who had not sinned, as Adam did, against Law. And in Adam we have a type of Him whose coming was still future.

005:015 But God's free gift immeasurably outweighs the transgression. For if through the transgression of the one individual the mass of mankind have died, infinitely greater is the generosity with which God's grace, and the gift given in His grace which found expression in the one man Jesus Christ, have been bestowed on the mass of mankind.

005:016 And it is not with the gift as it was with the results of one individual's sin; for the judgement which one individual provoked resulted in condemnation, whereas the free gift after a multitude of transgressions results in acquittal.

005:017 For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ.

005:018 It follows then that just as the result of a single transgression is a condemnation which extends to the whole race, so also the result of a single decree of righteousness is a life-giving acquittal which extends to the whole race.