Read or listen the Epistle to the Romans chapter 5 online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

In Romans chapters 5-8, Paul discusses the results of justification. What is it like to live as a Christian: what will change, and what will stay the same, when Christ comes to live in us? We could also speak about sanctification, walking as a Christian.

Peace with God – Romans 5:1-5

The most important change in becoming a Christian is that we move from being enemies of God (verse 10) to being citizens of his kingdom. The state of war between us and God ends. No more do we try to fight God, and no more do we try to run away from him. Christ gave us this peace through his atoning work. Church Father Augustine stated, "My soul is restless until it finds rest in you, God."

Many people today are not actively resisting God, but they are running away from him. They seek to fill their lives with the pursuit of money, power, or success, so that their lives would have a goal or purpose. But still they are restless; the foundation they are building on is not in order, and deep down they know it themselves. Facing the reality of death, at the latest, will strip us of all false support structures (Matt. 7:24-27). Only when we build our lives on the foundation given by God, will we find peace – not only with God – but also with ourselves.

The peace that Christ gives is the kind that cannot be taken from us. The sorrows and worries of this time cannot deprive us of the fact that we are going to heaven. Putting the values of life in the right order creates a basic security for us that adversity cannot take away from us. "He who gives up what cannot be kept is not a fool." Many a Christian has had the opportunity to be a witness to their neighbours in this way. Many have been left asking: "Why is he able to face adversity so calmly? What is the secret of his peace of mind?"

But the following rule applies here, too: there is no such blessing from God that man cannot twist into a curse! Also here the gospel so easily becomes law! The fact that you are worried about the future or that you are not always able to be cheerful and loving is not at all evidence that you are not a Christian. God does not make all Christians the same: one is more susceptible to depression than the other, etc.

It must always be remembered that living as a Christian is continuous growth; we will not become perfect saints at once, but God grows us every day through his Holy Spirit. This may seem depressing: I will never be perfect in this time. But it can also feel encouraging: what is difficult now, can someday be easy, when God has done his work in me.

To escape or resist?

We can deal with temptations and troubles in two ways: either try to escape from them or resist them. Both are correct methods, but it is not always easy to decide which one should be used. There is no unequivocal rule by which we could show whether to resist Satan or to flee from a temptation.

Often, we fall into sin because we made the wrong choice: when we should have fled, we put up a resistance, and vice versa. It must be remembered that the devil is cunning and tempts you with things that are difficult especially for you. For one, it is greed, for another, quarrelsomeness, for a third, laziness in spiritual matters, etc. Satan takes advantage of our "weak points". This also explains why someone else's falls may seem incomprehensible to you; something is not a problem for you, but it is to the greatest extent for him. Someone else’s trespasses should not be judged from our standpoint, but from the other person’s standpoint.

If we frequently fall into some sin, it may make that sin acceptable in our eyes. It can become a "blind spot" for us. We may begin to think, "Surely God understands this, after all, I've never been able to manage it before, either!" But it should not be like this! Every sin is an abomination to God, God does not overlook any sin. So you should run away if you know in advance that you will not be able to resist that temptation. A former alcoholic should not start – without God's special call – testifying in pubs.

But if we always just run away, we do not grow as Christians. Overcoming temptations bring new faith and new victories. However, all victories are obtained with the help of Christ – that is why resisting evil is grounded in getting close to Christ. All the power to fight against sin comes from him.

The enemy love of God – Romans 5:6-11

The greatness of God's love is revealed in that he loved not only his friends, but also his enemies – those who rebel against him and who want to escape from him. As Paul testified earlier (Rom. 3:23), all men are by nature enemies of God, so the only possibility for God to love mankind was enemy love.

So God did not require that we first repent, turn to him, give up bad habits, or do something similar. He gave everything as a gift even before we were born. Baptism is God's love letter to each of us.

God's love is greater than human love. Man does not even understand God's love and its depth. Paul states that one would perhaps be ready to die for a good person (or for a good cause – compare love of country, verse 7), but certainly not for the enemy, as the Son of God did.

Two Adams – Romans 5:12-19

The first Adam (Genesis 5:2, aadam=man) brought sin into the world in the Fall, the second Adam – Christ – brought the atonement for sin.

The sin of the first Adam was rebellion, abandoning God's will, and going his own way, away from God.

Christ did everything in perfect obedience (Phil. 2:5-11), and as a result we can return to being God's children, to follow the will of our Heavenly Father.

Paul assumed that his readers were familiar with the story of the Fall (Genesis 3). Human sin is essentially one, i.e. disobedience, rebellion. We call it original sin, and all other sins stem from it. This is why John the Baptist can say about Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" – thus not the sins (John 1:29).

It is very difficult for modern people to accept original sin. In fact, there are Christians who declare that man is basically good, and all sins are just mistakes or shortcomings of varying degrees. Of course we would like to be good. In any case, we would not want to be bad to the core.

However, abandoning the doctrine of original sin means a reinterpretation of the entire Christian faith. Why did Jesus die on the cross if we ourselves could have saved ourselves?

The correct understanding of sin is the basis of understanding the entire Christian faith. If we think that sin is only individual acts, our view of the Christian faith will be formed according to it. In this case, moralism is a great danger. But if we see our own utter sinfulness, God is in the right place in our lives, and we will have a future and a hope.

Jews – and many who support adult baptism – consider that a child is innocent, sinless, up to a certain age. Although the child does wrong, God does not count it against him because the law does not yet apply to the child. But Paul saw the inextricable connection between sin and birth, and sin and death. Sin reigns the whole time between birth and death.

Christ gave a new beginning to mankind: we can be born again, from above (John 3:3). However, this old world time period is not over yet, but the new and the old go hand in hand until the end of our lives (compare Matt. 13:24-30, Jesus' parable of the wheat and tares in the field).

The law does not create sin

In verses 12-14, Paul discusses the relationship between law and sin. He states that the law does not create sin but reveals it more clearly; we could perhaps speak about creating a sense of sin.

Removing the law would not eliminate sin. The law is only an expression of God's will. Even without the law, there would be God's will, which could either be broken or obeyed.

For all

Note the two instances of the words "for all" in verse 18. Paul wants to confine everything under guilt and punishment, no one is sinless before God. But he wants to include everyone under justification as well.

If all are sinners, you are a sinner, and I am a sinner. If all are justified, you are justified, and I am justified.

If there were some conditions, "Only those will be saved who..." Satan would immediately raise a doubt in us, "Will I be saved?". But when there are no conditions, but Christ died for everyone, I too can believe that I will get to heaven.

There are no sins that were not atoned for – Romans 5:20-21

The law has caused sin to be recognized, visible. But at the same time it has done a good thing: it has revealed to man his need for help.

Paul states that no one can bring up a sin that Christ did not already atone for. There are absolutely no sins that were not atoned for!

At the same time, this means that no one has any longer reason to keep living his old life of sin; the doors to live a new life in grace are open to everyone. No one is impossible for the kingdom of God. Everyone is impossible in himself, but through his death, Christ has made the impossible possible for everyone.

Doubting that we are forgiven, and that God forgives sins is, at the same time, doubting God's promises and trivializing Christ's work on the cross. It is a sin.

1 John 1:8-10 says that those who claim to be sinless make God a liar. 1 John 5:9-12 says the same about those who do not believe that Christ will forgive them of their sins and give them new life. So John says that just as surely as we are sinners, just as surely God in Christ grants us the forgiveness of sins.

Having doubts?

However, Satan is cunning and tries to raise doubts in us also in this matter and claims, "Yes, God forgives the sins you committed before you became a Christian, but not the ones you committed after it! Just read 1 John 3:6 and 9!" And this is not the first time that such a delusion is going around. Even in early Christianity, there were those who had themselves baptized only on their deathbed for the reason mentioned above.

However, the concept in question is based on a completely wrong concept of sin and a wrong image of sanctification. Not only individual actions are sin, but our whole life is "saturated" with sin.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

After this has been resolved, Satan raises the question that you may have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus says that speaking against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. So is there a danger that I will not be forgiven for my sins?

The traditional interpretation of that passage is that the consequence of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is such a deep hardness that a person no longer wants to ask for forgiveness for his sins or approach God in any way. Therefore, he no longer brings his sins to be atoned for!

If you keep asking, "Have I spoken against the Holy Spirit?" you need not worry – that question itself is an indication that your concern is unnecessary. Only the Holy Spirit creates the longing for God in us. When sin no longer bothers you, the danger is much greater; somehow God has become very distant from you, the voice of the Holy Spirit has been muffled.