The ApostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More Paul's teachings in Romans 5:12-8:3 are very important for our practical lives as Christians. This section of the Epistle to the Romans shows that through God's graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More, the Christian is freed from the power of sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More and from the law. This liberation is the basis for the believer to lead a happy life for the glory of God.
The present verse-by-verse study is based on lectures that have been carefully revised. This exposition can be a great help in better understanding the difficult yet fundamental teachings of the letter to the Romans and in leading a victorious Christian life.

Introduction

A very esteemed 19th-century brother from England once said to young people: "Study Romans 1 to 8 again and again!" - We must all admit that we do this far too little. But it would strengthen our faith, deepen our assurance of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More, increase our gratitude, and positively influence our whole way of life. For this reason, we now want to look at chapters 5 to 7 of Romans.

These are by far the most difficult passages in this letter. That is why we need the Lord's help to explain and understand these chapters. They are not so difficult because we cannot understand the thought process but because our daily experiences directly contradict the teaching of these chapters.

Before we go into the details, a general overview is undoubtedly beneficial. The New Testament has two outstanding "teaching letters": the letter to the Romans and the letter to the Ephesians. Then, we have a third letter, Colossians, which links the two wonderfully.

The teaching of the Letter to the Romans

To better understand the connection between these three letters, let us draw a comparison with the people of Israel. As we know, they lived for many years under the bondage of Egypt. In the letter to the Romans, we find the spiritual counterpart to this experience: the Spirit of God sees us as "slaves to sin" (Romans 6:17) and living in sin. But after the work of the Lord Jesus has been done for us and we have believed in it, we have died to sin (Rom 6:10, 11). This is the great theme of the chapters ahead of us. We learn here what God has done with the "old man": He "co-crucified" him (Rom 6:6). We also see this metaphorically with the people of Israel: after they had eaten the Passover lamb, they crossed the Red Sea and were thus freed from Pharaoh's power. And then the letter to the Romans takes us figuratively to the desert. We live in the land of death and walk in "newness of life" (Romans 6:4).

On the other hand, the letter to the Ephesians initially sees us as "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1). But after the work of the Lord Jesus has been done and we have accepted it, we now live with Christ. Therefore, the order of "death" and "life" is precisely the reverse of that in Romans. Also, the letter to the Ephesians does not take us into the desert, but out of the desert through the Jordan into the land of promise, or in other words, into the land of the living. We have not only died with ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More but have also been raised with Him and transferred in Him to the heavenly places (Eph 2:5, 6). 

The letter to the Colossians lies in between. It stands, so to speak, with one foot on the letter to the Romans and the other on the letter to the Ephesians. On the one hand, we are seen there as living on earth (cf. Col 2:20), and on the other hand, we are "dead in trespasses" (Col 2:13). To characterize the letter to the Colossians, we could say: I once lived in the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, and now I live with ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More. We have died with Him and been raised with Him (Col 2:20; 3:1) but have not yet been transferred to heavenly places. We are still seeking what is above, where ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More is. We are, as it were, in the same state as the Lord when He lived on earth for 40 days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3). In the same way, Israel, after passing through the Jordan, was still in Gilgal, the place of circumcisionThe rite of circumcision is the sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17: 1-14). The act represented the keeping of the covenant and separation from God.... More, and had not yet taken possession of the land.

Structure

The letter to the Romans has five main sections:

1. Chapter 1:1-17: The gospel, the wonderful message 

2. Chapter 1:18 - 5:11: The major problem of our sins: We have incurred guilt, we have sinned, and we need forgivenessIn Scripture, forgiveness is presented to us from two points of view. • The side of God: God’s thoughts towards the sinner whom he forgives. On the basis of Christ’s... More of our sins through the blood of ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More

3. chapter 5:12 - 8:39: The problem of our sinful condition: the sacrificeA sacrifice/offering to God (or deities in pagan religions) that differed in occasion, purpose, and form. The most important sacrifices required by the Old Testament law include burnt offerings, grain... More of the Lord Jesus on Calvary is necessary and sufficient not only for what we have done but also for what we are

4. Chapters 9 - 11: The compatibility of God's promises to His earthly people with the blessings He has in store for all people

5. chapters 12 - 16: Practical exhortations and greetings

The third part - the theme of this book - deals with the following questions:

- Chapter 5:12-21: How and by what means did man come under the power of sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More, and what is God's response to this?

- Chapter 6: How is man delivered from the power of sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More?

- Chapter 7: How is man delivered from the power of the law?

- Chapter 8: By what power can the believer live according to this deliverance?

Sins and sin

First, I would like to explain the two large central sections, which deal with our sins (1:18 - 5:11) and the sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More that dwells in us (5:12 - 8:39), with images from the Old Testament. Namely with situations where the people of Israel came into contact with death three times in particular.

The first incident is in Exodus 12, where God passed through Egypt. To protect themselves from judgment, the Israelites had to put the blood of a chosen lamb on the two posts and the lintel. Then God passed by, and the firstbornThe firstborn refers to the birth order and a special position of precedence. He received a double inheritance and had a special position of precedence. The term firstborn is also... More of the Israelites did not have to die. They experienced deliverance from the judgment of God. And that is the content of Romans 1:18 - 5:11. That is the forgivenessIn Scripture, forgiveness is presented to us from two points of view. • The side of God: God’s thoughts towards the sinner whom he forgives. On the basis of Christ’s... More of our sins. But what condition might the firstbornThe firstborn refers to the birth order and a special position of precedence. He received a double inheritance and had a special position of precedence. The term firstborn is also... More behind the doors have been in? Were they completely happy? No. They did not yet have real peace. They did not yet have complete salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More and redemptionRedemption is part of God's plan of salvation. Redemption means that someone is freed from bondage. The redemption of Israel from the power of Pharaoh is an example of this.... More - salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More from Pharaoh's power (cf. Exodus 15).

The second situation is described in Exodus 14. There, the Israelites stood before the Red Sea. An insurmountable obstacle! And the Egyptians were close behind them. But then God parted the sea and allowed them to pass through on dry ground. Then, they experienced deliverance from Pharaoh's power, for the waters of the Red Sea swallowed up him and his entire army. Now, they could sing the song of redemptionRedemption is part of God's plan of salvation. Redemption means that someone is freed from bondage. The redemption of Israel from the power of Pharaoh is an example of this.... More on the other shore. Only now were they a redeemed people. So, we not only have forgivenessIn Scripture, forgiveness is presented to us from two points of view. • The side of God: God’s thoughts towards the sinner whom he forgives. On the basis of Christ’s... More of sins but are also freed from the power of sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More. This is explained in Romans 5:12 - 6:23.

The third incident is found in Exodus 21, where the Israelites were bitten by snakes whose deadly poison was now in them: the "venom of sin." This is an image of the plight of a converted soul described in Romans 7: "I wretched man! Who will save me from this body of death?" (V. 24).

Romans 5:11 is, therefore, about a work of God that happened outside of us - in our favor: our sins were forgiven. This is relatively easy to understand. A child who has become guilty deserves punishment. And when this punishment is remitted, it is easy to understand that this was graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More. God has also forgiven all our sins by graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More. He was able to do this because someone else - the Lord Jesus! - bore the punishment on our behalf.

But things become more complex from chapter 5:12 onwards. It is mainly about the work of God in us. It is no longer about sins committed but the sin that dwells within us. You could also say that it is no longer about the fruit but the root, the source from which it comes forth. This root or source cannot be „forgiven." I can forgive a thief who steals from me for stealing from me, but I cannot forgive him for being a thief. And that's what it's about now: the state of man that he has by nature. I feel this sinful nature every day. There is a principle in me, a lawfulness to sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More, and I experience its effectiveness every day.

Don't you know that too? You have been converted, you are happy, you rejoice that your sins are forgiven, but after a while, you realize: I am just as bad as before. I don't want to do something and yet I do it! And you fight against it but fall into the same sin again and again. Isn't that how some of us often feel? I want to do better: "It won't happen again tomorrow!" - and then the same problem again. Why is that? Because I have a source in me, a nature, a root that produces nothing but evil. That is the principle of sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More in me. 

So, we not only need forgiveness of sins, but we also need judgment of the sin that dwells within us. Many people have fought against this in themselves, have gone behind monastery walls, have broken their bodies, and have scourged themselves to cast out sin. But that is not the way. No, God has an entirely different, excellent answer to this. God sent his own Son in the likeness of sin's flesh and condemned sin in the flesh on the cross (Romans 8:3). And in another verse, we read: "He who did not know sin has become sin for us" (2 Cor 5:21).

The more we are shocked by our sinful state, the more glorious we feel this response from God. This has a threefold effect on us:

1. we stop doubting whether we are truly converted. 

2. we receive joy.

3. we become able to worshipIn both Hebrew and Greek, the word "worship" can also be translated as "prostrate / bow down" (Ps 95:6). It is more than praise and thanksgiving because, in worship, honor... More our God and Father. 

A new nature

Now, one final thought on this introduction. What do we need to get to heaven? You would probably say: "I needed forgiveness of my sins." That's right, but that's not enough. What did the Lord Jesus say to Nicodemus in John 3? If you have forgiveness of your sins, will you see the kingdom of God? No, but He said: "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). We need new life, a new nature. Otherwise, we cannot go to heaven. H.L. Heijkoop once illustrated this as follows: "I would never take a pig into my living room, even if it were a pig. Why not? The pig has a nature that doesn't suit my living room.” So, what would we want in heaven if we only had forgivenessIn Scripture, forgiveness is presented to us from two points of view. • The side of God: God’s thoughts towards the sinner whom he forgives. On the basis of Christ’s... More of sins? 

We would have a nature in us that is only evil and that shuns the light of heaven. That is why the Lord says in John 3: You need a new nature, a different inner being. And that is what the Lord Jesus has given us.