Right with God

5 [^LTherefore,] Since we have been ·made right with God [declared righteous; justified] by our faith, we have^[a] peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² ·who through our faith^[b] has brought us into that blessing of [^Lthrough whom we have access by faith to] God’s grace ·that we now enjoy [^Lin which we stand/live]. And we ·are happy [rejoice; boast] because of the hope we have ·of sharing [or of experiencing; ^Lof] God’s glory. ³ [^LNot only this, but] We also ·have joy [rejoice; boast] ·with our troubles [through suffering/trials/persecution], because we know that ·these troubles [suffering; trials; persecution] produce ·patience [endurance]. ⁴ And ·patience [endurance] produces [tested and proven] character, and [tested and proven] character produces hope. ⁵ And this hope will never ·disappoint us [let us down; or put us to shame; dishonor us; ^Chonor and shame were among the most important values in first century culture], because God has ·poured out his love to fill our hearts [or flooded our hearts with his love]. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

⁶ [^LFor] When we were ·unable to help ourselves [^Lstill helpless/weak], at the ·right [or appointed] time, Christ died for ·us sinners [^Lthe ungodly/wicked]. ⁷ ·Very few people will [or Rarely/Scarcely will anyone] die for a ·righteous [just; pious] person. Although perhaps for a ·good [truly good; noble] person someone might possibly die [^Cthe “righteous” person may be someone who is outwardly religious, while the “good” person is genuinely generous and loving]. ⁸ But God ·shows [demonstrates; proves] his ·great [^Lown] love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

⁹ And since we have now been ·made right with God [declared righteous; justified] by ·the blood of Christ’s death [^Lhis blood], ·we will surely also [^Lhow much more shall we…!] be saved through Christ from ·God’s anger [final punishment; ^Lthe wrath]. ¹⁰ [^LFor if] While we were God’s enemies, ·he made us his friends [^Lwe were reconciled to God] through the death of his Son. ·Surely [^LHow much more…?], ·now that we are his friends [^Lhaving been reconciled], he will save us through his Son’s life. ¹¹ And not only that, but now we ·are also very happy [also rejoice/boast] in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we ·are now God’s friends again [have now received reconciliation].

Adam and Christ Compared

¹² [^LTherefore, just as] Sin came into the world ·because of what one man did [^Lthrough one man], and with sin came death. ·This is why [^L…and so; or and in this way] ·everyone must die [death spread/passed to all people]—because everyone sinned. ¹³ Sin was in the world before ·the law of Moses [^Lthe law], but sin is not ·counted against us as breaking a command [charged to one’s account; recorded as sin] when there is no law [4:15]. ¹⁴ But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, ·everyone had to die [^Ldeath reigned/ruled], even those who had not sinned ·by breaking a command, as Adam had [^Lin the likeness of Adam’s disobedience/transgression].

Adam was ·like [a type/pattern/prefigurement of] the One who was coming in the future. ¹⁵ But ·God’s free gift [^Lthe gift] is not like Adam’s ·sin [violation; transgression]. [^LFor if] Many people died because of the ·sin [violation; transgression] of that one man. ·But the grace from God was much greater, since many people received God’s gift of life [^L…how much more did God’s grace and gift abound/multiply to the many] by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ [^Cthe death of the “one” saved the “many”; see v. 19; Is. 53:11]. ¹⁶ But the gift of God is different from ·Adam’s [^Lthe one man’s] sin. After Adam sinned once, ·he was judged guilty [^Lhis judgment brought condemnation]. [^LBut] God’s free gift came after many ·sins [violations; transgressions], and it ·makes people right with God [^Lbrought justification]. ¹⁷ [^LFor if] One man’s ·sin [violation; transgression] caused death to ·rule over all people [^Lreign; rule] because of that one man. How much more, then, will those people who ·accept [receive] ·God’s full grace [^Lthe abundance of grace] and the great gift of ·being made right with him [righteousness] ·have true life and rule [or rule in the future life; ^Lreign/rule in life] through the one man, Jesus Christ. [^CJust as death “ruled” in Adam, so believers “rule” over death through Christ.]

¹⁸ So as one ·sin of Adam [^Lviolation; trangression] brought ·the punishment of death [condemnation] to all people, so too one ·good act that Christ did [^Lrighteous act/deed] ·makes all people right with God, bringing them true life [^Lbrings justification of life to all people]. ¹⁹ [^LFor just as…] One man disobeyed God, and many became sinners. ·In the same way, [^L…so also] one man obeyed God, and many will be made ·right [righteous]. ²⁰ The law came ·to make sin worse [or to reveal the true extent of sin; ^Lto increase the violation/transgression]. But when sin ·grew worse [increased; multiplied], God’s grace ·increased [multiplied/abounded all the more]. ²¹ ·Sin once used death to rule us [^LJust as sin reigned in death…], ·but God gave people more of his grace so that grace could rule [^L…so grace will reign] ·by making people right with him [through justification/righteousness]. And this brings ·life forever [eternal life] through Jesus Christ our Lord.