We tend to preach through books of the Bible like Romans taking short passages at a time. That’s understandable and necessary because there is much deep and rich material to cover. However, it is also helpful from time to time to take a step back and look at the whole big picture to see the argument that the writer (in this case Paul) is developing.
It is helpful to think in terms of conclusions and punchlines. I want to suggest that we find a punchline and interim conclusion at the end of Romans 5 when Paul says:
“20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Chapters 6-7 will provide a kind of parenthesis to expound on what Paul means when he says that increasing sin leads to increasing grace and to deal with the objection “does that mean we should sin even more”? Then Romans 8 will help us to understand what it means for the law to increase the trespass or wrongdoing. This will support the point that we are no longer under condemnation and need fear no separation because the Gospel is able to do what the Lae cannot do.
This reminds us that the big argument Paul has been developing is an explanation of why he is “not ashamed of” or, we might say, boasts in “the Gospel.” Paul’s point has been that we need the Gospel because it reveals God’s righteousness to us. We need the good news of the Gospel and the revelation of righteousness because our minds are darkened and handed over to sin so that we are unable to grasp the revelation of God seen in creation.
Some might have responded to Paul by arguing that the Law offers an alternative revelation of God’s righteousness. However, this too fails. It might show us what is good and highlight our rebelliousness but it is unable to save us because no-one keeps it. This includes Jews who have the law and are circumcised and uncircumcised Gentiles who do not have the Law.
The reality is that we all have fallen short of God’s glory, none of us are righteous like him. So, God sent Jesus as an atoning or propitiating sacrifice to deal with the problem of sin. Jesus’ obedient life and death was credited to us as righteousness so that we are justified by faith. This means that we are reconciled to God, have peace with him, are right with him. Jesus’ righteousness can be credited to us because we are “in Christ, just as we were judged and punished in Adam.
If sin has been dealt with completely and if we now have the status of being right with God then there is no judgement or punishment left, hence Romans 8:1 perfectly sums up where the argument takes us to.
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Faithroots 