Peace and Hope

¹We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through faith in Jesus we have received God’s grace. In that grace we stand. We are full of joy because we expect to share in God’s glory. ³ And that’s not all. We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. ⁴ The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. ⁵ And hope will never bring us shame. That’s because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. This happened through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

⁶ At just the right time Christ died for ungodly people. He died for us when we had no power of our own. ⁷ It is unusual for anyone to die for a godly person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person. ⁸ But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹ The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God’s anger. ¹⁰ Once we were God’s enemies. But we have been brought back to him because his Son has died for us. Now that God has brought us back, we are even more secure. We know that we will be saved because Christ lives. ¹¹ And that is not all. We are full of joy in God because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of him, God has brought us back to himself.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

¹² Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.

¹³ Before the law was given, sin was in the world. This is certainly true. But people are not judged for sin when there is no law. ¹⁴ Death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. Death ruled even over those who did not sin as Adam did. He broke God’s command. But Adam also became a pattern of the Messiah. The Messiah was the one who was going to come.

¹⁵ God’s gift can’t be compared with Adam’s sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But it was even more sure that God’s grace would also come through one man. That man is Jesus Christ. God’s gift of grace was more than enough for the whole world. ¹⁶ The result of God’s gift is different from the result of Adam’s sin. That one sin brought God’s judgment. But after many sins, God’s gift made people right with him. ¹⁷ One man sinned, and death ruled over all people because of his sin. What will happen is even more sure than this. Those who receive the rich supply of God’s grace will rule with Christ. They will rule in his kingdom. They have received God’s gift and have been made right with him. This will happen because of what the one man, Jesus Christ, has done.

¹⁸ So one man’s sin brought guilt to all people. In the same way, one right act made people right with God. That one right act gave life to all people. ¹⁹ Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.

²⁰ The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more. ²¹ Sin ruled and brought death. But grace rules in the lives of those who are right with God. The grace of God brings eternal life. That’s because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done.