The second section in Paul’s letter builds on the first, which we discussed previously under the theme that “when humans are alienated us from God.”

[bctt tweet=”By nature (as human being), and starting from the day we are born, we are programmed to disobey God. And, that’s because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God (see Genesis 3).” username=””]

Paul in this second part of his letter to the Romans discusses not only our sinful state of being, but how to experience salvation from it.

In this section, he compares and contrasts the first Adam to the second Adam.

He makes the point that sin entered the world (human kind and the rest of the cosmos) because of the first Adam (Romans 5: 12).

He lays his point as follows:

• • • Sin entered the world through one man.
    • Death came about because of the original sin.
    • Death came to all people because all are sinners.

Here, Paul begins telling the Romans (and to us today) that there is hope in Jesus as the second Adam. 

It’s true that sin, judgment, and condemnation came into humankind and the world through one man (Romans 5: 15). 

[bctt tweet=”But, also through one man, Jesus Christ, God has made God’s grace and gift to all humans. And, now through the second Adam, humans can find justification from all their sins (Romans 5: 16). ” username=””]

Not only humans receive justification from their sins, but they also reign in life through Jesus Christ (see Romans 5: 17). 

Paul ends saying that through the obedience of one man, many have been made righteous. 

The righteousness of God is the only thing that makes us right with God and each other. We find and learn more about it through Scripture.

In conclusion, if through one man sin entered the world, and through one man God has made salvation accessible to all people, then our obedience to God can also transform many others.

In the next section of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he describes the anatomy of salvation, which is timeless meaning it’s still relevant even in the twenty-first century. To prepare for it, I would encourage you to read Romans 8 through 10.