The love of God is God Himself (1 John 4:8, 16). God has poured out this love in our hearts with the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us, as the motivating power within us, that we may more than conquer in all our tribulations (see note Rom. 8:39^1a). Therefore, when we endure any kind of tribulation, we are not put to shame.

Approvedness is an approved quality or attribute resulting from the enduring and experiencing of tribulation and testing.

Meaning persistence. Persistence is the product of patience plus suffering.

Tribulations are part of the "all things" in Rom. 8:28 that God causes to work together for good that we might be sanctified, transformed, and conformed to the image of His Son, who has entered into glory. Because of this, we can receive tribulations as the sweet visitation and incarnation of grace and thereby boast in them. Through tribulations the killing effect of the cross of Christ on our natural being is applied in us by the Holy Spirit, making the way for the God of resurrection to add Himself to us (see 2 Cor. 4:16-18).

Our hope is that we will be brought into the glory of God, that is, into His expression. This will be fully realized in the coming millennial kingdom, where Christ will be revealed as our glory. Today we are in the hope of this coming glory (see note Heb. 11:1^3b).

Boast in Greek also has the meaning of exult. This indicates our enjoyment of God. (So in the next verse.)

Faith first gives us access into grace, then, a solid standing in grace.

Grace is the Triune God Himself, processed that we may enter into Him and enjoy Him. Grace here, in the deepest sense, is the Triune God as our enjoyment. It is more than unmerited favor and more than mere outward blessing. We are not merely under God's blessing; we are in His grace (see note Rom. 5:2³).

The very faith that justifies us and cuts off the flesh with its natural energy and effort also gives us access into God's grace. If we remain in the flesh with its natural effort, we will neither know nor enjoy the grace of God; but if we live by faith, we will enter into the full enjoyment of God's grace.

Our journey into God through our being justified out of faith has not yet been completed; thus, Paul used the word toward, not with. Grace is for our standing (v. 2), and peace is for our walk.

Being reconciled to God through Christ's death is an accomplished matter, but being saved in His life from so many negative things unto glorification is a daily matter.

Verse 10 of this chapter points out that God's full salvation revealed in this book consists of two sections: one section is the redemption accomplished for us by Christ's death, and the other section is the saving afforded us by Christ's life. The first four chapters of this book discourse comprehensively regarding the redemption accomplished by Christ's death, whereas the last twelve chapters speak in detail concerning the saving afforded by Christ's life. Before Rom. 5:11, Paul shows us that we are saved because we have been redeemed, justified, and reconciled to God. However, we have not yet been saved to the extent of being sanctified, transformed, and conformed to the image of God's Son. Redemption, justification, and reconciliation, which are accomplished outside of us by the death of Christ, redeem us objectively; sanctification, transformation, and conformation, which are accomplished within us by the working of Christ's life, save us subjectively. Objective redemption redeems us positionally from condemnation and eternal punishment; subjective salvation saves us dispositionally from our old man, our self, and our natural life.

Propitiation and forgiveness of sins are adequate for a sinner but not for an enemy. An enemy needs reconciliation, which includes propitiation and forgiveness but goes further, even to resolving the conflict between two parties. Our being reconciled to God is based on Christ's redemption and was accomplished through God's justification (Rom. 3:24; 2 Cor. 5:18-19). Reconciliation is the result of being justified out of faith.

Those who receive the abundant grace are able to reign in life, for life issues out of the abundance of grace.

The gift of righteousness erases judgment. Judgment comes from sin, but righteousness comes from grace. Righteousness always accompanies grace and is its result. Subjective righteousness (Rom. 4:25b) comes from grace (vv. 17, 19), and grace comes from objective righteousness (vv. 1-2).

The life we have received does not merely save us from a few things; rather, it enthrones us as kings to reign over all things. This is much higher than being saved in life. We have received righteousness objectively, but we still need to continually receive the abundance of grace so that we can reign in life subjectively. This reigning is defined in chs. 6—16; all the matters expounded there are the issue not of our endeavoring but of our receiving the abundance of grace.

I.e., impotent; unable to please God.

To be saved in Christ's life is to be saved in Christ Himself as life. He dwells in us, and we are organically one with Him. By the growth of His life in us, we will enjoy His full salvation to the uttermost. Redemption, justification, and reconciliation are for the purpose of bringing us into union with Christ so that He can save us in His life unto glorification (Rom. 8:30).

Implying resurrection. After death is spoken of in the first part of this verse, life is mentioned. Christ died that He might be our life in resurrection. We have been saved by Christ's death from God's eternal judgment and eternal punishment, but we are still being saved by Christ's life in His resurrection. The life here, the power in Rom. 1:16, and the Spirit in Rom. 8 refer to different aspects of the processed Triune God.

To boast in God means to have God as our boast and our exultation, indicating that God is our enjoyment and our rejoicing. See note Rom. 5:2⁴. It is in boasting, in exulting, and in enjoying in this way that we are being saved in the life of Christ.

I.e., Adam, the first man, the father of the entire human race, who brought in death through sin. In contrast to Adam is Christ, the second man (1 Cor. 15:47), who brought in life through righteousness (vv. 17-18).

Up to v. 11 sins (plural) have been dealt with. From v. 12 sin (singular) is dealt with. It seems that in chs. 5—8 sin is personified. Sin is not merely an action; it is like a person who can enter (v. 12), reign (v. 21), lord it over people (Rom. 6:14), deceive and kill people (Rom. 7:11), and dwell in people and cause them to do things against their will (Rom. 7:17, 20). It is quite alive (Rom. 7:9) and exceedingly active; hence, it must be the evil nature of Satan, the evil one, who, having injected himself into man through Adam's fall, has now become the very sinful nature dwelling, acting, and working in fallen man. This indwelling, personified sinful nature is the root of all the outward sinful acts.

Or, people of the world; referring to mankind (John 1:29; 3:16).

Death is the ultimate result of man's fall. Man's spirit was deadened first, and eventually his body also died. Death and sin cannot be separated; where one is, the other will be found. Furthermore, death is not only a physical suffering in the future; it is something in which man is involved daily.

Sin existed before the law was given, but it was not manifested to man or charged to his account by God before that time.

Adam was the head of the old collective man (mankind). Whatever he did and whatever happened to him is participated in by all mankind. In this respect he is a type of Christ, who is the Head of the new corporate man, the church (Eph. 2:15-16). Whatever He did and whatever happened to Him is participated in by all the members of His Body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23).

Christ our Redeemer was fully a man and was fully God as well (see Rom. 9:5). Grace with all its gifts abounded in the humanity of Christ.

Grace not only abounds (v. 17) and multiplies (superabounds — v. 20) but also reigns (v. 21). Only a living person can reign.

Referring to the gift of righteousness, which we have received (v. 17). This indicates that the righteousness given to us by God is a gift.

Life here, and in vv. 10, 18, 21; 6:4 and Rom. 8:2, 6, 10, refers to the eternal, divine, uncreated life of God (zoe), which is Christ Himself as life to us (John 11:25; 14:6; Col. 3:4). It is different from both our physical life (bio — Luke 8:14) and our soulish life (psuche — Matt. 16:25-26; John 12:25). This eternal life of God is the main element of the divine grace that has been given to us, and in this eternal life we can reign.

Christ's righteous act of dying on the cross resulted in justification of life. Verse 21 says that grace reigns through righteousness unto life. These two verses show that life comes as the result of righteousness (see Rom. 8:10).

Life is the goal of God's salvation; thus, justification is "of life." Justification is not an end in itself; it is for life. Through justification we have come up to the standard of God's righteousness and correspond with it, so that now He can impart His life to us. Justification changes our outward position; life changes our inward disposition. Justification unto life indicates that life is the focus of this chapter and that the organic union of life is an issue of justification.

Whether we are sinners or are righteous depends not on our actions but on our inward constitution. Through his fall Adam received an element that was not created by God. This was the satanic nature, which became the constituting essence and main element of fallen man. It is this constituting essence and element that constituted all men sinners. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. Whether we do good or evil, in Adam we have been constituted sinners. This is due to our inward element, not our outward actions.

In contrast, Christ constitutes us righteous. When He, the living God, comes into our being as grace, we are constituted righteous. He becomes the constituting essence and element in us that can transform us from sinners into sons of God. He alone is able to accomplish such a reconstituting work.

Christ's death on the cross was the highest expression of His obedience and was regarded by God a righteous act (v. 18 see Phil. 2:8).

The law causes sin to abound, that is, to become evident and recognizable to man. In this way man's sinfulness is fully exposed.

Sin reigns by the authority of death and brings in death by its reign. Thus, a sinner must die.

Righteousness is the footing, the base, and the means for God to dispense Himself to us as grace. This righteousness gives us the ground to claim Christ as our grace. By giving grace to us, God manifests His righteousness (see Rom. 1:17). Furthermore, the power of this grace operates in us and produces subjective righteousness, making us right with God, with others, and even with ourselves; and it not only subdues sin but also overcomes Satan and death in our being. Thus grace reigns through righteousness, resulting in eternal life.

Death is mentioned many times in chs. 5—8 (vv. 12, 14, 17, 21; 6:9, 16, 21, 23; 7:5, 10, 13, 24; 8:2, 6, 38). Life also is mentioned repeatedly in these chapters (vv. 10, 17-18, 21; 6:4, 22-23; 7:10; 8:2, 6, 10-11, 38). These two key words form two contrasting lines through chs. 5—8, the line of life and the line of death, showing that man is at the center of a triangular situation between God and Satan, life and death. Thus, chs. 5—8 of Romans can be called the kernel of the Bible, showing its entire theme in a concrete and detailed way.

From Adam to Moses was the dispensation before law (without law); from Moses to Christ (John 1:17) was the dispensation of law; from Christ's first coming to the restoration of all things (Acts 3:20-21) is the dispensation of grace; and from Christ's second coming to the end of the millennium (Rev. 11:15; 20:4, 6) is the dispensation of the kingdom. These dispensations are used by God to accomplish His work of the new creation in the old creation.

In this chapter the words transgression, offense, and disobedience all refer to the fall of Adam, which consisted in his leaving life and choosing death. Adam forsook the tree of life, which denotes God as life, to pursue the tree of knowledge, which signifies Satan as the source of death (Gen. 2:8-9, 17; 3:1-7).