1Now that we have God's approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. 2Through Christ we can approach God and stand in his favor. So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. 3But that's not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, 4endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. 5We're not ashamed to have this confidence, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6Look at it this way: At the right time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for ungodly people. 7Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person. 8Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God's love for us. 9Since Christ's blood has now given us God's approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God's anger. 10If the death of his Son restored our relationship with God while we were still his enemies, we are even more certain that, because of this restored relationship, the life of his Son will save us. 11In addition, our Lord Jesus Christ lets us continue to brag about God. After all, it is through Christ that we now have this restored relationship with God.

12Sin came into the world through one person, and death came through sin. So death spread to everyone, because everyone sinned. 13Sin was in the world before there were any laws. But no record of sin can be kept when there are no laws. 14Yet, death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. Adam is an image of the one who would come.

15There is no comparison between [God's] gift and [Adam's] failure. If humanity died as the result of one person's failure, it is certainly true that God's kindness and the gift given through the kindness of one person, Jesus Christ, have been showered on humanity. 16There is also no comparison between [God's] gift and the one who sinned. The verdict which followed one person's failure condemned everyone. But, even after many failures, the gift brought God's approval. 17It is certain that death ruled because of one person's failure. It's even more certain that those who receive God's overflowing kindness and the gift of his approval will rule in life because of one person, Jesus Christ.

18Therefore, everyone was condemned through one failure, and everyone received God's life-giving approval through one verdict. 19Clearly, through one person's disobedience humanity became sinful, and through one person's obedience humanity will receive God's approval. 20Laws were added to increase the failure. But where sin increased, God's kindness increased even more. 21As sin ruled by bringing death, God's kindness would rule by bringing us his approval. This results in our living forever because of Jesus Christ our Lord.