Faith Triumphs

1Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith,a we have peaceb with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.c 2We have also obtained access through Himd by faithe into this grace in which we stand,f and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3And not only that,g but we also rejoice in our afflictions,h because we know that affliction produces endurance,i 4endurance produces proven character,j and proven character produces hope. 5This hope will not disappoint us,k because God’s love has been poured out in our heartsl through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Those Declared Righteous Are Reconciled

6For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment,m Christ died for the ungodly. 7For rarely will someone die for a just person — though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8But God provesn His own love for uso in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! 9Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood,p we will be saved through Him from wrath.q 10For if, while we were enemies,r we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!s 11And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.t

Death through Adam and Life through Christ

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,u and death through sin,v in this way death spread to all men,w because all sinned.x 13In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law.y 14Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression.z He is a prototypeaa of the Coming One.ab

15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift overflowed to the many by the grace of the one man,ac Jesus Christ. 16And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment,ad resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in •justification.ae 17Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in lifeaf through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justificationag, ah for everyone. 19For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners,ai so also through the one man’s obedienceaj the many will be made righteous. 20The law came along to multiply the trespass.ak But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even moreal 21so that, just as sin reigned in death,am so also grace will reignan through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.