Monthly Archives: November 2025

Bible, Condemnation, Justification, Mankind, Offenses, Scripture

ALL “ONES” ARE NOT THE SAME

ROMANS 5:18

“So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind.”

Have you ever been shopping for something that you have been looking for a while? When you finally find “the one” you just want to dance a jig or shout. It’s like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Am I right? You just know this is THE ONE you’ve been looking for. Unfortunately, those “ones” don’t always pan out.

Paul is repeating himself a lot in these past several verses to make a point. He says the same thing in several different ways. Today’s verse is very similar to the previous verse we saw yesterday. Just because it is similar don’t read it too quickly. The word “result” is not actually in the Greek text. The Greek literally reads “one offense it is condemnation” and “one act of righteousness it is justification.” There is an implied result of the action – offense or righteous act.

APPLICATION

We have said multiple times in Romans 5 that it was Adam’s sin that led to the demise of mankind, and it was Christ’s sacrifice that led to man’s salvation. It really is that simple. You don’t need to read anything into it. Just accept the fact that you are either still in Adam or you’re in Christ. You are either still condemned, or you have been set free. Which is it?

Look at our verse again. Paul says each of these acts is directed toward all mankind. Now, Adam probably had no idea that his “little sin” would mean what it meant for all mankind. I wonder if he would have done what he did if he had stopped to think how it would affect every generation of mankind afterwards. Perhaps he would have still done it. I would like to think he wouldn’t have. Maybe we’ll find out one day.

In contrast, Jesus knew exactly what He was doing and knew that His act of righteousness would indeed have the potential to affect every generation to follow. However, the effect was not automatic. Every person in every generation has to make the personal decision to accept Jesus’ act and what it means for them. Then and only then do they receive this justification. It’s free. Why not receive it?

Father, You are far too good to me. You have saved me and blessed me beyond measure.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Cross, Grace, Jesus, Righteousness, Royalty, Ruling, Scripture

WE WILL REIGN

ROMANS 5:17

“For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

Are you aware that as a follower of Christ you will reign with Christ one day? We are told in 2 Timothy 2:12, “If we endure, we will also reign with Him;” But I’ve got good news. Our reign doesn’t start in heaven. It starts here. What? Yes! Look at our verse again. If we “receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness,” we “will…reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Woohoo! I am royalty! You are royalty!

Now, don’t get this picture in your head of sitting on a golden throne, holding a golden scepter and giving commands. That’s not what it means. Albert Barnes says, “It means that they shall be exalted to a glorious state of happiness in heaven; that they shall be triumphant over all their enemies; shall gain an ultimate victory; and shall partake with the Captain of their salvation in the splendors of his dominion above.”

APPLICATION

But what about here and now. When we receive these gifts from our Savior, we will finally experience real life. We will overcome all the griefs and sorrows because of the cross. We will rule over depression and despair because of Jesus. We will establish our boundaries through the blood of the Lamb. That’s reigning in life. That’s being of royal blood.

You see the moment we come to Christ and lay down our life in exchange for His, the blood of the Lamb envelopes us and protects us. Yes, we still have to deal with sin, but it has no power over us anymore. We can rule over sin in our lives. Yes, sickness may come, but it does not take away anything that we will willingly lay down.

Freedom in Christ is the power of our reign. Freedom in Christ dispels all our enemies. So, are you reigning with Christ today over the sins and evils that surround you or are cowering in fear like a slave of the evil one? It’s your choice. If you belong to Jesus, act like it. Rule like it. If you aren’t His child yet, come to Him today so that you may have the freedom that allows you to rule and reign in life.

Father God, I praise You for giving me the power to reign through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Condemnation, Gifts, Justification, Justified, Salvation, Scripture

ONE TO MANY, MANY TO ONE

ROMANS 5:16

“The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one offense, resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the gracious gift arose from many offenses, resulting in justification.”

“All for one and one for all.” If you have ever been part of a sports team, you probably chanted that before a big game. The idea is that the strength of many is stronger than the strength of each individual by itself. They call it synergy. We get stronger the more we work together. I’ve seen that happen in sports and in work. Many equals more.

Well, put that all aside for a minute because today we have a verse that goes against that thought. At first glance this verse seems a little hard to understand, but after some deep dives it becomes clear. Paul is saying that the sin of one man (Adam) led to condemnation for all. On the other hand, the sins of the many led to the sacrifice of one God-Man (Jesus) which gave us justification. One to many and many to One.

APPLICATION

We are not God and never will be. Our future glorification will not make us God or even god-like. Don’t believe that hogwash. However, God does justify us and expects us to share that gift we have received with others. There are two different Greek words translated “gift” in today’s verse. The first one is dóréma and means a gift that is freely given. It’s only used here and in James 1:17 which says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

The second Greek word for gift is charisma which is really a grace gift. It implies deliverance from danger or passion. It is used 17 times in the New Testament. So, you may be asking yourself why do we need two words for gift in the same verse. One source I looked at described it this way. “Charisma emphasizes the ‘graciousness’ or supernatural nature of the gift, while dorea highlights its ‘free’ and unmerited aspect from the giver.”

Christ’s gift of salvation and His gifts of grace are not meant to be repaid by us. We could never payback what He paid. We read in Deuteronomy 13:4, “You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him and cling to Him.” That still applies today. That’s what the Lord expects in return. Can you do that today?

Father, thank You for sending the One (Jesus) to die for the many (including me). I accept His gift of grace and salvation. 
 

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Abundance, Bible, Blessed, Blessing, Comfort, Grace, Leftovers, Love, Overflowing, Scripture

OVERFLOWING

ROMANS 5:15

“But the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many.”

I have been the recipient of extreme blessings in my past. During both of my health crises, family and friends stepped up and helped us financially. I remember there was one Sunday School class that took up over $2700 to help with our expenses. I had others who sent checks for $500 or $300. These were all gifts that were unsolicited – just given liberally. We were overwhelmed and so thankful to them and our Savior.

Paul uses a word for “overflow” that is used almost 40 times in the New Testament. The Greek word is perisseuó which means “to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous.” (Lexical Summary) It gives us a picture of receiving above and beyond what we could ever expect. That’s our God. He blows our doors off!

APPLICATION

This is the word used by the Gospel writers when they described the leftover fragment of fish and bread that the disciples gathered following the feeding of the 4000 and 5000. It said the baskets overflowed. Not only did Jesus take a little and make a lot, but He also provided leftovers. Come on now, who doesn’t like leftovers?

In 1 Thessalonians 3:12, Paul instructs the believers “and may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;” Okay now, get that picture in your head of the disciples’ baskets overflowing with fish and bread and apply that to the love you overflow to others. Our love should be that way. It should literally overflow.

We’re even told in 2 Corinthians 1:5, “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” The word “abundant” is perisseuó once again. Now get the picture: His grace overflows, therefore, our love should overflow, and our comfort should overflow. Can you do that? Can you spill over on others what Christ has given you through His grace? Be a fountain of love and comfort for others?

Father, make me a fountain of love and comfort to others, beginning with my own family.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Christ, Death, Eternal Life, Grace, Life, Scripture

DEATH REIGNED

ROMANS 5:14

“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”

You may have heard the expression “There are two absolutes in the world – death and taxes.” That is true. We will all face a physical death one day. I had that discussion recently with some family members. As a believer and follower of Christ, death does not frighten me. Now, the way in which I die can cause some anxiety, but not the actual death part. I am certain where I am going afterwards. I know death will come for me one day.

The word translated “reigned” is the Greek word that means exactly that. It means to rule, to reign, to have dominion over. Paul knew the finality of death. He was there when Stephen was stoned to death. He had witnessed some of the other early martyrs being killed for their testimony. And he knew that behind all that death was sin. Sin had entered mankind through Adam and has traced its way through the centuries.

APPLICATION

Did you know we can ward off the sting of death? Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “55 WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR VICTORY? WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR STING?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; 57  but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Death’s reign has been defeated by Jesus Himself. Praise God!

In direct contrast to the reign of death is the reign of Christ. Look at what the angel Gabriel told Mary about her unborn son when he brought her the news about the immaculate conception. In Luke 1:33 it says, “‘and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’” The day Jesus burst forth from that sealed tomb, death’s reign ended.

But…until you have given your life over to the reign of Jesus, you remain under the penalty of death because of your sins. Do you understand that? If you do and you have given your life to Him, don’t waste any time telling everyone around about Him. Physical death is coming for everyone, but spiritual death can be averted through the blood of the Lamb. Are you ready?

Lord, I am thankful that I have been purchased by You and my future is sealed.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Accountability, Bible, Forgiveness, Jesus, Law, Reconciled, Salvation, Scripture

HELD ACCOUNTABLE

ROMANS 5:13

“for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not counted against anyone when there is no law.”

Wouldn’t it be awful to be arrested, charged and imprisoned for breaking a law you never knew existed? I have heard it said, though, that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. Laws exist to keep people safe and, hopefully, allow for an efficient government (that’s not always the case). There have been laws on the books for centuries, some good and some bad. We are told to respect those in authority and submit to them. That’s hard to do

Paul continues to lay out the necessity for our reconciliation with God by showing us that sin has existed since the fall of Adam. There was no written law for people before God gave it to Moses, but there was still an unwritten law which God had given all mankind. It would indeed be cruel for God to hold people accountable for sins if they did not know they were sins. Paul tells us that was not the case in today’s verse.

APPLICATION

Look at what Poole says about this. “It appears there was a law before the law of Moses, for if there had been no law all that while, then sin would not have been imputed to men, so as to make them liable to punishment or death; but sin was imputed or charged upon men before the law of Moses, and death passed upon all. Therefore, there must have been a law, by the transgression of which men were sinners, before that time. And that was either the law of nature, or the positive law which God gave to Adam,…” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary)

Paul has already covered this back in Romans 1:20. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” No one can claim they did not know any better. They cannot claim God just made me this way. Boy, I’ve heard that a lot. Sorry, it doesn’t work.

How does this apply to us? I think it’s pretty clear. We have no excuse for our sins. We cannot claim ignorance. Christ came to die to cleanse us of all sin. Nothing prevents anyone from receiving that free gift. It doesn’t matter where you live, what you do for a living, who your family is or any other excuse you want to throw out there. Christ died for YOU! Never deny that. And if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, give Him praise right now. Bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, o my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Death, Eternal Life, Jesus, Life, Scripture, Sin

CONTAGIONS

ROMANS 5:12

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—”

How could we ever forget Covid-19? It was a worldwide epidemic that cost many lives. It doesn’t matter which side of the vaccine mandate you were on, we all knew people who lost their battle with this flu-like disease. It was very contagious and easily passed from person to person. Masks were mandated everywhere. Churches emptied, many of which held online services only. It was a scary time for many.

Paul tells us in today’s verse just how contagious sin is. Because of Adam’s and Eve’s original sin, all mankind was “infected.” The end result of that infection is death. It’s a terminal disease. The only cure is Jesus (we’ll see that later in this chapter). The Greek word translated “spread” is dierchomai. The Topical Lexicon gives this picture. “The entrance of death is pictured as a relentless traveler moving through humanity.”

APPLICATION

The same word is used in Hebrews 4:14 to describe Christ’s movement into the heavens. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession.” Of course, Christ’s passing through the heavens is a lot better than sin passing to us, isn’t it?

The word is even used by Jesus to describe the movements of unclean spirits (demonic spirits). In Matthew 12:43 we read, “‘Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest and does not find it.’” We need to know how to stop this movement, don’t we? Well, we must be born again by the Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit dwells, evil cannot. The Holy Spirit fills us completely. We can be oppressed and fall under the influence of demonic forces, but they can never indwell us again.

Listen, your sin is contagious. Your actions have ripple effects. Fathers, your sins will affect your children. Mothers, your sins will also. We are not held responsible for our father’s or mother’s sins, but we can feel the consequences of them. That is why we must be very careful to guard our hearts and our lives. Let’s pass on the good stuff, not the bad.

Lord, keep me spiritually sanitized from the strains of sin that so easily comes against me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Celebrate, Rejoicing, Scripture, Testimony, Witness, Witnessing

CELEBRATING AGAIN

ROMANS 5:11

“And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

I love to celebrate things, don’t you? I love to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries in our family. I love to celebrate victories by my Georgia Bulldogs (Go DAWGS). I love to celebrate people coming to Christ. I love to celebrate baptisms and marriages and even, in some cases, the death of a dear saint. Celebrations should be done often. Find a reason to celebrate.

In chapter five of Romans, this is the third time we have seen Paul tell us to celebrate or rejoice. In verse 2 he said we celebrate hope. In verse 3, we celebrate our tribulations (that’s a hard one). And now in today’s verse, Paul tells us we “also celebrate in God.” May I remind you that the Greek word here for celebrate is kauchaomai which means “living with ‘head up high,’ i.e. boasting from a particular vantage point by having the right base of operation to deal successfully with a matter.” (HELPS Word-studies).

APPLICATION

This word does NOT mean to be snobby about your celebration. This should be an open invitation to all to celebrate with you. We are celebrating our reconciliation made possible by God when He sent Jesus to die for us. Why wouldn’t we invite everyone we know to that party? We have received the greatest gift in the universe, and we should be ready to share it with everyone.

2 Corinthians 10:17 tells us, “But THE ONE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD.” This comes straight from the Lord as spoken by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 9:23-24. This is worth including here. “23 This is what the LORD says: ‘Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24  but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.”

Those are verses worth memorizing. We are to boast not in our wisdom, might or riches. We are to only boast, rejoice, celebrate in the Lord and that we know Him. I promise if we all did that, the world would be a better place. Sadly, too many people are boasting of themselves or what they have. Don’t fall into that trap. Celebrate only in God!

O Father, You are enough to celebrate. I will rejoice in You forever. 

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Christ, Death, Eternal Life, Eternity, Peace, Reconciled, Scripture, War

CHANGE IN RELATIONSHIP

ROMANS 5:10

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

What does it take for enemies to become friends? It’s really pretty simple – one of them has to hold out the “olive branch.” By that I mean, one has to make the first step towards peace. Sometimes that is done because there has been a battle and the end seems certain. For instance, Germany made peace with the U.S. at the end of World War II because they saw they had been defeated. The U.S. desired to end the hostilities in order to save lives and bring lasting peace. But they had to accept the offer of peace to end the war.

In the case being shown to us in the last few verses, we were enemies of God before He made the first move. God and man were at war. The end was certain. Man was going to suffer the wrath of a holy God. But in this case, God made the first move. He offered His Son as a peace offering, a sacrifice to secure our salvation. Reconciliation comes, and salvation follows.

APPLICATION

Paul shows us the progression of our salvation here. Enemies – reconciled – salvation – eternal life. The Cambridge Bible explains this verse this way. “The language, carefully weighed, points more to God’s acceptance of the sinner than to the sinner’s acceptance of God. For the case is put thus:— ‘When we were enemies, God was gracious to us: much more (as to our apprehension) will He be gracious to us still.’”

Don’t you see that God has exonerated us from the punishment that awaited us before Christ? We were doomed. There was no escape. But after He offered Jesus on the cross and we accepted that gift of grace, He welcomed us into His family and can now bestow on us the Holy Spirit who will guide us in our new life with Him. God continues to give us life here on earth and promises us an eternal life with Him.

Relationships change, don’t they? I bet you can name several people with whom you are no longer close friends. Years ago, you were close, perhaps spending every day together. For various reasons friendships come and go. Our relationship with God is not like that. Once you are His, you are His forever. As you spend time with Him in His Word and prayer, you become closer and closer. Don’t you want to know Him more fully? Then invest the time to do that. Ask Him to reveal more of Himself to you. He will do that willingly. We are told in Psalm 34:10, “they who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing.” Are you seeking today?

O God, You have reconciled me unto Yourself and are now perfecting our relationship into an eternal one.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Blood, Gifts, Promises, Salvation, Scripture

SAVED FROM WRATH

ROMANS 5:9

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

I bet you know that old hymn written back in 1878. That’s what Paul is saying to us today in verse 9 of Romans 5. It is only because of the blood shed by God’s Son, Jesus, that we have been justified and saved from His wrath. You see, our sins demanded death from us. We were doomed to an eternal sentence of the fires of hell. But…Christ came and died for us, satisfying the wrath of God towards our sins. Isn’t that the best news ever?

APPLICATION

Because God paid such a high price for our salvation (the gift of His only Son), He values us. We are precious to Him. He cares for us. If I bought an expensive gun, do you think I would take care of it? You had better believe it. I would regularly clean and inspect it. I would be so careful when I used it to make sure I didn’t scratch or harm it. As much as I might do all those things for a gun, can you imagine how much God will take care of you who were paid for by the blood of His Son?

God’s wrath sounds horrible, doesn’t it? HELPS Word-studies gives us a good picture of this Greek word. “[‘Orgē comes from the verb oragō meaning, “to teem, to swell”; and thus implies that it is not a sudden outburst, but rather (referring to God’s) fixed, controlled, passionate feeling against sin – a settled indignation (so Hendriksen)’ (D. E. Hiebert, at 1 Thes 1:10).]” God cannot stomach sin. He will not tolerate it.

My wife and I like to watch a reality police show. It’s a live three hour show that follows several law enforcement departments during a three hour period of their night shift. I am amazed each time I see the officers letting people go after catching them with drugs. They are guilty, but they don’t charge them. Similarly, we are guilty. We have been caught red-handed in our sins, but because of Jesus’ blood, we have been declared justified (if we have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord). Can you give God praise today for that gift?

Father, I am not worthy of the forgiveness You show me, but I am thankful.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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