1 So then, seeing that we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Master Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have access by faith into this favor in which we stand. We can take pride in our confident expectation of God’s favor— 3 and in our oppressions, which we know result in endurance; 4 and endurance makes us pass the test, which leads to hope. 5 And this hope does not fade, because of the love God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us.
Sin and redemption
6 While we were still weak, Christ died at just the right time for the sake of the ungodly. 7 It rarely happens that someone will die for a public benefactor, let alone an ordinary innocent person. 8 So God displays his love for us by virtue of the fact that Christ died for our sakes while we were still sinners. 9 And how much more, now that his blood has cleared us of all charges, will we be saved from God’s rage through him! 10 After all, if we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, how much more will we now be saved through his life! 11 And on top of that, we can also be proud of belonging to God by means of our Master Jesus Christ, the One who accomplished that reconciliation.
12 Sin entered into the world by means of one person, and death by means of sin, and so death passed on to all people, seeing that all sinned. 13 Sin was in the world before there was law, yet sin is not taken into account where there is no law. 14 Even so, death was in charge from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin as did Adam— who is a type of the One to come. 15 But the gift of God is nothing like the sin! For if death came to many because of one sin, how much better is the favor of God to many, granted from the one person: Jesus Christ!
16 Again, the gift is nothing like the sin. In the first case, the verdict pronounced on the one led to condemnation, while in the second, favor came after many sins and resulted in acquittal. 17 For if death reigned because of one sin, how much better will be the reign of life through the One— Jesus Christ— for those who take hold of God’s overflowing favor and the gift of innocence! 18 Then it follows that just as one sin brought condemnation to all people, so also one act of righteousness brought acquittal and life to all people. 19 Through the disobedience of the one person many were brought into a state of sin; likewise, through the obedience of the One, many were brought into a state of innocence.
20 But when law was introduced, sins increased; yet when sin increased, favor abounded even more. 21 So just as Sin was put in charge because of death, so also Favor is put in charge through righteousness because of eternal life, by means of Jesus Christ our Master.21
- 21 Sin and Favor are capitalized here to show that Paul is using personification to make his point.