Romans 5:18 ends with the words “unto justification of life.’’ This shows us that the result of justification is life. Christ has died for us, and He has redeemed us. When we believe in Christ, all the demands of God are met by Christ. He has given us Himself as our righteousness. Through this righteousness we can stand before God, and God can justify us. In addition, God gave us a gift. This gift is eternal life. Acts 11:18 says that our repentance is unto life. Hence, both repentance and justification are for us to have God’s life.
The believers’ sin is solved by justification (Rom. 5:16). But there is still “death” within the believers. Although it is called death, it is actually working very actively in man. This problem cannot be solved by justification. Life is required to solve the problem of death. Death in man causes him to be weakened to such an extent that he is dead, without any strength concerning the things of God. In this way, death reigns. But life has dealt with death for the believers (5:17). The life that the believers receive has become the law of the Spirit of life. It frees the believers from the law of sin and of death (8:2). What I can point out here is very limited. You have to dive into a deeper understanding of the matter, and you must spend time in our publications and the footnotes of the New Testament Recovery Version. In this way you will receive many riches.
God has not only caused the believers to have life, but He has also caused them to reign in life. Romans 5:17a says, “For if by the offense of the one death reigned through the one….” Death reigns as a king in us. This king purposefully puts us to death. Due to the transgression of Adam, we as his descendants have a king in us who has gained control of us and who is reigning in us. Verse 17b says, “Much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.’’ Justification is a gift (v. 16), and grace abounds. From this abounding grace comes a gift. This gift is righteousness. We who have inherited righteousness shall reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. The former king was death. The latter king is those who receive grace to be justified.
But can we reign? Death is more than qualified to reign. We who are the kings do not know how to be kings. We are like the last Chinese emperor Pu-ye of the Ching Dynasty, who became emperor at the age of three. Although he was a king, he did not know how to be a king. He needed a protector to help him to be king. We who have been saved and who are justified are indeed kings, but we do not know how to be kings. Hence, through the One, Jesus Christ, who has put life in us, we are able to be kings. On the one hand, it is through this One. On the other hand, it is by reigning in life.
You have to learn to study the Bible in this way. Find out who the two kings are in Romans 5:17. The name of the first king is death. The name of the second king is your name. We are all kings today! The reason we are kings is that we are saved and have been justified. We are not only saved, but we have also received a great gift, the gift of righteousness. The grace that we have received is not a little grace, but abounding grace. It is like the abounding ocean. It is not like a cup of tea, which is gone after two sips. Grace is like an ocean. In this endless grace, God has given us a gift—abounding righteousness. Righteousness is God giving Himself to us in Christ. Furthermore, God wants us to reign. He wants to help us through the one man, Jesus Christ, with His life to reign in life.
When you go to all the villages, you should teach the people in this way. Do not try to cover too much. You will be very successful if you can teach them these ten outlines in four to six months. This will broaden their view and give them an understanding concerning salvation and the Bible. They will also be able to learn many spiritual terms. This all depends on your speaking these things clearly and accurately.
Every kind of addiction, such as alcohol, gambling, and theater-going, comes from sin. Moreover, every kind of addiction is rebellion. When a man is addicted to opium, he cannot live without opium. Opium smoking becomes something of rebellion. For a man to lose his temper is also something of rebellion, something related to sin. When a child refuses to obey and is naughty, we say that such a one is rebellious. According to man’s fallen condition, he is rebellious in his nature. He is rebellious in his very bones and even every one of his hairs is rebellious. This rebellion brings in insubordination.
(Salvation in Life in the Book of Romans, Chapter 7, by Witness Lee)