Why did He have to die? What is the significance of His death? Why is His death so central to the Christian faith that the most common symbol representing Christianity is the cross? The passage in Romans 5:6-11 before us will explain all of that for us.

The Glorious Results of Obtaining God’s Righteousness (5:1-8:39): Romans 5:1-5 All The Blessed Results From Justification by Faith (5:1a) This opening phrase summarizes the central theme of the previous section. The first word “therefore” shows continuity from the previous discussion by Paul regarding how we obtain God’s righteousness. The word “since” means that justification by faith is the condition necessary for us to receive these glorious results.

The Authentic Faith of Abraham - Romans 4:17-25 His universal fatherhood was based on the promise that God gave to him that he should be the father of a multitude of nations, hence the phrase “heir of the world.” This promise came by faith, not by keeping the law. And it rests on God’s unmerited favor to us. Now if we can become children of Abraham by having his faith and not having to be circumcised, then we need to understand the kind of faith that Abraham had.

Abraham: The Father of Us All - Romans 4:9-16 Just as Abraham took God’s promise to be true when He told him that he would have offspring in his old age (Gen 15:6), so David too believed God that his sins would be forgiven when he confessed them (Ps 32:1, 2). Paul used Ps 32:1, 2 to interpret Gen 15:6, which is, to be counted righteous means that our sins are forgiven. That is the greatest blessing one can ever receive.