Romans 5:15 – The Gift of Grace Through Jesus

Romans 5:15

“¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression 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, abound to the many” (NASB).

I see two important words in this verse. Of course, there are more but for this devotional thought I want to focus on the words, “gift” and “grace.” The first  is “free gift”—the word “charisma” and grace are from the same root because grace is a gift. Grace is the free gift of God. It is His favor on us.

The context is the comparison between the transgression of Adam through which all sinned and the free gift of God. This free gift is not like the transgression. Paul compares Jesus to Adam and is a type of Adam. The difference, of course, is that through Adam many died. God told Adam that if he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil he would die. Adam believed a lie from Satan and therefore brought the sin nature on the whole human race. That’s not good.

But what Jesus did far surpasses what the anti-type, Adam did. Jesus brought the gift of grace. This gift abounds to everyone who accepts this gift. This gift leads to life (1 Corinthians 15:22). Only Jesus could give life. No other man could do that. God’s created man—Adam could bring death, but only Jesus could bring life.

This is what the New Covenant is all about. It is the love of the Father for the world that sent Jesus to bring salvation and forgiveness of sins. No Adam could do that but the only begotten Son. What Jesus did was good.

The second “gift” is the word “dōrea.” This is a gracious gift. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is a gift of God’s favor toward us. Grace is the gift of Jesus to us through the finished work on the Cross. Many have accepted this gift, I hope you are one of them.