When the empty vessel of the human heart has once become filled with the fulness of grace and righteousness, the sinner is raised to the place of a “king in life”--an antithesis to “death reigned.” But the apostle has too lively a conviction of spiritual realities to say here “life shall reign.” Death reigns: it is a tyrant. But life does not reign; it makes kings. Instead of a sombre state of things which bears sway as a reign of death, it is here the individuals themselves who, having personally appropriated righteousness, reign personally in the luminous domain of life. Compare on this reign what Paul said (Rom_4:13), of the inheritance of this world; then the glorying (Rom_5:11); finally, Rom_8:17. “In life” does not denote a period--i.e., eternal life, but the mode or nature of the reign of believers. A new, holy, inexhaustible and victorious vitality will pervade those “receivers of righteousness,” and make them so many kings. If the collective condemnation could make each of them a subject of death, the conclusion therefrom should be that their individual justification will make each of them a king in life. (Prof. Godet.)
The reign of death and the reign in life
I. The evil introduced into the world by Adam. The reign of death. There was a time when Death was a stranger in the world. It was sin which brought him here. But the consequences did not end here. Sin gave to death a fearful dominion over the whole globe on which man dwelt. Hence he is represented as a monarch. Men love him not and are daily resisting his power, but he laughs to scorn their efforts, and the contest ends in their lying down in the dust. The wide world is his only kingdom. Into heaven he never entered, and in hell he cannot destroy. The soul, too, is brought under his dominion. There is not one of us who is not by nature “dead in trespasses and sins.”
II. The blessing introduced by Christ. A reign in life.
1. Life is here opposed to death, and expresses a state of spiritual existence. But they who have received this precious benefit not only live, they “reign in life.” This implies--
(1) Power. They have overcome their enemies, as well as escaped from them; not merely freed themselves from their tyranny, but attained a dominion over them.
(a) They were once the subjects of Satan, they now “bruise him underneath their feet.”
(b) The world once held them in thraldom, but the world also is overcome.
(c) Once, too, they were governed by lawless passions, but now they reign as lords over their own soul. They “mortify the deeds of the body,” they “crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Not that their victory is complete. Their throne is secure, but it is surrounded by rebels who incessantly disturb its peace. Satan still assails, the world still tempts, sin still rages.
(2) Dignity. And what so truly great and noble as to be masters of ourselves? What so base as to be the slaves of sin?
(3) Heaven. There the Christian will indeed live and reign. He will have attained a complete triumph over all his enemies. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me on My throne,” etc. He who once suffered with Christ, shall be “glorified together with Him.” What a glorious change is this, that the feeble mortals who were once the trembling victims of death, should thus “reign in life.”
2. And to whom are they indebted for this wondrous change? To themselves? The dead cannot raise themselves to life. To the father who ruined them? He made them the children of wretchedness, and then he went away and left them to their misery. To legions of angels? All their mighty hosts could not reanimate one lifeless body, much less quicken and glorify a ruined soul. One Being only was able to accomplish this glorious change, but He was the very Being who seemed the least likely to accomplish it, for it was His righteous vengeance which had sent death into the world, and His voice which proclaimed Him its king. By Him, however, was death dethroned; by Him to the utter exclusion of all others, to the utter rejection of all oar claims to any part of the honour of the work.
III. Who are the persons for whom this great blessing is designed? All the human race? Clearly not. The ungodly lives of thousands around us would at once disprove such an assertion. All men indeed, in consequence of the interference of Christ, are under a dispensation of mercy; a free and full salvation is offered them, and they are invited to accept it. But men will not accept it. Those who have received this salvation are the men for whom the kingdom is prepared. They are described as--
1. “Receiving abundance of grace.”
(1) “Grace” is that free favour which God has manifested towards His sinful children, providing a sacrifice for their iniquities, sending them the glad tidings of salvation, and making them actually partakers of its blessings.
(2) “Abundance of grace” signifies not only a sufficiency, but grace enough and to spare. And look at what part we may of the mystery of redemption, we discover at once the propriety of the term. The wisdom which planned and the power which executed this stupendous scheme, and the love which called this power and this wisdom into exercise, are all infinite. The glory of the salvation treasured up for sinners in Christ, the freedom with which it is communicated, the characters of those on whom it is bestowed, all bear witness to the boundless extent of the Divine mercy.
2. “The gift of righteousness.”
(1) This may possibly mean that renewal of the heart unto holiness, which the redeemed sinner receives from the free bounty of his Saviour. But the apostle seems rather to refer here to the same righteousness of which he speaks in the following verse, the obedience or righteousness of Christ. It is this which enables the Lord to pour out the abundance of His grace on His apostate children. He imputes to them the merits of His dear Son, and then He pardons, accepts, and rewards them, without weakening His authority or tarnishing His glory.
(2) The apostle calls it a gift, because it is by an act of mercy that it is transferred to us; he speaks of it as an abundant gift, because it completely satisfies the demands of God’s unalterable law. Its merit is infinite. It is a robe so pure, that he who wears it, stands before God without spot or blemish; so splendid, that it covers all his shame; so freely offered, that all the naked may array themselves in it, and all rejoice in it as the garment of salvation.
IV. The certainty of their receiving it. The apostle may mean--
1. That the efficacy of the righteousness of Christ to procure life is greater than that of the offence of Adam to cause death; that the salvation of the Christian’s soul is even more certain than the death of his body, secured to him by more numerous and solemn declarations, and involving in it the honour of more of the Divine perfections. Justice and faithfulness demand his body for corruption, but mercy unites with faithfulness and justice in raising his soul to the kingdom of life.
2. That the righteousness of Christ is more than sufficient to repair the destructive consequences of Adam’s transgression. It does not place the believer in the state in which he would have been had Adam never fallen; it does more; it places him in a more secure and far more exalted state. In other words, we may gain more by Christ than we lost by Adam. The one made an honourable temple a mournful heap of ruins; the other can not only raise up the temple again out of its ruins, but can make the latter house far more glorious than the former. When man was first created God looked on him and pronounced him good; but when His beloved Son redeems him, He calls him His inheritance and portion; he comes and dwells in Him, and loves Him more than all the creatures of His hand. (C. Bradley, M. A.)
Believers receive in Christ more than they lost in Adam
I.Better righteousness.
II. Firmer standing.
III. Higher glory. (T. Robinson, D. D.)
Abundance of grace.
Overflowing kindness and blessing
All fulness of grace in Christ (Col_1:19; Eph_3:8). Justifying grace, sanctifying grace, glorifying grace (Rom_8:29-30). Grace for grace (Joh_1:16), or grace upon grace (Php_2:27). He gives more grace (Jam_4:6); and makes all grace to abound (2Co_9:8). He gives His sheep not only life, but life more abundantly (Joh_10:10). Ezekiel’s river realised (Eze_47:1-5; cf. Eph_3:19). (T. Robinson, D. D.)
Individual influence
No warlike host delivered the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, but one man--Moses. No senate of statesmen raised Israel to a pitch of greatness that proclaimed to the world the glory and safety of a theocratic nation, but one man--David. No school of divines gave to England the Bible in the mother tongue, but one man--Wycliffe. No learned society discovered America, but one man--Columbus. No association of science revealed the clue to interpret the laws of the heavenly bodies, but one man--Galileo. No parliament saved English liberties, but one man--Pyre. No assembly of theologians wrote the book which, next to the Bible, has had the most potent influence on the English language and on English hearts, but one man--Bunyan. No confederate nations rescued Scotland from her political and ecclesiastical enemies, but one man--Knox. And the same might be said of almost every great step since in the progress of the race. Doubtless these men found their coadjutors; but all through the ages God has put immense honour upon individuals. (J. Guest.)
