Romans 5:17

Death reigned. See on verse 14.

Much more. The contrast in this verse is between transgression and grace, death and life, the one Adam and the one Christ.

Receive. Righteousness is a gift of God, and whether it is imputed in justification, or imparted in sanctification, it is a gift to be received through the experience of faith in Jesus Christ. Only those who are willing to acknowledge their own helplessness and need, and in all humility and gratitude to accept righteousness as a gift, shall reign in life.

Shall reign. Having twice mentioned the reign of death, Paul now contrasts reigning in life. The Bible often describes the saints as reigning in the hereafter. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12; cf. Luke 22:30; Revelation 3:21; 20:6; 22:5). The plan of redemption restores all that has been lost by sin. When the earth is made new and becomes the eternal home of the saved, God’s original purpose in the creation of the world will have been fulfilled (see GC 674). Man’s lost dominion will have been regained (see PK 682). “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever” (Psalm 37:29).

In life by one. These words emphasize the position that Christ holds as the mediator in the work for man’s redemption. Through His death the believer is justified, and through union with Him from then onward the Christian receives that vitalizing and sanctifying power that transforms his present life and assures him of eternal life to come.