Audio commentary on this verse

Note 9 at Rom. 5:21: The sin that is being spoken of here is not the individual acts of sin that we commit, but rather the propensity for sin itself. The American Heritage dictionary defines propensity as "an innate inclination; tendency; bent." It is this inherited inclination to sin that Paul is speaking of.

The word "sin" is used 45 times in the book of Romans (Rom. 3:9, 20; 4:8; 5:12, 13, 20, 21; 6:1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23; 7:7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 20, 23, 25; 8:2, 3, 10; 14:23). The plural "sins" is used four times (Rom. 3:25; 4:7; 7:5; 11:2.

Of this total of 49 times that "sin" or "sins" is used in Romans, these two English words come from three Greek words. One of these Greek words "hamartema" is only used once in Romans 3:25 and only three other times in all the New Testament (Mk. 3:28; 4:12; 1 Cor. 6:18). Of the remaining 48 times, the Greek word "hamartia" was used 47 times and "hamartano" just once (Rom. 6:15).

This is very significant because the Greek word "hamartia" is a noun while "hamartano" is a verb. A noun denotes a person, place, or thing while verbs describe the action of nouns. Therefore, in all but one instance in the book of Romans, the words "sin" or "sins" describe man's tendency towards sin and not the individual acts of sins themselves. If you think of the word sin in these chapters as denoting the act of sin, you will miss what Paul is saying.

The believer's fight is not against individual acts of sin but against the inner tendency to sin. If the propensity to sin can be broken, then the actions of sin will cease. Our individual acts of sin are only an expression or indication of how well we are doing in our war against this condition of the heart that causes us to sin.

Romans 5:12 says that this propensity to sin (or what many call the sin nature) entered the world through Adam. It is this sin nature that caused us to sin, not our individual acts of sin that gave us a sin nature (see note 17 at Jn. 8:44, p. 293 and note at Rom. 7:9).

At salvation, our old man (Rom. 6:6) or sin nature died but the tendency to sin remained through the thoughts and emotions that the old man left behind. The Christian doesn't have a sin nature any longer that compels him to sin but is simply dealing with the renewing of his mind.

Note 10 at Rom. 5:21: Sin (see note 9 at Rom. 5:21, p. 775) ruled like a king (see ref. o at v. 17, p. 773) through condemnation (v. 16) to bring death upon everyone. Condemnation is like the general of sin that enforced its power. Likewise, now God's grace rules like a king through righteousness to bring all who are in Christ into eternal life. Righteousness is the general of grace who defends us against all the wiles of the devil.

Sin would ultimately bring death to every individual whether they were condemned or not (Rom. 6:23). But to those individuals who are guilt ridden and condemned over their sins, sin has a particularly devastating effect. Likewise, those who put faith in Christ will ultimately experience God's eternal life. But those who understand righteousness as a gift to be received and not a wage to be earned are the ones who reign as kings in this life over sin and all its effects.

Remove guilt or condemnation and sin loses its strength to rule (1 Cor. 15:56). Remove the knowledge of righteousness by faith and grace loses its power to release eternal life in our daily lives.