Romans 5:17 ties grace and righteousness together as the foundation for reigning in life — and both are obtained purely through the obedience of One Man. It is by the obedience of Christ on the cross, even unto death, that He secured this for us.
So let’s see how the blood-bought righteousness and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ enable us to reign in life through Him.
Romans 5:17 says: _“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
This verse reveals that reigning in life isn’t achieved through striving or personal effort. It is the result of two things believers receive: the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.
1. The Abundance of Grace
Grace is God’s overflowing, unmerited favor — more than enough to overcome the effects of sin, condemnation, and death. It covers every area of brokenness. Grace is the revelation of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. We are called to keep receiving it, because grace works in proportion to how much we embrace it. Whether it’s like a mustard seed or a mountain, its power manifests in our life to the degree we walk in it.
2. The Gift of Righteousness
Righteousness is not something we earn through behavior. It is a free gift imparted to our spirit the moment we are born again. In that instant, our status changes from sinner to righteous before God. It is complete and perfectly sufficient. We don’t become more righteous over time — we grow in the revelation and outworking of the righteousness we already possess in Christ.
3. The Result: Reigning in Life
To “reign in life” means to have victory over sin, death, sickness, and fear through Christ. It’s living from a position of sonship, not slavery. Grace empowers us, and righteousness gives us right standing before God so we can live without condemnation and walk in authority.
Means Grace and righteousness work together in a child of God at all time! Here the grace is the supply imparted by the Holy Spirit when we walk in the spirit; and the righteousness is the standing which is imputed in our spirit by the Holy Spirit, the moment we received Salvation. One gives us the power, the other gives us the legal right to walk in victory.
The key distinction is this: righteousness is a completed gift, fully given at salvation. Grace is continually received through the revelation of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. As our intimacy with Him grows, grace brings that righteousness into practical reality in our daily life.
In summary we don’t reign by trying harder, but by receiving more of what Christ has already provided. The more we receive the abundance of grace and the consciousness of our righteousness in Him, the more we will overcome and reign in life through Jesus Christ. When we reign in life, everything associated with life thrives, and everything associated with death is scattered.