Romans 5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
 Romans 5 opens with these beautiful words. All who have the same faith that Abraham had in Romans  4 and have expressed that faith in Jesus Christ, they now have peace with God. The warfare has ended, we are no longer enemies of God, but have been adopted into His family. The wrath has been forever removed. Peace, Peace! The wall of darkness that barred our way into the presence of God has been removed by Jesus Christ and we have access into the very throne room of God Almighty, we have access by faith into the grace of God. That is the place of favor.

We have been reconciled to God the Father by Jesus Christ. Romans 5:12 and onward until the end of the chapter provides some light into the plan of God. It expresses that through Adam's sin, sin came into the world and death through sin. We all die because of sin. We live in a broken world, sin has ravaged it. Adam served as what theologians call the federal head of the human race, he was our representative and because he sinned we all sin. Please don't feel  that this is in some way wrong or that if you were in Adam's place you would have done different. God made Adam - don't you think that God made him to be the best representative we could have, yet he failed and we would have too, he had the capacity to sin and he seeking autonomy, sin against God. But God and His plan can not be thwarted by Adam';s sin or by your sin or mind, we will suffer the consequence of our sin, but God will provide. God provided Jesus Christ as the second Adam. As Adam, serving as our representative, Christ also served as our representative, where Adam sinned, Christ obeyed. When Satan attacked Adam, Satan won, when Satan attacked Christ Christ won. God gave us over to sin in Adam and God gives over His people to Christ's obedience and Christ's righteousness.

For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:17-19

One point not to miss here is the words much more (emphasis added) not only does Christ just cover our sin, our unrighteousness, our wickedness, our evil,  much more will we reign in life through Christ. Verse 20 states that where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Christ's righteousness far, far, surpasses our unrighteousness. Grace, oh that sweet grace, that grace that is given to us as a gift, not because we deserve it, we do not deserve it, we need only look at our past life and compare it with the holy standard of God and if we are truthfully about,  we all should admit that the only thing that we deserve is to spend eternity in hell. But the grace of God, the love of God, has gifted us with the gift of faith to have ears to hear the gospel and to have hearts that believe the gospel. Romans 5 ends with with this:

so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21

Adam brought us sin and death Christ brings us grace and eternal life, much more has Christ provided for us. If we are Christians we belong to Jesus Christ, God has sealed us as His own, and that requires obedience from us, God does not suggest that we obey Him, and serve Him, He commands it. We can see how much our old self still controls us when we look at how we handle the the commands of Almighty God.

Jesus said this So therefore any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33

The standard that God sets is a high, high standard, one that is impossible for us to reach unless God helps us, and He will and does help us, but God is looking at our hearts and our hearts need to change - our hearts can not be hostile to the things of God. Pray, and pray pleading for His help, if you are going to shed tears in your life, and their is much in this broken world that can bring tears to our hearts, but, in line with Luke 14:33 certainly crying out to God for Him to change our hearts is one and the most important. Only but reading His word can we know Him, only by meditating on His word can we know Him, only by spending time in prayer can our hearts be drawn from hardness to the warmth of His love. We need a glimpse of His Majesty, we need to see His love, His Grace, His Holiness, and we can see it in His word.
Eternal life is for those who obey, for obedience is the result of true saving faith. Without Holiness, no one will see God. The road of discipleship spoken of in Luke 14:33 leads to holiness, the road of sanctification is a road to holiness, we need for that to consume our hearts, to consume our thoughts. Romans presents the gospel in a clear way bringing us understanding about God's plan of salvation, and you will see that obedience is one of the key components. Paul talks about it in Romans 1 and Romans 16 and all through the book obedience, obedience, obedience. That's because having heard the gospel with ears and hearts gifted by God to hear and believe, the result of that is obedience, fighting for a holy life against your old self, the Devil, and the world, requires obedience.

Father, Your grace has saved us from your wrath. Christ's shed blood was the price to bring us back from the depths of Adam's sin. Father, we realize from your word, that you saved us not because of us, but because of your love. Help us Father, to press into the knowledge of You, help us, Father to desire new hearts, hearts that are eager to obey you. Thank you Father for being in absolute control of everything, Adam's sin did not have the last word, this fallen world does not have the last word. Your word is eternal,  Father and it has promised us a new heavens and a new earth, it has promised us eternal life with You, all because of the work of the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ..thank you Father, thank you... Amen