17 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.
Adam was the representative or federal head of the human race. When he sinned he lost his position to be God's ruler over creation. Consequently sin and death ruled. Adam is the representative of a culture destined to die. We are all born into that relationship. Christ came, in one sense, to become the new and last Adam. He represents a new society that one must be "born-again" into.
For those who surrender their lives to Jesus Christ they become recipients of much grace. They receive a gift of righteousness. They are considered right before Almighty God. Paul then notes that in this new relationship they are destined to "reign in life through ... Jesus."
The New Living Translation helps us understand what that means. This translation reads, ". . . for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17, NLT). Paul picks up this theme in the next chapter where we read: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14, ESV).
God's grace doesn't turn a blind eye to sin, nor does it dismiss its implications. God's grace is the enabling power to rule over sin -- in the now and the today. We "reign in this life." For a Christian to say that because of God's grace, he or she can sin even more is a serious misunderstanding of grace. In Paul's view, Grace rules -- rules over sin. “so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Romans 5:21–6:1, ESV).
Of course the answer to Paul's question is a resounding "No!"
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