TOPIC:‌“The Royalty of a Reigning Life”

                 by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌Romans 5:15-21

 

‌‌“They which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign

in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17)

 

‌The word “reign” is used approximately four hundred and fifty times in the Word of God. Most of the time it is a sign of royalty, kingly sovereignty and victory. In the chapter before us the Apostle Paul makes use of four terms to describe how the word “reign” is used - the reign of sin, the reign of death, the reign of grace, and reigning in life. In verse 21 he speaks of the reign of SIN - “sin has reigned.” Sin's corruption brought about the moral ruin of the whole race as it spread from Adam to every son and daughter of Adam. As the Apostle has declared in verse 23 of Romans 3: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

 

‌And with the reign of sin came the reign of DEATH as Paul writes in verse 14: “death reigned.” The world-wide terror of death is described by Paul this way: “so death passed upon all men” (v. 12). Again in verse 17: "death reigned." Adam's sin spread death throughout all the world. In verse 21 we have Paul's answer to the reign of sin and death. It is the reign of GRACE - “even so might grace reign.” And that brings me to our text: “they (that's us)...shall reign in life” (v. 17). This is the reign of the CHRISTIAN. And it is the royalty of this reign that I now want us to think about in this message.

 

I.

 

‌Consider, to begin with, that the reigning life is a PRESENT PRIVILEGE. Give attention to Paul's words in our text: “they…shall reign in life” (v. 17). Phillips makes it read: “men…should live all their lives like kings." Hear those words again: "men...should live all their lives like kings." Have you ever thought of how kings live? They live the best of lives.

 

‌In many eastern countries the king was once considered to be the representative of a god or a divine family as he held a preeminent position. These supreme rulers lived wealthy lives. While preaching in Germany a number of years ago, Eleanor and I had the wonderful privilege of visiting some of the magnificent castles of its emperors and kings. These massive, fortified set of buildings were fully furnished with the very best that life offered at that time. Not in that material sense like so much of the world today, but in a much higher spiritual sense, we should be living our lives like kings.

 

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