Romans 5:19

Here the contrast is the issues involved in Adam’s act and Christ’s act. Adam disobeyed God, and Christ obeyed God. "Transgression" or "trespass" (cf. Romans 5:15-17) highlights the deliberate disobedience of Adam (Romans 5:19; cf. Genesis 2:17). Many will become righteous (Romans 5:19) both forensically (justified), as they believe, and finally (glorified). "The many" here, of course, means the justified. Obviously these verses do not mean that everyone will be justified. The obedience of Christ is a reference to His death as the ultimate act of obedience rather than to His life of obedience since it is His death that saves us.

"There is no more direct statement in Scripture concerning justification than we find in Romans 5:19 . . ." [Note: Newell, p. 178.]