New Life and Total Forgiveness

It is more characteristic for Paul to speak of justification than of forgiveness, and of sin in the singular than of sins in the plural (See Romans 5:12-21). Apparently here, Paul wanted to emphasize that God has not simply overcome the general power of sin, but has also eradicated the guilt that stems from particular acts by which sinners have violated his character. In verse 15, Paul described yet another way in which Christ showed himself superior to the tenets of the false teaching: our Lord conquered all evil powers.