Daily Devotional for Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Scripture: Romans 5:12-19 (CEB) So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came through sin, so death spread to all human beings with the result that all sinned. Although sin was in the world, since there was no Law, it wasn’t taken into account until the Law came. But death ruled from Adam until Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way Adam did—Adam was a type of the one who was coming. But the free gift of Christ isn’t like Adam’s failure. If many people died through what one person did wrong, God’s grace is multiplied even more for many people with the gift—of the one person Jesus Christ—that comes through grace. The gift isn’t like the consequences of one person’s sin. The judgment that came from one person’s sin led to punishment, but the free gift that came out of many failures led to the verdict of acquittal. If death ruled because of one person’s failure, those who receive the multiplied grace and the gift of righteousness will even more certainly rule in life through the one person Jesus Christ. So now the righteous requirements necessary for life are met for everyone through the righteous act of one person, just as judgment fell on everyone through the failure of one person. Many people were made righteous through the obedience of one person, just as many people were made sinners through the disobedience of one person. Reflection: In this part of a well crafted argument, the apostle Paul reminds us that God has done something incredibly unexpected and powerful in the work of Jesus Christ. There is an ancient prayer that praises God for defeating “death with death.” It’s an amazing turn of the tables. Through the spiritual death (and eventual physical death) of Adam, sin came into the world and became a part of human nature, corrupting the image of God in humans. However, it is through the death of Jesus Christ (and his eventual resurrection three days later) that God brings grace into the equation, and it is God’s grace that allows us to respond to God’s call to repentance. The season of Lent calls us to examine ourselves, to repent and turn to God. Our ability to do that is made possible only because God offers “grace upon grace” (John 1:16 - NRSV) through God the only Son, Jesus Christ. As you examine yourself and pray for the discernment of God’s Spirit, what ways do you see that you need to repent and turn to God? Prayer: Let your prayer today be about seeking guidance in what you need to give up (or take on) as part of your life of discipleship. What is holding you back in your relationship with God? What is it that you truly need to repent of?
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 14:56:17 +0000