Faithfully Yours Forever

Predictably, people were unable to successfully live up to the standards set in the Ten Commandments… and neither are we.  They [and we] needed someone to step in and accept responsibility for the mistakes that were made.  They [we] simply were not able.  Well, God’s amazing grace prevailed.  Christ stepped in, assumed responsibility, we were justified, and our relationship to God was restored. AMEN!

Verses: Romans 5:18-19 (NIV)
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Verses: Romans 5:20-21 (NIV)
The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 

Today’s portion of Scripture reminds us that Adam [and Eve] had but one responsibility; to be obedient to God.  He [they], however, chose to be disobedient and went against God’s plan for living life.  There were some obvious consequences for humanity because of this disobedience.  To clarify expectations, God delivered the law, the Ten Commandments, to Moses.  The standard had been set.  But, is there anyone out there who thinks mankind would be any better at following ten rules over the initial one that was made that we refused to keep?  I suspect there is much more to this story.

Verses: Romans 5:12-13 (NIV)
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.

Think about it.  Today’s verse may make you wonder if you would be willing to die for someone or not.  For most of us, it is not an easy answer.  We probably have lots of if this, if that, under certain conditions; all questions that we would want answered before a decision would be made.  Even if we think we would be willing to die for someone, would we would really be able to do such a thing?  Hopefully we will never have to find out.  However, thankfully, Jesus was not only willing and able to do that for us, He did it.  Such a love, may we all know.  I am assuming He must have felt that what was at stake, our eternal life in relationship with God, was worth the sacrifice?  May we show our gratitude by continuing to follow Jesus.

Verses: Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Verses: Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

So much of life can be a struggle or involve suffering.  You may have heard the extreme expression, “what doesn’t kill us will strengthen us.”  In a similar way, our suffering can grow our faith in God.  May we, through faith, experience God’s mercy and grace – receiving His peace amid the storms of life.