Today we are looking at Romans 5:12-14.
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.”
In this text, there is a contrast between Adam and Christ. Adam introduced sin and death into the world; Christ brought righteousness and life. These two men sum up the message of the book up to this point. Adam stands for man’s condemnation; Christ stands for the believer’s justification.
Specifically in verse 12, the Bible talks about death. Physical death is the penalty for sin. It is also the symbol of spiritual death, man’s ultimate separation from God (because all have sinned). The context shows that Adam’s sin involved the rest of mankind in condemnation and death. We do not start life with even the possibility of living it without sin; we begin it with a sinful nature.
Verse 14 talks about a pattern. Adam, by his sin, brought universal ruin on the human race. In spite of this, he is the proto-type of Christ, who through a righteous act brought universal blessing. The analogy is one of contrast.
In conclusion, since all mankind is sinful, we need to pray and ask God to forgive our sin. For God is a jealous and loving God, wanting all people to repent and to be saved.
Points to Ponder: Did God want sin to enter into the world? What was the real nature of Adam’s sin? (Read Genesis 3)
Prayer Suggestsions: Pray to God for forgiveness of sins. Pray to God, thanking Him for dying for us on the cross.
Before you read on today, head on over and read Psalm 84.
Have you ever had “one of those days?” Well you are not alone. Being a Christian, we have an advantage over others. Even though our day just isn’t going right, we still have the assurance that God is with us. God never has, “one of those days,” I’m sure that it makes Him happy when we show Him how much we love Him.
Sometimes when I have a bad day, I feel as if God is not with me. I know that isn’t true, but it still is the way I feel. But, in the end everything works out, and that is when I praise Him. It is really sad if the only time I praise God is when He does something good in my eyes. I know that I am not alone and that we all should start to praise God more than we do. After all, “God does all things for the good of those who love Him.”
So from now on when things aren’t going right, thank God for all the things that have, and that are going to work out for good.
Verse 11 holds an incredible promise: “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” This is the kind of God we want to Praise.
Matthew 27:27-31 records the beating and humilation of Jesus moments before he was Crucified.
“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.”
Picture a king, in all his glory, wearing a gold crown with jewels all over it, a long purple satin robe with a purple overcoat, and a big gold ring with as diamond. He has a large castle with many servants to do his bidding. Think of all the gold and silver he owns. He has about ten thousand people shouting, “Hail the King.”
Now picture Jesus, with His crown of thorns, blood running down His face and His torn back from being beaten severely. He has a scepter in His hand which the guards beat Him with. He has no gold or silver, the only silver ever spent on Him was the thirty silver coins that Judas got when he betrayed Him. He has no castle, in Matthew 8:20, it is stated, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” He has crowds of people shouting “Crucify Him” and people spitting on Him and mocking Him. What a sad sight.
Don’t you think Jesus the most glorious King should deserve more respect than that? He didn’t. Even though He was glorious and perfect, He endured all of the humility for us. Would you have done the same thing? Jesus had no reason to go through all that, but He endured it all, for out salvation, out of love. Therefore, we should hold Jesus the most glorious king of all.
Points To Ponder: Would you have suffered what Jesus did for us? Why did Jesus do this for us?
Prayer Possibilities: Thank Jesus. Pray for forgiveness. Pray for the salvation of others.
I read this prayer a while back, and thought it might be of interest to you all. To pray like this takes some serious backbone, and refutes the idea that Christianity and religion are an easy way out. This could not have been easy to pray.
“When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We
have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and calit freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from everysin and set us free. Amen!”
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, “The Rest of the Story,” and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.”
I wish that we all would take a stand like this for God. If we did, the world would be changed within a week.
Everyone who claims the name of Christ has an inner struggle. It’s sort of like a Jekyll & Hyde complex. On one hand, once we’ve confessed our sin and asked forgiveness, we are alive in Christ - 2Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We’ve got the new man, Jekyll, born again and alive in Christ. We strive to obey God, follow Him, and become more like Jesus Christ.
On the other hand is our old nature. It dies hard, and always tries to trip us up. This is Hyde, and he’s always looking out for #1. When we refuse to admit that we’re wrong, are selfish and proud, this is the old man, Hyde trying to get us to disobey God. Paul put it best in Romans 7:15-17 - “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.”
We need to be strong, stand against our old nature and follow Christ. Don’t expect it to be easy. The closer we walk to God, the more the evil one tries to take us away from God. The last thing the devil wants us to do is follow Christ.
Reading On: Romans 7.
