Romans 5:18-21 New International Version
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 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.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where our sin has increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Today, we need to start in the beginning.
Paul is going to talk about Adam so we must remember what happened.
God gave Adam one command in Gen 2:17, “Do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for in the day you eat of it you will surely die.”
Then, in Chapter 3, what did he do?
He ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and verse 7 says that his eyes were opened and he knew that he was naked.
The knowledge of good and evil made him and his wife aware and ashamed of their current situation.
So they made clothes out of fig leaves.
Then, verse 8 says they hid themselves from the presence of God.
When God comes walking into the garden, he finds them and immediately God knows what they have done so he immediately strikes them dead?
No, that’s not what happened.
God clothes them with animal skins and then he removes them from the garden in verses 22-24.
Cherubim with flaming swords were placed outside, preventing them from entering the garden again.
They did not die physically on that day, but their relationship was severed because of their transgression.
They lost access to the tree of life, eventually leading to physical decay, death.
“Father, I am an athlete. I know I only have a few years; then I will be too old for playing this game. My body is hurt and aging, I can hardly admit it to myself. I come to church once a year at this service. So rub the ashes on. Rub them hard.”
During the coming season of Lent we’ll return to a years long tradition: with futility, confess again and again, sin is in our hearts and death is in our bones.
We make our home in the valley of the shadow of death.
We are decaying and we are dying.
Like the Israelites in exile, we lament: “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off” (Ezekiel 37:11).
We have no future.
Jesus Christ, the one greater than Adam, enters our “valley of dry bones” to get us out of the mess Adam got us into, undo what Adam did, succeed where Adam failed.
During these coming days of holy week, as our battles grows fierce, and fiercer still, pray we “fix our eyes on Jesus … who for the joy set before him [the joy of bringing us to glory], endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Let us be astonished!
SOMETHING TO PONDER?
When you study the characters of the Bible, especially the people God used in mighty ways, there is one thing most of them had in common.
On their journey, at some point, they failed miserably.
For most, their failures did not come before God called them or used them, but after.
Here are some examples:
-Abraham, the father of the faith, twice lied and called Sarah his sister, lost hope, slept with Hagar to attempt to bring forth a son to fulfill God’s promise.
-Jacob deceived his brother Esau out of his birthright. Lied to his blind father, Isaac and stole Esau’s rightful first born blessing, running away into slavery.
-At Meribah, Moses got angry with the Israelites and struck the rock a second time after God told him to speak to it, was denied his place in the promised land.
-Rahab was a prostitute who betrayed her people and hid the Israelite spies.
-David committed adultery with Bathsheba, conspired, murdered her husband.
-Peter publicly denied Jesus three times before looking directly into His eyes.
-Paul zealously killed Christians.
The names listed above are iconic in the halls of faith. (Hebrews 11)
We often stand amazed at what these people accomplished for God, often in the face of extreme challenges.
Yet, when we study deeper, we see they were simply imperfect people who were used by a perfect God to accomplish, fulfill, what he long desired for them to do.
My friends, that is exactly what grace is.
Grace that works despite…
If I were telling the story of heroes of the faith, I would probably leave the failing parts out.
After all, why do we need to tell that part of the story, anyway?
The reason God tells the story is that it gives generations of “you and me” hope.
God didn’t use these people because of who they were but despite of who they were in their time periods.
The stories of your life and mine are no different.
You have failed and made poor choices, and so have I, more than I can confess.
Yet what we discover is God doesn’t kick us aside because of the mistakes and past failures in our lives. If he did, none of us would be left standing or available for use. Instead, those places of our greatest failures can become the places of our greatest growth because we’ll experience the greatest amount of his grace.
There is no sin, mistake, or failure that is too great for God’s grace to cover.
If God can take a murderer (Moses) and turn him into the greatest apostle, then there is authentic hope for all of us.
God’s grace specializes in taking sinners and turning them into something they could never become on their own.
That is God’s love on display, his compassion on display, and his grace on display. Remember, it is not because of who you are but despite who you are.
Grace does not cancel but restores
We live in the age of cancel culture.
At least in baseball, you get three strikes before you are out, but today, you may only get one.
That is the culture of the world and, sadly, of some in the church as well.
That is not God’s character.
Romans tells us, where sin increases, grace increases even more.
This means that God’s grace is not intimidated by our sins or failures, but it is there to help you overcome it. (John 16:31-33, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
In fact, God’s grace exists to deal with the failures in our lives.
My friend, if you are wrestling with the things you have done, thinking God is done with you, rest assured, he is not.
His capacity to love is too great and his reservoirs of grace run too deep to leave us where you are.
I encourage all of you today to bring all your sins, failures, and mistakes to him and allow his boundless grace to heal you.
Regardless of what we have done, he is not here to cancel us but to restore us.
When we finally grasp that, then we will understand what His grace is all about.
Your daily Prayer
ABBA, Father,
I come before you, weighed down by the enormous burden of my past mistakes.
As much as I try, I can’t seem to let them go.
I have allowed them to define me for far too long and I cannot get past them.
Today, I pray for a fresh revelation of your grace that lets me know you have not forsaken me and you love me as just much today as you have from conception.
I pray you would allow your grace to heal those past failures and allow me to walk in the freedom that comes from your grace.
I repent and wait to receive your forgiveness and move forward knowing your grace is than sufficient for me, assured of continual service unto your kingdom .
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. You don’t stand in Christ in your own strength, but in the power of his grace.
2. Grace is a reminder that we were never worthy to begin with, so don’t think you have to try to be worthy now.
3. Rather than focusing on our inefficiencies, focus on His sufficiency of grace.
John 16:31-33 The Message
31-33 Jesus answered, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you’ll be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you’ll continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
23 1-3 God, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
makes me feel secure.
5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.
6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 