Text: Romans 5:18-21 (ESV)

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

WHERE SIN INCREASES, GRACE ABOUNDS

Condemnation of all comes through Adam while justification for all comes in Christ. Does this mean all are justified automatically in Christ? No. Christ’s abundant grace offered must be received by faith. In other words, salvation is conditioned by the decision of a sinner to trust Jesus.

His death at the cross was neither incidental nor coercive. The Father decided for it and even Jesus chose to give His life as a sacrifice. "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8).

Now, when the law of God is given, our trespasses increase. In what way? Our awareness of sin is highlighted by the law when we violate it. As Paul said, “for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”[Rom 3:20] This knowledge of sin does cause torment, does it not?

But, where sin abounds, the grace of God abounds as well. That is, there is no sin too big that God’s grace of cleansing and forgiveness couldn’t handle. As God has invited us, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”[Isa 1:18]

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Text: Romans 5:15-17 ESV

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

-Rom 5:15-17 ESV

THE FREE GIFT

A gift is always free, is it not? This redundancy is for emphasis' sake. Through Adam’s trespass, we all are corrupted by sin. Therefore, all will be condemned and die, as a consequence. In contrast, through Christ we receive the grace of His righteousness.

Adam is a type of Christ. But, in an opposite sense. The choice of Adam led us to condemnation. Whereas, the choice of Christ leads us to righteousness. Adam’s disobedience resulted in the doom of God’s judgment to humanity. Jesus’ obedience resulted in the salvation of humanity from God’s condemnation.

Righteousness is the gift of Christ. It is the action He took by dying in our place for our sins on the cross. This free gift brings salvation unto us from death, deliverance from the wrath of God, and shelter from the judgment of sin. Jesus is the only hope and light for the hopeless and darkened sinners.

All who trust in Christ do receive this gift, rather than to face death like Adam, who introduced sin into the world. Adam brought death and condemnation to all. In him, death reigned. On the other hand, Jesus brought justification to all by not sinning so that He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. In Christ, death has no more dominion.

No person is righteous [Rom 3:10,23] but Jesus’ death pays the penalty in order for us to be reconciled with God.[Rom 5:1] This life in Christ is only available through Him. And, this is only to those who "receive" the abundance of God's free gift.[John 1:12] But sadly, not all do receive Jesus. Thus, not everyone escapes death's reign.

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Text: Romans 5:12-14 ESV

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

-Rom 5:12-14 ESV

A DAY OF INFAMY

Sin came into the world through one man, Adam. As the first man, he was created from dust by God Himself (Gen 1:27). God breathed life into him. It was his privilege to place Him in the garden of Eden with one responsibility. As Moses has written, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:15–17).

Sadly, Adam, along with his wife, Eve did exactly what they were instructed not to. That very day, they fell and sin entered the world. It was a day of infamy. The "world," in this context, is specifically a reference to humanity. The relationship between human beings and God has been severed. Does ‘all death ’ include death of animals?

Paul must have pre-empted his readers who are thinking that sin began by breaking God’s law. Didn’t Paul say, “where there is no law there is no transgression”?[Rom 4:15b] Or, is sin not counted where there is no law given as yet? No, sin started at Adam’s fall. We don’t doubt that there is fire when we see smoke, do we? Similarly, Paul argued that there was a sin for Adam and all after him died.

Everyone is born with a sinful nature. People lie, steal, murder, commit adultery, and do what is morally wrong. Though the people after Adam until Moses, they’re in direct violation of God's written command, they still suffered the consequence of Adam's sin – death. All were born into it. They all died. In short, death reigned.

Adam sinned uniquely because as previously innocent and committed sin. We, on the other hand, are sinful by nature so we commit sin. Adam was a type of Christ in the beginning until he failed the test. He sinned. Jesus, as the second Adam, is sinless and remains to be so even when he is tempted like everyone else.[Heb 4:15]

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God’s Word for Today

30 Nov 2023

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

-Rom 5:9-12 ESV

JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD

The wrath of God is expressed against all sinners. It’s the logical response of the righteous and holy God towards convicted sinners as the sun melts the wax. God’s anger to punish the guilty is an inevitable verdict in the perfect court of God.

How then could we escape from the wrath of God?

The answer is plain yet not simplistic or frivolous. Christ shed His blood to justify us. In other words, His sacrifice by shedding His blood has appeased or satisfied God. As a note, in most pagan religions during Paul's time, there was a prevailing idea that man should offer various gifts or sacrifices to appease their ‘gods’. Otherwise, their gods will express outrage. This holds true today in many rural villages in the Philippines where superstitious beliefs are rampant.

In the Old Testament, God commanded the Jews to sacrifice animals at the temple for the forgiveness of their sins. But, the blood of the animals was to point later to the perfect sacrifice. Jesus, in God’s perfect time, Jesus, the sinless God-man was crucified at the cross. As Peter expressed, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”[1 Pet 2:24]

Aside from escaping from God’s wrath, we, as His enemies,  are now reconciled with Him. There is an irrevocable status that we have a relationship with God. We are saved from God’s wrath. And, He embraced us as His friends now. We have swung from one extreme to the other. How come that an enemy of God becomes an heir of God as His legitimate child? He did not only pick us up to cleanse us from our filth but He adopted us as His own – a people belonging to Him.

Doesn’t this truth excite you? As one who has hurt Him and His name in the past now has been embraced as one belonging to His family. He is not ashamed to call us His own. Why should we be ashamed of Him? He who has given His all for us should deserve our all as well. Hence, let’s love the Lord Jesus with all our hearts, mind, and soul. May we exclaim as John says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God.”[1 John 3:1]  

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God’s Word for Today

29 Nov 2023

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

-Rom 5:6-8 ESV

AN INDESCRIBABLE LOVE

Paul has zeroed in to Christ’s sacrificial death for us prompted by His love. He emphasized its immensity by dying for us when we are ‘weak and ungodly.’  This sacrifice was made while we were still weak, or "powerless," or "helpless". This comes from the original Greek word to imply something feeble or sickly. Moreover, we’re ungodly. This is to mean ‘filthy and worthless.” Yet, He sacrificed His life for us.

Hence, no strength in us could earn this salvation. It was entirely offered on the basis of God's grace, at the right time.

Paul reasons out a common-sense point here. Some people, perhaps, would be willing to give their lives for the sake of a good and righteous person. This is a rare possibility. A person would be hesitant to die for others he found morally lacking, would he not be?

And yet Jesus died for us. He sacrificed His perfect life for us,  the ungodly, weak, and filthy people. We deserve judgment for our sins, don’t we? (v.6). Why would God do such a thing? What good could He get from you and me? This is too good an act to be true. 

We couldn’t believe that Barrabas was freed instead of Jesus. Although, it was a political maneuvering of Pilate, but the spiritual implications of grace and love are apparent. 

How about the thief at the cross? Why did Jesus promise him to enter Paradise or heaven? On what basis? The only evident answer is ‘God loves sinners, like us’ although we could not explain it. Shouldn’t we be filled with wonder and awe? 

What does this mean for you and me today? 

If you’re not a believer as yet, don’t waste His offer of free salvation. Don’t despise His sacrifice. Humble yourself, repent of your sins, and trust Jesus wholeheartedly. When a sinner breathes his last without Jesus, he would be ushered to a hopeless end. On the contrary, the one who dies having Christ would have endless hope. 

If you’re a believer, be motivated by His love. Let’s be awed always by this unfathomable love. We love Him because He first loved us.[1 John 4:19] Let’s therefore serve Him with all that we’ve got as our act of worship.[Rom 12:1,2]    

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Text: Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

REJOICING IN SUFFERINGS

For an unbeliever, it is preposterous thought for someone to rejoice in his sufferings. Pain and joy couldn’t go together, could it be? The natural human reaction to sufferings is by complaining and murmurings. But, to rejoice? It is not in the list.

This is a paradoxical truth.

Does this mean that believers find pleasure in pain? That we should deny pain? Definitely not! This rejoicing is neither by escapism nor by denying pain. It’s not an emotional experience but a spiritual response based upon the word of God.

Suffering is inevitable in our fallen world. Thus, believers have to embrace it as a reality. But, God is greater than our pains. In fact, He makes pain to work for us and not against us. This knowledge or perspective of God’s process to make us better persons should make us glad. Sufferings produces endurance. A person who is carrying a load for sometime would be able to bear and endure it. He is becoming more resilient. And a resilient person is a man of strong character, isn’t it? He has tested and proven the grace and strength of God in his daily walk with God. Would he be pessimistic and full of negativity during adversities? He becomes hopeful even during adverse conditions of life.

What is his source of strength?

It’s the love of God ‘poured into their hearts’ through the indwelling Spirit of God. This love makes us secure that no matter what His love doesn’t wane aor change. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. [Rom 8:39] Yes, only a heart immersed by the love of God in Christ could respond

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Text: Romans 5:1-2 (ESV)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

PEACE WITH GOD

The believers in Christ are declared righteous. As a result, they are at peace with God, that is, reconciled with God. This means the wall has been broken and man is reconnected with God. This is by virtue of the righteousness of Christ clothed upon us. [2 Cor 5:21]

This truth should set us free from fear. The wrath of God is as Damocles’ sword haunting every sinner. As Jesus said, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”[John 3:18] But the condemnation is gone. [Rom 8:1]

Furthermore, through faith we also has access to His grace, in which we stand. The grace is pictured as a foundation of our security. He who saves us by grace will keep us by His grace. We always falter but God remains faithful. [2 Tim 2:13]

Our attitude of rejoicing in hope of His glory should be a result also of the reconciliation we have with Christ. The days ahead is uncertain. But, having the assurance of God’s peace and grace should be the cause of rejoicing. Someday, Jesus is coming again and would take every believer into His glory.

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Text: Romans 4:16-25 ESV

16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.

20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,

24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,

25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

-Rom 4:16-25 ESV

THE PROMISE RESTS ON GRACE

The promise of God to Abraham wasn’t only given to the adherent of the law but to everyone who shares the faith of Abraham. He is the father of all believers. Now, as evidence of this truth, Paul quotes what God said to Abraham in Gen 17:5, "I have made you the father of many nations." Clearly, these nations include all people coming from diverse background and ethnicities, whose faith is in God.

This promise of righteousness rests on God through His grace alone. For Paul has further argued, “in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” [v.17b,18]

Abraham and Sarah were considered as dead to procreate even at their ages of 100 and 90, respectively. Yet, God has promised Abraham a son in his old age and he will become a father of many nations. But, God is the giver of life to the dead as Christ was resurrected from the grave. This is all because of God’s power alone.

And the key to the fulfilment of this promise is Abraham’s faith. As Paul said, “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.”[v.18,19]

Abraham did not waver. As Paul described his faith, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.[v.20,21]

As a result, God counted his faith as righteousness. Similarly, all of us who believe in Jesus are counted as righteous. What an indescribable grace. As Paul affirms, “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” [v.24,25]

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Text: Romans 4:13-15 ESV

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

-Rom 4:13-15 ESV

THE LAW MAKES US AWARE TO OUR SINS

God told Abraham that he and his descendants would be heirs of the world, centuries before giving the law to Moses. It was initiated by God. He commanded and promised Abraham while he was an idolator as yet in Ur of Chaldees. God instructed him to "go" from his country into another land. And God promised to make him a great nation, to bless him, to make his name great, to bless those who blessed him and curse those who dishonored him, and to bless all of the families of the earth through Abraham (Gen 12:1–3). Did Abraham believe all these promises from God? Apparently, he did. For Abraham went" (Genesis 12:4). Paul's point is that because of the faith of Abraham, God made him righteous.

The inheritance is through the promise alone. If only the adherents to the law [those who obey the law], faith serves no purpose. As Paul said in Gal 2:21., “ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” It is a gift because nobody can keep the law. [Rom 3:10,23] Nobody can perfectly keep the law no matter how hard he tries.

Thus, it follows that the law brings wrath. Where there is the law, there is an awareness of sin. The sign ‘No stepping on the grass’ makes one who steps on the grass guilty. Should there be no sign, there is no accusing of any sin or violation. This is the use of the law.

By facing ourselves in the mirror, we become conscious of our countenance.

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God’s Word for Today

23 Nov 2023

9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

-Rom 4:9-12 ESV

FAITH COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS

The blessing of righteousness obtained by faith is for both the circumcised [Jews] and the uncircumcised[Gentiles] alike, is it not? As a note, Paul’s Jewish readers have always thought that circumcision makes one righteous for Abraham was circumcised. They got it wrong.

How did Abraham obtain his righteous standing before God? It is by faith alone apart from works, which include circumcision. Thus Paul asked, “Was it before or after he had been circumcised? Paul answered his own question saying, “It was not after, but before he was circumcised.”[v.10]. In other words, Abraham was an uncircumcised Gentile when he was declared righteous by faith.

What is the purpose of his circumcision then?  Paul said, “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised so that righteousness would be counted to them as well.”[v.11] Circumcision does not make one righteous but it serves as a mark that one is already declared righteous. 

Abraham, hence, became the father of faith to all who believe  ‘without circumcision’. This means that circumcision is ruled out as a requirement for the uncircumcised. On the other hand, to the Jews [circumcised], Abraham could only be their father if they ‘walk in his footsteps of faith’ before he was circumcised. This means, their faith will be counted as righteousness and sealed with circumcision. Circumcision without a preceding faith is just a wound at the foreskin, having no spiritual significance at all.

Today, some would believe that they are Christian for they are born and are baptized in a Christian family. The rites of water baptism are nothing but just like bathing without the reality of genuine belief in the gospel. Like circumcision, water baptism is a seal of righteousness that is received by faith in Christ. In other words, it’s a picture of the reality of who we are in Christ.

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