After Paul has spent time reminding God's people of both their current standing and future hope in Christ, he now retells the tragic story of one person in the beginning. Through this one man, Adam, sin burst onto the scene and death was now in charge. But Paul has a purpose behind recounting this – he wants to draw us in to the story of another man whose one great act would surpass that of the one man's sin. Sin and death may have been unleashed through Adam, but "how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!"

The last couple of weeks we’ve looked at the new family that God is forming, one that goes all the way back to Abraham. But Paul clarified what that family is truly made of - all people who are declared in the right because they have put their faith in the One who raised Jesus from the dead. We now turn to Romans 5 to consider Paul’s words on what this all means for us, both now and in the future.

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;

blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."

We humans all have one thing in common: we are confined under the power of sin.

But God!

When we were powerless...JESUS!

When we needed redemption...JESUS!

When we were on the outside looking in...JESUS!

When we were owned, manipulated, and controlled by our sin...

JESUS.

Artwork-

Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn), (1653) Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves: The Three Crosses [Drypoint printed on vellum].

Artwork-

Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn), (1653) Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves: The Three Crosses [Drypoint printed on vellum].

We humans all have one thing in common: we are confined under the power of sin.

But God!

When we were powerless...JESUS!

When we needed redemption...JESUS!

When we were on the outside looking in...JESUS!

When we were owned, manipulated, and controlled by our sin...

JESUS.