October 26, 2011
Fruits of Righteousness
Romans 5:1-21
I We Can Rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God: 5:1-2
II We Can Rejoice in Sufferings: 5:3-10
III We Can Rejoice in God, Our Father: 5: 11-21
Rembrandt was one of the most famous artists in post-Reformation Europe. He was raised in Holland, in a devout, Reformed Protestant, home. And by the time he was 25, his portraits were among the most popular of the day. He painted secular subjects, as well biblical ones, just like all of his contemporaries did-----but his art, gradually, over time, became separated from other Protestant and Catholic painters, because they portrayed biblical and spiritual scenes from an unrealistic and mythological perspective-------while he painted the exact same scenes, like they were happening to somebody that he knew.
Rembrandt's deep theological understanding, of the helplessness, of man, before a holy God, pushed him, to paint, realistically. His own wife and son, as well as street people and beggars became models, for his biblically-themed paintings.
He even painted himself into many of his works. He was one of the enemies of the Lord, in his painting of "The Raising of the Cross. You can see his face, as one of the soldiers, lifting the cross up------ Historians believe that Rembrandt must have understood, that his sin, made him guilty, of helping to crucify, his own Savior, or he wouldn't have been able to paint himself into the scene.
Toward the end of his career, he was confronted, even more, with his own sinfulness.When his wealthy wife died------he was threatened by her Will-----that he would lose her estate, if he remarried------so, instead, he took his housekeeper, to be his common-law wife, and even had a child with her. His immoral actions brought him into conflict with the Reformed Protestant Church, in Amsterdam, and also, he eventually found himself in a terrible financial situation, which resulted in bankruptcy. But his paintings, have been evidence through the years, that he understood his sin and how far it separated him from God, and that he knew what Jesus had done for him on the cross and what he had been spared.
When Rembrandt painted one of his last great works in 1662, "Return of the Prodigal Son", he painted his own confession of faith, to God the Father, in painting himself, as the prodigal son, kneeling at the feet, of his earthly father, resting his head, under the father's hand. He was illustrating Roman's 5:8, "God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
We don't all have this skill, that Rembrandt did, to put paint on a canvas, and have it become a work of art------but God does, and our lives are His canvas, and He paints his message, of love and grace and peace and salvation and reconciliation, on our hearts, for all the world to see and His works will last for all eternity.
Paul understood what Rembrandt understood and what, hopefully we understand-----that in our own strength, we will never be able to achieve peace and reconciliation with God, and forgiveness for our sins-----but, when we put our trust in God, He gives us those blessings and so much more!
Last week, we learned, that Abraham's life, illustrated the truth, that faith sometimes requires our participation----like waiting and trusting God, to keep His promises---even if they seem impossible. And we learned, that a faith, like Abraham's, never requires blind trust, it requires us to trust, with our eyes wide open.
In this week's lesson, Paul wants us to understand, that if we will just trust the faith, that God has given us, then He truly will help us, to experience a different kind of life, than the rest of the world. Paul doesn't promise that it will be easy, but he does promise, that it will be a life full of: peace , joyful hope, spiritual growth, a deep realization of God's love and a daily reconciliation with Him.
Paul introduces some difficult concepts in this passage. He demonstrates the truth of the Gospel, in ways, that are designed to stretch our thinking. Every commentary that I studied cautioned that verses 12-21, have been debated by theologians, down through the centuries, as the most difficult passage in scripture, to explain. I loved what John MacArthur said though--------"on one hand, as far as complete human comprehension is concerned, the truths of this passage are beyond reach. But on the other hand, the truths themselves, are wonderfully simple and clear, when accepted in humble faith as God's Word. Just as its possible to accept and live, in accordance with the law of gravity, without fully understanding it, so its possible for believers to accept and live according to God's truth, without fully understanding it.-------so, it isn't, that God's truths are unexplainable, it's that the explanations for many of them, are hard to understand and hard to put into words. Our responsibility, is to accept in faith, both what is clear and what is not, what is comprehensible and what remains a mystery."
In order for us to understand and embrace the truth of this------we have to keep in mind, the 2-sided reality of the Christian life. *******On one hand, we are complete in the Lord Jesus, our acceptance by Him, is secure forever, we can never be snatched out of His hand-------- and on the other hand, we may be saved by His grace, but we are still rehabilitated sinners, who have to grow to become more and more like Him, every day, as we walk through every heartbreak and every joy, that this life offers us. ******On one hand we have the status of being a child of the King; and on the other one, we have the duties of slaves. *****On one hand, we can feel the presence of the Lord, and on the other one, we feel the pressure of sin. *****On one hand, we enjoy the peace, that comes, from being made right with God and on the other hand, we still face the daily problems of a sin-sick world.-------If we can just remember the 2 sides, of the Christian life, it will help keep us, from getting discouraged when we face temptations and trouble. We can learn, instead, to depend on the power that's available to us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in, our hearts. That's Paul's greatest desire, for his readers. And the word "rejoice" is key, to our walking successfully and victoriously, through the 2-sided reality of our lives, as Christians.
I. We Can Rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God: 5:1-2
If we really understand what it means to be Christians, we can rejoice even in the middle of suffering. I'm not talking about people who suffer from clinical depression or bipolar disorder or other medical conditions, that cause depression, because it isn't sinful to or unspiritual to be afflicted with a real, health disorder. I'm talking about most of us, who are quite capable of rejoicing, because of and in spite of, our circumstances. We need to learn how to choose to focus on, our hope in the Lord Jesus, rather than on our disappointments, or our self-pity, or our frustration, or our hurt feelings, or our loneliness, or our weariness, or our fears.
Salvation was designed by God, to create and produce a spirit in us, that can't help but rejoice. Christian joy is not artificial happiness. It doesn't mean putting on a plastic smile and pretending that everything is wonderful when it isn't. It doesn't mean that we shout, "O happy day! We're gonna be bankrupt! or Hallelujah! I've got cancer! Joy is made up of both happiness and sorrow-----joy is being convinced, as it says in Romans 8:38, " that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that we find in Christ Jesus, our Lord." Rejoicing is a deep sense of security in God, even when the circumstances of our lives are crumbling. (Sandra Martin, told us a story, in leaders meeting, last week, that I want to share with you. Her daughter Melanie's husband, passed away about a month ago, at the age of 54, after a relatively short fight with melanoma----It has been a heartbreakingly, painful loss for all them, as you can imagine. Last week, Sandra and her husband, Bill, stopped by, to check on Melanie and which of the 4 children, just might happen to be, at home------when they walked up to the door, they were startled by the praise music, that was turned up so loud, that nobody inside the house, could hear their attempt to ring the doorbell. So they walked on in, and they found Melanie and one of her girls singing and dancing with unabashed joy. Sandra said, that Melanie's explanation was, that heaven was going to be a wonderful place! You can see, that Melanie's joy, certainly doesn't come from her circumstances, they're too hard------her joy comes, from knowing that nothing can separate her from the love of God, which she he has in Christ Jesus.)
There are 3 reasons for us to rejoice, in the hope of the glory of God:
*Our first and most immediate cause for rejoicing, is that we've been justified through God's free gift of faith, which brings us peace with God. All the conflict between ourselves and God is over. We lose our fear of His wrath, but not our awe of His glory. (I remember when I was 14 years old-------I couldn't go to sleep, every night, for a period of time, because I was scared that the world would come to an end and where would I be----I had asked Jesus into my heart when I was 7 years old, but I had never made a public profession, of my decision-----I was afraid, that that meant, that I wasn't really saved----- but I was also, too scared and too embarrassed to ask anybody, about it. I didn't want people to know that I hadn't claimed the Lord as my Savior, publicly, and that I hadn't been baptized. I will never forget the joy and the freedom and peace, that flooded my soul, when I finally walked the aisle, to the altar.) I lost my fear of God but not my awe of His glorious presence in my life and the peace that He gives, that is beyond, all human understanding.
*Our next cause for rejoicing, that Paul says we have, is that we have access, to a constant supply of grace, from the God, of all grace, which enables us to stand, in the midst of pressures and problems and trials.
(The book of Esther, beautifully illustrates this: Esther was a lovely, Jewish woman, being held captive, in the land of Persia. The king of Persia was smitten with her and he made her his queen. After that, a plot was hatched, by the wicked prime minister, to destroy all the Jews in the land. The king was manipulated into signing a death decree, against the Jews.
Queen Esther's godly uncle Mordecai, urged her to go to the king and tell him that the decree was wrong and would destroy her people. Esther knew that this could easily get her killed. it was the law of Persia that no one could come before the king, without being summoned by him----- not even the queen. Esther had only one hope of surviving------and that was for the king to extend his golden scepter toward her when she entered the throne room. If he didn't, she would be executed----- but she knew that if she didn't try, her people would be destroyed, for sure.
So, Queen Esther fasted for 3 days and nights, to prepare herself spiritually. Then she dressed herself in robes of beauty and glory. When she was ready, she went to the throne- room of the king, and appeared alone, before him. The king was shocked at her bold, death-defying entrance. But, thankfully, for her, as he looked at his beautiful queen----he loved her---- and so, he stretched out his scepter and----- with that, she was granted complete access into His presence.)
This is a picture of us, standing before the God, of all the earth; the all-powerful and glorious king of the universe. None of us could dare approach Him, without being granted access and standing. God's amazing promise to us, is that now that we are justified by faith, we have access to His presence, without limit. We don't have to be afraid of Him. He extends his golden scepter of love and mercy toward us.
*Our 3rd cause for rejoicing, in the hope of the glory of God, is the hope that we have in our future resurrection. The hope, that we have, in the promises of the Lord, is not a wishful possibility; it is a well-founded certainty of something, that isn't yet visible. Jesus promised us in John 14:19, "Because I live, you will also live." That is the certain hope of everyone who has been justified through faith. We can't see the resurrection yet, but we can have a sure and certain hope of it, because we have God's Word, promising it.
(I read a story about a man who lived in the midwest who looked out his window of his farmhouse, one day. It was the dead of winter,and he saw, across the snowdrifts that buried his front yard, the mailman, placing something in his mailbox. Eager for a letter to lift his weather-weary spirits, he hurried out to the mailbox. But the only thing there, was a seed-catalog. He was totally disappointed! He went back inside and was about to toss the catalog in the trash, when on a whim, he sat down and started thumbing through it. On page after page, he saw the brilliant colors of flowers and vegetables. He could almost taste the cool crunch of a cucumber and smell the perfume of the flowers. He could practically feel the sweet-tangy juice, of a ripe red tomato, on his tongue. For just a few minutes, in the dead of winter, the colors and tastes and fragrances of springtime, came alive in his heart.)
That's what our Christian hope is. In this world, life can be like a cold, snowy winter, but we can know that a brilliant and wonderful glory waits for us, beyond this life---------if we look beyond our circumstances, and focus on rejoicing, in what we know to be true, about God, and the future He's prepared for us.
II. We Can Rejoice in Sufferings: 5:3-10
Suffering is something that all Christians experience, in one way or another. And one of the major blessings of being a believer, is that the Holy Spirit, in our hearts, gives us the ability to rejoice in the middle of our suffering. Non-believers don't understand this, and oftentimes, the way a believer weathers difficult times, will become a wonderful witness, to everybody around them.
When we are saved, we can rejoice that our sins are covered, and that we are justified through faith, and that we have the certain hope, of an eternal home with the Lord-------but the rejoicing in suffering, that Paul is talking about here, is different-----it's one of the mysteries of God.-------That He can impart to us a supernatural peace, that defies any circumstance, is remarkable and is beyond our human comprehension The more we trust the Lord, when we walk through trouble, and rejoice in Him, and not in the circumstances, the deeper our relationship with Him will grow, and the more He will mature us spiritually------ and then He can use us more fully, in serving and ministering to others. Sometimes, our hardest suffering becomes the greatest encouragement, to someone else.
To say that a person is rejoicing in their suffering, doesn't mean that they are being stoic---it is not a "grin and bear it" attitude. It's not a spiritual contest, to see which one if us, can weather the worst trouble, and be the winner, and then be recognized as a spiritual superstar. Its not masochism----the Lord doesn't expect us to enjoy our pain----Paul isn't telling us that we should be glad when tragedy strikes. And rejoicing in suffering is not an act-------God doesn't expect us to pretend that were happy, in times of suffering------He doesn't want us to be phony or dishonest------when we suffer, its ok to say, "this is hard, it hurts and I wish it would stop!"
But Paul, wants his readers to understand, that even though we don't have to be stoics and we're certainly not supposed to be masochists and even though, we can be honest about the pain that we're going through, it is still possible, for us to experience, genuine rejoicing. We can honestly tell the people around us, "I am suffering and I hate to suffer-----but even through this pain, I'm experiencing the joyful presence, of our loving God, in a way that I never have before------I have peace and joy, in spite of my circumstances."
But, one thing that we need to remember, is that we shouldn't feel bad or disappointed, if we don't immediately feel like rejoicing, when we get hard news-------when suffering strikes, it's normal to cry out in pain and bewilderment and even anger. We have to give ourselves time to adjust, to the experience that we're going through, and to reflect on it, and then as the Lord's peace gradually floods our souls, it will enable us, to listen to the truths and learn the lessons, that He wants to teach us, though our painful experience. That's the reason why sufferings are a good thing, in the life of a believer, and why we need to rejoice in them------the truth is---it's because they produce visible fruit, of God's righteousness, in our lives.
Suffering produces perseverance and perseverance produces character and character produces hope--and that hope helps us to realize, that suffering is not the result of God's anger toward us, but it's the result of His love for us.
Perseverance----in the Greek, the word literally means, "to remain firm under pressure." Pressure is something we want to get our from under-------we don't like it------we call it stress------but suffering teaches us, to stand firm, under that pressure. Another way it can be described is steadiness-------God uses our trials and troubles to make us more mature and stable and steady, under pressure. Suffering steadies us and teaches us how not to panic. Perseverance, is developed through a process---------We go through a storm and we panic. Then the Lord calms the storm and we think, "I'm glad that's over! I've learned my lesson!" Time passes------and then suddenly, another storm comes! But this time we don't panic, as badly as we did the first time. We respond with greater steadiness and stronger faith. We discover, that we're not as strong as we thought we were, but that we're stronger than we used to be. This means that we've grown------and with each new storm, we learn and grow just a little more, than the time before----- our faith has become a little more resilient. Eventually, we find that we're able to handle challenges, that we never imagined, that we ever possibly could. That's how suffering produces perseverance.
Character: In the Greek, the word for character, means "to be put to the test and approved." Perseverance under pressure, produces proven, reliable character qualities. When Paul wrote about rejoicing in sufferings, he was speaking from experience, he was a tested veteran. He had been through unbelievably, difficult experiences, to the point where numerous times, he had given up hope, of even surviving, but God brought him safely through each storm, every time. Paul wasn't naive enough to think, that there weren't other ones, ahead of him-------but he never stopped trusting that God would always deliver him, one way or the other-----either to walk another day on the earth, or to take him home to heaven. Perseverance had produced character and faith in Paul's life-------and it will do the same thing for us.
Hope: Paul says that character produces hope and "that hope doesn't disappoint us"----we have the hope of a glorious future, with the Lord, beyond this life, but more than that, we have the hope, that we can share the character and the glory of God, right now! and we have the hope, that God is producing a Christlike character, within our hearts, right this very minute.
Remember, for a Christian, hope is not a wish or a possibility-----its a certainty. Hope doesn't say that we might be changed and made more Christlike------it says that we are being changed, to become more like Jesus! Through our sufferings, God is doing the work He promised to do. He is growing us in Christlike love, maturity and patience.
(Vance Havner, in his book, It Is Toward Evening, tells the story about a small town, that made its living, entirely, from growing cotton. It was not a great living, but it was a living. Calamity struck, when the boll weevil, invaded the community and threatened to ruin everyone. As it turns out, the farmers were forced to switch to peanuts and other crops which eventually brought them a greater return, than they would have made with cotton. Ultimately, that which had seemed a disaster, became the basis for undreamed-of prosperity. To register their appreciation, they erected a monument----to the boll weevil. To this very day, in that little Southern town, that monument still stands.) We all have boll weevil experiences-----financial reversals, professional failures, relational disappointments, physiological or physical hurts and illnesses-------but those trials and storms, turn out to be blessings in disguise, because they can bump us out of our old ways, and force us to find a new way to live. A way that is pleasing to God, because it makes us more like Jesus.
Unfortunately, not all Christians who suffer, become, increasingly, more steady and reliable and confident in the Lord, in their suffering------tragically, there are many, who become, steadily, more bitter, resentful and angry---- some, even reach the point, of denying their faith.
What makes the difference between a Christian whose faith withers under suffering and the one whose faith grows through suffering? The difference, is in the way that we view God and His love. The simple truth is----if we see suffering, as evidence of God's love, we will rejoice in it, and if we see suffering, as evidence of God's wrath, we will become embittered and angry because of it.
In order to be able to rejoice in our suffering, we have to allow the Holy Spirit, to fill our hearts with the love of God----and when that happens, it is an experience, that is so rich and radiant and glorious, that we can't help but rejoice. We all associate love, with times of blessing and warmth and ease--------but when we suffer, way too often, we tend, to feel broken and empty and forgotten. So, when we are caught in a storm, we need to consciously make the choice, to go back to the place, where we know, that we first felt God's love for us-------and that place is at the cross----because it's there, that He proved to us, that God loves us, even though we're worthless and sin-ridden. It's at the cross, that we can clearly see ourselves and our sinfulness; and it's at the cross, that we can clearly see, God's amazing love for us------because, it was while we were broken and sinful---that Jesus died for you and me. (I told you that when I was 14, I couldn't sleep at night, because afraid that I wasn't saved and I told you, that I was scared to talk to anybody about it. Well, right before I turned 15, I moved in with my grandparents, because my daddy and my stepmother moved away from our hometown, and didn't want to uproot me-------they wanted me to finish high school, where my brother and sisters had.
Not long after I moved in with them, Billy Graham held a one-night, Youth Crusade, in our town, and our whole youth group was going. I will never forget, coming into the house from school, that afternoon----hurrying to change clothes, so that I wouldn't be late for my friend's parents, who were picking me up. My grandaddy was sitting in a chair by the window, when I came in, and he directed my attention, to a framed scripture passage, that was hanging on the wall------one that had been there, as long as I could remember, but one that I had never paid attention to, and it said, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans5:8. It hit me like a ton of bricks------and then, all that my wise grandaddy said, was, "I just want you to think about it." All of a sudden, I realized that I hadn't been fooling anybody, except myself.
I don't remember responding to him, but I'm sure I said something. And then I went off to the crusade------------I have no recollection of the message that night-----but I have a searing memory, of what it felt like, to know, that if I didn't run down that aisle, when the invitation was given, I might never get another chance------and so I ran, and I know that Jesus met me there, with His arms wide open----- and He poured Hid love into my heart---and all my fear and embarrassment and uncertainty, was left there, at the cross.)
Paul wants us to understand, that if we clearly experience God's love, when we give our hearts to Jesus; when we're nothing more than God's enemies; helpless and powerless and sin- sick-------how much more can we count on His love, when we're His children. Even when we suffer, we can trust the fact, that God loves us. And that He is using our time of suffering, to produce character qualities, that will enable us to to become the people, that He created us to be.
III. We Can Rejoice in God, Our Father: 5: 11-21
Paul concludes this passage, in Romans, with the assurance that we can rejoice in God, Himself. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus, is the way to God. He has reconciled us to God, so that we can have a personal relationship with Him. When we understand the greatness of Jesus, we can understand the greatness of God. When we know the love of Jesus, we can know the heart of God.
We can rejoice in God, because His plan, for Jesus to take our sins upon Himself and pay the price for them, with His own death, worked, and we don't have to be punished, with the death, that we deserve.
Paul makes us aware of 2 indisputable facts: 1.)sin and death are universal to the whole world and 2.) life and forgiveness, are offered, universally, to the whole world. Sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and along with his sin, came death, so from the moment we're born, we begin to die. But life and forgiveness, came through one man, Jesus, and along with His free gift, comes eternal life, so from the moment we are reborn, we begin to live. In each case, our entire existence has been altered, by one of these men, either Adam or Jesus.
We sin and die, because we are the descendants of Adam. Before we're even old enough, to know what sin is, we are subject to death. Even babies, who have never sinned, sometimes die, because the sin of Adam, overshadows us all. Death is the punishment for breaking God's command. God told Adam, in the Garden of Eden, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he would die. But Adam disobeyed God's command, and he ate the fruit, that Eve offered him. He chose to rebel against God, and as a result, sin and death became his reality, and they became the legacy, that he passed down to all of his descendants. (Beverly Choquette gave me the best explanation of this concept-----she said you can have a beaker of cool, crystal clear, pristine, pure water, and then you can add, just one drop, of dirty sewer water to it, and you will contaminate the entire beaker of water, and it can't be taken back and it can't be reversed. She said that's the way Adam's sin was --------once he was contaminated-------there was no way it could be taken back and there's was no way that any child or children that would be born from him, could be raised free, from his contaminated self.)
When Adam disobeyed God, sin entered into his life, and it, supernaturally, in a way that we can't explain, changed his nature, from an innocent one, to a sinful one. It was an innate sinfulness (like he was born with it) that would be passed on to every one of his descendants. His sin was not a particular act of unrighteousness-----because there would be many sinful acts, that Adam would commit over the rest of his life----it was a sin nature or the propensity to sin, that lodged itself, in his heart and changed it, and changed mankind's for all time. A person doesn't become a sinner, because he commits sins-------a person sins, because he's, by nature, a sinner. A person doesn't become a liar, when he tells a lie; he tells a lie because his heart's already deceitful. A person doesn't become a murderer, when he kills someone; he kills, because his heart's already full, of hatred and evil desire.A person doesn't become a gossip, when he whispers his first secret; he gossips because his heart's already full of jealousy and vindictiveness.
Paul said, that death is the result, of breaking a command, and we know, that there has to be a law, in order for a command to be broken. (I don't know how many of you drive down Honeycutt Rd.----but I do, every time I come to church-------up until a few years ago, there were not any stop signs at the intersection of Brassfield and Honeycutt------but shortly after they put them up--I was sailing down the road, like I had done 100 times before, and without even thinking, sped right through, the newly sanctioned 4-way stop------in about 2 seconds, a policeman and his blue light were right behind me------ I told him I was on my way to church-----and I think that's what inspired him to be benevolent, and not give me a ticket-----otherwise he was a grouch. I'd never had to stop at that intersection before-----but a law had been established, and whether I had known about it or not, it was still a law. And I was breaking it, by not stopping. And, from that point forward, if I ever go through that stop sign again, without stopping, I'll deliberately, be breaking the law.)
Adam deliberately broke the law--------God had only given him one restriction and Adam chose to disobey it. And when he did, not only was sin born into him, as a man, and born, into the entire human race----but the penalty for sin, death, became a reality, just like God said that it would. John MacArthur says that there are 3 kinds of death that sin brought with it-------
1.) spiritual death: earthly separation from God.
2.) physical death: earthly separation from other people.
3.) eternal death: eternal separation from God and eternal torment in hell.
The unbeliever, should fear all three kinds of death. Spiritual death will prevent his earthly joy; physical death will bring an end to his opportunity for salvation; and eternal death will bring everlasting punishment. But Praise God, believers, don't have to fear any kind of death. Jesus has saved us permanently, from spiritual and eternal death, and when we do die, physically, because these mortal bodies will wear out (thanks Adam), or when we're raptured, we will be ushered into His divine presence, to live forever. Jesus, has removed all fear of any kind of death for us.
Skeptics make the comment, that it isn't fair for God, to condemn the whole world, just because of one man's disobedience. But my answer to that, is the same thing that I told my children, when they were growing up and pulled the "not fair card"------"the word unfair, doesn't belong in a Christian's vocabulary, because the only thing that's unfair in this world, is the fact that Jesus died on a cross to pay the price, for your's and my sin." Human beings are all connected to each other. It's a fact, that Adam's sin contaminated all of mankind-----there's no way that it couldn't have! It's a mistake to think that we stand alone-----the choices that we make, have consequences that affect others----and it started with Adam. So, the answer to the question, "Was it fair for God to condemn the whole world because of one man's disobedience? is yes! In fact, it is not only fair, it's also wise and gracious. To begin with, if God had chosen to test each one of us, individually, the result would have still been the same---we would have disobeyed-------what would have made us, any better, than Adam and Eve. But even more important-----by condemning the human race, through one man, Adam, God was then able, to save the human race, through one man, Jesus. If we can accept the universality of Adam's sin, then, we can accept the universality of Jesus's sacrifice and His free gift of salvation. (not everybody will choose to receive it)
Adam's one act, determined the character of the world, but Jesus' one act determined the character of eternity. Adam's sin brought death and punishment, but Jesus' sacrifice brought forgiveness and life. The death that we inherit from Adam is a one time deal-------but the life that we're given from Jesus, can be renewed, a thousand times a day. Adam's single sin brought guilt and judgment. on the entire human race, but the Lord's single gift of obedience, brought forgiveness and justification, to every individual, who will trust and receive Him, for their collective sin, and for their individual sins. This shows us that God hates sin so much, that it only took one sin, to condemn the entire world and to separate it from God. It wasn't that Adam's sin was worse, than others that he committed later, or worse than we have committed since-----its just that his sin was the first sin.
But the wonderful thing for us is, that God's love for the sinner is greater than His hatred of sin. The truth that we need to recognize here: is that no matter how many times we sin, God's forgiveness is bigger than our deepest sin.
I mentioned the 3 types of death that sin brought into the world----well, I think there's a 4th one that reigns over mankind just as surely as the other 3-------and I would call it, the death of our rejoicing--------Life, is grace, love, joy, peace, vitality, acceptance, worth and fulfillment------death, is emptiness, loneliness, depression, restlessness and dissatisfaction. How often do we allow ourselves to be robbed of the abundance of life, that God has given us, in the Lord Jesus, by choosing to focus on what don't have or what we've done wrong---- instead of focusing on the immeasurable blessings that we do have and on what the Lord has done right?
At the end of this passage, Paul reminds his readers, of the role, that the Law plays, between sin and grace. We know that the 10 Commandments were were never given to make people do right-----they were given, to spotlight the sin, that they were already participating in. Paul makes it clear, that wherever sin increases, grace increases even more. As the law makes man's sins increase, by revealing them, for what they are, God's grace abounds even more. God's grace is more than adequate to deal with man's sins. Even though sin and death are still reigning in the world, God's grace is also reigning through the righteousness of Jesus.
(As special counsel to the president, Charles Colson was known as Richard Nixon's "hatchet man". He pleaded guilty to crimes that were connected to the Watergate Scandal and served 7 months in a federal prison in 1974. Shortly before he entered the prison, Colson made a decision to receive Jesus, as his Lord and Savior. While he was in prison, Colson found another Christian brother and they began praying together for their fellow inmates. Soon, they saw God begin to work. One by one, they saw hardened, violent, brutal men-----men who had spent their lives in rebellion against God and man-----begin to break down and to seek God's grace.) If there is one place, where there is no doubt, that sin abounds, it would be prison! And Charles Colson, saw first hand, that where sin was exposed and recognized, that it was increased, and that God's grace was there, to increase even more.
Jesus breaks through sin, with power and grace. Adam ruined our earthly lives and made us slaves, to sin and death and Jesus set us free. He came to live in our hearts and to infuse us with His strength, purity, wisdom and power----- so that we could be reconciled to God and be able to rejoice in Him, and to be able to walk and talk with him, today, tomorrow and forever.
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