Daily Word

Now the law came to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20. The “law” was given as an additional element in God’s dealings with His people, so to “increase trespass.” While sin was in the world before the law was given, the law reveals sin in its specific character as trespass, lapsing from a set standard. Such lapses “abound” because the laws demands stir up contrary cravings in sinners’ hearts. But in the face of this increased sin, “grace abounded all the more,” not only keeping pace with offence, but outdoing it, in the great salvation accomplished through Christ. How often do you recognize the “grace abounding” in your daily life?

Daily Word

And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For, if because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in the life through the one man Jesus Christ. Romans 5:16-17. Paul affirms that all mankind is naturally under the guilt and power of sin, the reign of death, and the inescapable wrath of God. He traces this back to the sin of one man, Adam, whom he describes as our common ancestor. Genesis gives us the history of man’s fall, and it may fairly be claimed that the fall narrative alone gives any convincing explanation of the perversity of human nature. Today, take a few moments and ponder at who you really are by nature, and just how incredible His grace is in your life. Be reminded also that His grace was freely given you’ve done nothing to earn it!

Daily Word

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 to come. 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. Romans 5:14-15. Adam, the first man, was the divinely appointed head of the whole humanity, and his sin forfeited righteousness for all those he represented. In the same way, God made Christ the representative head of the new humanity so that His obedience to death might gain their justification. Paul spells out the contrast between Christ and Adam. Not only are the acts of the two men contrary, the grace of the work of Christ is seen to be greater than the sin, judgment, and condemnation of Adam in the way it brings justification, righteousness, and the life to ruined souls. When was the last time you shared the greatness of Christ with a wounded soul?

Daily Word

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all me because all sinned- for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Romans 5:12-14. Paul viewed both Christ and Adam as historical individuals. In the case of Adam, the focus of attention is on his “one trespass” by which we were all made sinners. (Paul begins a comparison here that will be completed later on in this chapter). Death is not natural to humanity, but is the direct result of sin. The universal reign of death is the consequence of sin, and all have sinned in the sin of Adam. All people were subject to death before the law was given to Moses. Yesterday we looked at what needed to be “laid aside” through repentance; today we need to take a long, deep look at the sin in our lives that we have made compromise in to justify it in our own minds. Sin is Sin…period.

Daily Quote

Since, therefore, we have been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 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. Romans 5:9-10. If God would do for us the greater work of reconciliation, at the cost of the suffering and death of His son, He will not hold back the final salvation that is “by Him”, and by “His blood” as the ascendant Mediator. God’s alienation from us is ended by removing the cause of alienation (our sin, guilt, condemnation) by the death of Christ. However, it must be received, by the laying aside of our own alienation and hostility, that is, by repentance and faith in Christ. Repentance is a daily act(s) of laying aside our alienation and hostility towards a Holy God. What needs to be “laid aside” through repentance in your life today?

Weekend Quote

It is ludicrous for any Christian to believe that he or she is the worthy object of public worship; it would be like the donkey carrying in Jesus into Jerusalem believing the crowds were cheering and laying down their garments for him. ~ Charles Colson

Weekend Quote

Rise, O Lord, into the proper place of Honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health, and even my life itself. Let me sink that Thou mayest rise above. Ride forth upon me as Thou didst ride into Jerusalem mounted upon the humble little beast, a colt, the foal of an ass, and let me hear the children cry to Thee, “Hosanna in the highest.” ~ A.W. Tozer

Daily Word

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one would scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 7:6-8. The wholeness of Christ’s outpoured love is seen in the cross. There God acted “at the right time”, both in the sense that the death of Christ took place according to the divine timetable, and also because it meets us in the moment of our deepest need. This is Paul’s point when he says “still weak,” “still sinners,””while we were enemies”. It easy to claim to be a “Christian”; however, is the life you’re living worth Christ dying for?

Daily Word

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out unto our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5. Character confirms our confidence that the glory we hope for will one day be ours. Often times we confuse other situations with true suffering? Not everything we go through causes suffering; if it doesn’t provide an opportunity to endure by which character is created then there is nothing to hope in or rejoice over.

Daily Word

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2. That “we have now received reconciliation” implies that we are at peace with God already. With peace established, we now have access to God’s presence. The wall of partition has been removed. This peace is not a guarded truce subject to warfare. It is a permanent peace. NT hope is assurance of something not yet fully experienced, and quite different from uncertain, wishful thinking. That this hope will not be frustrated is guaranteed here and now by the love of God that the Holy Spirit pours into believers hearts. Acknowledge His presence in your life and dwell for a few moments His peace. If you find it difficult, then what is it in your life driving that peace from you?

Daily Word

But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. 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. Romans 4:23-25. Christ’s death and resurrection are two aspects of one saving work. In the first part Christ bore the legal penalty for our guilt. In the second, He rose from the dead, His resurrection confirming that His death was a sufficient and effective offering for sin, pleasing the supreme judge. Take a moment and grasp the fact that that this was written for YOU’RE sake, and that righteousness is counted to you if you believe in Him. Today…cast out ALL distrust, waver no more, and stand firm in belief that God is able to do what He promised!

Daly Word

No distrust made him waver concerning the promises of God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:21-22. What is it that you a wavering on, and what will it take for you to become fully convinced? He is faithful in ALL that He has promised…

Weekend Quote

To be brought within the zone of God’s voice is to be profoundly altered. ~Oswald Chambers

Weekend Quote

It is not only prayer that gives God glory but work. Smiting on an anvil, sawing a beam, whitewashing a wall, driving horses, sweeping, scouring, everything gives God glory if believing in His grace you do it as your duty. To go to Communion worthily gives God great glory, but to take food in thankfulness and temperance gives Him glory too. To lift up hands in prayer gives God glory, but a man with a dungfork in his hand, a woman with a slop pail, gives Him glory too. He is so great that all things give Him glory if you mean they should. ~ Gerard Manley Hopkins

Daily Word

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. Romans 4:18-19. Trusting in God’s power, Abraham gained assurance that the promise would be fulfilled. Paul indicates that true faith is directed towards God and not humanity, toward divine word and toward human situation. In the natural course of events, believing that Sarah would bear a child (the first requirement for receiving what was promised) was utterly futile given the barrenness of the womb. Trust God’s power and gain assurance… What is it in your life that “In hope you must believe in hope” as taught by Abraham.

Daily Word

As it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”- in the presence of God whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls in to existence the things that do not exist. Romans 4:17. Rather than father of the Jews only, it was already clear in Genesis that Abraham was to be the spiritual patriarch of all believers, Jew and Gentile. Nor is it unbelievable that the promise of God should be received by Gentiles also, for the one whom Abraham believed “gives life to the dead.” This is evidenced in the new life that came from the apparently dead womb of Sarah, in the life given back to Isaac when he was under the sentence of death, and ultimately in the life restored in the resurrection of Christ. Life has been given to your once “dead bones”; how will you glorify God today in that newness of life?

Daily Word

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 to the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. Romans 4:16. Because the promise in all its elements is received by faith, it also rests “on grace”. Had it been on the basis of works, the promise would have failed; had it been on the basis of circumcision, it could have only been received by the Jews. Because it is by faith, and therefore by grace, it is “guaranteed” to come to Abrahams true spiritual offspring, or all believers whether Jew or Gentile. Take every opportunity to strengthen your faith by stepping up and stepping out in FAITH today!

Daily Word

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. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be heirs, faith is null and the promise void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. Roman 4:13-15. The promise was received by Abraham through faith, “not through the law”. If the inheritance were dependent on obedience to the law, faith would have no place in the divine scheme of things, and the promise would be void, since the law cannot bring the obedience it requires for its fulfillment. Given the established truth of sinfulness of all people, it is impossible that the promise could be received on the basis of law-keeping. How much different would your walk with Christ be if you had faith like Abraham?

Daily Word

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? He received the sign of circumcision as the seal of righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of the circumcised of all whom believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness, would be counted to him as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised, who are not merely circumcised but who walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. Romans 4:9-12. Abraham serves as a prototype for all believers, both Jew and Gentile. For the Jew, he serves as a prototype because his circumcision pointed back to justification; for the Gentile, because he received justification apart from circumcision. Grasp the depth of faith here!

Weekend Quote

What man has written man will read; But God fills every root and seed with cryptic words to strangely set for mortals to decipher yet. ~ Charles Dalmon