[Linux4christians] Friday - Romans 5

Thu Nov 17 21:52:36 EST 2011

    Friday

      Romans 5

5:1 The Expectation of Justification

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace 
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:2 through whom we have also 
obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we 
rejoice in the hope of God's glory.

5:3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that 
suffering produces endurance, 5:4 and endurance, character, and 
character, hope.

5:5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been 
poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for 
the ungodly.

5:7 (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a 
good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.)

5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were 
still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:9 Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his 
blood, we will be saved through him from God's wrath.

5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the 
death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we 
be saved by his life?

5:11 Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

The Amplification of Justification

5:12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death 
through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned -- 
5:13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no 
accounting for sin when there is no law. 5:14 Yet death reigned from 
Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that 
Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed.

5:15 But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if the 
many died through the transgression of the one man, how much more did 
the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ 
multiply to the many!

5:16 And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment, 
resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation, but the 
gracious gift from the many failures led to justification.

5:17 For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through 
the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and 
of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

5:18 Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one 
transgression, so too through the one righteous act came righteousness 
leading to life for all people.

5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made 
sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be made 
righteous.

5:20 Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but 
where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, 5:21 so that just as 
sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to 
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

      Prayer

Lord, You provided the Law so that humankind could see why there was a 
breach in our relationship with You and what it was costing us, so that 
we then could recognize why it was such an amazing miracle when You 
sacrificed to make salvation- powered-righteousness available to us. May 
I recognize that Your grace is already sufficient for every 
transgression, that every new transgression only testifies to the 
magnitude of Your Grace, and that righteousness rather than 
transgression is the best statement of gratitude.

      Summary & Commentary

Paul explained that our expectation of justification is because through 
faith Jesus became our advocate so that at the Final Judgment the Enemy 
accuses and Jesus speaks up for us - declaring our justification for 
perfection because He "did our time".

Paul also explained the power and purpose of the knowledge of our salvation:

* We may rejoice when we suffer for our faith.

* Because we know that in that suffering we learn endurance

* Because we know that endurance builds character

* Because we know that character testifies to hope

* Because we know that hope, rightly focused on God-alone, never disappoints

* And as a result God finds us useful vessels through which He pours out 
His love

Paul also addressed the amplification of justification, how how the sin 
of Adam spread to all of his descendants, and the grace from the 
sacrifice of Jesus multiplies back to believers beyond mere life but 
into eternity.

      Interaction

        Consider

There is a long list of reasons that God should never allow you into His 
perfect and forever sin-free Heaven. Contemplate how great is the love 
that set you free of that.

        Discuss

How does understanding the power and purpose of the knowledge of our 
salvation give us something of value to which to we may cling when the 
challenges of life in a fallen world bring suffering?

        Reflect

There is an important contrast between the Enemy and Jesus. The Enemy is 
Prince of this world (because of the Fall of Adam and Eve) and it will 
last for only a little while. His kingdom is also imperfect and 
temporary. The kingdom of Jesus is perfect and will be eternal, because 
He made it possible though His own grace and power.

        Share

When have you felt overwhelmed by the world for a time and it was only 
your assurance of salvation that gave you the strength to remain hopeful 
and to make it through?

      Faith in Action

        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me any lie that may rest in a confused 
place in my heart that anything I have ever done, or that has been done 
to me, can ever overwhelm the God of all Creation - when He says I am 
free and I am promised Heaven.

        Action:

Today I will share Paul's stages for understanding the power and purpose 
of the knowledge of our salvation with someone who is struggling with 
suffering and together we will pray for hope.

        Be Specific ______________________________________________________

    Saturday's text will be:

      Romans 6

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Savannah-Statesboro needs a Bible College/Seminary!
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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