22 October | EVERYONE
"Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life, […] so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5: 18,21
Have you ever wondered why we need salvation? Really, what do we need to be saved from? Or why did Jesus die on the cross to save us? To answer these questions, we need to understand the spiritual condition of the natural human being. Paul is emphatic in declaring that condemnation came upon all of us in the wake of Adam's sin. This is the saddest reality. It sounds cruel and pessimistic, but it is incontestable.
We all sin. Condemnation was passed on to all. There is no man or woman in this world who can say that they are good. You may be able to do good things, but you are not good. Bad people also do good things. But what Paul is saying, is that since the entrance of sin we are all inwardly evil. It does not matter what we or others think about it, but it is the actual tendency of our heart. A tendency that God knows. He knows that we have fallen, but that is precisely why He set out to lift us up.
In fact, faced with such a situation, we would all be hopelessly lost if it were not for Christ whose justice is able to justify those of us who lack justice. And how much do we pay for it? Nothing! It is by grace, which overcomes to give us eternal life as Paul concludes in today's text.
Take Action
Do not believe those who put more emphasis on sin than on God’s grace. Was that Paul's emphasis? Do not let the fear of damnation drive you to throw yourself into His arms, but the joy of knowing that God loves you. Sing "Increased Grace" (if possible, with your family).