Romans 5:17. NKJV. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
We continued in Pastor Prince's teaching on grace where we focused on this scripture from Romans. Once Adam sinned against the Lord by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (which is a picture of the law), sin came alive, the curse descended on man and death reigned over all of creation. It wasn't until the second (or last) Adam arrived, Jesus Christ, that death's reign ended and eternal life was given.
Once we become born again children of God, we are translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son, as the Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians. And yet, there are so many Christians who don't believe this truth, despite what they may say. How do we know they don't believe? Just listen to their every day speech. Much of it is peppered with words of death and their conduct indicates a great fear of death. You can even examine some of the hymns and lyrics to current Christian songs, and you will find that some of them (not all) are chocked full of doubt, unbelief, and death.
If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, the savior of mankind who paid for all sin on the cross, then you are spiritually alive and are no longer ruled by death. Just as Paul did, you can boldly state: O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57.
Check your speech and conduct--are you speaking death over yourself, your children, and your circumstances? Are you in fear of sickness, disease, poverty, lack, or calamity? If so, then death is ruling over you, because you still see yourself as an offspring of sinful Adam. But you are not a sinner any more! You are the offspring of God Himself! What does God have in common with death? Nothing! God is life and life eternal! Celebrate this wonderful gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and let it reign over you every day!
Caroline? You typed: "....sin came alive, the curse descended on man and death reigned over all of creation. It wasn't until the second (or last) Adam arrived, Jesus Christ, that death's reign ended and eternal life was given."
ReplyDeleteThis is not what Torah teaches us. God, Himself teaches us that ALL men that turn from sin and walk in the commandments of God will inherit the world to come. Read all of Ezekiel chapter 18 and please remember when God spoke to Cain - - He said evil is lurking at the door but you can overcome it.
“Fathers shall not be put to death because of sons, and sons will not be put to death because of fathers, a man will be put to death for his own sins,”[i] and “The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son, the righteousness of the righteous will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him,”[ii]and “Everyone will die for his own iniquity.”[iii] [i] Deuteronomy 24:16 [ii] Ezekiel 18:20 [iii] Jeremiah 31:29.
No one can walk perfectly in the commandments of God but thankfully Jesus did and His death satisfied the wrath and punishment for all sin and iniquity. The prophet Ezekiel so wonderfully prophesied this truth!
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