Listen

Just as through one human being sin came into the world, and death came through sin, so death has come to everyone, since everyone has sinned. Although sin was in the world, since there was no Law, it wasn’t taken into account until the Law came. But death ruled from Adam until Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way Adam did—Adam was a type of the one who was coming.

But the free gift of Christ isn’t like Adam’s failure. If many people died through what one person did wrong, God’s grace is multiplied even more for many people with the gift—of the one person Jesus Christ—that comes through grace.

Romans 5:12-15

Think

Books have been filled with theological discussions of sin and grace, forgiveness freely granted or something to be earned. And then there is Paul writing to the Roman church. Sin was a problem without a cause until the Law of Moses was put into play. That was a chapter that required significant effort. Even more books were filled with interpretations and counter interpretations of the Law, and how one had to observe the Law in order to be found sinless.

When Paul wrote this passage to the Romans, it was a clear statement of the new day: Jesus, that’s what you need. Grace and forgiveness come as a free gift. Is there a requirement to earn it? No, but when one accepts the free gift that is grace through Christ, a life is often transformed by the desire to live like Christ as best as one humanly can.

May we accept the gift and may it transform the world through us.

Brian Foreman

Pray

I thank you, God, for the gift that is the Christ, which does all the things the psalmist begged for.

Transform my life as I seek to be like Jesus.

And transform my world as I seek to be the presence of Christ in the world.

Amen.

Go

O God, who does not condemn us to death as a sinner
but who wants for us to be whole,
sense our repentance, forgive our sins,
and bring us back to the fullness of life with you. Amen.