Journey to Jerusalem Day 9

Thursday, March 5 Romans 5:12-17
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 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 who was to come.
15 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. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Death to the whole human race came through one man, Adam. Adam’s disobedience to God meant death for us all, not only physically but spiritually.
Do you think this is fair? After all, we weren’t there—we didn’t disobey and eat the fruit.
But don’t we still center our lives on ourselves and our desires, and not on God? Don’t we still disobey and rebel against God in our everyday lives? We have imagined God to be weak and powerless, so it won’t matter if we do something that we know is wrong in his eyes.
And in Romans 3:23, we read that Adam represents our fallen nature, “that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
So, what can be done to reverse this fall and restore our relationship with God?
Enter Jesus Christ! Sin may have entered through the one man, Adam; but salvation has entered this broken world through the one man too—Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ one act of dying on the cross the sin of a fallen world has been reversed. We who believe in Christ and follow him in obedience are justified in our lives (“just as if I’d” never sinned), and our reward is eternal life.
It is a life-saving decision we all must make. Do we remain fallen as a result of Adam’s disobedience, and face spiritual and physical death? Or do we enter the family of God and receive eternal life through our Savior, Jesus Christ?
I choose Jesus. I pray you do too!

Thank you, Jesus, for entering this fallen and broken world to rescue all who follow and believe in you. You have reversed the power of death and sin caused by one man and given us eternal life through your obedience to God. Amen.