With the world experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic right now: one person’s infection triggered this virus which has spread around the world. In our human strength we can fight it, and we win or lose the skirmishes.
One person’s contamination also began the epidemic of sin, and we are all infected. But in God’s grace, sin has been defeated.
My information chart has two opposing categories.
| DEATH-DEALING SIN | LIFE-GIVING GIFT |
|---|---|
| Adam’s sin spread to all and brought death. (12) | God’s life-giving gift through Jesus Christ brings us back to right relationship with God, enjoying regal freedom of perfect righteousness–a free gift (17) |
| In math terms, Adam’s one sin (his “no” to God) brought us into negative integers, to which all our sins are negatively added. (13) | In math terms, Jesus one righteous act brings us from negative to positive numbers & made us righteous once again. (18-19) |
| This one man, Adam, is a symbol of the one man, Jesus Christ, who was to come and save us from sin. (14, 18) | So also one man’s (Jesus’) obedience opened the door for many to be made perfectly right with God and acceptable to him. (19) |
| Adam’s sin brought death. (15-17) | The magnitued of God’s gift of grace far outweighs the crime. (15-17) |
God’s grace always triumphs. (20-21)
My thoughts as I study these verses: I belong to a Facebook group called “The Rabbit Room Chinwag.” A recent online conversation dealt with whether we or not God only sees us as righteous because He is looking through Jesus blood sacrifice or if we really are righteous. I’ve been pondering this idea and wondering about the difference it would make in a life of faith. I am a sinner, made righteous by grace, so I AM righteous. But I will sin again. And by God’s grace will still be righteous. As I live in God’s Kingdom here on earth, I grow in relationship with Him and desire to be more like Him. And when He comes again, on Judgement Day, He will say that I am righteous because of my faith and His grace.
My picture for these verses is a combination of Good Friday and Easter. The final battle and the victory. Look at the picture for the victory of defeated death. Listen to the song “Thief” by Third Day to hear what God’s victory meant to the thief and to us.
And as always, let me know your thoughts in the comments. Or send it to me privately via email at KSEvenhousewwv@gmail.com
Kathleen S Evenhouse 