30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 23 44-49 THE DEATH OF JESUS 06 20Jan2022 Luke 23 44-45 Grace causes us to reign in life
📖 Luke 23:44-49
06 – 20 Jan 2022 – Grace causes us to reign in life - Luke 23:44-49 - THE DEATH OF JESUS - Bible reading: Romans 5:15-21
“Lord Jesus, we thank You that on the cross, when You were cut off from God, You gave us life. Thank You, Lord Jesus. We give You all the glory and praise and in Jesus most precious name we pray, Amen.”
We continue to meditate on the three hours of darkness that happened on the cross. We realise that this was the pinnacle moment for man and creation when God was reconciling us back to God so that we can enjoy the Shalom of God.
Luke 23:44-45 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (45) Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
Let us follow Apostle Paul’s explanation of what Jesus provided for us by His death on the cross.
Romans 5:15-21 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
When Adam sinned, what was set into our flesh was the law of sin and death. This is how we understand that death was passed on to all men because of one man’s offence. The law of sin and death came on all men because of one man’s sin.
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
We have freedom of will, which was given to man by God, which cannot be taken away from us. Nevertheless, we are not able to exercise our free will to please God. This is because the law of sin, embedded in our flesh, prevents us.
Romans 7:23-24 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
We have come into a body of death. A baby is born in sin, even before the baby can make a choice of right and wrong. Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
We sin because we are sinners. We are sinners, internally, and therefore we commit sin.
We are also sinners because we sin. We cannot blame our sin on the sin which is within us, but we are all intentional sinners as well since we use our free will to will against the will of God.
God’s grace is greater. Grace has taken care of both, sin in the flesh as well sin that is intentionally committed by all men.
Romans 5:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
Sin brought death and death brought condemnation, (eternal separation from God) but the free gift is that even though there are many offences, man is justified before God because of the death of Jesus on the cross. Since we are justified by what Jesus did for us on the cross, condemnation too has been taken away from us.
Romans 5:17 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.
By grace, we now reign in life with Jesus.
Romans 5:18 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.
By grace, we are both justified before God as well as endowed with righteousness in Jesus.
Romans 5: 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
This resonates with what Paul says to the Corinthians.
II Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
The law made us even more sinful and the law condemned us before God. The law pointed out to us all those areas of our lives, where we were not meeting the righteous requirements of God. Yet, where sin abounded, grace abounded even more.
Romans 5:21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The grace of God reigns through righteousness in Jesus, to eternal life.
Thought to ponder
What is your response to God’s grace?