Romans 5:17-21 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so [...]]]> This series began 7/17/11

Romans 5:17-21 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (19) For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (20) Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:1-10 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (7) For he that is dead is freed from sin. (8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: (9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. (10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Remember that this passage was written to believers in Jesus Christ at Rome. The unsaved person is not going to understand what is being taught here. The unsaved person denies who God is and may even declare that God does not exist. That is what an atheist is – a person that does not believe that God is real. The Bible does not use the word “atheist” – instead it calls them what they truly are: fools. Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. It is foolishness to deny that God exists and that He is real and that He is personal. The Bible tells us that God knows the hairs on our heads, so how can anyone state that God is not personal and how can anyone think that God does not know what we are saying, thinking and doing? For a person to call himself an atheist, even while joking is to call himself a fool. Why do people tempt God with their foolishness? They deny that He exists or they remake Him into their own image. They make statements like, “My God would never do that” or “My God is like this.” And you know what, they are correct – their god would never do those things because that god (little “g”) is not the God of the Bible. People have developed their own ideas about God rather than allow God to develop their ideas. They are essentially putting themselves in control, when it is suppose to be God that is in control. And you know what? Even though people have decided that they are in control, they are wrong, because God is still in control despite what people may believe. Sherman Nagel wrote:

You cannot put one little star in motion;

You cannot shape one single forest leaf,

Nor fling a mountain up, nor sink an ocean,

Presumptuous pigmy, large with unbelief!

You cannot bring one down of regal splendor,

Nor bid the day to shadowy twilight fall,

Nor send the pale moon forth with radiance tender;

And dare you doubt the One who has done it all? – Sherman A. Nagel, Sr

Adam and Eve were persuaded by the serpent, Satan, that they could be in control. The serpent told them: Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. This is what Satan had wanted for himself – to be as God, and have control. Satan convinced them that they could have control – all they had to do was eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Sadly, when they did eat, they realized their mistake and then compounded it further by trying to hide from God. Nobody can hide from God and He knows the jokes that you make, and He knows the times when you take His Name or Jesus Christ’s name in vain.

Sin entered the world because of Adam and with sin came death. Romans 5:17 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Sin and death bring separation from God. For the saved person, they do not lose their salvation, but their relationship is damaged. Think of it this way: a child lies to their mother, are they no longer the son or daughter of the mother? No, but there is damage done to the relationship. That is what sin does in a person’s life: it not only hurts the sinner, but it also hurts those around the sinner.

Believers in Jesus Christ must be very careful to be a proper example to others around them. With the advent of technology today, people can affect a larger number of people than ever before. If you are a believer, what do your words and actions mean to others? Charles Spurgeon said: A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching. When there is sin in the believer’s life, he or she must repent of it and ask for forgiveness from God and the person they sinned against. This must be done to repair the damage done to their relationship with God and others. I have heard people curse and take the Lord’s name in vain nd then they apologize to me. I have told them thank you, but they need to apologize to the one whose Name was taken in vain. Ultimately, it was not me that was sinned against but God was sinned against. David wrote: Psalm 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

For the unbeliever, they sin against God and their relationship is not changed either with God. They were born separated from God and the only way they can reconcile with God is by placing their faith in Jesus Christ and repenting of their sin of rejecting Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said: John 3:18-19 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

The unbeliever is already condemned and needs to come to Jesus Christ for redemption. But they must realize why they need Jesus Christ. If they look at Christians who live worldly lives, and use worldly language, and listen to worldly music, then why would the unbeliever want to come to Christianity? From the way Christians are behaving, they are showing themselves to be any different from the unbelievers. A believer in Jesus Christ is suppose to be different, not the same. A believer’s life should show the difference in his or her life because of Jesus Christ.

Years ago the communist government in China commissioned an author to write a biography of Hudson Taylor with the purpose of distorting the facts and presenting him in a bad light. They wanted to discredit the name of this consecrated missionary of the gospel. As the author was doing his research, he was increasingly impressed by Taylor’s saintly character and godly life, and he found it extremely difficult to carry out his assigned task with a clear conscience. Eventually, at the risk of losing his life, he laid aside his pen, renounced his atheism, and received Jesus as his personal Savior. Whether we realize it or not, our example leaves an impression on others.

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Lets sum this up for a moment by looking at verses 17 – 19: Because of Adam’s offense and Adam’s disobedience against God, judgment came upon everyone that every person is a sinner and every person is condemned and death has entered the world. Verses 14 and 21 tell us that death reigns, but because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, death does not reign over the believer in Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ conquered death! He sacrificed Himself on the cross, was buried in the tomb for three days, and rose victorious over death! And people make fun of Him and make jokes about Him. People do not show Jesus Christ the respect that He alone deserves. They do not follow Him the way He desires. A man once said: “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it.” Furthermore, because of believer’s disobedience to God, they are leading unbelievers farther away from God and being a discouragement to other believers. Elisabeth Elliot told of her brother Thomas Howard. Their mother let him play with paper bags she’d saved if he put them away afterward. One day she walked into the kitchen to find them strewn all over the floor. Tom was out at the piano with his father singing hymns. When confronted, he protested, “But Mom, I want to sing.” His father stated, “It’s no good singing God’s praise if you’re disobedient.”

Because of Adam’s offense and disobedience to God, sin and death entered the world, but because of the obedience of Jesus Christ, all who come to Him for salvation will have the free gift of eternal life with Him. There is no better gift than that!

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

God provided the Law to Moses and He also provided the system of sacrifices for the Law. Later on, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to fulfill the Law and be the final sacrifice. J. Vernon McGee wrote: God has given to the human race, a lost race, an opportunity to be delivered from the guilt of sins – not the nature of sin. You and I will have that old sin nature throughout our lives. As powerful as sin is, grace is that much more powerful. As awful as we may sin, God’s grace is abounds even more, when we have repented of our sin. Over twenty years ago, newspapers carried the story of Al Johnson, a Kansas man who came to faith in Jesus Christ. What made his story remarkable was not his conversion, but the fact that as a result of his new-found faith in Christ, he confessed to a bank robbery he had participated in when he was nineteen years old. Because the statute of limitations on the case had run out, Johnson could not be prosecuted for the offense. Still, he believed his relationship with Christ demanded a confession. And he even voluntarily repaid his share of the stolen money!

Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin reigns in this world today. Just read the newspapers, and watch the news: sin is everywhere and it is becoming more and more available. Death reigns in this world today. Our nation has a culture of death around it. Look at the movies about vampires. Look at the number of skulls you see on clothing today. Satan reigns in this world today. He is roaming the earth looking to see who he can devour. Sin, death, and Satan reign today, but look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Sin, death, and Satan reign as princes, not as a king. There is only one King: the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one that truly reigns in this world. At this time, He allows sin, death, and Satan to reign, but there will come a day when sin, death and Satan will be conquered and bother believers no more. Because Jesus Christ does reign, He has given people the opportunity to be able to escape from the penalties of sin and death. For believers, they had been the children of disobedience – the children of the devil – but through the new birth – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, believers do not have to sin. Sadly, we do choose to sin, but Jesus Christ gives believers the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin and show us how to obediently walk with God. Further, we have the Bible to guide and direct us. Because of Jesus Christ, people can walk in newness of life. Believers in Jesus Christ should behave like they are believers in Jesus Christ. Reject the lusts of the flesh, reject the need for approval of others, reject the disobedience to God and walk as the new creature you are. Further, remember, that as a believer, you are an example to others around you. What is important to you as a believer will be important to others around you. What are your priorities? Someone once asked Tom Landry why he had been so successful as a football coach. He said, “In 1958, I did something everyone who has been successful must do, I determined my priorities for my life — God, family, and then football.” Haddon Robinson points out that one old recipe for rabbit started out with this injunction: “First catch the rabbit.” Says Robinson: “The writer knew how to put first things first. That’s what we do when we establish priorities — we put the things that should be in first place in their proper order.

What are your priorities? Who is your priority? What are you saying to others through your actions and do they match up with your words?

For many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican’s paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the offal to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however, the offal began to be used by the fisherman, and there were no longer snacks for the pelicans. When the change came the pelicans made no effort to fish for themselves. They waited around and grew gaunt and thin. Many starved to death. They had forgotten how to fish for themselves. The problem was solved by importing new pelicans from the south, birds accustomed to foraging for themselves. They were placed among their starving cousins, and the newcomers immediately started catching fish. Before long, the hungry pelicans followed suit, and the famine was ended.

We live in a world today that is spiritually starving, are you showing others the proper way to feed themselves spiritually through your actions and words?

Charlie Peace was a criminal. Laws of God or man curbed him not. Finally the law caught up with him and he was condemned to death. On the fatal morning in Armley Jail, Leeds, England, he was taken on the death walk. Before him went the prison chaplain, [...]]]> From Leonard Ravenhill’s book, Why Revival Tarries.

Charlie Peace was a criminal. Laws of God or man curbed him not. Finally the law caught up with him and he was condemned to death. On the fatal morning in Armley Jail, Leeds, England, he was taken on the death walk. Before him went the prison chaplain, routinely and sleepily reading some Bible verses. The criminal touched the preacher and asked what he was reading.

“The Consolations of Religion,” was the reply. Charlie Peace was shocked at the way he professionally read about Hell. Could a man be so unmoved under the very shadow of the scaffold as to lead a fellow human there and yet, dry-eyed, read of a pit that has no bottom into which this fellow must fall? Could this preacher believe the words that there is an eternal fire that never consumes its victims, and yet slide over the phrase without a tremor? Is a man human at all who can say with no tears, “You will be eternally dying and yet never know the relief that death brings?” All this was too much for Charlie Peace. So he preached. Listen to his on-the-eve-of-hell sermon.

“Sir,” addressing the preacher, “if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worth while living, just to save one soul from an eternal Hell like that!”

My reader, because the church has lost Holy Ghost fire, men go to hell-fire! We need a vision of a holy God. God is essentially holy. The cherubim and seraphim were not crying, “Omnipotent! Omnipotent is the Lord! nor “Omnipresent and Omniscient is the Lord!” but “Holy, Holy, Holy!” This vast Hebrew concept needs to penetrate our souls again. If I make my bed in hell, if I take the wings of the morning — yet He is there. God compasses us in time; the inescapable God, awaits us in eternity. We had better be at peace with Him here, and be in the center of His will now!

The Pharisees were religious in their daily life. They were outwardly pious and well acquainted with the forms of worship — but within their beings were attitudes and faults and hypocrisies which caused Jesus to describe them as “whitewashed sepulchres.”

The only righteousness they knew and understood was their own outward form [...]]]> A.W. Tozer wrote:

The Pharisees were religious in their daily life. They were outwardly pious and well acquainted with the forms of worship — but within their beings were attitudes and faults and hypocrisies which caused Jesus to describe them as “whitewashed sepulchres.”

The only righteousness they knew and understood was their own outward form of righteousness based on the maintenance of a fairly high level of external morality. Because they thought of God as being as stern and austere and unforgiving as they themselves were, their concept of worship was necessarily low and unworthy.

To a Pharisee, the service of God was a bondage which he did not love but from which he could not escape without a loss too great to bear. God, as the Pharisees saw Him, was not a God easy to live with. So their daily religion became grim and hard, with no trace of true love in it.

It can be said about us, as humans, that we try to be like our God. If He is conceived to be stern and exacting and harsh, so will we be!

The blessed and inviting truth is that God is the most winsome of all beings, and in our worship of Him we should find unspeakable pleasure.

God would have us know that He is just, indeed, and He will not condone sin. He has tried to make it overwhelmingly plain to us that through the blood of the everlasting covenant He is able to act toward us exactly as if we had never sinned.

(From Whatever Happened to Worship?)

The Apostle Paul wrote:

2Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and [...]]]> The Christian faith, I am proposing, should become (in the name of Jesus Christ) a welcome friend to other religions of the world, not a threat”
–Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy McLaren, p.254

The Apostle Paul wrote:

2Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  (15)  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  (16)  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  (17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.  (18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Brian McLaren wrote:

This is how I feel when I’m offered a choice between the roads of exclusivism (only confessing Christians go to heaven), universalism (everyone goes to heaven), and inclusivism (Christians go to heaven, plus at least some others). Each road takes you somewhere, to a place with some advantages and disadvantages, but none of them is the road of my missional calling: blessed in this life to be a blessing to everyone on earth.”
–Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy McLaren, p. 113

The Apostle John wrote:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Paul wrote:

Romans 15:5-6 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:  (6)  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ declared:

Matthew 7:12-14 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.  (13)  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  (14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

We need to bless others in that our conversation (life) should glorify God. However, blessing others does them no good, if they do not come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Feeding others (which is a good thing to do) takes care of their temporary problem, but when you give them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that takes care of their eternal life!

Jesus Christ also said:

Matthew 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.