Man Fails, God's Grace Prevails

Paul takes the argument to the next step by stating Adam committed the initial sin going against God’s command. Through that original sin, death comes to us all. But the good news is that God already had a recovery plan to reconcile the act of the first Adam with the birth of His son Jesus Christ. The message Paul conveys is that Jesus is the son of God and through Jesus we will find God’s grace. Paul couples his argument that sin existed in the world because of the first act in the Garden of Eden and sin existed during the time period between Adam and Moses prior to establishing the Law. His conclusion is this, God wants reconciliation to His people and in order to get that reconciliation, He had to have a son bore to us through the virgin birth named Jesus the Christ. Someone who is willing to die for the sins of all. To provide a pathway to heaven through His sacrifice for all that believe in Jesus.

The good news is that when Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins that path to forgiveness was laid and we have a means to be set free. We have salvation through the grace of God. God is so full of grace that He sacrificed His only Son for us so we may live in God’s glory and grace for eternity. This grace is called a gift from God by Paul and we should all acknowledge that it is a gift and give thanks to the Lord for providing such a clear path to the kingdom of heaven. Paul reminds us in (1 Corinthians 15:22) Just as Adam died we will all die, but in Christ we shall be made alive.

God’s grace is more than just words on paper. It has true meaning to each one of our lives. We can choose to live under God’s grace or we can choose to stay connected to the world through the initial sin without regret or a full understanding of the consequence we will face. The questions become, do you want to live in God’s grace? Do you know how to live in His grace? More importantly do you know how to receive His grace?

For every question there is a biblical answer that we must search the scriptures for. The way I would like to answer these questions is to answer that last question first. Receiving God’s grace is more about developing a strong personal relationship with Jesus the Christ. We must first receive Jesus and then God’s grace will pour out on us. Verse 17 tells the story, which through Jesus Christ God’s abundant grace will be given to us. Living in God’s grace is not a difficult task if you have the heart for it. What I mean is if you want to live for Christ and separate yourself from the world, then you need to believe in Jesus. You need to examine your life and ask fundamental questions to get you focused on where is your life going. Questions like, Am I living for God? Do I value the teachings of Jesus more than the teachings in the world? The real question that requires the most examination is this? Do I care about the world and living in the world more than I care about my life with Jesus?

Paul makes a strong argument especially in the days where the Law was guiding so many lives. His argument at times is fragmented but never incomplete. He has the ability to start a point, then deviate from the point only to come back to the original point and close the argument. Paul argues that sin abounds in our lives, but God’s grace abounds much more. Paul states that sin reigns in death, but grace reigns through righteousness providing that pathway to heaven. As the bible teaches us (Revelation 22:5) the Lord will be with us in Heaven, He is our light and there will be no more darkness.

We can choose to live in sin or we can choose to live for Christ. It is through God’s grace that He gives us limited free will to choose which path we want to take. Does it make sense to gather all your riches and rewards on earth or do you want to do what is required of you by God while on this earth to build up our riches in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20)?

My prayer is that we will look towards God for all things and that we will understand the full depth and breadth of His grace. I pray that we never forget the gift that God has given to us and that through His gift (Jesus), we will turn away from the wiles of the world and move closer to God so we may live with Him for eternity in the kingdom of heaven. In Jesus Mighty Name Amen! Amen!