Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Celebrate Easter Big -- Lent: Day 29

Scripture:  Romans 5:12-21

Today we will continue looking at Paul’s teaching on justification (just-as-if-I-have-never-sinned).  Paul is contrasting our death “in Adam” with our life “in CHRIST.”  Adam’s sin (Original Sin) brought separation from GOD and death to all the descendants of Adam, which is all of us.  JESUS death, burial, and resurrection purchased our redemption which brought reconciliation between GOD and all of us who are “in CHRIST.”

Redemption is not automatic for everyone.  It is reserved only for those who believe the GOSPEL OF CHRIST and who receive the offer of grace from GOD (v. 17).

The Law of GOD was given to clearly show us the impossibility of our capacity to make ourselves justified or righteous before a holy GOD (Galatians 3:10-29).  Throughout this passage Paul contrasts the work of Adam and CHRIST—between their deeds and the consequences of those deeds.

Because of The Fall (Original Sin) all of us have been born with a sin-nature.  The part of us that connects us with GOD and with our eternal existence—our spirit—died.  We are all descendants of our father Adam and we have inherited Adam’s “spiritual DNA.” 

But the good news of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST is that our old sin-nature was crucified with JESUS and was buried with JESUS (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6).  But we who are “in CHRIST” have been born again or born of the Spirit (John 3).  Therefore, we were also “in CHRIST” when He was resurrected and our spirit was restored to life (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6).  Because of this redemptive work of JESUS, those of us who believe in Him are no longer descendants of Adam but we are now descendants of JESUS and we have inherited JESUS’ “spiritual DNA” (Romans 6).
 
The true measure that shows we have inherited the “spiritual DNA” of JESUS in seen in the fruit we bear (Galatians 5:16-26).  This is not the same as works or behavior.  Spiritual fruit is “vine life” and “branch life (John 15:1-17).  It is not the duty of the branch to try its hardest to produce fruit.  Branches simply abide in the vine, and the fruit-bearing takes place as a normal process. 

This is the work of HOLY SPIRIT “life-ing” out the life of JESUS within us and through us.  It is not our work.  Our work is to abide . . . to rest . . . in the completed redemptive work of JESUS.  This is the story of Easter!

JESUS is Risen . . . !

Richard Holloman

No comments:

Post a Comment