“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned…”

(Rom 5:12 NKJ)

(30 Oct – 13 Nov 2011)

God put the first man to the test of obedience. Adam did not obey God but he obeyed the devil through his wife Eve, whereby he brought down sin, a curse and death on himself and on the whole human race. No one can doubt the reality of death. It touches not only the people around us but each of us without exception.

“But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

(Rom 5:11 NRS /New Revised Standard Version 1989/)

(from 16 to 30 October 2011)

One can boast about good or bad things. If one boasts about bad things, this boast is in opposition not only to God but also to one’s neighbour. If one boasts about good things, it can be a show of pride and it can be misused for humiliation of a neighbour.

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom 5:10 NKJ)

(2-16 Oct 2011)

What is emphasized?

Reconciliation and salvation in Jesus.

When were we enemies of God? Before our conversion, before we received Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. But if someone commits a grave sin, he is an enemy of God again and the wrath of God abides on him.

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Rom 5:9 NKJ)...

What is emphasized?

God’s love. Verse 5 says that God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. In the Greek original God’s love is denoted by the word “agape”, unlike human love which is denoted by the word “philia”. There is a difference between these two kinds of  love. God’s love is a gift and is intrinsically linked with the Holy Spirit!

What is emphasized?

Hope. Christian hope has its model in the hope of Abraham, who against hope believed in hope (Rom 4:18). So Abraham believed that God is almighty, and facing Him in powerlessness he trusted that God was able to work a miracle.

Word of life: “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Rom 5:2b-4

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Ephphatha!” (Be opened!) “I am self-willed. I am a hedonist. I am a critic.

“Maran atha!” (Come, O Lord!) “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, have mercy on me!” (5?)

“Shema” (Hear), “(name), love God! Jesus, my God, I love You with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my strength. Now I lose my soul for Your sake and the Gospel’s.”

The Word of life: (a verse from the Holy Scripture for 14 days; repeated 3?)

“We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Rom 5:2b-4

“From this moment I do everything + in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (3?)

Studying this verse from God’s Word, let us focus on two principal questions:

1) Which truth (word) is emphasized in this verse?

2) What connection does it have with other verses of this chapter?

What is emphasized?

We have been justified by faith. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have peace with God and access into grace.

Faith in Jesus Christ is the saving faith. Sin causes death, enmity with God, and it gives the record of our debt into the hands of the enemy of man who then demands our just punishment. It is true for everyone who believes in Jesus that the record of his debt was cancelled on the cross. Through the Blood of our Saviour we found peace with God, for our soul was cleansed from every sin. “By Him He reconciled all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” (Col 1:20)