Every Day Devotion

Romans 6:1 [1] What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? (ESV) Paul has made it very clear in the previous chapter that we are saved by grace and not by works. He has only just begun to hammer that point as he will reinforce that truth in the following chapters as well. Paul knew that his critics would have something to say about his doctrine of salvation by grace, not by works. Who were Paul's critics? Let's consider what the Apostle Paul was before he was a believer in Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3:5–7 Paul says, "a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (ESV)" Paul knew that his former peers, the Pharisees would view his new theology as promoting sin. In a preemptive strike against his critics Paul raises the question himself. Are we to continue in sin that grace may

Romans 5:21 [21] so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (ESV) There is something in each one of us that demands to be in charge. We like to be the "king of our castle." We think that we are the masters of our own destiny. In reality there are two major "kings" that reign in our lives. If we have not surrendered our life to Jesus Christ we are being ruled by sin. Sin reigns in death. Those who are not believers in Jesus Christ would claim that they are very much alive. Yet, they are spiritually dead. A life that is controlled by sin has a very specific destiny. Death. Spiritual and physical death. As much as a person may want to think that they are in charge of their lives all who do not belong to Christ are led by King Sin. His reign brings death to all his subjects. There is another king. Consider for a moment King Grace. His kingdom is made up of all those who

Romans 5:20 [20] Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, (ESV) From the first sin in the Garden of Eden mankind was stained with a sinful nature. From Adam to Moses man lived in sin. By his very nature he did the things that were against God's holy nature. Even though there was no written code for them to live by mankind nonetheless lived in violation of God's standards. When God gave the Law to Moses it made things worse for mankind. Paul says that the law came in to increase the trespass. This means that now that man had the written code of what God required it showed just how sinful man was. It is one thing to be in violation of law, but not know it. It is quite another to know what the Law says and walk in open rebellion to it. Imagine riding your car on a highway in a place where you have never been. As you are enjoying a country ride you fail to see a posted change in the speed limit. A few minutes late

Romans 5:19 [19] For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (ESV) Obedience. That is a difficult word for all of us. To obey means to do what someone else demands of us. It requires us to give them authority in our lives. Let's consider Adam's situation again. His disobedience caused many, all of mankind, to become sinners. That is a serious consequence for disobedience. Adam was told that he could not eat of a certain tree in the Garden of Eden. Think about that for a moment. One tree. That was the sum total of restrictions placed on Adam. He could eat from all the other trees in the Garden. I am sure that there was a wealth of options for him when it came to what he could eat. What does he do? Eats from the one tree he was told not to. If you have a child you can probably identify with Adam. You know that if you tell your child that they cannot do something or have something

Romans 5:18 [18] Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. (ESV) Have you ever looked back on your past and thought about all of the individual choices you have made? My wife commented to me yesterday that if it were not for one man's action we would have moved to Ohio years ago. If we had moved to Ohio we would likely never have moved to South Carolina. And so it goes. I am sure that for the rest of Adam's life on Earth, which was a long time at 930 years, he thought about his one decision that drastically changed the course of his life and everyone else's lives. His beautiful wife said to him, "You should eat this fruit. I am sure it will be delicious. It will open our eyes." He should have said, "No, dear." That one mistake led to condemnation for all men. However, one act of righteousness leads to justification and life. Consider Jesus Christ for a mo

Romans 5:17 [17] For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (ESV) Let's go back and consider the "one man's trespass." Paul is speaking of Adam, the first man. Because of Adam's trespass, or sin, death reigned through Adam and to all mankind. How did this trespass come about? How did Adam fall so greatly so as to condemn not only himself but all mankind in the process? Adam was deceived. He believed the lie that he would be like God and have eternal life by eating that which was forbidden. Satan attacked the holy character and nature of God, questioning his goodness in giving a rule to Adam that restricted his "freedom." Satan told Adam “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God." From the very be

Romans 5:16 [16] And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. (ESV) Can you imagine the overwhelming and new feeling of guilt that Adam felt the moment he realized that his disobedience had changed everything in his relationship with God? That feeling of guilt was completely foreign to him. The Genesis account describes Adam as hearing the voice of God and immediately hiding. Adam hid because he knew that his sin had caused a rift in his relationship. What Adam did not know is just how big a chasm he had ripped open, not only for himself but for all of us. Every man and woman since Adam has been affected by his disobedience. We have a great distance between ourselves and God because of our sinful nature. God's free gift is offered to mankind. Even though all are stained with Adam's sin, and sin brings the very condemna

Romans 5:15 [15] But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (ESV) Actions have consequences. While it seems that our current younger generation is unaware of this truth it is nonetheless reality. I knew for a fact that if I disobeyed my father as a child there were going to be serious consequences. To every negative and rebellious action there was an equal or greater reaction by my godly father. Adam, the first man, sinned against God. Consider the weighty consequence to his sinful action. He was immediately under the wrath of God, aware of his nakedness, and expelled from the beautiful Garden of Eden that God had made for him to be caretaker of. This was very weighty reaction to Adam's sin. This was only the beginning of consequences that Adam encountered. Paul says that many died through one man's trespass.

Romans 5:14 [14] Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. (ESV) The young couple emerged from the local hospital beaming with pride. They were bringing home their newborn child. They had the appropriate car seat, stroller, and clothing for their precious bundle. The next weeks and months would be full of joy. They would celebrate every new noise and every discovery that their delightful offspring would make. Then it happened. That precious boy displayed his defiance of his parents. He was playing with the electrical cord in the living room. His mother gently took the cord out of his mouth. The fit of rage that ensued terrified the young parents. How could this happen? Where did all this anger come from? How could their child disobey their simple instruction not to put electrical cords in your mouth? The reality is that every human being is born with a nature that rebe

Romans 5:13 [13] for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. (ESV) Men throughout all ages of time have wanted to excuse their sinful behavior. It would be conceivable for us to think that during the time before God gave the Law to Moses men did not sin. After all, how could they violate a law that they did not even know? The reality is men have sinned from Adam until now. Paul is telling us here that sin was in the world even before the Law was given. A great way to understand this is to consider that most people believe that killing another person is murder. It is generally perceived, by Christians and non-Christians alike, that murder is wrong behavior. Most would even agree to the word "sinful." How is it that even atheists can have some kind of moral code? How is it that non-believers can believe in such a thing as sin? They certainly are not in agreement with God's Law as given by Moses. Imprinted

Romans 5:12 [12] Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— (ESV) When the average person considers the idea of sin they tend to think of particular sins that they have committed. The next thing they tend to do is compare the quantity or quality of their sinning to others who have also sinned. We love to compare. If we find someone who we think is a bigger sinner than us we feel that we are not that bad. Is that how God views sin? Paul tells us that sin came into the world through one man. That man is Adam, the very first man. How tragic that man could not last one generation without sinning. This sin did not just affect Adam and his wife Eve. This sin is now passed down to all mankind. Those who come from Adam are stained with the same nature that sins against God. I am not very good at science, but I like to use a simple illustration from science. Imagine that you had a glass of water

Romans 5:11 [11] More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (ESV) The young man had just turned eighteen years old. It was a hot summer day and his older brother suggested they take a ride to the corner store and get some cold drinks. As they brought their sodas up to the counter something happened that shocked him and changed his life forever. The older brother pulled out a gun and demanded the cashier give him all the money in the cash drawer. The police would arrive shortly. The older brother was long gone. He had taken the small amount of money that was in the cash drawer. On his way out he shot the elderly man behind the counter and shoved the gun in his brother's hands. When the police arrived seconds later they found the young man with a gun and fate was set into motion. Twenty long years was the sentence. This young man who had his whole life ahead of him had his life taken away by severa

Romans 5:10 [10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (ESV) One of the most dangerous beliefs is that we are basically good people. This wrong notion has kept many a person from accepting the truth of God's plan of salvation. This lie from the enemy appeals to people's pride. As long as we think that we are good we certainly will not feel that we need to be reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Notice how the Apostle Paul starts this verse. "while we were enemies." This description is for all who now believers in God through Jesus Christ. It describes our previous condition. We were not good. We were not seeking after God. We were enemies to God. We were in opposition to his ways, his thoughts, and his purposes. God has chosen to bring his enemies into his own kingdom. He has done this by the death of his Son, Jesus Christ. The fact that our

Romans 5:9 [9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (ESV) Have you ever known someone who was an organ donor? It is a wonderful selfless act to give one part of your body to another person so that they can live. In some respects we could say that Christ was the organ donor for our spiritual life. With the exception that Christ gave more than an organ he gave his whole body for ours. We have been justified by the blood of Christ. The sacrifice that he made on our behalf was complete. In the Old Testament sacrificial system it was required that the blood of an animal be shed to provide atonement for the sins of the people. This requirement of the blood of animals was an illustration of the true "lamb" who would be sacrificed for all of sinful mankind; Jesus. Paul is saying here that while it is amazing that Christ would be willing to make such a sacrifice on our behalf it is even more amaz

Romans 5:7–8 [7] For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—[8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV) There is an old song that has the lyric, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." Very few people are willing to lay down their life, for any reason. There are brave men and women who will go off to war and fight for their country. Some will sacrifice their lives for a relative, but as Paul says, dying for another person is a rare occasion. Paul argues that the rare occasion in which someone will die for another would be for a righteous person, or maybe for a good person. Consider what you already know from what Paul has said in the Book of Romans. Is anyone righteous? Is anyone good? The answer is NO! It would be a rare thing for someone to die for a righteous person, or even a good person. We are neither. God enters the situat

Romans 5:6 [6] For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (ESV) Timing is everything. From an earthly perspective we think we understand this concept. Most people have a smart phone and maybe even a smart watch. We plan everything on our electronic calendars to make sure that we do not miss a thing. Did you ever consider the timing of when God stepped out of eternity into our world to sacrifice his Son, Jesus Christ, for us? Consider first of all the condition of those for whom Christ would ultimately die. He died for those who were still weak. I have news for you. Those who were still weak includes you and it includes me. We are completely incapable of saving ourselves. God did not "help" us to become saved. He did all the work! We were as good as dead. He brought us to new life. What time did Christ die for us? At the right time. The sovereignty of God is an essential doctrine that needs to be reinforced in our day. God chooses to

Romans 5:5 [5] and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV) Many years ago I had the extreme pleasure of meeting my wife's grandmother. Laura was an immigrant from Italy arriving to the United States in the 1930s. She was a tiny woman with a powerful relationship with God. In the church where she was actively involved it was said that if you were sick "Have Laura pray to God for you." This wonderful Italian woman had a phrase that she often used to describe her relationship with the God whom she loved so much. She would say, "Christ in me, the hope of glory." She was giving reference to the Apostle Paul's words in Colossians 1:27. In Romans 5:5 Paul is describing this same concept. We have established that the hope Paul is talking about in Romans 5 is a certainty in our relationship to God's glory. We belong to Christ. We are now heirs of his ki

Romans 5:4 [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, (ESV) In the previous verse Paul told us that it is our suffering that produces endurance. None of us enjoys suffering. In fact, we tend to do everything we can to avoid it. Yet, suffering produces endurance. God is not interested in our faith just having a beginning. Our faith has an end in the glory of God. It is a faith that endures through all hardship. This endurance I like to call "stick-to-it-ive-ness." Yes, I know it is not a word, but you get the point. We stick to it, no matter what. This enduring faith produces character. Have you ever seen a prominent leader in the faith somehow fall away? One of the most notable things we see in someone who falls away is a failing in their character. Those who do not have an enduring faith will have a lack in their character. A person's character proves to others what is really in their heart. If you do not have a faith that is enduring, y

Romans 5:3 [3] Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, (ESV) In the previous verse the Apostle Paul has talked about how we share in the glory of God. This is a direct result of our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. It sounds wonderful to focus on the glory that will be revealed to us when we are face to face with our Savior. In the meantime we will face sufferings of various kinds. How should we respond to that? Paul says that just as we are to rejoice in the glory that we will share with God we also should rejoice in our sufferings. Let's pause there for just a moment. How often have you rejoiced in your sufferings? In our current church culture there are many preachers preaching that the true Christian life should be lived without suffering. Clearly, they are ignoring Paul's instruction. Paul is not just saying that sufferings happen and we need to tolerate them. Paul is saying that we should rejoice in the

Romans 5:2 [2] Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (ESV) We were at war with God before he saved us. It isn't just that we were not a part of his army, we were actively fighting against him. This rebellion that we were a part of is now no longer a part of our lives. We have traded our weapons in for new ones. You could take a look at Ephesians 6 for a full list of the new spiritual armor that we wear. It would have been a wonderful thing if all that God did was to free us from our slavery to sin and then just left us alone. We would not have even deserved that level of goodness. God is far more gracious than that. Through him we obtain more than just a truce. We obtain access to the very throne room of God. Not only that, we rejoice in the coming reality of sharing in his glory. The Old Testament Jew who would have read the Apostle Paul's words would have been blown away by th

Romans 5:1 [1] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV) I have heard many a pastor say, "When you see the word "therefore" in the Bible you need to pause and see what it is "there for." Paul has spent the first four chapters establishing that we are saved by faith, not by works. This is how we are justified, or declared righteous. The "therefore," will now tell us what the result of our saving faith is. We have peace with God! At first glance it would be easy to understand this to mean that we have a sense of calm replacing the uneasiness or worry that used to be in our hearts. While it is true that the Lord is able to give us that kind of peace, Paul is talking about something completely different in this passage. We have peace with God. That phrase means that the war is over. We were in rebellion to God before salvation. We actually were aligned with the "Prince of t

Romans 4:25 [25] who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (ESV) It seems that even the most ardent atheist has a strange fascination with justice. If someone wrongs us we want something to happen to them. The great C.S. Lewis was once an atheist. He too struggled with this concept of justice. He did not believe in God but he believed in some kind of justice that he demanded be offered when someone did him wrong. Lewis said the following:  "My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?" Justice is a God thing. He is the standard by which we measure right and wrong. Consider this aspect of justice when you contemplate our verse today. Paul is saying that Christ satisfied the need for justice. The sins of mankind had to

Romans 4:23–24 [23] But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, [24] but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, (ESV) There is a reason why the Bible is the best-selling book of all history. It is not because it is full of great historical accounts, although it has plenty of that. It is not because it contains great poetry, even though it has a lot of that as well. It has great instruction as well. Yet, that is not the reason it is the best selling book of all time. It is the greatest book because it is truth! The truth of Scripture is for every generation. The words that we find which applied to Abraham applied to Paul, and also to us. As the Apostle Paul tells us in this verse, "the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also." Abraham was credited with God's righteousness by his faith. The same is true for us. Abraham

Romans 4:22 [22] That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” (ESV) How much is in your bank account? There is not much in mine. I am waiting for the Publishers Clearing House people to show up to my door and tell me that I have won millions of dollars and it will be deposited immediately into my bank account. There's a problem. I have never entered my name into Publishers Clearing House. I cannot expect them to put anything in my account. Abraham had faith in God. He did more than register his name. He placed his life completely into the hands of an almighty God who he trusted without wavering. It was this kind of faith that God counted as righteousness. This faith that Abraham had was preceded by God's calling to Abraham and promising to be with him and bless him. Abraham's faith was something that was certain. Our own bank accounts are not as sure of a thing as what Abraham had in God. The value of our dollar goes up and down. If the government

Romans 4:21 [21] fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. (ESV) How do you personally define faith? Maybe you think faith is something that you will hope will happen. Perhaps you are afraid to say with any degree of confidence that anything is worth your complete and total trust. At best you may think that faith is a blind leap in the dark, hoping that you will land on solid ground. I love how the Apostle Paul describes the faith of Abraham. Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is complete and total faith in God. When he did not see the end result that God had promised he knew that all he had to do was wait. If God said he was going to do something there was an absolute certainty in Abraham's heart that it would happen. Martin Luther was a great man of God, who was particularly enamored with the writing of the Apostle Paul. He defined faith as, "a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s fav

Romans 4:20 [20] No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, (ESV) What do you do when you are waiting? In our impatient world we do everything we can to avoid having to wait. We eat at fast food restaurants. We travel in a way that guarantees quick arrival. We have microwave ovens to avoid the terror of waiting more than ten minutes to have warm food to eat. When we do face the challenge we do not handle it well. Have you ever been on the highway when a major traffic accident occurs? Waiting for an hour in the hot sun with other impatient people on the road can be quite entertaining. For the first few minutes they check their phones and then they resort to getting out of their cars and complaining about everything. Abraham had to wait. He was 100 years old when he became a father. God had promised that he would be the father of many nations. That was decades ago. What did he do during those decades of wai

Romans 4:19 [19] He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. (ESV) What are the things that would cause you to weaken in faith? Perhaps you have been trying to advance yourself in a particular career, but as the years go by you begin to wonder if you will ever get that position you feel that you should have. Maybe, like Abraham, you would like to be a father and it seems like it will never happen. Consider Abraham for a moment. The odds were not exactly in his favor. Can you imagine if he were alive today. If he went into a doctor's office and told his physician that Sarah was barren and that he was one hundred years old what do you think his doctor would say? "Sorry Abe, this is just not a human possibility." Maybe you have been told by someone who is an expert in their field that what you are desiring for your future is

Romans 4:18 [18] In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” (ESV) We have hopes and wishes. The mistake we make is that we think that these words are synonyms. I may wish I was a millionaire. I have no genuine hopes of ever being one. A wish is a desire that is not very realistic. Hope is an act by which we believe that what we want can and will happen. It simply has not happened yet. Our verse today does not say that Abraham wished against wishes, but rather that in hope he believed against hope. The word believe in that sentence is pivotal. Abraham truly believed that what God said he would do would happen. There was no way of knowing when this would happen but Abraham knew enough about God to know that his hope was in the right place. I can imagine that there were many times when Abraham would have to fight against the inevitable doubts that the enemy would bring his way. Since the

Romans 4:17 [17] as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (ESV) I love those words, "as it is written." Every time you see those words in Scripture it is important for you to pay attention. It is the Bible saying, "Not only has this been said before, but you need to hear it again!" When you are wondering what God really feels about a situation in your life or in your world, go to where "it is written." Paul reminds us of God's promise to Abraham that he would make him the father of many nations. Abraham believed God. That is substantial because Abraham knew that he was an old man and the likelihood of him being the father of one son was not good, much less the father of many nations. Hebrews 11:12 describes him as being, "as good as dead." God is the God who gives life to the dead! G

Romans 4:16 [16] That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (ESV) There is a saying, "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps." I am not sure that many people even know what bootstraps are anymore but the principle is that we need to rely on ourselves. That principle may work at your day job, but it does not work when it comes to our relationship with God. We do not depend on our works. Our salvation depends on faith. Let's talk about that. Our salvation depends on faith. At first glance this almost sounds like pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps. If we are not careful we will fall for the trap of thinking that our faith is the required work of our salvation. This is not so. Even our faith is too weak. Our salvation depends on faith, and rests on GRACE! Grace is the u

Romans 4:15 [15] For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. (ESV) I love my father. I learned much about the law from him. He would make very clear what his expectations were of his children. If you were wont to break his law you would discover the wrath that the law brings. One thing I knew for certain about my father; if he told you what the law was he expected you to follow it. Disobedience brought wrath. Law brings wrath. It is not out of hatred that God gave the Law to mankind. God established his perfect and righteous expectations of his people. Sadly, mankind is prone to rebellion and evil. Mankind has always rebelled against the law. Consequently, all of mankind is under the wrath of God. Law brings wrath. Can you imagine a world with no moral law of any kind? There would be no transgression. That might sound nice for a quick moment. Think more deeply. Murder, rape, abuse, theft, lying, and all kinds of terrible behaviors would be w