Romans 5:12-21

12    So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came through sin, so death spread to all human beings with the result that all sinned.  ¹³  Although sin was in the world, since there was no Law, it wasn’t taken into account until the Law came.  ¹⁴  But death ruled from Adam until Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way Adam did—Adam was a type of the one who was coming. 

15    But the free gift of Christ isn’t like Adam’s failure. If many people died through what one person did wrong, God’s grace is multiplied even more for many people with the gift—of the one person Jesus Christ—that comes through grace.  ¹⁶  The gift isn’t like the consequences of one person’s sin. The judgment that came from one person’s sin led to punishment, but the free gift that came out of many failures led to the verdict of acquittal.  ¹⁷  If death ruled because of one person’s failure, those who receive the multiplied grace and the gift of righteousness will even more certainly rule in life through the one person Jesus Christ. 

18    So now the righteous requirements necessary for life are met for everyone through the righteous act of one person, just as judgment fell on everyone through the failure of one person.  ¹⁹  Many people were made righteous through the obedience of one person, just as many people were made sinners through the disobedience of one person.  ²⁰  The Law stepped in to amplify the failure, but where sin increased, grace multiplied even more.  ²¹  The result is that grace will rule through God’s righteousness, leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, just as sin ruled in death. 

Listening to God:  I did not create and redeem you to go through life just barely scraping by.  You have received an abundance of grace.  It is yours to claim by prayer whenever you want.  This grace will enable you to follow my path through any difficulty.  This is victory to follow my path through life no matter where it takes you.  If you try to follow a path you make, you will end up bogged down in needless problems and woes.  Or you will succeed (by human standards) and become something I never meant you to be.  Stay close to me, and you will find abundant life.

Journal or lift up your prayers and reflections to God.

*Our season of prayer guide comes from Joan Gray’s book, Sailboat Church: Helping Your Church Rethink Its Mission and Practice.