Romans 5: 6-21

Today’s passage deals head on with two of the most crucial doctrines of the Christian Faith: Original Sin and Atonement. Original sin deals with who needs to be saved and atonement deals with who gets saved.

Paul’s argument is that Adam’s legacy to the entire world is that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There have always been some dissenting views that Adam’s sin is not inherently passed on to each generation. However, this view was not widely accepted until the Age of Enlightenment. Since then the notion that humanity can be fixed through better education and forming good habits has grown and replaced the concept of original sin as the dominate worldview of Western culture. Nevertheless, the core of the Christian faith is that because of original sin all people stand in need of a savior.

There are some who say the saving work of Christ is universal, and thus all people are already saved even if they do not know of or accept their salvation. Others say that the saving work of Christ is predestined, or limited, to only those elected, or chosen, by God. The majority of Christian churches teach that while the saving work of Christ is universal, in that all can be saved, we receive our salvation through God’s grace by faith.

Five times between verse 15-17 Paul uses the word ‘gift’ to describe God’s grace. Reconciliation with God is neither a right nor can it be earned. Right standing with God is a gift from God, which can be received only through faith in what Christ has done to set us free from sin and death: (Romans 5:1-2)

We have been made right in God’s sight by faith,

We have peace with God because of what

Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Because of our faith,

Christ has brought us into this place of

Undeserved privilege where we now stand,

Paul noted in our reading yesterday one of the distinguishing characteristics of Abraham was his sense of wonder, awe and thanksgiving for all that God had done. Today I want to find a way to express my sense of wonder, awe and thanksgiving to God:

But God showed his great love for us by sending

Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 5:8

What word or phrase in these verses

attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

7-Dec-11      Rom. 6:1-23