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— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 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.
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. 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. 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.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 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. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5 (ESV)
Our lives lately have been irrevocably connected to the realities of death. My father died in february 2010. I was personally diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in May (although it was a false diagnosis made by the doctors) and we spent several weeks believing that I would be spending most of our time in treatment and reminded of our mortality and how death chases us all. In August of this year we found out that Will's Aunt had cancer and then sadly she lost her battle in January of 2011. Our sweet Libi was hospitalied last month with a very serious lung infection which could have turned to untreatable pnemonia. And now my grandma is fighting a battle with a horrible bacterial infection and at 91 tired and unable to fight hard against such a powerful enemy. We look at our life and see how death touches all of us. Neither young nor old are attacked more frequently. I was recently telling my husband that it is almost as if death and our own sin are two parts of a whole that are magnetically drawn to one another, pulling us and our flesh ever nearer to the reality of it.
In the last two years I have seen the grief and the brokenness of loss that death brings, in both believers and non-believers. Death affects us all in a similar way, we are all human. I have yet to meet a person who isn't in the slightlest moved by the death of a beloved family member or friend. There is however a dicotomy between the reactions of those who lose a friend or family member who is a follower and those who are not. There is so much hope for those who go to the Lord, but for those whose lives have not been given over to the Savior hope is all gone when death triumphs over life. Belivers know that Christ has conquered death for them, unbelievers know inherently that with loss of life there is loss of hope. That is hard to face. Knowing that one has not followed the only One with eternal hope.
One of the hardest experiences in my entire life has been loosing someone who has not given their life over to the One who has conquered death for us. Watching them physically struggle with themselves over submission to His will and pride in their own. I wish I had never experienced that! I wish I still had hope for a life and not just the emptiness of death. Knowing that death can eternally separate is devestating. But this is NOT the way it's supposed to be!! Knowing that Sin is the path that brought in death and now they work together to conquer life in us, is something we rarely contemplate. If we did meditate on the truth that death was created by our sin and "same draws to same" wouldn't we be more prepared to seek righteousness in Him?
Death is obviously our enemy--we all know this fact, especially those of us who have experienced the pain of death here in life. But can we see that death is our enemy because sin is our enemy?! Death hasn't had the last laugh, Christ has conquered death for us and yet we linger with sin--oblivious to the truth that sin brings death to us in victory. Let's face it; even though Christ has won the war, death hasn't been silenced yet he's still fighting some major battles--many are still fighting with death for life everyday "as long as there is life there is hope".
But why should we stop at only fighting for life today? Why don't we fight for life that gains a VICTORY over the grave and over death because it gains a victory over sin?! I hope that the people who read this will reasses where their victory lies, in death or in His Life? The choice is ultimately your responsiblity. Do not continue to let death be the victor! Your life is hanging in the balance and when you have nothing to cover up the sin and shame (that is your essence) you have no hope. But when you have Him to cover your sin and shame--you have everything you will ever require not just to conquer death but the sin that opened the door to death. Conquer sin, through Him alone, to bring victory over the grave. Then you can say with the writer of Hebrews “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (13) or with Jesus "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!" (luke 12). Fear God! Worship Him Alone!
No comments:
Post a Comment