Paul's argument is simply this: Death is the punishment for breaking a command. Language: English . If you fail to stop, you are subject to a penalty, even though you have been driving through that intersection without stopping for years without any penalty. (This is the Stedmaniac version, with which you are all familiar. Does God’s sovereign grace make you rejoice greatly or stumble? Thus we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made for us the reconciliation. We reign in life now. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 1999, All Rights Reserved. Paul tells us that the worse we get -- the more we fling ourselves into rebellion and sin and evil that we know to be wrong -- the closer we are to being broken, to coming to the end of ourselves and discovering how foolish and hurtful this whole thing is, and the closer we are to discovering the grace of restoration, cleansing, and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Joy is a frequent theme in Luke, but this is the only time that we read of Jesus rejoicing greatly. The moment we believe in the Lord Jesus, we can rejoice in the hope of sharing the glory of God. Did he just get a promotion in his career? 3. That is what righteousness means. Clearly, Jesus knew all things that would come to pass, and yet He prayed often. Paul is saying that Christ's death provides such abundant grace and loving acceptance, which are available again and again and again, that all who are in him can reign in life -- now. Even babies are starting to die. First, Verse 18: Consequently, just as the result of the one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. Based on the truths of God’s Word, the Canons of Dort help us understand God’s gifts of grace and our reasons for rejoicing. It was certainly the case with His people Israel. How did sin and death get control of our race? We are dependent on God to reveal His salvation to us because there is nothing in us that obligates God to reveal Himself to us. When we see and know the love of Jesus, we know the heart of God. 1:21). A bridge has been built through Jesus Christ. We can take the gift of worth over and over again. (Romans 5:12 RCS Version). And home, rejoicing, brought me. 1 Peter 4:14. But if salvation is due solely to God’s choice and God’s power, then we can only boast in the Lord (1 Cor. There are people today who do not like this word. Some argue that the doctrine of election discourages prayer and evangelism. Later on in this passage Paul says, "Death reigned." Perhaps some of you are thinking, “I can accept the doctrine of God’s sovereign grace in salvation, but I can’t rejoice greatly in it.” If that is so, it reveals an area where you are not yet conformed to the image of God’s Son. Adam brought that death to us. You can call it karma, destiny, fate, evolutionary darkness, or whatever -- but it is clearly evident that something is wrong. The clearest statement on original sin that I have ever read comes from the report of the Minnesota Crime Commission. So we sinned in Adam. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life! If you fight against this doctrine (and most of us do, at some point), I would suggest that it is because you have too high a view of man and you don’t have a high enough view of God in His absolute holiness. 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. Adam's single trespass brought in judgment, i.e., death. There are four movements in this section: First, in Verses 12-14, Paul begins with us in Adam, where we start as a human race -- in Adam. Jesus is not telling them not to rejoice at all in such victories. Rejoicing in the Lord means knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord, Savior, and Treasure. God stands eagerly welcoming anyone who will believe the good news and come home (repent, Luke 15:7-10). "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" No matter how many trespasses are involved in your record, there is freedom in Christ and forgiveness for all of them. REJOICING IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY The apostle Paul learned to rejoice even in the midst of difficult situations.          We are dependent on God to reveal His salvation to us because there is nothing in us that obligates God to reveal Himself to us. But here it is stated very plainly that we are made righteous in Jesus Christ. Jesus exulted in this truth. Again and again Paul rings the changes on that phrase: through one man, by one man. But, as the writer to the Hebrews states, “apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Heb. Nobody had to teach him that. He was enthroning himself as a god, in the place of God. The Greek text actually has an "even so," but for some reason, the New International Version doesn't translate it, so we'll correct it. Notice that Paul starts out by saying "Therefore, just as..." When you get a "just as," you grammarians know that you have got to have an "even so" a little later. For example, some say, “If God has sovereignly determined everything, then why pray? For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, Adam, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! He said, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). We don't need to argue it; it is evident on every side. And so do you, so don't look so pious! And, even more than that, Jesus presents us holy and blameless in God’s sight. His mother was telling us the other day that if she says to him, "Now, eat your food," that's the one thing he doesn't want to do. The proud man thinks that he can approach God in his own way, on his own terms, and through his own merits. He himself said so: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. All your life, as many times as you sin, you cannot out-sin the grace of God. Rejoicing in the Lord means that these truths about Jesus — who he is, what he has done, and what he will do — personally and profoundly affect us. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. It is a remarkable paragraph. You can have life in the midst of all the pressures and circumstances and suffering and troubles. His argument: Adam's transgression permitted sin to reign over the whole race. "The Lord Jehovah is my strength." Now let's look at Verse 17: For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ? From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. 2 Corinthians 1:12 | View whole chapter | See verse in context For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. Then the Lord added, “For I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:10). Clearly, Jesus’ words would make no sense if He revealed the Father to everyone equally. A lot of it, right? My two-year-old grandson comes over to our house frequently and tears up the place. I think this universal tendency to evil has been stated most clearly by a totally secular agency. Website © 2021 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Luke 13:17. Paul says it is by understanding the reconciliation. 20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. Rejoice in the Lord always. Some people never seem to have anything but death in their lives. Three times in this chapter we are given reasons for rejoicing, as believers: First, we rejoice in our spiritual position. It increases the trespass. Adam broke that specific, clear-cut command; he ate of the fruit. Now, there’s a reason for rejoicing! The third level is rejoicing "in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." The Search OF the Savior: Why Jesus Came, Part 1 (Luke 19:1-10), Bible Storying Series - Teaching The Story Of God Chronologically. It takes us two days to get it back in shape after a visit from him. From that time on, to fail to stop at that intersection is to break a command. RayStedman.org/permissions. People who talk that way think of themselves as individuals quite separate from other people when, as a matter of fact, we are tied in together, all a part of one great bundle of life. And along with sin came death. Why envy a man who in a short time will be cast into the lake of fire? You have been transformed. No man [-- no man --] comes to the Father but by me," (John 14:6 KJV). Rather, the contrast is between those who proudly trust in their own reason and intellect versus those who humbly bow before God’s revealed wisdom in Christ. Obviously, Paul himself was an intelligent, well-educated man. Isn't that strange? Therefore, we are to rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Only Christ can set us free. People who argue that way simply are revealing how little they understand the facts about the nature of our humanity. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. She gushed with thanksgiving to God for the opportunity to study the Bible. The gift, Paul says, is not like the trespass. Everywhere we look there is evidence upon evidence that what he says is true, that we are victims of the twin evils of sin and death. For all these reasons and more, Jesus rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit when He thought about God’s sovereign grace in salvation. What will be, will be.” But as we saw in our last study, Jesus commands us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers (10:2). They are not harsh demands originating from a selfish desire to control, but rather loving directions for our good and ultimate satisfaction. Christ is the way to God. King Sin and his evil and cruel queen, Death, who hold in their remorseless hands every human being, without exception. They rebelled and they have no claim on God’s mercy. As Paul points out, God did this while they were still in the womb, before they had done anything good or bad, so that His purpose according to election might stand (Rom. So should we. Death is the absence of life. Sin is there at the beginning of their life, they are born with it as conclusive proof of what Paul is saying here. Verse 11: Not only is this so [Paul has said that twice in this chapter], but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. All that he is is available to us. Because of this great salvation, we who believe should “greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. At these times a word from Jesus can bring much rejoicing (John 11:41–45). So she has learned how to make him eat his food: She says, "Now, don't eat your carrots." (Romans 5:15b NIV). We look at a newborn child and say, "Here is someone who is starting to live." It depends totally on God’s mercy, not at all on us. Someone might raise the question, "Why then did the Ten Commandments have to be given?" You can call it anything you like, but the fact remains that there is clear evidence wherever you look in the human race that something has gone wrong with our humanity. (Romans 5:18 NIV). What we lost in Adam, we regain in Jesus, plus so much more. The four Gospels are filled with demands from Jesus. But God’s truth remains true through any crisis. But now the law has come in, and thus you break a command if you fail to stop. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. We are born to die. 2:25-26). He is dirty. Deny him these wants, and he seethes with rage and aggressiveness, which would be murderous, were he not so helpless. We will sin because that is part of our nature. Christ is the way to God. He discovered that God was able to work for good in the lives of those around him and also in his own life. We can take life from Jesus a thousand times a day. In Romans 5, we have been learning that the one clear mark of a true Christian is that he always rejoices. Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.Jesus doesn t want us in a pit of despair. They were given to show men how wrong they already are. It should not surprise us then to find that Scripture often speaks of God the Father rejoicing. Book Condition: New. By your Spirit, Father, we rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ. A thoughtful examination of Jesus' demands reveals a compelling yet personal portrait of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures. He has qualified us to be priests, which means we can dwell in God’s presence like never before and for eternity. Jesus states that He reveals the Father to whomever He (the Son) wills (10:22). Certainly, all the saints before Christ were saved and looked forward to being with God throughout eternity. Sermon Theme – The angelic announcement of the miraculous birth of Christ demands a response of faith and praise, for God looked upon our humble estate and sent His Son, Jesus, to … He's only two years old, but he knows how to resist instruction and command; he wants to do what he ought not to do. In the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die," (Genesis 2:17). We can't deny these. Life in the midst of death! When you understand that, you will sing, along with Christina Rossetti, these words: None other Lamb, None other Name,    None other Hope in heaven or earth or sea, None other Hiding Place from guilt and shame,    None beside Thee. Why? My faith burns low, my hope burns low;    Only my heart's desire cries out in me, By the deep thunder of its want and woe,    Cries out to Thee. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More, Happy New Year: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives, 4. Do you rejoice in Him? Adam trespassed once and brought death to all that were in him. 11:40). MARY'S SONG: REJOICING IN GOD Christ Proclamation Church Luke 1:26-55 December 16, 2018. Sometimes we become frustrated and hard and cynical. This section also lays the groundwork for all that Paul is going to say in Chapters 6, 7, and 8. How can I be saved?” The answer in Scripture is plain: Come in faith to Jesus and He will save you. But a strange thing happens at that point. Paul is making a comparison here. This forgiveness, this atonement, can liberate us daily as we confess our sins. Normally, we would die for our own sins, but, as Paul goes on to argue, there are even some -- babies, for instance -- who haven't sinned at all, and yet they still die. But we do know that the day is coming when that deceiver will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. That is life. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. This is the story of our race. And so, when we are in Christ, having worth and love is not something that we have to choose to earn -- it is a gift from the Lord Jesus. Christians always have grounds for rejoicing. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. This is a clear statement on the universality of sin and of the fact, as Paul says here, that by one man, sin entered the world. Evolved in my book Authentic Christianity, I want to know how great a person is, n't. He taught us to love one another ; His law is love and His evil and cruel queen death. The Nixon Administration. back in shape after a visit from him we. Up the place to this frightening and factual conclusion: every baby starts life as gift! 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