A few years back I was admitted to the hospital. The doctors suspected that I had cancer in my brain. But none of the tests were conclusive. Finally, the Doctor decided to take a brain sample to confirm my situation. After many tests, the final report came. The doctor confirmed that I do not have cancer but have something else that can be addressed through medicines. When I came out of the hospital I understood the true meaning of the word "grace". I did not appreciate the blessings Jesus had showered on me and never got time to look back and thank Jesus for everything He had done. When the critical time came, when the Doctor said, I was approaching the possible end of life I looked back to analyze what I had missed in life.
Paul sums up the unmerited favor Jesus showered on us. The God of heaven, Prince of peace, and the holiest God chose to love us above everything and He made Jesus, His only son as a sacrifice for our mistake. We are disloyal to God, and we did everything against what God wanted us to do. But God still loved us and sent His only Son Jesus to die for us. Isn't this an unmerited favor we do not deserve? What a gracious God we serve.
..at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. v6-8 NLT
God gave us hope through Jesus Christ. He gave new meaning to a meaningless life. Hope we have received through Jesus Christ helps us to navigate our lives through ups and downs. Jesus keeps molding our character for the life to come.
But we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame. v3,4 (NLT)
How Jesus could redeem the entire humanity through His Sacrifice?
This is a popular question even today. How can death and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross save the entire humanity? How can one man's death offer forgiveness for all mankind who lived before Jesus was born and who were born after His crucifixion?
Paul clarifies this question. Sin entered mankind through the first man Adam. This was inherited by all the offspring of Adam. Whoever was born to Adam and the sons and daughters of His genealogy inherited the nature of sin. Whoever sinned inherited eternal death, which is living eternally in hell away from the presence of God.
sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. v12 NIV
Through one man's disobedience against God, humanity inherited sin and the consequences of the sin. To redeem all of us from the consequences of sin, Jesus died on the cross once and offered the gift of forgiveness to everyone who believes in Him. Anyone who is the child of Adam inherited sin, but when we believe and become the child of Jesus, we inherit forgiveness for the sin. The consequence of sin is eternal death. Jesus offered forgiveness for our sins and opened eternal life for everyone willing to believe.
For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ
Just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. v15, 18 NIV
Dear friend, We still carry the nature of Adam. Our mind and body wrestle against our inherent nature to sin and disobey God. But Jesus's death on the cross offers hope for everyone who is struggling to come out of their human nature. God wants to make us His own children. He wants to help us to overcome human nature. We are forever indebted to the unmerited favor Jesus has offered to every one of us. Shall we join together and thank Jesus For this?
Dear Jesus, my heart fills with gratitude when meditating on what you have done for my past mistakes. How can I thank you enough for all the things you have done for me? You loved me so much. Laid down your life to save me and made it right before God. Jesus, help me to remember all the good things you have done for me. I pray in Jesus's name, Amen
