Christ Church Daily Devotion April 28 2024

In today's Daily Devotion, we read from Romans 5:6-21. It talks about how Christ died for us while we were still sinners, showing God's love for us. Through Christ, we are justified and saved from God's wrath. Sin entered the world through one man, but through Jesus, we receive the gift of grace. This grace wipes out the effects of sin and puts us in good standing with God. We should fully trust in Christ's grace, as it is the surest bet for eternal life. God's grace is greater than all our sins. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for April 28th, 2024. Today we will be reading from Romans, Chapter 5, verses 6 through 21. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. We 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. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him? For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life? Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not changed against anyone's account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is pattern of one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. 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, overflow to the many? Nor can the gift of God be compared with the results of one man's sin. The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 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? Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification in life for all people. For 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. The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase, but where sin increased, grace increased all the more. So that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Today in our worship services, I am offering the last of this three-part sermon series where we are celebrating and reflecting on some takeaways from Easter. Because of what God did through Jesus Christ at Easter, we are all offered the gifts of God's love, hope, and grace. Today we are focusing on God's gift of grace. The Apostle Paul had a lot to say about that gift in his letters to the early Christians. In this passage from Romans, he is comparing the results of sin that the first human brought into the world with the grace that Jesus brought to the world. When we receive the gift of Christ, His grace wipes out the effect that sin had on our relationship with God. It puts us in a good standing with God and frees us to live life to the fullest. I like to regularly remind us of a phrase that is in one of the questions we ask of those coming for baptism. Do you put your full trust in His, Jesus Christ's, grace? In a very real sense, we are betting our eternal life on this gift of grace. I believe it is the surest bet you can ever make. Go all in on God's grace. Your personal worship option today? Julia Johnston wrote, The words to the hymn, Grace Greater Than Our Sin in our UMC hymnal, Romans 520, is referenced. Here is the chorus. Let it be a reminder to you today of just how great grace is. Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.