Based on Romans 5:12-21 (New King James Version)
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
What is the most destructive force in this world? Could it be disease where hundreds or even thousands of people have died in a short period of time, affecting entire cities and countries? Could it be hunger where hundreds or even thousands wait for death, sitting on the ground, holding their loved ones, seeing that life is leaving a person ever so slowly? Could it be war where even nuclear weapons could be used, with the capacity to blow up and burn thousands of lives in a matter of seconds (like what North Korea would like to do with the United States, testing the reach of their missiles regularly)? All of these things are horrible and devastating, but, there is something far more destructive and horrible than these things: sin.
What is amazing is that sin is related to all of the things mentioned before; like war, disease, and hunger. The destructive forces that exist in this planet are a product of sin. Sin is what makes these horrible things with the ability to end many human lives possible. But what makes sin even more horrible with more devastating results is that it not only has the power to end human and carnal life, but even worse, it can end a person’s eternity. If a person dies in their sin, they lose both their physical and eternal life. This is what makes sin such a serious matter, that it should not be taken so lightly, or for people to pretend that it’s only a fable, a myth, or that it does not exist. That’s what the devil would like for you to believe. Why is that his goal?
Well, there is something fundamental that needs to be understood so that other more complex things can be comprehended, or rather, to be able to discover those hidden or covered things. Someone once said: “When you understand the nature of something, you understand what it is capable of.” Since the beginning of man, the devil wanted to destroy man. That’s why he tempted him, and unfortunately, made him fall. And with that, we were all affected. The Bible teaches this about the devil: “…he (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. John 8:44b. It was not God’s will for man to fall. The enemy (our enemy) involved himself when man, Adam and Eve, moved away from God’s presence. This is what many people still need to understand: God will not force anyone; everything is based on free will, even now during the dispensation of God’s grace. And even though God knows everything, He still allows for every human being to choose their way, for better or worse. That’s why there will be a judgement.
But, as the Apostle Paul explains, to be able to undo man’s evil work, God had to intercede. And the only way for such a bad deed to be undone could not have come about through a mere mortal, but rather, through God Himself: Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. It had to be Someone more powerful than death itself that could be able to destroy the work of Satan and the fall of man. And to able to undo this terrible deed, God had to triumph through the very product that produced the evil: through the flesh. By the Lord triumphing over all of the devil’s temptation, taking all of our sin upon Himself, dying and burying that sin, and conquering over death at the third day, we now can have the hope of being freed from the penalty of sin, escaping the horror of hell. It was truly an impossible work that only God could fulfill. For with God nothing is impossible.
But, to be able to value what was done, there must be an understanding of the horror of sin, the power of death, and what hell is. Hell is a real place that is reserved for those who refuse to obey God. The Bible describes hell as a place of constant and eternal suffering and torment. And the worse part of hell is that it’s a place where God’s present is absent. Without God, there can be no peace, no joy, or any other of those things that are a part of God. Each person that refuses to believe, belong to, and obey God through Jesus Christ unfortunately are sending themselves to that place. God would like for everyone to avoid that punishment. For it is written: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:1-6. The grace of God extends to every person!
So then, do you understand who God is and the amazing grace that He offers through the amazing person of Jesus? Lord bless! John