Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

I resume my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. Today's text builds on Paul's focus on the resurrection providing further details on this important subject:

• vv38-41: God gives all life a body and sustains all in the universe
• vv42-43: All life is perishable but those in God are raised for eternity and made imperishable
• vv44-48: All life is born with a natural body but those in God have a spiritual body and it is Jesus - the last Adam - who gives those in Him this spiritual body
• vv49-53: those in Him have both the natural and spiritual body and upon death or the second coming of Jesus, we "shall be be changed" and "raised imperishable."
• vv54-57: Upon this glorification, believers will experience final victory over sin and death through Jesus who "gives us the victory"
• v58: In light of this victory we can look forward to, believers should press on and be encouraged!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me the certain promise of victory over sin and death.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Revelation 20

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

I wrapped my D-Group's study of Revelation - using Stephen Witmer's commentary and study guide - for week 9, which looks at Revelation 20:1-15. In review of this week, I see several key takeaways:

• I am reminded that while the unsaved earn their fate because of both what they did - their deeds - and because of their failure to submit and accept Jesus and repent, believers, including myself did nothing to earn our salvation. We are included in the book of life only through the grace of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
  
• The connection between the first and last Adam becomes more clear. Sin and death entered the world through the first Adam and it leaves the world through Christ - reversing the curse. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22)
  
• I am also reminded of my role as a priest in God's kingdom. (Revelation 20:6)
• While Satan does have power, God retains an upper hand and we know that God has already defeated sin - only that Satan's influence persists until Jesus returns.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible awesome God who is full of amazing grace - You gave me eternal life and life to the full now here on earth, protecting me from sin and death and blessing me indescribably.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin is daily and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 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.

Romans 5:12-21

 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 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. Romans 5:18-19

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I moved on to chapter seven Christ's Triumph Over Sin and Death, which covers Romans 5:12-21.  My focus today is Romans 5:15-19 which my commentary refers to as The Contrasts. Here we see Paul focusing not so much on how Adam was a "type of man" like Jesus (see v14 and yesterday's post) but instead on how Adam brought sin and condemnation and how Jesus brought life - hence contrasts. 

In showing such contrasts, my commentary starts by pointing out how in v15 and again in v17 the use of the words "much more" - indicating the use of such words describes the supremacy of Jesus vs Adam in how both are not equal in power. "In Jesus Christ, believers have gained much more than they ever lost in Adam."  My commentary describes the contrasts four ways:

1. trespass and gift (v15)
2. condemnation and justification (v16)
3. death and life (v17)
4. disobedience and obedience (v18-19)

Regarding #1, my commentary wants us to see how "gift" or "grace" appears eight times in v15-17 underscoring how we should never forget how we are undeserving of our salvation and that we should be humbled and have a heart of gratitude and worship. We are also encouraged to understand the value of the gift: "Paul is painting a dark picture of sin so that the good news of Christ will shine.  It is like what a jeweler may do when putting a diamond on a black cloth, so as to make the diamond sparkle." 

Regarding #2 we are to realize and walk the walk of our new identity as justified people and to build our lives on obedience to Christ. 

Regarding #3 we are to realize how we do not receive the gift of Christ automatically we must confess and believe in Christ. 

Regarding #4, my commentary leans on Tim Keller who wants us to see the importance of Jesus' obedience - his entire life - is a matter of life and death for believers 'because that obedience is our obedience, if we are in Christ instead of Adam.' The commentary goes on to state that "[s]o we have the whole biblical story line in this passage." We are encouraged to look at and reference 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 where Paul describes the superiority of Jesus vs Adam and how we have this hope of "being united in Christ."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who led of life of obedience so that I could have life - to the full now and for eternity in Heaven!  What an amazing act of grace and it is the greatest gift of all time.  I am undeserving.  I am full of anger and worry and other sins...which I am guilty of daily!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 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.

Romans 5:12-21

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—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 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. Romans 5:12-14

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I moved on to chapter seven Christ's Triumph Over Sin and Death, which covers Romans 5:12-21.  My focus today is Romans 5:12-14 which my commentary refers to as The Conflict. Paul contrasts the life of Adam and that of Christ and the implications for all of both of their lives (and Christ's death). Paul refers to Adam as "a type of the one who was to come" - clearly referencing Jesus.  Like no others, these two lives led to consequences for all that followed, with Adam giving us sin and death and Jesus giving us forgiveness and justification, and of course life to the full now (John 10:10) and eternity in Heaven. 

My commentary describes this v12-21 as a contrast in the "grand story of redemption." It quotes Schreiner who states: "Adam and Christ are two of the most influential individuals in human history, and believers can take confidence because they belong to one who has overturned all that Adam introduced into the world."  It goes on to describe how the word "one" is used twelve times in v12-21, implying that there is either an "identification with Adam and/or with Christ....The major emphasis [of v12-21] is not on Adam's failure but on Christs triumph over sin and death."

Specifically in v12-14, my commentary examines the "great conflict" between sin and death as "Adam's fall introduced sin and death into the world." We are to notice the sequence in v12 (1) "sin entered the world through Adam, (2) death entered the world through sin, and (3) death spread to all humans because all sinned....[t]he effects of Adam's sin are universal."  Paul points to Jesus and I will explore more of this tomorrow starting in v15. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who died for me - giving me freedom from the sting of sin and death - thank You Jesus!  The greatest gift of all time - I am not deserving of such a gift...or of any of the blessings that You pour out for me.  My sin continues...worry, anger, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.