pramsay posted on February 01, 2010 04:02
Monday Meditation
February 01, 2010
From the desk of Dr. A.J. Higgins
A Study in Contrasts
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
(Romans 5:15-19)
This group of verses may seem like a difficult read, and even a more difficult train of logic; yet it is masterful and wonderful. Adam and Christ compared and contrasted. Both are seen as heads of a race. The action of both is seen as having eternal consequences on those under their headship. Both introduced a "reign." But while the comparisons are many, each contains a wondrous contrast.
Adam as head of the human family brought sin into the world and with it death. From his fall began a reign of death. His one act of disobedience brought death into our world. In contrast, the one act of obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, the sacrifice of Himself at Calvary, has initiated a reign of righteousness and life.
These verses show us two aspects of Calvary that perhaps we have never considered: it was "a righteous act" (v 18) and it was an act of "obedience" (v 19).
Questions to Consider
1. Look at the "much more" phrases of Romans 5.
2. "Federal Headship" is the expression which theologians use for this section. How does this reveal the wisdom and grace of God?
3. Notice the change in parallelism in v 17: it changes from death reigning to, not life, but those who receive the 'abundance of grace' reigning in life. What does this mean?
4. How many ways can you think of in which Christ's act of self-sacrifice is in contrast with Adam's sin of disobedience?
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This weekly meditation is prepared by Dr. Sandy Higgins. Its purpose is to give believers truth to think about and develop in their own minds and hearts throughout the week. Ultimately, as the week progresses, daily worship will result in hearts full of adoration for the Lord Jesus on the Lord's Day (Sunday) as believers gather to remember Him.
Print this off. Keep it nearby for the week. Jot down your thoughts and responses to each question. What other questions come to your mind as you meditate on this verse?
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