Romans 5:12-19?New Living Translation (NLT)

Adam and Christ Contrasted

^12?When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam?s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. ^13?Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. ^14?Still, everyone died?from the time of Adam to the time of Moses?even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.^15?But there is a great difference between Adam?s sin and God?s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God?s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. ^16?And the result of God?s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man?s sin. For Adam?s sin led to condemnation, but God?s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. ^17?For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God?s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

^18?Yes, Adam?s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ?s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. ^19?Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

As we enter this first Sunday of Lent following days of sacrifice, abstaining and prayer for relief from all that binds us to unhealthy patterns and ways of life, our desires?grow strong to return to our first Love. We don't have to read today's passage to know its truth. Our very lives testify that through sin death has spread from Adam all the way to us today, like a genetic disease?slowly and methodically?reproducing through every life through every generation.?Without Jesus, we are dead men and women walking. And we know it.

But it's not that we've broken some moral code through our sin that is the biggest problem. We surely have. It's not that through our sin we have allowed death to reign over us in victory that is our biggest problem, though that is surely a big problem. Our biggest problem is not that we need to be punished for our sin, though from our human perspective that seems like a very?big deal, and it is.

Our biggest problem is that through our sin we've brought on death and invited it to rule over us separating us from God and our true?design of life with Him.

And on Sunday, Jesus deals with that problem, bringing life that triumphs over sin and death. Now, we have a restored relationship with God, death has been defeated and we have been given new life that death can never defeat. Today, we desire nothing more than breathing in and living this new life. Today.

For reflection...

If your new, never-ending life has already begun, how now shall you live?

In what practical ways today can you live out?this new life that would be an act of worship for this amazing gift?

You were created with a vocational purpose in mind to co-steward God's creation with Him. Meditate on this sense of restored relationship that Jesus has won which comes with it a restored vocational purpose. Invite Jesus into the conversation.