And the Witness is this in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ died for us.

Thank you for joining today as we seek God’s wisdom together. Let us begin with prayer.

“Lord Jesus, I ask that you search our hearts and see if there be anything wicked in them. We ask that your Holy Spirit show us what you are saying to us today. I ask that the words on this page would jump out to us as you speak to our hearts and minds truth and life. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Romans 5: 18-21 (NASB).

“So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20The Law came in so that the offense would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

What the Word is Saying

The Apostle Paul is still talking about the similarities and differences between Adam and Jesus. The state that Adam and Eve enjoyed in Eden was one of peace, joy, and the presence of God. God is Holy and therefore cannot be in the presence of sin. The offender would simply burn up in that scenario. Therefore, when Adam rebelled against God and did the one thing that God told Him he must not do it created a division between God and man. He removed them from the garden and until the Messiah God’s Presence could not be in the presence of man. Sure, with Moses a scenario existed where the High Priest could be in the Holy of Holy’s once a year. However, this was not with God’s presence resting on the mercy seat. That all changed with the arrival of Jesus.

Jesus or Yeshua, as Hebrews would have called Him was in fact the one who saves His people. Which is what Jesus means in Hebrew. Once the Law was given through Moses; God provided a way for His presence to be among the people, yet not in their presence. This was through the sacrifice of atonement. Once a year two lambs were chosen, and the High Priest would take them into the Holy of Holy’s. He would cast lots and cut the neck of the lamb who was selected by the lots. The High Priest then would sprinkle the blood of the lamb on the mercy seat. This was a thick square block of gold that covered the top of the Ark of the covenant. He would then take the second lamb lay his hands on it and confess all the sins of the people and then release the lamb into the wilderness. Where the lamb would carry away the sins of the people never to return.

This was a foreshadowing of what would occur when Jesus came to save us from our sins. Before the foundation of the world the bible teaches that Jesus agreed with God to take the form of a man to redeem His people from sin. Being God, they knew that Adam would sin and therefore to have a relationship with His people God had to have a sacrifice to cover all of them. So “as HE who already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (Phil. 2:6).” This means that Jesus was already God but did not feel compelled to stay that way. Rather, out of His love for us He took the form of a man and then suffered death on a cross. This is the gospel message. Jesus the aforementioned God who willing emptied himself into this human body. This provided a way for everyone whether Jew or Gentile with an opportunity to be cleansed and set free from their sin.

If you have not yet given your life to Jesus, I encourage you to do so right now. Right where you are; say these words aloud: “Jesus, I confess you are Lord of all, I believe you came to this earth and lived a sinless life, I believe you suffered and died on a cross for my sins. I believe you were put into a tomb and three days later you rose from the dead. I confess to you that I am a sinner and ask you to forgive me. I also ask that you send me Your Holy Spirit to give me the power to overcome sin and to lead me into all truth. In Jesus name, Amen. If you prayed that prayer, I ask you to contact us. We would love to help hold you up and support you as you begin your journey with Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen.

Thank you for joining me today as we searched the scriptures for What the Word is Saying. I pray that God will send His Holy Spirit into our lives anew and fill us again with His love and His purpose for us. So that we can fulfill the mission He left us in bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” lockman.org