Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Commentary:
6:23 Those who give themselves to sin will die both physically and eternally, whereas Christians are assured of eternal life. Wages implies that the punishment for sin is what one has earned and what one deserves. Free gift is the opposite of something one deserves, which fits Paul’s earlier emphasis on justification by grace alone, through faith alone (trusting in Christ for justification; see 1:17; 3:21–4:25).
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5:8 God’s love, however, belongs in an entirely different category from human love, for Christ did not die for righteous people or those who have done good for others but for sinners, that is, for ungodly, unrighteous people living in willful rebellion against God. It is not just Christ’s love that was shown in his death but also God the Father’s love. While God’s righteousness and justice led to his plan of salvation through the death of Christ (see 3:25–26), it was his love that motivated this plan.
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5:8 God’s love, however, belongs in an entirely different category from human love, for Christ did not die for righteous people or those who have done good for others but for sinners, that is, for ungodly, unrighteous people living in willful rebellion against God. It is not just Christ’s love that was shown in his death but also God the Father’s love. While God’s righteousness and justice led to his plan of salvation through the death of Christ (see 3:25–26), it was his love that motivated this plan.
Questions:
- After we ADMIT we are a sinner, we then must BELIEVE that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus' finished work on the cross. A wage is something that you have to work for. A free gift is just the opposite... it cannot be earned. If it could, it would cease to be a gift. This is clearly telling us that we cannot earn salvation through any merit of our own. Do you ever feel as though God's love and grace must be earned? What might be the dangers of this kind of thinking?
- God showed his love for us by sending Jesus WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS! This is the scandal of grace! Jesus died for everyone... even those that would never accept him. He died for you, even knowing everything you would ever do in this life. God didn't just SAY he loved you, he showed it. And he also didn't wait for you to ask for his forgiveness. He made the first move. How easy is it to downplay how much God really loves you? How might embracing his perfect love for you affect your level of love for and obedience to him?
Pray:
- That you would never try to earn God's love.
- That you would love him because he loved you first.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
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