Paul was at his keenest best in his writing of Romans chapter five. He had done what he says we should do in Philippians 2:5-8, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ..."
Here are blessed thoughts that had their origin in the mind of Jesus Christ, received by our "beloved brother Paul" (cf. 2 Peter 3:15), and written out for us to revel in:
(a) "Through one man [Adam] sin entered the world and through sin death, and thus death pervaded the whole human race. ...
(b) "But God's act of grace is out of all proportion to Adam's wrongdoing. For if the wrongdoing of that one man brought death upon so many, its effect is vastly exceeded by the grace of God and the GIFT [not mere "offer"!] that came to so many [everyone!] by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5, vss. 12, 15).
(c) That includes you and me! We have been given a GIFT, a most precious " judicial verdict of acquittal."
(d) Now the Father is free (at last!) to treat "every man" as though he has never sinned!
(e) So far as the Father is concerned, He has opened the gates of the New Jerusalem for you and me to come in and He makes us welcome inside!
(f) If you like it there, if you are happy in that environment, the Father says you can stay; the Father wants you to be saved; Jesus Christ wants you to be saved; all the holy angels want you to be saved; they are all dedicated to your salvation (see 1 Tim. 2:3, 4).
(g) Now don't interpose your own stubborn unbelieving will to negate what He says He has DONE, not merely OFFERED to do, for you.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tom
