The world is indebted to "our beloved brother Paul" the apostle (cf. 2 Peter 3:15) for his brilliant insights into the meaning of the gospel of Jesus.
Perhaps the most beautiful is what he [Paul] writes in Romans chapter 5. Only a man of genius-spiritual capacity could have thought of this idea:
"It was through one man [Adam] that sin entered the world, and through sin [came] death, and thus death pervaded the whole human race ... " (vs. 12).
Well, adds Paul, we don't want to blame everything on Adam; the fact is, "we all sinned."
"But God's act of grace [in giving us Christ] is out of all proportion to Adam's wrongdoing, ... which brought death upon so many."
But the grace of God and the gift that came to so many by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ "vastly exceeded" the wrong that Adam brought on the human race (vss. 15-17).
"The judicial action, following on the one offence, resulted in a [judicial] verdict of condemnation, but the act of grace [the sacrifice of Christ on His cross] resulted in a verdict of acquittal" for the whole human race!
Brilliant thinking!
Because of Christ's cross, the Father is now free to treat every human being as though he/she had never sinned!
Now, what is our duty?
It's to appreciate what Christ has done: "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Romans 10:10).
Therefore a clear definition of what is faith is this: a heart-appreciation of what it cost the Son of God to purchase for us our salvation from the second death.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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