Week of 5/26-6/1: Living in Light - The King Declares Guilty People Righteous

Day One: Romans 5:12-14 “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned. In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One.”

IT DOES NOT TAKE BEING AN EXPERT in trees to know that if the root system of a tree is diseased, the entire tree will be affected. This impacts the appearance and functioning of all parts of the tree, including the branches. For example, if an apple tree is failing to produce apples, or if the apples produced are rotten, the solution is not to staple apples to the branches. The problem does not originate from the fruit on branches, but rather starts in the roots of the tree. If the roots are healthy, the tree is likely to be healthy. But if the roots are diseased, the whole tree suffers.

We can think of the entire human race much like one enormous tree. Unfortunately, this tree has a very diseased root system. If each person is a branch of this tree, the root of the tree would be Adam. Adam is the father of humanity and, because of this, all of humanity is born into sin. Adam sinned against God, bringing his offspring, or branches, into sin with him. All the branches of this tree of Adam have a sinful nature like him. Just as branches cannot claim autonomy from the roots, neither does any person have the ability to claim autonomy from their first father, Adam. Because of our sin, we are guilty before God. We are under the curse of Adam.

Fortunately, the story doesn’t end there. There is a treatment for this curse of sin, which is found in the gospel. By believing the gospel of Christ, we are given the ability to live on mission for God.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷In what ways do our lives show that we are corrupt and born into sin?

▷▷What are our natural objections against inheriting a sin nature?

▷▷How are those natural objections countered by truth of Scripture?

Week of 5/26-6/1: Living in Light - The King Declares Guilty People Righteous

Day Two: Romans 5:15-21 “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died how much more have the grace of God and the gift overflowed to the many by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone. For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Also read Romans 8:1-2 in your Bible.

ALL HUMANITY ultimately branches off from Adam’s family tree. This means we are all under the curse of sin that infiltrated the family tree through Adam. If we are going to be made right before God and have our guilt removed, we must be cut and grafted into an entirely new family tree.

Another analogy can be deployed here.Think of the role of the President of the United States. No matter where he is in the world, he represents the people of the United States. When he speaks, he speaks for the people. He is the figurehead of the country. In the same way, Adam is the figurehead of all humanity.

What Adam has done represents all those under him. In the United States, if the people want a new federal head to represent them to the world, they must vote for a new president when election time arrives. In the same way, if people are ever going to be declared guiltless before God, a new figurehead must stand to represent them.

God sent His Son, Jesus, to begin a new family tree and to serve as a new figurehead to all who put their faith in Him. Those who have accepted and embraced the gospel of Christ are no longer held hostage by the sin of Adam. Their old lives pass away, and they begin a new life under the headship and authority of Christ.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷Why is it important to understand that all humanity’s family tree begins with Adam?

▷▷Why is it important to understand that we are all represented by a single figurehead?

▷▷How do we become a part of the new family tree and live under the authority of the new figurehead of Christ?

Week of 5/26-6/1: Living in Light - The King Declares Guilty People Righteous

Day Three: Hebrews 9:11-14 “But the Messiah has appeared high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?”

IMAGINE ITS 1941.A man has just broken the law, and is given two choices: 1) He can spend the next four years in jail, or 2) He can spend the next four years serving his country by enlisting in the U.S.Army.Not wanting serve jail time, he decides to join the war effort against Nazi Germany.

Meanwhile, the German military invades nation after nation, with the ultimate goal of conquering the world. As our fictional soldier begins his service to pay his debt to society, he is approached by a commanding officer. This officer tells the young soldier that his four year obligation has been cancelled, his debt erased, and that he is free to leave at any time. The man has been completely pardoned from his crime and has no further obligation to society. However, the man informs the officer that he is going to remain with the military and continue to fight for his country. His service is no longer aimed at paying his debt, but is a desire and delight to accomplish a mission.

From this admittedly limited analogy, we can see a picture of the gospel and the response of those captured by it.When an individual tastes of the free grace offered by Christ, he or she is immediately pardoned from the debt of all sin. Like the man in the story, this new freedom does not send Christians away from the mission, but rather frees them to carry it out. In Christ, we find complete atonement for sin. But those pardoned from sin do not look for an escape from God’s mission and purposes. Rather, they are freed to live on mission for God. This mission is driven not out of obligation, but out of desire to worship and obey the almighty God.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷Why is it an error to think free grace will cause people to not serve God?

▷▷What is the difference between service out of obligation and service out of delight?

▷▷Why should Christian service be driven by delight?

Week of 5/5-5/11: New - The Mission of God's People

Day One: Acts 1:4-8 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In September 1999, Jeremy Neitz stood face to face with a man intent on taking his life. He was not being robbed; he was in a church where a crazed gunman was shooting wildly at students who were celebrating “See You at the Pole.” While everyone else hid and listened to the man spew profanities and curse God, Jeremy stood to his feet and politely answered, “that’s not true, you need Jesus.” Surprisingly, Jeremy’s life was spared as the gunman took his own life.

What a tragic story. However, it points to an even greater reality: it will take teenagers who are passionate for Jesus, regardless of the cost, to complete the mission to which Jesus has called us. His mission for us is clear: we are to be His witnesses.

Being a witness for Jesus will not be easy. Remember, Jesus called Christians to a mission that would require everything when He said that we are to “pick up your cross and die to yourself daily.” This is why when you read about the early apostles; all but one of them was killed for their faith and declaration of Jesus as Savior. They allowed their blood to be shed for the truth. And the Church grew as a result.

Does this mean you have to give your life to be a witness? Yes. And no. Yes, it requires every area of your life to be surrendered to God. No, you may not give your physical life, but as Paul said, “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” Either way, God is glorified.

Today is your opportunity to be a witness for God wherever you are. Remember that we are called to live out the truth of Jesus on a daily basis. We must commit to being on mission for Christ. Take a few moments and surrender this day completely to Him.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷Do you consider yourself a witness for Jesus?

▷▷What distracts you from being a witness for Jesus?

▷▷Who is someone that you can share Jesus with today?

Week of 5/5-5/11: New - The Mission of God's People

Day Two: I Corinthians 1:18-25 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Jesus crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Jesus the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

DISTRACTIONS CAN BE A KILLER. Think about all the “don’t text and drive” ads that have been produced recently. As tempting as it is to text and drive, the truth is you may cause an accident. Even worse, it could cost someone his or her life. The ad makes sense because it is true: do not let yourself be distracted from the important task of driving!

A similar message can be applied to Christians. We have been entrusted with the single most important message in the world: Jesus died for our sins and we can be saved. We cannot afford to be distracted.

Unfortunately, we often get distracted. The cares of this life, our priorities, and even sin distract us from sharing the one Message that changes lives for eternity. The Enemy will go to great lengths to distract you and keep you from sharing the Gospel.

Sometimes these distractions arise from seemingly good things. For example, imagine God’s disappointment when a church is more concerned over paint colors then about reaching their community for Christ. Or when a school Bible club is more concerned with which T-shirts to wear rather sharing the reality of the Gospel with lost students in the lunchroom.

These potentially “good things” are major distractions. When we as Christians miss opportunities to take part in God’s work, it costs lives for eternity the message of the Gospel must be our top priority. It must be so important to us that nothing else can steal our passion to share it with the world!

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷What are some “distractions” in your life?

▷▷How has the message of the Gospel changed your life?

▷▷Name a few people that you need to share the Gospel with this upcoming week.

Week of 5/5-5/11: New - The Mission of God's People

Day Three: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 For Jesus’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised. From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Jesus in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way. Therefore, if anyone is in Jesus, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: That is, in Jesus, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Jesus, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Jesus’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS IS A LONG TIME to live a complete lie. But that is exactly what Marilee Jones, the Dean of Admissions at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has admitted to doing. MIT is regarded as one of the greatest educational institutions in the United States and the person who represented them was living a lie.

What was the lie? Ms. Ones did not have the qualifications that she claimed. She lied on her resume almost 30 years ago about having very important degrees that she did not have. The woman who represented the school to prospective students was a total hypocrite!

We look at someone like Marilee and wonder how she could have lived a lie that long. Yet, many who claim to follow Christ misrepresent Him even more. It is important to remember that as a Jesus follower, you are a representative, an ambassador of Him. According to these verses in 2 Corinthians 5, God has committed the message of reconciliation to you. You are an ambassador for Jesus.

As an ambassador for Christ, your life holds great significance. Your actions tell a story. Where you find pleasure matters. If you find more pleasure in sin than you find pleasure in God, you are misrepresenting the life that Jesus has called us to live.

Today, focus on representing Jesus accurately in every area of your life.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷What does it mean to be an ambassador?

▷▷On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate yourself on accurately representing Christ in your everyday life?

▷▷What are some ways to improve that score and become a better ambassador for Christ?