All of Adam’s descendants are born into this world spiritually dead in “trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), and are by nature “children of wrath” (Eph 2:3), “separate from Christ…having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12), “alienated” from God (Col 1:21), helpless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies (Rom 5:6-10). For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor 15:21-22). Paul wrote, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned ” (Rom 5:12), for “through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men” (Rom 5:19a), and “by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. Because of Adam’s rebellion against God, sin and death entered the human race and spread throughout the universe (Rom 8:20-22). Adam’s sin the Garden of Eden is the first and greatest of them all. We are sinners in three ways: 1) we are sinners by imputation of Adam’s original sin (Rom 5:12-21), 2) we are sinners by nature (Psa 51:5 Rom 7:19-21 Eph 2:3), and 3) we are sinners by choice (1 Ki 8:46 Rom 3:9-18). In this way, grace leads to grace.Įveryone needs God’s grace, because we are all born in sin. Once grace is received, it can, in turn, lead to gracious acts to others ( Matt 5:43-45 Luke 6:32-36). A gracious act is “that which one grants to another, the action of one who volunteers to do something not otherwise obligatory.” Others may not understand or accept what is offered by grace, but this is not for want of attitude and action on the part of the giver, where the benefactor freely confers a blessing upon another and the kindness shown finds its source in the bounty and free-heartedness of the giver. Grace (χάρις charis) refers to “a beneficent disposition toward someone, favor, grace, gracious care/help, goodwill.” This definition speaks of the attitude of one who is characterized by grace. It is the kindness one person grants to another who does not deserve it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |