The Encourager

The Encourager

“The Great Reversal - Jeff Curtis”


Saturday, February 04, 2023

The Great Reversal

Jeff Curtis

“Regret” is one of the saddest words in the English language. It speaks of something we wish we had done differently, some failure to live up to an ideal or accomplish something we should have. Sometimes we can make amends for failure; but most of the time, we cannot go back and make things the way they were or should have been.

 

Luke’s reference to “Adam, the son of God” in Jesus’ genealogy (3:8) reminds us of Paul’s references to Adam and Christ in Romans 5 and 1Corinthians 15. Adam was blessed to live in the creation that God had said was “very good (Gen. 1:31). But he failed the test brought to him by his wife and the devil; he sinned against God. His failure had consequences that adversely affected his spiritual life and the world in which he lived. The glorious creation, including humanity, was no longer what it once was (Gen. 3:14-19; Romans 8:20-22). Adam’s failure, imitated by every person’s sin, was cause for regret.

 

Like Adam, Jesus had a unique relationship with God. He was also the beginning of a new creation where God would make right the things that had gone wrong (2Corinthians 5:17). Paul declared this great revival in three passages: Romans 5:14-15 – “14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.” 1Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” and 1Corinthians 15:45 – “And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

 

Romans 5:15 acknowledges the difficulty of reversing the consequences of Adam’s failure. We might even say a reversal was impossible. However, we should notice the words “grace” and “gift.” Where mankind had lost the way forward, God made a way. What seemed impossible, God accomplished through Jesus, the Son of God. The angel said, “For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). He overcame temptation, defeated death, and gives the eternal life with God that He always intended us to have.

 

Let us celebrate God’s grace and grow in the new life He provides for us.

Use Your Bible ......

Robert F. Turner

The Plan of Salvation ---

  1. WHY DID JESUS DIE ON THE CROSS? Isa. 53:1-12 Rom. 3:23-26 Heb. 2:14-18
  2. FOR WHOM DID JESUS DIE? Heb. 2:9-10 John 12:32-33
  3. HOW ARE WE DRAWN TO JESUS? Jn. 6:44-45 Acts 2:37-41 2 Thess. 2:14 Acts 26:17-18
  4. WHO WILL JESUS SAVE? Jn. 3:16 Matt. 7:21-29 Heb. 5:9
  5. WHAT DID JESUS COMMAND US TO DO? Jn. 8:23-24 Lu. 13:3 Mat. 10:32 Mk. 16:16
  6. WHEN DOES JESUS FORGIVE OUR SINS? Mk. 16:16 Acts 2:38 Acts 22:16 Rom. 6:4
  7. HOW DOES JESUS REGARD THOSE WHO OBEY HIS CALL? Jn. 15:10 Acts 2:47 1 Pet. 2:9-10 Col. 1:12-13 Gal. 3:26-27 Eph. 1:22-23 Eph. 2:19-22 1 Tim. 3:15
  8. HOW MAY WE BE FAITHFUL TO THE LORD AFTER BAPTISM? 2 Pet. 1:5-11 Phil. 4:8-9 Heb. 10:23-27 Jn. 4:24 1 Cor. 11:23-29 1 Cor. 16:2 Rom. 12:1-21 Rev. 2:10
  9. ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP? Lu. 14:26-33 Mat. 10:34-39
  10. HAVE YOU HONESTLY READ THESE SCRIPTURES? DO YOU SINCERELY BELIEVE THEM? CAN YOU CONSCIENTIOUSLY IGNORE YOUR OBLIGATIONS BEFORE GOD TO OBEY HIS WILL?

Plain Talk; January 1964

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