In Romans 5 Paul talks about how sin came into the world through the disobedience of one man: Adam. God gave him one rule; do not eat the fruit of this tree, and Adam broke that one rule. Sin has been with us ever since: we are born into a sin-filled world.
Sin is dealt with through one man: Jesus. “8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.“
Since the time of Moses, God has dealt with sinfulness through sacrifice. The Israelites atoned for their sin by sacrificing unblemished animals. But this did not eliminate sin, only paid for sins committed.
God sent The Word, who was with God the Father and the Holy Spirit since before creation, to become human, live a sin-free human life, and be offered up as the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of all who believe in Him. His death paid for our sins. His resurrection broke the chains of eternal death. His life (verse 10) allows us to shake off the shackles of sin and walk in ever-increasing righteousness as we pattern ourselves after Jesus.
To claim this promise we must know Jesus; not just as an historical figure, not just as a Bible story character, but as a friend. Since He is no longer walking the earth, to develop this personal relationship with Jesus we have to study His life through the Bible. The great thing is that unlike studying some historical figure through literature, once we have accepted Jesus and have the Holy Spirit within us, the Spirit helps us know Jesus in a personal way.
But we must open the door. We must commit to Jesus and seek Him. We must study the Bible and yield to the gentle prompting of the Spirit. Then we start to become like Jesus. Then His life frees us from the temptations of sin, so we don’t fall back into sin. We are forgiven by His blood, but taking on His life allows Him to live through us and accomplish God’s work in this world.
