by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Embracing God’s Free Gift

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” 
Romans 5:15 English Standard Version

A “No Trespassing” sign might cause one of two reactions within us.

We might look at the sign and become fearful, as if there’s someone sitting in a tower somewhere on that property with a rifle trained on us.

We might see the sign as a challenge. “You tell me that I can’t cross the fence, I’ll show you that I can just to spite you!”

Are those the views we have of God’s word? Do we see his word either as a fearful thing that if we disobey the commands of God, he is going to strike us down with lightning, or, do we see it as a challenge from God to show him who’s really boss?

Whether we’re fearful of or challenged by God’s word, we all receive the same consequence: death.

According to Paul it doesn’t matter how we view God’s word because all of us have stepped across the line. Each one of us has acted as if God’s word doesn’t exist.

This is usually where we throw up our hands and say, “What’s the use? I’m going to fail anyway. Why even try to keep God’s word?” With such thoughts, we miss Paul’s point.

The result of God’s free gift isn’t like the result of our stepping over the line with God. This free gift, completely undeserved by us, is life not death. Because of Jesus, there is a different sign posted for us that reads, “Come In! My love for you is greater than any failure of your life.” God’s grace invites us into God’s heart.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” 
John 3:17 English Standard Version

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