Faith Brings Joy
1Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace* with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
6When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Adam and Christ Contrasted
12When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
18Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
20God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
November 14 Reflection & Worship
Unreservedly Available
TRUE GREATNESS IS TO SERVE UNNOTICED AND TO WORK UNSEEN.
LOOK BACK Saul the persecutor becomes Paul the apostle to the Gentiles. His travel diary reads like a modern-day adventure novel as he faces mobs and magistrates, stonings and shipwreck for the privilege of spreading the Good News from Antioch to Rome.
Paul’s missionary journeys cover thousands of miles and more than a decade of his life. Following his trips to such areas as Galatia, Macedonia, and Asia, Paul is arrested in Jerusalem and faces a series of trials at the hands of Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. Failing to find justice in the courts, Paul declares, “I appeal to Caesar!” (Acts 25:11), and to Rome he goes. The journey by land and sea is fraught with peril, but at last Paul arrives to await trial. During his imprisonment in Rome, he is not free to travel but is able to meet with his fellow believers and prepare them for the ministry that will soon be passed on to them.
The epistles (letters) of Paul correspond to the expeditions of Paul. On his first journey, he writes the book of Galatians. On his second journey, he writes the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. On his third journey, he writes the books of Romans and 1 and 2 Corinthians. As you read these epistles in the coming weeks, turn back to the corresponding chapters in Acts to establish the settings for the letters.
LOOK UP Imagine that you are part of a military unit stationed on the edge of enemy territory. To make matters worse, the enemy is headed your way—fast.
You await orders to retreat, but instead you hear your commanding officer give these orders: “Men, you are to stay right where you are and fight as hard as you can, as long as you can, until you are killed or captured.”
How would you feel about such an assignment? It’s definitely not a role for the fainthearted. But those willing to look death in the face and become “walking dead men” can wreak havoc on the enemy. Why? Because death holds no sway over them. They are fearless and focused. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They have already counted the cost of service. In short, they are a dangerous foe because they are expendable.
LOOK AHEAD The apostles and disciples in the book of Acts saw themselves as expendable in the service of their Lord. Self-preservation was the last thought on their minds. They were totally, unreservedly available to their Lord. You can see that attitude in a number of verses from Paul’s letters:
• “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
• “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better” (Philippians 1:21).
If self-promotion or self-preservation is your goal in life, you have yet to discover the liberating power of expendability. But once you see your time, talents, and treasure as 100 percent available in the service of your Lord, then you’ll be able to say with Paul: “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God” (Acts 20:24).