Romans 5:19-21
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
INSIGHT
-Sin in Hebrew is translated from the word chata which means to miss the mark, failure to fulfil a goal or to loose oneself. In Greek sin is written as hamartia which describes a power or force that compels us to go against the will of God (Rom 6:6; 7:15-20). Sin is deceptive. Sin is not just failing to do what is right through disobedience to Gods’ word or going against God’s will. In numerous occasions; the word sin has been referenced in the Bible including:- Genesis 4:7 where sin was lying at Cain’s door and it desired for him but God instructed that he rules over it. Sin also refers to breaking of any of Gods’ commandments (1 Jn 3:4, Rom 7:12-13, Jam 2:10–11) etc. Scripture also defines sin as knowing what is good and not doing it (Jam 4:17) as well as anything not done in faith (Rom 14:23). All unrighteousness is considered sinful (1 Jn 5:17). God is the standard by which all that exists is measured and judged, all transgressions are foremost against Him (Ps 51:4) even when they greatly affects our neighbours.
-Sin came through Adam when Eve was deceived by the serpent to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil while in the Garden of Eden. She saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and desirable to make one wise. She took of its fruit, ate and gave to Adam; her husband and he also ate (Gen 3:6). Like Adam and Eve, sometimes our urges and desires seem bent on pushing us to act on our fleshly lusts in disobedience and we go against God’s will. A curse followed Adam, Eve and many other generations afterwards until Jesus responded through love when He became the curse of sin and died on the cross for our salvation (Gal 3:13). Through Christs work of salvation we abound much more in grace yielding His righteousness in us that leads to eternal life with Him through faith.
PRAYER
Our Lord & Saviour Jesus, we thank You for the mercy & grace that You have always bestowed upon us, we praise Your holy name. Have mercy on us Jehovah for the many times we have missed the mark either willingly or unwillingly, cleanse us from all our sins through Your precious blood and remember them no more. Merciful Father; heal all the sick in hospitals, touch the hearts of those who are undergoing depression and contemplating suicide, restore those who are at the verge of divorce, bless those who are single and grant them spouses, remember all widows and orphans, establish the leadership of our nation & other nations in the world including Sudan, enlighten all those who don’t know You and answer all our hearts desires gracious Father. Go before us everyday Lord & set all the crooked paths straight that we may always dwell in peace & prosperity. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen
Genesis 13:13-15
“But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are— northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.”
INSIGHT
-When Abram and Lot increased in wealth, their herds increased, their herdsmen quarrelled and disagreed because there wasn’t adequate land to support all their flocks. Lot’s increased wealth led to strife which prompted him to make the worst decision of his life and did not consult God. Lot surveyed the land; looked toward Sodom (Gen 13:10), moved his tents near Sodom (Gen 13:12), settled in Sodom (Gen 14:12) and sat by the gate of Sodom (Gen 19:1) as a city elder. At that time, Sodom was exceedingly wicked and the people did not discern destruction even when the angels came in to save Lot and his family; but preferred to sleep with them over Lot’s daughters. Lot focused on the richest land in terms of fertility and began to decline spiritually. He barely escaped death by a whisker together with his two daughter but unfortunately; lost his wife. We later find his daughters committing incest with him when he got very drunk, probably as a result of living in Sodom. These are the evil vices that we see in our society today. Our children have not been enlightened on true Christian values and blindly fall into the trap of the love of money; leading to death, for they seek to get rich through all means possible. Jesus reminds us that the love of money is the root of all evil and that we should seek Him first and His righteousness; and all other things will be added unto us (Mat 6:33). Abraham in contrast chose to live by faith and not by sight as we have been called to do. He was promised massive blessings including an eternal inheritance. Since we share in Abraham’s promise through Christ, we are called to believe in Him and only look to Christ Who is the author and finisher of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2).
PRAYER
Jesus we thank You and give You praise for this far that You have brought us. You Who is seated at right hand of the Father; shower us with Your grace. You are the Creator of the world, our Great I Am and our Great High Priest, we praise You and bless Your holy name. Have mercy on us Jesus and on all our children. Direct our children and especially those in the university that they may look to You only Lord and receive Your abundant mercy. Protect them Father and deliver them from all evil snares leading to premature death. Many are the challenges that we face Lord but we trust in You with firm confidence that we shall triumph over them all for nothing is too hard for You Jesus. Help us to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness Father that You may bless us indeed and expand our territories according to the promise. Bless the work of our hands Jehovah. May Your precious blood Jesus; always engulf us together with our families that nothing may harm us. Amen
Psalms 19:13-14
“Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”
INSIGHT
-David the king of Israel was in constant intercession and always praised God. At one time he lusted over Uriah’s wife Bathsheba; when he saw her taking a bath, and allowed sinful ideas to be conceptualized in his heart and mind bearing evil fruit. He committed adultery with her and planned for killing of her husband (2 Sam 11). These sins convicted him and he came to repentance, confessed his sins and was liberated to the Father. Like David, we are told that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Sin as defined is denial of one’s true self in Christ which leads one to sinful behaviour. Galatians 5:19-24 clearly outline such error as:- sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like, for which one will not inherit the kingdom of God. It continues to say that the Holy Spirit has bestowed unto us the fruit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, against which there is no law, but those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Although we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we should remember that we are sited together with Christ in heavenly places that we may be renewed in the mind and receive more grace. It’s often easier for God to forgive us than for us to forgive ourselves and to forgive others. Instead of extinction of behaviour with a better good that we embrace the righteousness of God through grace and when we are weak in sin then we are strong in submission to Christ. By ourselves we cannot overcome sin but through the Spirit of God we submit our weaknesses to Him who gives us strength. Through these truths then we are drawn near to God and He draws near to us in a relationship perfected by Christ.
PRAYER
Neither death nor life, angels nor demons, things present nor things to come, height nor depth, nor any other created thing can separate us from Your love Christ Jesus. We give You all the glory and praise for loving us with an everlasting love. Give us the grace to be reconciled with all those who offend us and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Have mercy upon us O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. Blot out our transgressions, wash us thoroughly from our iniquity and cleanse us from our sins. Create in us clean hearts, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within us. We submit our burdens unto You Jesus with firm confidence that Your have already accomplished all good things in our lives. When we are weak Jesus then we are strong through Your suffering, death and resurrection. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts; be acceptable in Your sight O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen
Romans 5:8-11
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
INSIGHT
-When we were separated from God through sin bringing forth His wrath, Jesus died for our sins. When were ignorant through the sin of Adam; Christ saved us from eternal condemnation. Christ Jesus brought us to reconciliation with God through the eternal covenant justified by His blood on the cross. Through Gods’ love, He has made us His sons and daughters through His Son; Jesus. He has clothed us with His righteousness not because we are so good but because Gods’ love endures to all generations. Jesus was without sin; bore our sins so that we may receive His salvation through His blood. Through the same love imparted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, we are called to love God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds and all our strength, and our neighbours as ourselves. In our Christian lives, it is therefore most important to maintain a covenant relationship with God; so that we may forever be united with Him through faith and receive life everlasting.
PRAYER
Fill us Holy Spirit with Your love, we welcome You always in our lives. Restore unto us Jesus with the joy of Your salvation and uphold us by Your generous Spirit. Preserve our lives Father according to Your word, according to Your merciful love. Answer our hearts desires Lord our Father and teach us Your ways. Your love endures forever Jesus, fill our hearts, homes, families, country, churches and the whole world with Your love and give us Your peace. Amen
1 Peter 2:24
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus took our place in substitution and died on the cross for our sins. Through His cross we are founded in our Christian faith and called to remain faithful to Him. Christ has crucified our old man in the flesh and has made us alive in righteousness through His everlasting love, that we may always follow His will. He has broken the power of sin leading to death through His sacrifice on the cross, liberated us to the Father and has granted us everlasting life through faith in Him.
SUMMARY
Sin as we have seen is to miss the mark or being separated from God through failure to heed to His law of love for God and our neighbours. To be diverted in consciousness of God to selfish impulse that drives much of our behaviour. Through the sin of Adam sin came into the world and through the righteousness of Christ the power of sin was broken on the cross. Jesus Who was without sin became sin so that we may become the righteousness of God. Jesus mission was predestined before the foundations of the world and announced to Joseph in a dream that Jesus’ would be divinely conceived by his wife Mary and that He would save His people from their sins (Mat 1:21). Through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus demonstrated His everlasting love for us while we were still sinners and justified us by His blood on the cross. He has reconciled us to the father and given us abundant grace through His death and resurrection. We are now a new creation, the righteousness of God and His heirs, that we may come to repentance and inherit His kingdom through faith. Since we have been born of God in Christ-likeness we do not sin for His seed remains in us (1 Jn 3:9). We have been conformed to His image and likeness and as His ambassadors, we seek Him first and represent Him here on earth through love. Christ has obtained victory for us though His death and resurrection that we may have everlasting life with Him through faith.
PRAYER
Thank You Jesus for paying the ransom for us on the cross. For taking away all our sins, shame and curses, and granting us Your grace. Cleanse us Jesus by Your precious blood and make us as white as snow. Heal all our physical, emotional, relational, financial and psychological wounds Jesus and renew our strength. Thank You Father for this far that You have brought us. You have strengthened us, healed our diseases, protected us, provided for us, opened many doors for us and sustained us, we glorify Your holy name. Remember Father all those who are sick, homeless, hopeless, orphans, widows, widowers, divorced, unmarried, childless, jobless, depressed, drug addicts and all those who are slaves to sin that You may show them Your salvation and give them rest. You have shown us exceedingly abundant love through Your death on the cross Jesus, we praise Your holy name. May the mysteries of Your salvation enlighten our hearts and minds to seek You always; for without You we are nothing. Worthy are You the Lamb of God Who was slain to receive all glory, honor, praise and adoration. We humbly ask You to bless us Jesus and keep us. Make Your face shine upon us and be gracious to us. Lift up Your countenance upon us and give us peace Jesus. Amen