Scripture:
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned……..If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through the one man, MUCH more will those who received the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”
(Romans 5:12,17)
“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
(Romans 8:3-4)
Devotion:
God never left humanity in their despair and disorder. He provided hope in a very dismal situation brought about by rebellion and disobedience. Sin and death, alienation and loss of intimacy with God and with one another came into the world by the disobedience of one man, Adam. But the Good News is that hope and salvation from sin and death come through God’s own Son, whom Christians from the beginning have referred to as the second or last Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49).
The first brought death; the last brings life.
We must therefore, as Christian families and church community, always enthrone and place Christ Jesus as truly the Head of our homes. Acknowledge His Lordship over our lives. Submit to His Word. Die to self and put on the New Man. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Gather regularly as families to worship and pray. He is the Restorer and Healer of all broken or strained relationships. Family life, marriage, parenting, even getting along with aged senior parents can be challenging at times. All of us need lots of grace and help of the Holy Spirit to overcome all the demands and expectations placed upon us.
We must value family togetherness and oneness, unity and harmony in our marriages, with CHRIST at the center of our lives and homes.
What the first Adam did, giving the Devil a foothold and authority to break up relationships, Christ Jesus came to bring a complete REVERSAL. Jesus alone brings the victory that we can experience.
Reflection:
(1) Spend some time reflecting on the work of Jesus upon the Cross. Recall how He defeated the Enemy by His obedience, submission and surrender to the will of the Father; how He was willing to give up all His rights, putting our needs before His own.
(2) How much do we entrust our relationships into the hands of the Lord?
(3) How often do we simply get on our knees to cry out to Him for His grace, mercy and help in times of need, when marital or family conflicts arise?
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that You place a strong awareness in us that Christ has come to undo all the damage that the first Adam did. We thank You, Lord Jesus that in you we can reign in this life: that is to live in victory and be overcomers. Keep us trusting in You, relying upon You and growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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