14 day plan

Developing Spiritual Resilience

Day 11 of 14

NIV

Romans 5:6-8

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Reflection*: 

Forgiveness is not salvation. People must personally receive God’s decree of forgiveness in order to experience salvation: the restoration of loving relationship with God. Salvation comes about through personal repentance and faith in Jesus. Forgiveness is unilateral, being reconciled to God is bilateral. 

Forgiveness of sins happens by God’s action, not ours. Our repentance is not the basis for God’s forgiveness; it is the way we benefit from it. 

I believe Luke 23:34 (yesterday’s passage about Jesus on the cross) teaches that I do not earn God’s forgiveness by my confession and repentance; I already stand forgiven. My sense of being forgiven does not depend upon my recent obedience but upon Jesus’ obedience. I confess and repent because I love Jesus. And in doing so, I experience his forgiveness. 

Theologian Tom Smail comments, “God did not retire into hurt aloofness and wait for us to make overtures of repentance towards him, his attitude to us is not, ‘When they say they are sorry, then I might think about forgiving them.’ His love proves itself to be far more gloriously generous than that.” 

How confident are you that you are forgiven? Does knowing you are forgiven lead you to repentance?

How might this study affect your spiritual resilience?

Prayer: 

Lord, help me to comprehend Your Amazing Grace. Thank you that it is not my good works or spiritual performance that qualifies me to receive your forgiveness, for in Jesus you have already given this gift to me. Help me to live forgiveness-conscious, to keep a short account with you, Lord, so that by my confession, repentance, and obedience, I might grow in spiritual resilience. 

 

*BSA’s Daily Bible devotions are written by Christians who agree and are united on the centrality of the Bible, our understanding of who the Triune God is, and in affirming together the great creeds of the church. We know that not everyone agrees on every point of interpretation, and some discussions have been going on amongst Christians for many, many years. So like always, we hope you take this Daily Bible series, consider carefully God’s word as you hear Adam’s reflections on how he reads these passages concerning spiritual resilience.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

Days

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Romans 5:1-21

Peace and Hope

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For 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! 11Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

13To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.