A Learnt Thing

Although I have not been posting on here, I am still stuck in Romans. I have not been faithfully reading every day, but doing much better. Some nights I have even been reading to Aaron and then telling him what they spoke to me. The things I tell him are things I have read before, yet they stand out like a bolt of lightning to me totally exposing the darkness within. The verses constantly challenge me and show me how faithful of a God we serve.

On a previous post Kim Berner talked about how God "regrets" doing something and does that mean He made a mistake. I did not answer her blog because I had no idea how to answer it. I still can't answer like a great theologian, but learned something through Romans. Romans talks much about living by faith or living by law. Romans 5:12 - 15 in a wrap states, "just as sin entered the world through one man, so did righteousness enter the world through another man." Of course, here we are talking of Adam (law) and Christ (righteousness). In the back of my mind without my realization I guess I kind of believed that Adam was a mistake. I mean after all, he sort of ruined it for all of us, right along with Eve.

However, verses 18 - 21 state the following:

"Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 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 Christ Jesus our Lord."

How was Adam's sin a part of God's big plan? Without sin, how could there be grace? You sin, but doesn't God's grace abound much more and cover our sin. He doesn't "allow" sin, but His grace is abundant in covering us when we do sin. We still have to pay consequences, but grace is found in God's forgiveness. That forgiveness could only be given through the life of His Son. That is where atonement comes into the picture and God's righteousness into our lives. If we live by law, we only fail. However, the law was given in order that we might see the error of our ways. In other words, the law is not in vain. But it is God who saves us, not the law. Therefore, we must believe and let Him work righteousness into our lives. If we follow the "law" to perfection then there is no need for faith. However, we all miss the mark and all fall short. Therefore, we need faith in His righteousness and therefore must live by faith.