WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday April 23, 2017
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GOD’S RECONCILING LOVE
(We can be more than conquerors through CHRIST)
(Romans 5:6-11 and 8:31-39)
The sin of Adam brought physical death. The Resurrection of
CHRIST brought spiritual life. Because one man disobeyed GOD, many people
became sinners (Romans 5:12). However, because one other MAN obeyed GOD, many
people will be made right in GOD’s sight (Romans 5:17).
In the original Greek, the word Paul uses
for “access”, in Romans 5:2, is “prosagoge” (pros-a-gogue-ay), and it means “to
introduce, or usher someone else into the presence of royalty”. It can also be
defined as “a safe haven”, or “harbor”. We have “access” to GOD through our faith in JESUS CHRIST, WHO came into the
World, and overcame the World, by way of HIS enduring SPIRIT.
We can now rejoice in our trials because we
know that those trials are not meant to make us fail, but rather, they are
tests, that are meant to strengthen us, and make us better warriors in the army
of CHRIST. Trials help us learn to endure, and endurance develops strength and
character. Our character then strengthens our hope and confidence in the gift
of salvation (Romans 5:2-4).
In John 15:13 JESUS says that, “greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”
(KJV). This gives us confidence in salvation, because, here JESUS is saying in
effect, that, from that glorious moment when HE died on the cross at Golgotha,
we, as believers, were no longer just HIS servants, but, at that moment, we
became HIS friends. By the sin of Adam, all men became sinners and were
alienated from GOD. In total contrast, by the righteousness of CHRIST, all men
can become righteous, and can be restored back into a right relationship with
GOD (Romans 5:18).
Paul says it more clearly in 1 Corinthians
15:21-22 where he states, “For since by man came death, by MAN came also, the
resurrection of the dead. For in Adam all die, even so in CHRIST shall all be
made alive” (KJV). There are two basic Jewish ideas that come into play when
reading this passage and the first one is “solidarity”. The Jews never really
thought of themselves as individuals, but rather, they were a part of a chosen
clan, a family, or a nation, and whatever happened to one, happened to all.
The other thing that comes into play in
this passage is that, at least in those days, death was considered to be the
direct consequence, or result, of sin. The Jews believed that sin was intimately
connected with death, and in essence, they are right. GOD’s love, however, is not limited to just a select few, and
HE proved that when HE extended HIS love to the entire ungodly human race by
sending HIS SON JESUS to die on the cross for our iniquities. And since HIS
death brought reconciliation to us all, while we were still HIS enemies, we are
now reconciled, and should have confidence that HIS sacrifice will complete the
work of salvation in us (Romans 5:6-11).
GOD’s law was given to us so that all
people could see how sinful they are. The more people sin, the more abundantly
GOD’s wonderful grace and kindness will manifest itself. And just as sin had
previously ruled over all people, bringing them to death, so now GOD’s grace
and kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with HIMSELF, and
resulting in eternal life through CHRIST JESUS, our LORD (Romans 5:20-21).
Through faith in CHRIST, we can see an
ultimate happy ending to the unpleasant circumstances that we now find ourselves
in. Faith gives us hope to see beyond our suffering, tribulation, understanding,
and lack of understanding. Faith enables us to realize how GOD can work a
greater good in our lives through difficult times. And we can also rejoice and
come to rest in the hope of a glorious future that was prepared for us long
ago, by a kind and loving GOD.
GOD does not want us to wallow in the
troubles and failures of this life. HE wants us to always, through our strength
in CHRIST JESUS, be able to look beyond this world to a future with HIM. We
need to know that HIS power and love will always be able to overpower all of
the worries and issues of this life. And, when we can finally come to rest in
the thought, that this life is not the final act of the human drama, that is when
we truly have faith and trust in GOD.
As Christians, we know that all things work
together for good, to those who love GOD (Romans 8:28), but when trouble comes,
we’re sometimes hard pressed to recall it. Paul was convinced that nothing
could separate him from the love and safety found in GOD (Romans 8:38-39), and
we, if we are truly believers, should and must, be convinced of that too.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
Official Website
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