“So that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 5:21
Mankind’s fall into sin ushered in all the death that surrounds us in this world. The wages of sin is death and the corrupting effects of sin bring about the constant onslaught of horror and decay. However, there’s good news! There’s hope for this fallen world plagued by death!
God offers restoration, reconciliation, and healing from unrighteous sin and the death that accompanies it! God offers grace – a wondrous and precious gift, something which cannot be earned and is never deserved. Grace, beautiful grace, that triumphs over the power of sin and death!
God graciously declares us to be righteous when we believe in Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord. When we believe, God is kind enough to credit Christ’s perfect, pure righteousness to us. Though we are sinners, in Christ, we become saints. We are made right with God, declared “not guilty”. This isn’t because we’re special, more deserving, or in any way worthy. It’s only because God is gracious.
Christ in His love gave His life for us on the cross. There He suffered and died to establish a new covenant of grace in His blood. Now our relationship with God is based on His grace, rather than our limited ability to follow rules and laws. On the cross, Christ paid the penalty for our sins and through His death, made possible our eternal life by grace through faith in Him.
For all those who believe in Christ, His righteousness is ours and God’s grace reigns in our lives. We must never forget how and why we’ve been saved – by God’s grace and what Christ did for us, not as a result of anything we’ve done. May that grace fill and reign in our lives! May grace be the joy and overriding quality of our relationship with God and with every person we encounter each day. Let grace reign in your life!