For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Romans 5:17-18
Today is Friday, yet it’s like any other day that we should be thankful for, right? However, there is something about Fridays that we love; it’s like a pass to Disneyland, where the fun begins!
In the corporate world, there are so many “sayings.” There is one for Mondays, one for Wednesdays, and then there’s Friday. After a while, you find yourself getting into the habit of saying “thank God it’s Friday!” Well, as of today, TGIF will have a new meaning for me and I’ll begin a new habit of saying, “thank God it’s free!”; it will certainly spark new conversations not only at the water cooler, but wherever you are and thus, an opportunity to witness.
Paul tells the Romans that Adam brought about death because of his sin and disobedience, but Christ came and brought about life and reconciled us back to God. Two acts with opposite results. Paul was very straightforward in speaking to the Romans; he got right to the point of the matter (the Romans and their lifestyle is something to read about). Today, the passage deals with the righteousness of God, and Paul specifically tells them in these verses that by the righteousness of one, a free gift had come to justify or give reason for new life.
If our focus is on what excepting the gift would mean; new life, a loving and wonderful relationship with the Lord, then perhaps we would make it our purpose to be more appreciative of the gift that was freely given and sharing it with others. Because of the gift, we not only have life, but life more abundantly. We have peace and joy that exists through fellowship with Christ, the gift giver. You can feel whole and complete; mind, body and soul, and apart from Him, it’s really not possible. If we get to know Him and understand the depth of whom He is and who we are because of Him, then we begin to experience this new life in ways unimaginable. I can tell you that getting to know the heart of God and His purpose for our lives empowers us to be more like Him ... and it all starts with accepting the free gift.
I truly believe that the presentation of this gift is vital, in our verbal expression, as well as our outward expression of Christ to others. Perhaps our approach needs some readjustment, perhaps we need to be more creative in how we approach; even though the message is the same, people are different and personalities are diverse; proceed accordingly, Jesus did. Certainly, we have to live the life we talk about; be an example, a practice what you preach paradigm, if you will. There is already so much negativity surrounding the church today that we need to be beacons of hope, vessels of change, and givers of expectation. We need to be able to give an answer for the hope that’s in us and tell the world effectively that Christ is the answer. That knowing Him makes all the difference in how we navigate our daily lives, even in the decisions and the choices we make.
Even with all that's said, I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t like free giveaways, do you? Give someone the opportunity to hear about your hope today, tell them the gift is free (another TGIF); a gift they can have right now, without delay, no waiting in long lines, no paperwork to fill out just a few simple words to say (Rom 10:9-10) and it’s theirs for the keeping!
Happy TGIF!!
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
Today is Friday, yet it’s like any other day that we should be thankful for, right? However, there is something about Fridays that we love; it’s like a pass to Disneyland, where the fun begins!
In the corporate world, there are so many “sayings.” There is one for Mondays, one for Wednesdays, and then there’s Friday. After a while, you find yourself getting into the habit of saying “thank God it’s Friday!” Well, as of today, TGIF will have a new meaning for me and I’ll begin a new habit of saying, “thank God it’s free!”; it will certainly spark new conversations not only at the water cooler, but wherever you are and thus, an opportunity to witness.
Paul tells the Romans that Adam brought about death because of his sin and disobedience, but Christ came and brought about life and reconciled us back to God. Two acts with opposite results. Paul was very straightforward in speaking to the Romans; he got right to the point of the matter (the Romans and their lifestyle is something to read about). Today, the passage deals with the righteousness of God, and Paul specifically tells them in these verses that by the righteousness of one, a free gift had come to justify or give reason for new life.
If our focus is on what excepting the gift would mean; new life, a loving and wonderful relationship with the Lord, then perhaps we would make it our purpose to be more appreciative of the gift that was freely given and sharing it with others. Because of the gift, we not only have life, but life more abundantly. We have peace and joy that exists through fellowship with Christ, the gift giver. You can feel whole and complete; mind, body and soul, and apart from Him, it’s really not possible. If we get to know Him and understand the depth of whom He is and who we are because of Him, then we begin to experience this new life in ways unimaginable. I can tell you that getting to know the heart of God and His purpose for our lives empowers us to be more like Him ... and it all starts with accepting the free gift.
I truly believe that the presentation of this gift is vital, in our verbal expression, as well as our outward expression of Christ to others. Perhaps our approach needs some readjustment, perhaps we need to be more creative in how we approach; even though the message is the same, people are different and personalities are diverse; proceed accordingly, Jesus did. Certainly, we have to live the life we talk about; be an example, a practice what you preach paradigm, if you will. There is already so much negativity surrounding the church today that we need to be beacons of hope, vessels of change, and givers of expectation. We need to be able to give an answer for the hope that’s in us and tell the world effectively that Christ is the answer. That knowing Him makes all the difference in how we navigate our daily lives, even in the decisions and the choices we make.
Even with all that's said, I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t like free giveaways, do you? Give someone the opportunity to hear about your hope today, tell them the gift is free (another TGIF); a gift they can have right now, without delay, no waiting in long lines, no paperwork to fill out just a few simple words to say (Rom 10:9-10) and it’s theirs for the keeping!
Happy TGIF!!
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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