Romans 5:19 For 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.

Probably a lot of people aren’t very moved by this verse, because it sounds technical or theoretical. However, it is expressing the basis for our being able to approach God, and thus the basis for salvation. It is a restatement of the previous verse, which uses “trespass” and “condemnation,” in an effort to make things a little clearer. The point is not any sort of universalism, which says that everybody gets saved, but rather that the basis for salvation is available to everyone. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of Christ as the “last Adam,” (1 Corinthi­ans 15:45) which is very much in line with what he is saying here. You could say that Adam blew it, so Jesus was a do-over! We can hardly imagine perfect obedience. Even computers are famous for not doing what we tell them! However, Jesus was no more a robot than Adam was, and He was perfectly obedient to the Father. That’s why faith in Him makes us righteous.

This is actually a very personal issue for me, but then, it should be for every human being. I am aware that in myself, I am capable of unspeakable evil. With a slightly different course, I could have become a mass murderer, because I was thoroughly caught in the conceit of intellect, thinking that because my IQ was higher than someone else, that made me inherently more valuable. That is exactly the sort of thinking that several mass murderers have had. God in His grace held me back from that and brought me to repentance, but it could have gone either way. I am deeply and profoundly grateful for the grace of God, but I wasn’t even aware of it at the time. This is part of the miracle of God’s love: it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Today, some people seem to think I’m “impossibly good.” They don’t know! I am righteous solely because of the grace of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.

Father, words fail me completely when it comes to expressing how much I owe to You, because I owe You everything. Help me express Your grace to others in ways that they can understand and receive it, because they are just as much in need of it as I am or ever was. May I be an open channel of Your grace and love to all, so that as many as will may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!