Adam and Christ

Romans 5 is a powerful chapter where Paul unpacks the results of being justified by faith and draws a deep contrast between Adam and Christ. Here’s a summary and breakdown of the key themes:

Summary of Romans 5:

Verses 1–11:
Paul begins by explaining the benefits of justification by faith. Because believers are justified (declared righteous) through faith in Jesus, they now have:

  • Peace with God (v.1)
  • Access to grace (v.2)
  • Hope of the glory of God (v.2)
  • Joy even in suffering, knowing it produces endurance, character, and hope (vv.3–4)
  • God’s love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (v.5)
  • Certainty of salvation, because Christ died for us while we were still sinners (vv.6–8)
  • Reconciliation with God through Jesus’ death and life (vv.9–11)

Verses 12–21:
Paul then moves into a comparison between Adam and Christ, often called the “two humanities” section:

  • Through Adam’s sin, death entered the world and spread to all humanity (v.12)
  • But through Christ’s obedience, grace and life are offered to all (v.15)
  • Adam’s sin brought condemnation, but Christ’s righteousness brings justification (v.18)
  • Where sin increased, grace increased even more (v.20)

Key Themes:

  1. Justification by Faith:
    Believers are declared righteous not by works, but through faith in Jesus Christ.
  2. Peace and Reconciliation with God:
    Because of justification, believers enjoy a new relationship with God marked by peace, access to grace, and reconciliation.
  3. Hope in Suffering:
    Suffering is not meaningless. It refines character and anchors hope in God’s love and promises.
  4. God’s Love and Grace:
    The cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love—Christ died for the ungodly at just the right time.
  5. The Contrast Between Adam and Christ:
    • Adam represents humanity’s fall into sin and death.
    • Christ represents redemption and the gift of righteousness and life. Paul emphasizes that God’s grace far outweighs sin.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT

Justified by Faith

The company where I’m employed is serious about its mission, and part of this involves giving back to our communities. For example, we’ve logged more than one million hours of community service since 2017. That’s a lot of hands and hearts working to make a positive impact!

Last week was our sixth annual “volunteer week” where thousands of team members joined to serve people in need. I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in one of the events, and it was fantastic! Everyone was energized, enthusiastic, working hard, and served with a smile. This was a great reminder for me as to why I love this company and my teammates so much.

While serving is a very important aspect of our company’s culture, it isn’t required, and it doesn’t indicate whether or not a team member is successful in his or her role. Serving is one thing, meeting the job’s performance expectations is another. I could serve 10 hours per week for a year, but there will be negative consequences if I am not delivering as per my job description.

Today’s reading: Romans 4

Romans Chapter Four has a similar theme as it explains that we are not justified by our works but by our faith. We can try to check all of the boxes when it comes to a list of rules, but what saves us is our faith in Christ alone. God’s “job description” for us isn’t a bunch of rules – it is about our hearts, minds, and souls being in a trusting relationship with him.

While I am thankful to work for a company that encourages service, I’m eternally grateful for the one true God who loves me unconditionally; all I need to do is trust and obey.

Magnum Opus

Today’s Reading is Romans 1

Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome is a thorough and clear presentation of the Gospel, or “good news,” about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Some have said it can be considered his Magnum Opus.

Where I pause to reflect on this chapter is verses 16 & 17.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

My prayer is to be more obedient in my sharing of the “good news”. Where my faith wavers because of insecurities of the testimony I share, my prideful step needs to step aside. It’s not about me… it is about HIM. Paul, a servant of Christ, made a lasting impact on those who came into contact with him and through his letters. This message is the “good news” to those who believe. ( John 3:16)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.

Verse 17 says that in the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed. The biblical truth is that the righteous will live by faith. (Hebrews 10:38) helps me live in confidence and a stronger conviction to share the “Good News” without any reservations.

38 For the one right with God lives by faith. If anyone turns back, I will not be pleased with him.”

Salvation only comes by faith, and in itself is a gift from God. Believers are free from the past penalty of sin, the present power of sin, and the future sins we will fall short of.

Lord, let not the presence of Easter be our time where we share our faith only. Help us to draw closer to You daily, growing us in our faith. Let our human self not get in the way of sharing like Paul.

Is this the End or the Beginning ?

Today’s Reading: Psalms 25

As we celebrated Easter yesterday, I can’t help but to think about what the disciples were thinking and experiencing.

On Thursday, they were having a Passover feast with their teacher and Rabbi and then they saw him arrested and heard that he was crucified. They thought this was the End of everything. 

John and Peter saw Christ brutally, beaten and crushed, and then executed through the crucifixion. They experienced the End of everything. Their hearts were broken.

On Sunday morning, both Peter and John go to the tomb and witness that he had risen. They were questioning themselves was that the End or was this the Beginning of something amazing.

A couple days ago, as we were preparing for Good Friday, my daughters were engaged in questions and wanted to know the reason behind Good Friday and the naming of it. They’re asking why is Good Friday called “Good”?  I informed her that it was good that Christ completed his mission of life to reconcile us back to God, and allow us to have the ability to speak to God directly. The sacrifice of Christ allowed us to reconnect with God through the Holy Spirit. 

The next question was “ if Good Friday was the end of Christ where was the beginning? Does God have a daddy? “ These profound questions from my 11-year-old and nine-year-old allow me to look at the complexity  of God and Christ. 

We see the beginning of our relationship with God through the death of Christ. We also see and witness the all of God and the creation of all things. So is it just the beginning or is this the end? Or is this the end or is it the beginning of our relationships? It seems that we are on a continuum where each day ends and the new day begins.

In the psalms 25, we are also at a continuum where we are visiting with David in the latter days of his life. David is questioning his future at the same time, he is asking forgiveness for his past. 

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

Psalms 25: 4-7

We are constantly asking for insight into what to do next, but at the same time we are stuck in the past.

God through Christ has shown us that he is independent of time and that he loves us despite all of our difficult circumstances. God sees us in the completeness of who we are. Throughout our circumstances, we can grow in HIm more. It is when we have the struggles in our past, that allows us to lean into Christ through the Holy Spirit. So through our living, we are continuously engaged with him.

Is this the end or the beginning? The answer is yes.  We are constantly becoming renewed daily with our relationship with God the Father through Christ, God the Son, and the beauty of God the Spirit. May we enjoy this Easter season with renewed how that all of our past transgressions have been forgotten and live with more intention to be a reflection of God’s Love.

Psalm 22 – The Crucifixion

Today’s reading is Psalm 22.

Psalm 22 was written by David and is arguably the most known of the 15 Messianic Psalms which describe the coming Messiah in Jesus. This Psalm is one of the Old Testament writings many Jews who have become Christians attribute to part of their conversion because it is so convicting that it is describing Jesus’ Crucifixion. And it was written about 1,000 years before Jesus’ birth with this being translated from Hebrew to Greek in what is called the Septuagint nearly 300 years before Jesus was even born! I’m excited to dive in to this with you. The timing being fitting with Good Friday tomorrow. Please also note that I will likely only mention one cross reference (no pun intended) between Psalm 22 and actual events of the Crucifixion described in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John…yet many of the events matching Psalm 22 are in multiple, if not all, of the Gospels.

We know a lot about David’s life through the books of 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and 2 Chronicles. And we know that he was not in the situation described in Psalm 22, even though he wrote it, showing it was a prophecy and not events he himself experienced. In Psalm 22:16-17 he says, “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet – I can count all my bones – they stare and gloat over me;” It is clear in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19 that this is what happened to Jesus and describes the events as a whole. As David describes what actually happened during crucifixion, it is important to note most scholars agree crucifixion was not even invented by the Romans until around 700 years after David wrote this. Stoning was the Jews choice of capital punishment. Psalm 22:14 says that his bones were out of joint which is what happens from the weight of the body hanging on the cross. It is clear this is prophetic description of the crucifixion of Jesus.

Let’s move on to some of other events as a part of the crucifixion David describes in detail. Psalm 22:18 says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” This is told in John 19:23-25 with John 19:24 quoting Psalm 22:18 and actually saying this fulfilled that Scripture.

Psalm 22:7-8 says, “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; He trusts in the Lord; let Him deliver Him; let Him rescue Him, for He delights in Him.'” The mocking of Jesus is described in all of the Gospels, whether it be the soldiers, the crowd, or the priests, scribes, and elders with Matthew 27:43 matching Psalm 22:8.

Psalm 22:15 says, “…and my tongue sticks to my jaws;” Jesus says in John 19:28, “I thirst,” with this again saying right in this verse this fulfills Psalm 22:15.

Lastly, Psalm 22 begins with Psalm 22:1 saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34 says, “At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

I realize my writing today provides more of a historical reference of the prophecy and actual events in the Gospels, rather than a reflection or perspective. But we know Hebrews 4:12 says the Word is living and active and pierces the soul and spirit, so my prayer is that as we go into this Easter weekend it does just that and meets and speaks to each one of us where we need it.

My encouragement is to reflect and meditate on it so God can speak to you.

David Could Write a Psalm or Two!

Psalm 21

Does anyone else ever read some of the Psalms written by David and easily slip back into that mindset of, “You’re right David, God is so good!”?  I know it isn’t just me. Psalm 21 I feel does just that.

Verse 4, “He asked you for life, and you gave it to him – length of days, for ever and ever.”  When I lay my head down tonight, I am going to pray as usual.  And as I usually do, I am going to start off by thanking Him for today and for all the others that come after.  But after reading this, I am going to go a little further.  I am going to thank the Lord for those “forever days”, for that eternal life with Him.

I already know I don’t thank God enough for everything He has given me.  I mean, I think I do a “good job”, but I know I can easily do better at prayer, carving out at the least a little more time from my day to put the brakes on life and talk to Him or talk WITH Him.  This makes me realize that next time I pray I WANT to thank Him for those eternal days when this life is all said and done.  As I reflect on it, I feel like it is easily assumed and/or taken for granted when in fact we know it is the greatest gift He gives us!

Then in the second part of this Psalm David addresses those who don’t seek God’s love or forgiveness.  Verse 8 says, “Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.”  Mr. T. says it best, “I pity the fool”.

We have all had tremendous UPs in life and tremendous DOWNs.  I know I am not the only one, but I love knowing that God has been by my side and by the side of so many others.  So, I pity the fool that ever tells me they don’t need faith in God in their lives when they think they have it all.  Surely, we wouldn’t mind having the all the riches from our first day until our last, or just being able to glide through life without any trials thrown our way, but we also understand material things are no comparison to the love, forgiveness and eternal life that God offers us.  And if there was no turbulence in our lives then where do we learn that we can’t do this thing without His help along the way?!

So….Thank you David for the words you wrote in Psalm 21.  With your words and Easter in a few days, I will challenge myself and others to put down the phone, take one less unnecessary call/text/email and spend that time to be thankful not for just today but for so much more.  And pray for someone that might put on a really good show but is actually struggling with something that they don’t want anyone else to know.

Psalm 21:1 O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength.  How great is his joy in the victories you give!

The Law Fulfilled

Psalms 19-20 – 4/15/2025

Living in the age after Jesus, it is easy for me as a Christian to neglect the idea of the perfect law, a law that God has set forth to make straight the path of the people of Israel. Considering that Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the law and has come to create a new covenant with us, it is easy for me to throw any thought about that old law to the wayside. After all, Jesus changed everything for us, right? He did indeed change everything, there is no doubt about that. But that doesn’t change the fact that God’s law is still perfect forever, and that law is still to be delighted in if we are to have a full understanding of our creator and savior. 

As I read through Psalms 19, I am greeted with various verses that describe the law. It makes wise the simple, it rejoices the heart, it enlightens the eyes, it endures forever, it is righteous, more to be desired than any gold and sweeter also than honey. What admiration the Psalmists have for the law of the Lord! They know that the Lord loves them and is a righteous God, and that the boundaries that he has set for them are meant to prosper them and guide them on the path to righteousness. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” They love the Lord, and in return they desire to adhere to the law. 

God is the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The law that he created is good in all times and to all people. It is perfect, and always will be. But we live in a different time than the Psalmists, they lived in a time before Jesus and his sacrifice. How does the involvement of Jesus change how we should live our life according to the law?

Jesus makes it clear that his coming does not abolish the law, but instead he has came to fulfill and perfect the law, giving us the ability to be made right with God through his sacrifice. “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4). The law is still good, but Christ is the culmination of it all, meaning that by believing in him we follow his law perfected. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way, “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves.” (Hebrews 10:1) The law is only a shadow of Christ, it pointed to Jesus to come as the fulfillment of everything that it had to offer. In these ways, Christ has bridged the gap between us and the Father, ultimately doing everything that we couldn’t and making us perfect before him.  

The law is good, and to know the perfect law is to know Christ, our savior. It is important that we, like the Psalmists, have an understanding that perfection through the law is still expected of us as Christians and is still the standard that God has set for us to be in relationship with him. But unlike the time of the Psalmists, Christ has come to die on our behalf, to make a sacrifice that washes us clean in the eyes of the Lord. In his perfect fulfillment of the law, we are made righteous and have the opportunity to be with him for eternity. This Jesus, the word made flesh, can only be understood in fullness when we understand that the word that he fulfilled was the perfect law of the Lord. May we all delight in the law of the Lord, for by delighting in the law we really are delighting in Christ who perfected it. 

The Warrior David – Broken but Faithful

Imagine David standing at the end of a long, hard-fought journey—his armor battered, his soul weathered by years of trials. He had faced lions, giants, a jealous king, betrayal by friends, and even rebellion from his own son. Psalm 18 is David’s victory song, sung not just from the throne, but from a heart that remembers every cave, every battle, and every desperate prayer.

He opens with an intimate declaration: “I love You, O Lord, my strength.” David doesn’t just know about God—he knows Him personally. Throughout the psalm, he calls God his rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, and stronghold. These aren’t poetic titles—they’re survival stories.

David recalls how, in his darkest moments, he cried out, and God responded—not passively, but powerfully. The heavens shook, thunder roared, and God reached down to rescue him. It’s a dramatic picture of divine intervention—a God who doesn’t stand far off but moves heaven and earth for His people.

He praises God not only for deliverance but for strength in battle. God didn’t just save him; He equipped him, trained him, and lifted him up.

Psalm 18 closes with public worship—David magnifies God before the nations, giving Him full credit for every victory.

During our trials and tough times, we feel like God has “left us.”  We may feel like no good God would allow us to suffer like this. When the tough times come, and they will, how do we react?  Do we “run toward” our Father or do we question Him for not fixing or removing our troubles?

Our Application from Psalm 18:

  • God is our strength when we have none.
  • We can trust Him to hear and respond to our cries.
  • Living with integrity invites God’s blessing and protection.
  • Our testimonies should lead to praise and public declaration of God’s goodness.

Psalm 18 reminds us: God doesn’t just deliver us—He walks with us through every trial, and He turns our scars into songs.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT

Praying With Passion: Psalm 17

During a difficult time a couple of years ago, many of my posts on this site had a similar theme. I was crying out, filled with the rawest of human emotions. I felt oppressed, depressed, afraid, and more. What I also felt was a closeness to God that I hadn’t felt ever before. My prayers were specific, continuous, and genuine, and I was often moved to tears.

My last post talked about living with passion. The focus today is praying with passion via the assigned chapter, Psalm 17. This chapter reminds me of the passionate prayers I had a couple of years ago and serves as a reminder for us to open our hearts to God every time we pray –  earnestly, honestly, and intensively. In prayer, we are conversing with the God of the universe, our Creator, our Father in Heaven who loves us more than we can comprehend and knows us better than we know ourselves so there is no point in trying to hide anything from him.

Psalm 17 also reminds me of Christ and his passion on the cross. We are sinners in a sinful world but Jesus never sinned, he didn’t deserve the torture, hatred, punishment and judgment yet he faced it knowingly and willingly. All of the things David sought refuge from (deceit, violence, wickedness, arrogance, deadly enemies, ambush, and more) were directly experienced by Jesus as he became the substitute for our sins.

Whatever you are praying about today, seek the face of Jesus, envision to the best of your human mind the horrific impact of your sins, then praise him for what he did to erase those sins forever.

Let these words from Psalm 103 be the exclamation point to our praise and gratitude:

For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:11-12)

The Lord’s Ways are Higher

The Lords Ways are Higher
Acts 28:1-10

The context of this passage of scripture is that Paul, along with other prisoners, had started their voyage to Rome. Shortly, after they had started their voyage, Luke describes a tempestuous storm arising. It is likely that Luke was with Paul at this time as we see him use the words “we” and “us”. The seas raged and the boat went shipwrecked. We see that the soldiers had planned to kill the prisoners because they didn’t want any of them to escape, but there was a centurion who wanted to save Paul. We see that this centurion made sure they all survived and made it to land safely.

This sounds like a rough situation and things are not going according to plan, but we must read this passage, and go through life, with a higher perspective. Paul ends up on an island called Malta, and we see again something drastic happens. The NKJV says in verse 3 that a viper came out of a bundle of sticks and bit Paul on the hand. The natives viewed Paul as a murderer because he couldn’t seem to escape death. Miraculously, Paul was okay and the natives quickly shifted their view of Paul to being a god.

As we continue reading our passage, we see that a certain leading citizen’s father was very sick. Paul laid hands and prayed, and the Lord healed the man. Many others then came and got healed as well.

Sometimes our circumstances don’t make sense to us, but they make complete sense to God. Isaiah 55:8-9 reads, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Maybe something is going very south in your life and you just don’t quite understand why. Maybe you felt an urge to move somewhere, and you don’t get it. Maybe you lost your job, and you feel like the world is crashing down around you. God’s plans are greater than our plans. His will is better than our will. He loves you and will always take care of His kids. He is a good God and holds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3 NKJV). Have perspective as you face tumultuous circumstances and submit yourself to God’s will.