I had a “problem” with Romans 5 for a while! It was one of those passages you put in the “mystery box”, hoping to understand it some day, because it just didn’t make sense. It bothered me because, it clearly shows that the work of Christ is greater than the fall of Adam, but that would mean that everyone goes to heaven and that can’t be, so into the “mystery box” it goes! Then, a friend of ours came back from America for a visit and we always try hooking up with him, so he can share some stories and experiences with us. Anyway, we got to chatting and he was going in the Romans 5 direction and everything in me jumped with a “Yes! I knew it”, but my mind was reeling and all the scriptures of hell and judgement came to mind… and therein lies my problem, I’ve been trained in judgement…
When we hear somebody say, “Everybody is saved” or “Everybody is Born-Again”, the first thing we think about, or at least I did, is the implication it has on heaven or hell! We immediately switch to “oooh, scary, that’s universalism!”, because we’ve been taught that the gospel is about “populating heaven and plundering hell”. Our evangelism is scare tactics to make people think about where they’re going to spend eternity and “if you had to meet God today!”. We teach people that they have to receive Jesus if they want to be saved, when the gospel is that Jesus has received them! He has taken away our sin, all of ours and all of it, while we were unable to believe, repent, live holy or reach out to others! That’s what Romans 5 is about, it’s about our inclusion in the life of Christ, how this life is given to everybody, they either believe it or they don’t! We think we’re reaching out to people when Jesus has already reached them, through His incarnation, His life, death and resurrection! So, what’s the message? “You’re forgiven, You’re reconciled, You’re included, You’re home, believe!” He did it all by Himself, thank you very much! (Let’s all stand and give Him a hand). By the way, the faith isn’t even ours! “Faith comes…”
This might be old news to you, but I’m in constant ecstasy about this truth! He planned it all along… to adopt us in Christ!
He didn’t just save from sin, He saved us into Himself, into His life with the Father! This is so liberating, so fresh…. this is the best news ever and in the words of John Crowder, “I’m only sniffing the cork”
IamRedArt 