Lord's Day Devotion - Suffering Sacrifice

Not many people would cause themselves their own suffering if they can help it, let alone suffer on someone else's behalf.  Yet many the world over do suffer for a variety of reasons:  sickness, injuries; financial; emotional; or from persecution and the like.  When a person suffers, he or she will try their best to remove the source of it.  We, however, are not always successful.

We live in a fallen world.  This almost from the beginning of time.  Adam and Eve and their disobedience caused The Fall.  We could blame them but do we do any better?

Through one man sin came into the world.  Suffering and death came in its wake. And...

"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23).

The good news is that One man came to change that...

"The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Through One man we can overcome those wages of sin.  Jesus purposefully suffered.  He suffered on the cross, being our sacrifice, making atonement available for one and all for His human creatures.  He suffered and died in our place to provide the way out of eternal damnation; the ultimate wages for our sin.  

Read what Romans 5:12 and 17-19 (ESV) have to say...

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."

As often as we break bread and drink the cup of remembrance of His death and resurrection let us sing our gratitude to Him, giving praise, the fruit of our lips (Hebrews 13:5) for His ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, and serve Him with our lives. 

                                                        ~ERC  May 2018~