TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 7:37-44
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. - John 7:38
TODAY IN THE WORD
When people report crimes, the police usually ask them to look through a book of mug shots to see if they can identify the perpetrator. If no picture can be found, they ask the victim to describe that individual to a sketch artist. The photos or drawings are then distributed to detectives and police working on the case to help them identify and capture suspects. Knowing criminals' identities is a key step in bringing them to justice.

Similarly, the key to Scripture is the identity of Christ. As we begin to wind up our month of study on God's Word, no point is more important than this one. Jesus' message in today's reading was straightforward: believe in me (vv. 37-39). He extended His invitation in Jerusalem, on the first day of the weeklong Feast of Tabernacles (a harvest celebration), when the people built booths and remembered the nation's wilderness journey from Egypt to Canaan. His invitation, an evocative metaphor of satisfying spiritual thirst, was based on an Old Testament allusion. Given the occasion, this was probably Isaiah 12:3—during a procession from the temple to the Pool of Siloam and back again, the priests drew water from the pool (to be poured out as a drink offering) and recited this verse.

The people's range of responses reminds us of the Parable of the Sower (vv. 40-44; see Jan. 15). Some showed partial faith, seeing Jesus as a messenger from God, perhaps the “Prophet” who was to precede the Messiah. Others believed fully, recognizing Jesus to be the Christ. Still others doubted. Ironically, they cited a messianic prophecy Jesus fulfilled, but lacked accurate information about his birthplace that might have changed their minds. A final group reacted with hostility and wanted Jesus seized and tried as a heretic.

In Jesus' message and people's responses, we see in a nutshell the meaning of Scripture and the history of the world.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The next time you get ready to enjoy a cool drink of water, take just a moment to reflect on its refreshing nature. Those few seconds spent thinking about the unequaled refreshment of water can be a tiny picture of what Christ meant when He spoke in today's passage about coming to Him and drinking (v. 37) or when He spoke to the Samaritan woman about “living water” (John 4:10). Let the water you drink today be an object lesson that focuses your thoughts on the Living Water.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 24:13-32
Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. - Luke 24:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
Earlier this month, we told you about the world's largest book. How about the smallest? The smallest reproduction of a printed book is a complete New Testament, engraved in gold ink on a five-millimeter-square microchip. Created with the help of a computer by the husband and wife team Pawan Sinha and Pamela Lipson, the book's letters are each only four microns high, about the size of a red blood cell. Such “tiny writing” has been among the couple's interests since their days as doctoral candidates at MIT.

Whether written large or small, the whole of Scripture testifies to the centrality of Christ, as we learn again in today's reading. On Resurrection Sunday, two followers of Jesus were on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Apparently members of the inner circle, they were discussing reports they had heard of the morning's events—the women's account of the empty tomb, the confirmations from Peter and John. What had really happened? What did it mean? On the road, they were met by the risen Lord but were prevented from recognizing Him, perhaps so they could focus on His amazing message.

In contrast to their puzzled and uncertain version of the story, Jesus taught them with authority how all that had happened had been foretold by the entire Old Testament (vv. 25-27). The suffering, death, and resurrection of the Messiah was the way it had to be for salvation to be made possible. Their failure to understand this was evaluated as foolishness and slowness of heart. They should have known!

At the moment these two followers began to share a meal with Jesus, they recognized Him. Now they understood why their hearts had burned with excitement for the truth while Jesus had been teaching them—God had been opening their eyes! As believers in whom faith had been kindled, they ran off to share the good news with others (see Jan. 26).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's passage says that these two followers recognized Jesus at the moment of breaking bread with Him. In the culture of that day, meal-fellowship or table-fellowship was a very meaningful and even intimate experience. Inviting someone to dinner was not merely a ritual or for show but a deep expression of friendship.

In the near future, plan hospitality or meal-fellowship for several close friends or another family.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 19:11-21
His name is the Word of God. - Revelation 19:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Books 5 and 6 of John Milton's epic, Paradise Lost, tell a story of Satan's rebellion and war in heaven. Succumbing to pride, Satan led a revolt and tried to set himself up as God's equal. When battles between the two angelic armies were inconclusive, the Son of God Himself entered the fray. Alone, He rode onto the field in His Father's chariot, and alone, He defeated the Devil's legions. In fact, there was no battle, as the fallen angels fled and were cast out of heaven. Our all-powerful Lord is not to be resisted!

This scene from Milton echoes the picture from today's reading, as Christ on a white horse rides triumphantly onto the final stage of history. Since all of God's Word testifies to the centrality of Jesus, it's very appropriate that Christ, the “Word of God,” appears here as the victorious King (v. 13; cf. John 1:1, 14).

This dramatic picture symbolizes several key attributes of our Lord (vv. 11-16). The white horse may stand for purity and righteousness. His eyes like fire indicate both wisdom and anger. The crowns show Him to be the King of Kings. The robe dipped in blood can symbolize both atonement and judgment. His intention to make war means that justice will be done (vv. 17-21). The sword is the Word, which is why it is pictured coming out of His mouth (v. 15; cf. Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:16). And His secret name probably implies that His true nature is far beyond our limited comprehension. Allusions to the Old Testament here are many, including His iron scepter (Ps. 2:9) and the winepress (Isa. 63:1-4).

In His Second Coming, Jesus will be accompanied by previously raptured believers, the “armies of heaven.” We know their identity because a few verses earlier (Rev. 19: they are said to be dressed in “fine linen, white and clean,” given to the Bride of Christ (the church). Thanks to God's Word, riding behind the Word-Made-Flesh, we too will play our part on that momentous day! Let us pray for His glorious appearing to be soon!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What an incredible gift God has given us in His special revelation that we call the Bible! This will be a great year of discovering even more of His “good and perfect” gifts, our theme for 2006.

To conclude this month's study, you may want to write a song, poem, or letter to God, thanking Him for the gift of His Word and the illumination of His Spirit. Present your creative work as a love-offering before His throne.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Chronicles 17:16-27
Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? - 1 Chronicles 17:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Interior Castle is a sixteenth-century Christian classic of the inner spiritual life. In it, Teresa of Avila (in Spain) meditated: “I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God, for, beholding His greatness we are struck by our own baseness, His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble.”

David's response to God's stunning promises showed that he understood this truth. He realized that although his request to build a temple had been denied, God had richly blessed him, and he responded with humble thankfulness. He acknowledged his own unworthiness to receive such grand promises, as well as the Lord's grace-filled guidance of his life and kingship. He saw clearly that the rise of Israel wasn't about him and his abilities, but rather about God's glory, will, and promises (v. 20).

David also located recent success in the larger stream of biblical history, recounting how God had chosen Israel for Himself, established a covenant relationship, redeemed them out of slavery in Egypt, given victories as they conquered the Promised Land, and has a plan to bless all the nations. Situating God's promises in a bigger picture, thus emphasizing His faithfulness rather than any one point in history, would have particularly encouraged the original audience of this passage in Chronicles.

Praying for God to keep His promises is the safest prayer there is (vv. 23-27)! So why did David bother? Or why should we? Because claiming God's promises in prayer shows faith, helps align our individual human wills with His will, can better attune us to what His plans are, and can help keep our motives rightly focused on His glory, not ours. In addition, God's promises can give us courage to pray what seems to us unthinkable, but is not so to a Sovereign for whom nothing is beyond His love, power, and wisdom (cf. Ps. 21:6-7). God delights to hear His people appeal to His character that He has revealed to us.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
David's joyful, humble response in today's reading acknowledges God's faithfulness to His chosen people, dating all the way back to His covenant with Abraham. What promises do we have in Christ? It's a wonderful topic for additional study, one that will certainly encourage your heart. One way to keep these in mind is to create your own flip chart with a different promise on each page. As you keep it at your desk or by your kitchen sink, you can meditate on God's faithfulness to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 1:1-17
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. - Romans 1:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the preface to his commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans, Martin Luther wrote: “This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes.”

All Scripture has been given by God for our edification and encouragement, and the book of Romans certainly has a wealth of theological and practical teaching. Numerous people have come to faith through reading Romans, and countless believers have had their faith increased through studying it. As Luther said, one cannot meditate on its message too much or too well. Addressed to believers who inhabited the most important city in the ancient world, Romans displays the power of the gospel. Probably written during the three months that Paul spent in Greece while on his way to Jerusalem, it expresses his longing to visit Rome (vv. 8-10; cf. Acts 20:2-3).

Given Rome's strategic place in the ancient world, it is worth noting that the gospel did not come there through the ministry of an apostle or even as the result of a targeted evangelistic campaign, but through the witness of believers who visited the city in the course of their business. It soon became the location of a vibrant church. The presence of Jews and Gentiles in the Roman church was a source of strength but also produced some tension. One of Paul's goals in writing this letter was to address some of the theological and practical questions that had arisen as a result of differences between these two groups of worshipers. This book is a portrait of the gospel's power to forgive and transform, and it outlines obligations that are part of the Christian life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we begin our study of the book that Martin Luther described as “the purest gospel,” it is appropriate to take the reformer's advice and meditate on its key verse, also our verse for today. Memorize and spend some time meditating on Romans 1:16. If you have trouble memorizing, try writing out the verse on a three-by-five card and carry it around with you. Keep it in your pocket and review it when you have a few spare moments during the day.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 1:18-32; Isaiah 40:18-26
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. - Psalm 19:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
An anonymous donor sponsored a series of clever billboards with a spiritual message that captured the attention of drivers all across the nation. According to the Web site www.godspeaks.com, originally eighteen sayings were selected for billboards in south Florida. When the Outdoor Advertising Agency of America volunteered to make the series its public service campaign for 1999, the number of billboards mushroomed to 10,000. Each saying was signed “God.”

Long before the first billboard was ever erected on a Florida highway, God had already emblazoned His message in a far more indelible medium. Since the beginning of time, God's eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen in creation (v. 20). The psalmist speaks of this general revelation of God's invisible qualities, noting that the heavens “declare” God's glory and the skies “proclaim” the work of His hands (Ps. 19:1). God is speaking to the entire human race through creation, which leaves us without excuse from knowing that there is a Creator.

This truth that God revealed about Himself in creation is not sufficient, however, to lead people to eternal life. The message of creation is clear but not comprehensive. General revelation shines a light on God's glory but does not convey the gospel. What is more, ever since the fall of Adam, its message has been suppressed by those for whom it is intended. Its voice has gone throughout all the earth but those who have heard have plugged their ears and distorted its message.

Humanity's downward spiral into sin described in today's passage attests to our need for an additional word from God. That word is the gospel message, which is the focus of the book of Romans. The gospel is the only thing powerful enough to remove the veil of sin from our sight and open our eyes to the true significance of all that God has revealed about Himself in creation.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
You might enjoy visiting the God Speaks Web site at www.godspeaks.com where examples of the billboard messages are displayed. When you have finished, take a few minutes to go outside and observe creation. As you watch the sun set and gaze into the night sky, what does God teach you about His power and divine nature? Thank God for speaking to you through creation and ask Him for greater insight into His written revelation.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 2:1-16
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. - James 2:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
Last June the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Texas could continue to display the Ten Commandments on the capital grounds in Austin. In a separate ruling the court ordered that two other displays be removed from courthouses in Kentucky because they were intended to emphasize religion. The justices determined that the Texas display did not violate the Constitution's establishment clause, even though it was adorned with Jewish and Christian symbols, because it was part of a larger group of exhibits that depicted the state's legal history. Interestingly, the display was originally part of a public relations campaign for Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 Hollywood epic about the Exodus starring Charlton Heston as Moses.

If we believe God's Word, then we must conclude that the key to moral transformation in society does not lie in merely posting the Ten Commandments in courthouses and school rooms, but in the proclamation of the gospel. Today's passage underscores this by emphasizing that hearing the law is not enough. True righteousness is reflected in obedience that comes from the heart.

When the Day of Judgment comes, those who knew God's law will not find that they have any advantage over those who did not. Likewise, those who never received the law will not be exempt from God's judgment because of their ignorance but will realize that God's moral law was stamped on their conscience all along. Those who know the law and those who do not will both find that they come short of God's standard. God will judge everyone by their actions and the actions of all will condemn them, unless they have experienced the transforming grace and forgiveness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Mere knowledge of God's commandments cannot compel us to do what sin has robbed us of the power to do. They can show us how far we have fallen, and prepare us to see our need for Jesus Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Quiz yourself to see if you know the Ten Commandments. You can check by comparing your answer to Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. After you have done this, read Jesus' commentary on the true meaning of God's Law in Matthew 5:17-48. Which of the commandments does He specifically address? What does He say was lacking in the way the religious leaders of His day approached God's Law?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 2:17-29
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. - 1 Peter 2:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
A businessman who was well-known for his unscrupulous business practices boasted to Mark Twain, “Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top.” Unimpressed, Twain offered a suggestion. “I have a better idea,” Twain said. “You could stay at home in Boston and keep them.”

Like Twain, the apostle Paul had little patience for those who passed judgment on others for the same things they did themselves. Some of his readers who had been raised in the Jewish tradition and had been taught the Mosaic law since childhood felt morally superior to Gentile believers who had come to faith without knowing the law. While they condemned others for their ignorance of God's standard, these religious hypocrites failed to address their own moral inconsistency.

In a stinging rebuke, Paul challenged his readers' view of themselves, implying that they had broken the same commandments they had tried to enforce on others. One wonders why they couldn't see the inconsistency in their actions. Like the Pharisees that Jesus condemned in Matthew 5:20, they may have interpreted the law so narrowly that they were unable to see how they had done the very things they had condemned in others. Or perhaps they were convinced that simply knowing the law gave them a “pass” when it came to obedience.

Something about the nature of hypocrisy makes it easier to spot in others than in ourselves. It seems doubtful that those Paul criticized would have considered themselves to be violators of God's law. It is also sobering to note that many of the things they affirmed in verses 17-20 are statements that a follower of Jesus might make as well. Fortunately, one of the functions of God's Law is to help us see our own sinfulness. Thankfully, a true understanding of its nature will inevitably show us our need for Jesus Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Those who condemn others for the same sins that they themselves commit often think only in terms of the letter rather than recognizing the spirit of God's Law. People who would never think of robbing a bank may be stealing from their employer by arriving late and leaving early. A seemingly faithful spouse may be guilty of virtual adultery by the way he or she uses the Internet. Ask God to search your heart by His Spirit and point out any unrecognized hypocrisy.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 3:1-20
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. - Romans 7:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
The phrase “bait and switch” refers to the unscrupulous practice of advertising one item and selling an inferior product in its place. Paul's Jewish readers may have felt that they had been victims of a kind of spiritual bait and switch when they read that the circumcision practiced under the Law of Moses was merely outward and physical (v. 28). Such a claim would have raised an obvious question: was there any advantage to being a Jew? Paul's answer was a clear, emphatic “yes.”

The chief advantage of the Jews was that they had been given the Word of God. While the law exposed humanity's problem of sin, it also pointed to God's solution for sin. The rites and sacrifices of the law foreshadowed Jesus Christ's once-for-all offering of Himself on the cross. Indeed, the author of the book of Hebrews referred to the Law of Moses as a “shadow” of the good things to come in Christ (Heb. 10:1).

If the law could not save, why was it given? For one thing, it made clear that there was no alternative other than the grace of Christ. This wasn't a weakness in the law but rather in us. Sin kept those who had received it from meeting its high standard. The Jews' inability to bear the yoke of the law was proof that both Jews and Gentiles alike were all under sin (v. 10; cf. Acts 15:10). The primary function of the law was to highlight the universal sinfulness of mankind and to leave men and women without excuse. Once the law was given no one could stand in God's presence and say, “If you had only told me what had been expected of me, I would have complied.”

Some still misunderstand the message of God's Law. They believe they can earn God's favor through religious practices and good works. While these may be admirable, they are not enough to expunge the guilt of sin. No one can be justified in God's sight by these things.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Nobody likes to hear bad news. But bad news is often necessary before we can appreciate the good news. A patient values the good news of a curing treatment if he has just received the diagnosis of having a disease. In this way the “bad news” of the law is an important component of the good news. If your hope of heaven is based on the fact that you attend church, are a good neighbor, and live a moral life, you have missed the point of God's Law.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 3:21-31
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. - Matthew 5:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Greek legislator and statesman Solon was once asked whether he had given the Athenians the best laws. He said no—that he had given them the best laws they had been able to receive. Solon's answer implied that the laws could have been improved if the nature of the people had been better.

God does not approach His Law like Solon. As a perfect reflection of the righteousness of God, rather than accommodating sinful human nature, His Law was designed to point it out.

This created a grave spiritual dilemma. God could not lower His standard without compromising His justice. None could be saved under the requirements of the Law. The solution was not to eliminate the Law but to meet its requirements. Through Christ, God provided a righteousness that was “apart from law” and yet was still consistent with the law (v. 21). Martin Luther characterized this as “alien righteousness” and described it as “the righteousness of another, instilled from without.”

The language of sacrifice and atonement in verse 25 provides the key to understanding the nature and purpose of Christ's death. His shed blood appeased God's wrath for sin and satisfied the demands of the law. In this way, Jesus served as both priest and sacrifice when He offered Himself on the cross. Rather than repudiating the law, Christ's atoning death validated it by showing that it could not merely be laid aside.

By sending His Son as our sacrifice, God the father justified sinners without relinquishing His standard of justice. By obeying God's Law perfectly and then suffering its penalty on our behalf, Jesus leveled the playing field for Jew and Gentile alike. Forgiveness and righteousness can now be offered freely to all who have sinned.

The importance of Christ's shed blood to the gospel message cannot be overstated. Remove it from the Christian message and the gospel ceases to be the gospel.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Under the Law of Moses, when a burnt offering was brought to the priest, the worshiper laid his hand on the animal's head to signify that the animal was about to die as his substitute (Lev. 1:4). When it comes to the blood of Christ, the believer lays hold of His sacrifice by faith. If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and to provide access to God, do so today. Pray and ask Him to apply the payment of Christ's shed blood to your debt of sin.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 4:1-25
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. - Galatians 3:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
A visitor approached Pastor Phil after the service with a question about the sermon he had just preached from the book of Genesis. “You spoke about someone named Abraham in your message,” she said. “Did you mean Abraham Lincoln?”

In an age of biblical illiteracy, we probably should not be surprised that the Old Testament patriarch Abraham does not come readily to mind when people think of their favorite Bible characters. Yet these Old Testament characters are tremendously important for Christians. Romans demonstrates this by focusing on Abraham's example in the discussion of the nature of the gospel. The Rabbis taught that Abraham performed the whole law perfectly before it was given by Moses. Quoting Genesis 15:6, Paul points out that Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of faith (v. 3).

The order of events further supported Paul's argument that faith preceded works in Abraham's story. Those who championed the Law of Moses taught that Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to be justified in God's sight. Paul counters this argument by noting that Abraham did not receive circumcision until after being declared righteous by faith (v. 10). Circumcision was a sign that Abraham's righteous standing had already been granted as a gift of grace. Genesis 15:6 says, “Abraham believed God, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

By making faith the condition of receiving the promise, God ensured that salvation was given by grace and was guaranteed to all who follow Abraham's example. This is why Paul characterizes Abraham as the spiritual father of both Jews and Gentiles who follow in his steps. Like Abraham, those who place their trust in Jesus Christ depend on Him to do for them what they cannot do for themselves. They experience the blessing of forgiveness and receive the gift of righteousness.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Like Abraham, our Christian experience begins with grace and is sustained by grace. Although the Rabbis claimed that Abraham obeyed the law perfectly even before it was given, the Scriptures paint a more realistic picture of this Old Testament patriarch. Use a concordance to learn more about Abraham's history. Can you find the sequence of events that Paul mentions in today's passage? What evidence is there that Abraham continued to depend on God's grace and forgiveness even after he was circumcised?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 5:1-11
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Shortly after Carl Sagan's death, his wife Ann Druyan observed that the popular scientist and well-known agnostic maintained his skepticism to the very end. “There was no deathbed conversion,” she told Newsweek magazine's Jerry Adler. “No appeals to God, no hope for an afterlife, no pretending that he and I, who had been inseparable for 20 years, were not saying goodbye forever.” When she was asked whether Sagan had not wanted to believe, she replied, “Carl never wanted to believe. He wanted to know.”

For the Christian, believing is a matter of knowing. It is knowledge that enables the believer to rejoice in the midst of suffering. In Romans 5:1-11 the apostle Paul describes a chain of grace that leads from faith to hope. Faith is both the starting point and point of access for “this grace in which we now stand” (v. 2). It results in justification, which is God's declaration of righteousness for all who trust Jesus Christ for forgiveness and eternal life.

The believer's experience provides additional confidence, as the believer's transformed life provides objective evidence of the presence of God's grace. This is why those who are in Christ rejoice in suffering. It's not because we enjoy suffering, but it's because we are encouraged by the way that God uses it in our lives to produce character.

Paul also speaks of a subjective experience of assurance as a result of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has “poured out” God's love in the believer's heart (v. 5). The believer's assurance is further strengthened by the testimony of God's Word that describes all that Christ has done on our behalf. The strongest proof of God's love comes from the fact that Christ died for us. In verse 8 Paul uses the present tense to say that God demonstrates His own love for us through the death of Christ. Although our Lord's crucifixion took place some two thousand years ago, it continues to be proof of God's abiding love for us.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In Romans 5:3-5 Paul describes several of the benefits that grow out of the experience of suffering. Think of a recent occasion where God used suffering to help you grow stronger in the Christian life. How did the “chain of grace” described in this verse manifest itself? For example, how did suffering help you to persevere in your faith? Which elements of godly character were strengthened as a result of your perseverance? How did the Holy Spirit make Himself known during this time?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 5:12-21
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. - 1 Corinthians 15:45
TODAY IN THE WORD
Not so long ago, when you took film to the drugstore to be developed it would come back with the negatives. Along with your pictures you would receive small strips with the images imprinted in reverse color. With the popularity of digital cameras, the photographic negative is now often only a special effect in software.

The photographic negative provides a helpful analogy to understand Paul's comparison of Christ to Adam in today's passage. In some ways, these two might seem to have little in common. Adam was created, while Jesus Christ was the Creator. Adam was merely man; Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. Adam sinned, but Jesus Christ did not. Adam was a source of condemnation. Jesus Christ was the agent who accomplished our justification.

But both Adam and Christ had the role of representatives. Just as Adam stood in our place when he sinned, Jesus Christ lived a perfectly righteous life on our behalf and took our place on the cross. Today's passage notes that sin entered the world through Adam, and as a result death came to all (v. 12). The universal experience of death provides objective proof that all men and women are guilty in God's sight, even those who had not received the written law. Christ's position as “the last Adam” means that righteousness and eternal life are freely available to all who put their faith in Him.

One important distinction between the gift of Christ and the trespass of Adam was that Christ's grace goes beyond Adam's sin. The righteousness of Christ does more than make up for Adam's trespass. It exceeds it. As our representative, Jesus Christ was everything that Adam was not. His sacrifice more than made up for Adam's sin. As Adam's counterpart, Jesus Christ defeated death's dominion and introduced a reign of righteousness. As a result, righteousness is now the ruling principle in the lives of all who belong to Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When we look at a photographic negative, we must mentally reverse the colors to get a sense of what the image looked like. Today's text asks us to do the same when it comes to Adam and Christ. Adam's failure helps us to understand the nature of Christ's obedience. Focusing on Jesus Christ helps us to understand ourselves as well. The new life that has come to us as a result of what Jesus has done is characterized by Christ's power, not Adam's failure.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 6:1-23
For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. - 2 Peter 2:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the United States. If only that had been the end of the existence of slavery, but sadly, slavery continues to be a scourge in the present day. BBC News World Service recently reported on the dramatic increase in slavery in western Europe, largely comprised of young women and girls from Central Europe who are held in brothels against their will. In countries around the world men, women, and children are forced to labor against their will and kept in physical bondage.

Spiritual slavery is even more widespread. According to the apostle Paul, it was the universal condition of all humanity prior to the coming of Jesus Christ. Now that Christ has come, His death has purchased the freedom of all who are in Christ. Unfortunately, although we have been freed from sin's dominion by the death and resurrection of Christ, it is still possible for believers to live in voluntary slavery to sin. We do this every time we choose to offer ourselves as instruments of sin. Instead, we are to “reckon” ourselves to be dead to sin. This is not merely positive thinking. The language Paul uses here comes from accounting. We are to count on the fact that sin's stranglehold on our lives has been broken as a result of the powerful grace of Christ (v. 11). Instead of considering ourselves to be dead in sin, we are to see ourselves as being dead to sin.

This does not mean that sin ceases to be a problem for those who know Christ. The command to consider ourselves as dead to sin implies that continuing presence of sin in the believer's life. The reality of sin does not simply disappear when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. It may still entice us. But sin does not need to control us.

How do we experience the reality of the freedom Paul describes here? It begins with a choice. We are to “offer” ourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life and are to offer the parts of our body to Christ as instruments of righteousness (v. 13).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Greek term that is translated “offer” in verse 13 means to place something at someone's disposal. Those who live their Christian lives as God's servants are intentional about being slaves to obedience. They make a daily decision to use their physical and mental resources for Christ and His glory. Take a few minutes today to offer your body to God as an instrument of righteousness. Ask Him to show you how you can use your mind and body to bring glory to Jesus Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 7:1-25
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! - Galatians 2:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
Romper Room was a popular syndicated children's television show from the mid 1950s to the 1980s. One of the show's features was the “Do Bee Song,” a bouncy little ditty with the chorus: “I always do everything right. I never do anything wrong. I'm a Romper Room Do Bee—A Do Bee all day long!”

In reality, our natures are more inclined to be “Don't Bees.” We may aspire to be “Do Bees” with our minds, but in practice we find that there is another principle at work that hinders our good intentions.

Thus far in the book of Romans Paul has been contrasting the principle of grace with the principle of the law. Concerned that some of his readers may have concluded that he was impugning God's Law, Paul explains that the weakness lies with us. We are the trouble when it comes to God's Law. In this section Paul describes two laws that are in opposition to one another. One is the Law of God. God's Law is “holy, righteous and good” (v. 12). The other is the “law of sin” at work in our inner being (v. 25). The presence of the Law of sin creates a toxic environment for God's law, and it actually stirs our desire for the very thing that the commandment forbids. This is why no one can be declared righteous by observing the law (Rom. 3:20). God's Law is perfect, but we are not.

Unfortunately, inability is no excuse when it comes to the law. The fact that we cannot comply does not free us from the law's obligation or of its penalty. The only way to be released from its authority is through death. To illustrate this point, Paul uses the example of a married woman whose husband has died. As long as her husband lives, Paul explains, she is bound to him by the authority of the law. If he dies, she is freed from the law's demand with respect to that particular marriage and may become the wife of another.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One of Paul's primary points in these verses is to show that our union with Christ in His death has changed our relationship to the law of God. Since Christ suffered as our representative, His death on the cross has released us from bondage to the law. Although this section is not intended as a treatise on the sanctity of marriage, it does have important implications for our view of marriage and divorce. God's intention is that marriage be a commitment for life.