Romans 5:12-21: Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned – ¹³sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. ¹⁴Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.¹⁵But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’ trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. ¹⁶And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. ¹⁷If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.¹⁸  Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. ¹⁹For just 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. ²⁰But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Have you ever thought of a life without God? I can’t imagine a world without God in it. I understand there are non-believers amongst us and for them I pray they will experience God’s love. Knowing God’s love gives me the courage and strength I need each day to face life. For me a world without God would be a world of darkness. It would be a world where birds did not sing, the stars would not shine and rainbows would be colorless but   the greatest travesty of all would be there would be no love.  It is God’s love that comforts me when I hurt, it is his spirit that walks beside me during a storm and it is his gift of grace that I thank God for every day. What kind of world could it be if everyone had God as the center of their world?

-Cindy Jones