Day 6 - Reigning in Eternal Life

Rom 5:20-21… But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This verse amplifies what was stated in v 17 (about reigning in life). Here we read about reigning in eternal life.

And here we get a clearer picture of why sin was able to reign: death. Looking back to Rom 5:12, we see that death entered the world when Adam sinned. Up until this time (which we read about in Gen 3), there was no death, only life; this is the nature of God. But when Adam turned his back on God and sinned, death entered into the world and into every part of it. So from that time, death reigned (Rom 5:14).

Death and sin are closely related – they go hand-in-hand. Death accompanied sin into the world, and death became the predominant nature of all creation. Ever wondered why everything dies and decays? Ever wondered about the “entropy” that physicists have discovered; that the universe is essentially “running down?” Basically over time, everything falls apart. Is this God’s plan? Did He create it this way?

No – God created life! But man chose death. And so for thousands of years, sin reigned because death was the natural state of things. But when Jesus rose from the dead, He “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (1Tim 1:10).

This “immortality” is eternal life. Once we receive salvation, we enter into eternal life. It is because we live this God-life that we can reign in Christ over sin and, yes, death. But even if we physically die, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor 15:54-56).

We can’t lose for winning!

Consider:

Am I aware of the life of God in me right now?

If the sting of death is gone, should I fear it?