Fruitful Living
From slaves of sin to slaves of God Almighty
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Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ – Romans 5:1.
INTRODUCTION
Humans are depraved. That means our entire personalities and beings are enslaved to sin. The Christian identifies with Christ’s crucifixion, accepting His death as victory over sin. As symbolised in baptism, the old depraved self is dead for the Christian rather than a slave to sin. God accepts the Christian and forgives sin because of Christ’s death and His grace. The Christian continues to struggle with sin, repenting and seeking forgiveness for sins committed; but the direction of life is obedience to Christ and death to sin.
The resurrection is the sure proof that God has power over death and sin. To live in slavery to sin means to deny the power of Christ’s resurrection. We have earned sin’s wages and deserve to die. In His love and grace, God has given us eternal life through Jesus Christ. When the power of His resurrection works in our lives, we conquer sin and its temptations, living for God’s righteousness. We will sin, but we must not easily excuse sin. God has provided the power to live for Him and not to be enslaved but let the power rule our lives.
Paul begins Romans 5 by focusing on the present benefits of peace, hope and love from God, all benefits that a believer can count on every day. God doesn’t save us by grace only to make us then try to live for Him in our own power. God’s grace is given to help us stand today, tomorrow, and on that future day when we will stand before His throne. Paul also describes how God redeemed us when we were at our worst, which demonstrates just how great His grace is.
In Romans 6, Paul discusses reasons that Christians can no longer think and live in the old ways of sin. Believers have died to the old life by being baptised into Jesus’s death and raised into new life through His resurrection. We serve a new Master who has freed us from bondage to sin and empowers us to grow in faith, thus producing the spiritual fruit that shows we have eternal life. Through our obedience, we display Christ and His character to the world. Only by allowing Christ to live in us can we truly have an impact for the Kingdom of God.
Peace and Hope
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. – Romans 5:1-11
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.
To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
To be continued
By Dr. Joyce Aryee, the author
Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) provides affordable healthcare. By law (Act 852, 2012), every Ghanaian resident must belong to the NHIS by registering. Once registered, a family gains access to a wide range of medical services. From an Islamic perspective, having health coverage is part of fulfilling one’s social responsibility: the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) taught that
one who provides for a sick or needy person is like one who worships in solitude (in reward). An Imam might cite the hadith “Whoever relieves a believer’s distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue him from a difficulty of the difficulties of the Hereafter” (Muslim).
Encouraging congregants to obtain NHIS cards ensures children can get vaccines and families can afford clinic visits, fulfilling the Quranic ideal of community care. Imams can organise special registration drives after Jumu‘ah, so the poor and elderly receive help signing up, noting that Act 852 even allows community agents to assist citizens.
Introduction
We started last week with a series on “The Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Churches” and ended on the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet – “The Alpha and Omega.” Enjoy part two of the article this week and share it with others!
Pentecost
Pentecost is ultimately a story of redemption.
As the tongues of fire rested upon the disciples, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they had never learned.
Since people from many nations were present in Jerusalem, everyone heard the message of God proclaimed in their own language. The barriers that often divide humanity were overcome through the power of the Spirit.
The crowd was astonished. Some were amazed. Others were confused.
A few even accused the disciples of being drunk because the sounds they heard seemed incomprehensible to them.
At that moment, Peter stood up and delivered the first sermon of the New Testament Church.
Peter’s Pentecost sermon
Peter explained that what the people were witnessing was the fulfillment of the prophecy spoken centuries earlier by the prophet Joel:
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
Peter declared that Jesus of Nazareth, whom many had rejected and crucified, was indeed the promised Messiah. Though He was put to death, God raised Him from the dead because death could not hold Him.
Peter further proclaimed that the risen Christ had been exalted to the right hand of God and had poured out the promised Holy Spirit upon His followers.
His sermon culminated in this powerful declaration:
“Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36)
The message pierced the hearts of the listeners.
The call to repentance
Convicted by Peter’s message, the people asked: “What shall we do?”
Peter responded: “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
This invitation was not limited to those standing before Peter that day.
The promise extended to:
- Their children.
- Future generations.
- People far away.
- Everyone whom God would call.
The gift of the Holy Spirit remains available today to all who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
The birth of the church
The Bible records that about three thousand people responded to Peter’s message and were added to the community of believers that day.
This remarkable harvest marked the birth of the Church.
For the first time, a Spirit-filled community emerged, united around the risen Christ and empowered to continue His mission.
These early believers were not creating a new religion. They understood Jesus to be the fulfillment of God’s promises and the long-awaited Messiah foretold by the prophets.
The Church began as a movement of people transformed by the Holy Spirit and committed to proclaiming the good news of salvation.
