Monthly Archives: February 2026

ROMANS 5 GRACE ABOUNDS WHERE SIN INCREASED

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 February 5

ROMANS 5

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 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.18 Therefore, as one trespassled to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 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. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord – Romans 5:15-21

ROMANS 5 GRACE ABOUNDS WHERE SIN INCREASED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Do you not know that Jesus came to pour out his grace on you?

Even though Adam made you sinful, Jesus made you righteous

Sin has made you guilty and exiled you from the presence of God

But Jesus has paid the price so you won’t experience his wrath

When sin increased, God’s grace overflows more

His steadfast love endures forever and his mercy abounds.

In this letter, Paul states the difference between the aftermath of Adam’s sin and God’s grace. When Adam rebelled and disobeyed God, he was banished from the garden and removed from God’s presence. The consequences of his sins were to work for his own livelihood and toil the ground where he came from. God kept the garden guarded with cherubim and a flaming sword (Genesis 3:24) so the tree of life will be protected from Adam and Eve, who are now defiled. This is what happens to us when we sin. We shut ourselves when we sin and hide from God’s presence because of our filthiness. We become spiritually dead and continue to be unable to cleanse ourselves.

But because God’s love for us is so vast and indescribable, He gave us a way out of that deadness to come back to life through Jesus. His perfect sacrifice on the cross was God’s solution to the problem of man’s sinful state. His anger over our sins cannot be appeased by unholy and defiled people, so he sent us his only Begotten Son to cleanse us from sin, while we are still sinners. Jesus didn’t die for the perfect people who are sinless since there is no such person. Jesus died for all those who need to be cleansed and reunited with God. Even though Jesus died for the whole world to be redeemed from sin, only a few are given the gift of faith. The invitation is open to all people, but only a few are given the ability to receive, accept and serve him. Many are called but only a few are chosen.

REFLECTION

  • Give insights when sin increased and grace flourished.

ROMANS 6 GOD’S PROMISE RESTS ON GRACE

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February 4

ROMANS 6

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be. – Romans 6:13-18

ROMANS 6 GOD’S PROMISE RESTS ON GRACE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The promise of salvation was placed on an unworthy man

Despite his sinful state, Abraham was chosen for God’s plan

Abraham came from a pagan country and was a sinner like us

But it wasn’t his righteousness that counted but his faith and trust

It wasn’t anything special about him, only his obedience was amazing

He followed what he was instructed to do without complaining

He didn’t question anything even though it seemed impossible

He believed that God would use him and make all things possible.

In this letter, Paul presents to the Roman church why the promise of salvation rests on God’s grace alone and not on anything else. He reminded them that Abraham was chosen to be the one whom he will make a covenant with to fulfill his salvation plan for mankind. Abraham was from the country of Ur, a pagan nation and yet God chose someone who is not worthy to carry out his plan to redeem man from their sinfulness. He chose an ordinary sinful man to exercise his grace so that through Abraham, God manifested his power and glory to make possible the impossible. Nothing that Abraham did, made him God’s choice to be the father of all nations. It was grace that was given to an undeserving person that allowed him to obey the Lord without question and resistance. In his sinful natural state, Abraham could not have said “yes” to God. He didn’t even know where he was to go. He was only asked to follow where he leads him and leave everything behind.

Many other people in the bible that God chose to use were unworthy people. Some were criminals like David, prostitutes like Rahab, pagans like Ruth, killers like Paul and many others. This just goes to show how God can turn around any sinner and make them slaves of righteousness through his grace alone. He calls the dead in sin to become alive in righteousness through his Son’s work of salvation on the cross. If God gave us Jesus to free us from the bondage of sin, how can we not accept that gift of grace? Why would we want to continue living that old life instead of embracing the new creation in Christ?

REFLECTION

  • How does “grace” change your perspective in navigating the life you were given?

1 PETER 4 STEWARDS OF GRACE

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February 2

1 PETER 4

6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:6-11

1 PETER 4 STEWARDS OF GRACE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you declared Jesus as your Lord and Savior

It is because of his grace that you were able to do so

It is an unmerited favor that He gave you his grace

It is not for your own benefit but solely for his praise

Since he gave you such undeserved favor

You ought to use it to serve one another.

In this account, Peter teaches the believers the reason why the gospel was preached to them. He emphasizes the state of the sinner’s life which is dead. In other words, he wants them to recognize that it is the grace of God that saved them from their own sins. There is nothing that they can boast about when it comes to their salvation. It is all the Lord’s work that freed us from God’s wrath. By his grace, we are freed from the bondage of sin.

Peter gives the church instructions as to how to be stewards of God’s grace. He pointed out the following:

  • To be self-controlled and sober-minded- they must not be following their flesh and gratifying their own selfish desires. They must be able to control their urges and pleasure seeking self.
  • To keep loving one another earnestly so their sins will be covered- this means that they no longer live in fear or mistrust. They will choose the path to love instead of fear so that they are not bound to be slaves of sins.
  • To show hospitality to one another without grumbling- to welcome and be open to carry each other’s burdens and exercise generosity to others.
  • To be stewards of grace for the praise of the Lord- to manifest giving grace to others especially those who need it most and who are not deserving. Because we were given amazing grace when we don’t deserve it, we also ought to give such grace to those who are difficult or treat us badly.

By following these guidelines that Peter gave the believers, they can walk in love and steward the grace that they received from God while they didn’t deserve it. This way, they bring God all the glory.

REFLECTION

  • How does grace and love work hand in hand in a believer’s life?

2 CORINTHIANS 12 THE SUFFICIENCY OF GOD’S GRACE

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February 1

2 CORINTHIANS 12

6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:6-10

2 CORINTHIANS 12 THE SUFFICIENCY OF GOD’S GRACE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ, let us be content

He gave his grace freely to all whom he has chosen

We do not have to prove that we are worthy of it

God gave us his Son freely, we just need to believe Him

We do not need to be afraid of hardships and difficulties

When we are weak, we are strong since his grace is sufficient

By his grace alone can we be free from the world’s corruption

Let us then rely only on his grace so we can avoid deception.

Before I was born again, I didn’t understand the meaning of grace. The Roman Catholic church where I was born and grew up in didn’t make the concept of grace very clear to me. I think it was messed up by false teachings on earning salvation through works. As a young girl, I was made to believe that if I go to communion and attend mass and confess to a priest, I would be okayed by God. I prayed the rosary daily and regularly confessed and heard mass, but my life was still full of habitual sins. We weren’t encouraged to read the bible, but just to listen to the stories about Jesus in our religion classes.

When I became reformed, it took me a while to understand grace because I was focused on works. If I am good, I will be worthy of God’s love. I wasn’t taught that I can do nothing to change whom God has elected to be his people. I had no understanding of covenant promises of God. In the Heidelberg Catechism, it explains that only by true faith in Jesus Christ am I righteous before God. It emphasizes that there is no merit in whatever I do but that it is only out of mere grace that I am credited the righteousness and holiness of Christ. It also explains that good works cannot be our righteousness before God, since our best works in this life are all imperfect and defiled with sin. It took me years to realize that every good work that I do also comes from the Lord himself. Even my decisions to live a life of service to the Lord also comes from his grace. There is nothing to be merited to me at all. When my false beliefs were straightened out by wrong doctrines from the Roman Catholic church and replaced by truth that God’s grace is sufficient for me as Paul highlights in this letter to the Corinthian church.

REFLECTION

·       How can a believer manifest living in the sufficiency of God’s grace?

ROMANS 1 SINS THAT LED TO A FOOLISH MIND

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January 31

ROMANS 1

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. – Romans 1:28-32

ROMANS 1 SINS THAT LED TO A FOOLISH MIND

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you think that there’s no need to acknowledge God

It will bear consequences on your minds and your hearts

We will be filled with envy, conflicts, and haughtiness

Your priorities will all be towards the path to selfishness

You will hate God and do all kinds of rebellious acts

You will declare yourself as a god and want to be revered by all.

In this account, Paul explains the consequences of any believer who leaves the path of righteousness and decides to take the road towards idolatry. They didn’t see a need to acknowledge and revere the Lord.  Because of this choice, they were left by God to their foolish minds. As a result of such a decision, the Lord allowed them to drown in their own wickedness and debased minds. The consequences of these are the following sins that Paul enumerated in this letter:

·       Covetousness, greed and envy- since they desired to have it all, they began to hoard anything and everything so that they can feel powerful.

·       Malice, inventors of evil and all things wicked – because of their insecurity and mistrust, they have to invent all kinds of evil so that they can have control.

·       Disobedient to parents, heartless, insolent -they defy authority and have no care for those powerful and responsible for them.

·       Haters of God, faithless, idolaters, haughty, boastful – because they love themselves so much, they vilify everyone including their Creator. They also hate their own brothers and sisters and have no accountability for their own actions.

·       Ruthless, murderers, gossips and slanderers- without the knowledge of God, they didn’t care for others so they can just cancel anyone that gets in their way and assassinate them.

·       Unrighteous, evil, deceitful- they are darkened and have no shed of what is good. They manipulate to make everything about themselves and what they want to get.

All these acts clearly enumerated by Paul in this letter gives us a clear picture of the condition of the human heart, but more especially the Roman believers. This letter is to warn them of the old life that they used to live that they now have to abandon and return to God.

REFLECTION

·        Share insights on any of the consequences of not acknowledging God in this letter of Paul.