When Grace Rewrites the Story
DID YOU KNOW
Did You Know that Adam’s Failure Opened the Door to Sin, but Jesus’ Obedience Opened the Door to Life?
Paul tells us in Romans 5:12 that through one man—Adam—sin entered the world, and with sin came death. The effects were immediate and irreversible for humanity. Every child born after Adam inherited not merely a tendency to sin, but a nature already bent away from God. We do not become sinners because we commit sins; we commit sins because we are sinners at the core. This doctrine, often called “original sin,” reminds us that our brokenness is deeper than behavior, deeper than habits, and deeper than moments of weakness. It runs through the human story from Adam to us. Yet Advent teaches us something beautiful: the God who watched humanity fall sent His Son not to condemn the world but to rescue it. Romans 5:15 says the gift is “not like the trespass,” meaning the salvation brought by Christ is not simply a reversal—it is a replacement. Jesus, the new Adam, lived the obedience we could not and died the death we deserved, bringing life into the very place death once reigned.
What Christ offers is not a return to Eden; it is something even more astonishing. First Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” In Adam we lost our innocence, but in Christ we gain righteousness. In Adam we lost access to God’s presence, but in Christ we become temples of the Holy Spirit. In Adam we forfeited peace, but in Christ we receive reconciliation. When Paul says grace abounded “much more,” he means that the work of Jesus did not merely fix the crack in the foundation—it rebuilt the entire house on eternal footing. Adam’s sin had the power to break us, but Jesus’ obedience has the power to restore us beyond what Adam ever had. This is why the Church, during Advent, leans forward with hope: the long-awaited Savior did not simply undo the damage of the Fall—He inaugurated a kingdom of grace where death has no final word.
As you reflect on this truth, consider where you still live as though Adam’s inheritance defines you. Are there places where shame still whispers the old story? Jesus came to give you a new beginning, not based on your merit but on His righteousness. Let Him speak the final word over your life—a word of life, healing, and restoration.
Did You Know that God’s Grace Always Outweighs Human Guilt?
In Romans 5:20, Paul declares, “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” This is not a license to sin; it is a revelation of the character of God. Sin multiplies destruction, but grace multiplies redemption. Paul contrasts Adam’s trespass with Christ’s gift by saying that judgment came through one sin, but the free gift came through many offenses. In other words, Adam’s sin unleashed a flood of corruption, but Christ’s sacrifice unleashed a flood of forgiveness powerful enough to cleanse every sin of every believer in every generation. Grace is not fragile. Grace does not run thin. Grace does not retreat when confronted with deep failures. It moves toward sinners with the intent to save. Ephesians 2:4 reminds us that God is “rich in mercy,” meaning He never rations grace as if it were scarce. He pours it out because Christ purchased it in full.
Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Many Christians understand that God forgave their past sins but struggle to believe He offers grace in the present. Yet Paul insists that grace is not a moment—it is a reign. He says in Romans 5:21 that grace now “reigns through righteousness,” meaning grace has become the governing principle of our standing before God. Guilt no longer holds the gavel; Christ does. Fear no longer defines your approach to God; love does. The reign of grace is not temporary or conditional. It is rooted in the finished work of Jesus, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and anchored in God’s eternal purpose. Even when sin rises, grace rises higher.
Perhaps today you need to let that truth sink in. Grace is not just a theological idea—it is the atmosphere of your relationship with God. You are not tolerated; you are welcomed. You are not barely accepted; you are deeply beloved. Let grace, not guilt, shape your steps today.
Did You Know that Jesus’ Death Was the Ultimate “Good Catastrophe”?
J.R.R. Tolkien coined the term “eucatastrophe” to describe the unexpected good that breaks into the darkest moment of a story. It is the twist no one sees coming—the moment when hope explodes into despair’s shadow. The death of Jesus is the greatest eucatastrophe in human history. On Good Friday, evil seemed victorious. The Messiah hung on a cross. His followers scattered. Darkness settled over the land. Yet this event—tragic, violent, unjust—became the turning point of the universe. As Isaiah 53:10 declares, “It pleased the Lord to crush Him,” not because God delighted in pain but because Jesus’ suffering achieved redemption for millions who would trust Him.
Romans 5:18–19 explains why this eucatastrophe matters: through one act of righteousness (Jesus’ obedience unto death), justification and life became possible for all. Christ did not die a martyr; He died a substitute. He stood where we should have stood. He carried what we should have carried. He defeated what we could never defeat. The cross is the place where evil reached its peak, but also the place where love reached its fullness. The resurrection was not merely God’s answer to death; it was His declaration that salvation had been secured forever. The catastrophe of the cross became the victory of Easter morning.
Let this inspire you today. God can bring eucatastrophes into your own story—moments where what seemed like failure becomes the doorway to new life. The cross teaches us that God specializes in turning endings into beginnings.
Did You Know that Grace Now Reigns Where Death Once Ruled?
Paul ends Romans 5 with a breathtaking reversal: “As sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” For generations, death held dominion over humanity. Its shadow hung over every life, every story, every dream. Yet through Christ, death lost its crown. Grace now reigns—not as a passive idea but as an active, life-giving force. Titus 2:11 says grace has “appeared” to all people, meaning the arrival of Jesus inaugurated a new era. Grace is not simply God overlooking your sin; it is God transforming your heart.
Because grace reigns, believers are no longer slaves to fear. Because grace reigns, hope is never naïve. Because grace reigns, eternal life is not a future possibility but a present possession. Grace does not ask us to strive—it invites us to rest. It does not ask us to earn—it teaches us to trust. It does not demand perfection—it promises transformation. In Christ, grace is not something you chase; it is something that carries you.
Take a moment today to consider: which reign are you living under—fear or grace? One leads to exhaustion; the other leads to life. Let the reign of grace define your thoughts, shape your decisions, and fill your heart with confidence in Christ.
Thank you for reflecting with me today. May these truths strengthen your faith and remind you that the story Jesus writes is always greater than the one we inherited from Adam.
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