What Is Your Identity?
Romans 5:12-17 New International Version
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ 12 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—13 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. 14 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. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Thursday - April 29
Luther: “To think that original sin is merely the lack of righteousness in the will is merely to give occasion for lukewarm faith and… [implants] pride and presumptuousness, [which] eradicates the fear of God [and destroys] humility. (Luther is saying that if you think original sin is simply not being good enough and therefore you do better or try harder then you are in for a rude awakening! You have now fallen into the sinful trap of pride and arrogance). … Therefore, if anyone looks down on another man as a sinner, sin rules him doubly. For since he himself is a sinner, he compares he himself as a righteous man to the other person and thus makes himself a liar and does not realize as a sinner that he is a sinner. (It is simply your identity, whether you like it or not! Accepting our identity as “sinner” is the first step towards real empathy and peace in our relationships with others).