A Great Act of Love

Hey there, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Marvin Williams wrote today's devotion, and it's titled A Great Act of Love. In Oregon's Malheur National Forest, a fungus popularly known as the honey mushroom spreads through tree roots across 2,200 acres, making it the largest living organism ever found. It's been weaving its black shoestring filaments through the forest for more than two millennia, killing trees as it grows.

Its shoestring filaments, called rhizomorphs, tunnel as deep as 10 feet into the soil, and although the organism is incredibly large, it began with a single microscopic spore. The Bible tells us of a single act of disobedience that caused widespread condemnation, and a single act of obedience that reversed it. In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul contrasted two individuals, Adam and Jesus. Adam's sin brought condemnation and death to all people. Through one act of disobedience, all people were made sinners and stood condemned before God.

But he had a means of dealing with humanity's sin problem. Through the righteous act of Jesus on the cross, God provides eternal life and a right standing before him. Christ's act of love and obedience was powerful enough to overcome Adam's one act of disobedience, providing life for all people. Through his death on the cross, Jesus offers eternal life to anyone who puts their faith in him. If you haven't received his forgiveness and salvation, may you do so today. If you're already a believer, praise him for what he's done by his great act of love.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Romans chapter 5 verses 12 through 19. 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. 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?

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. 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. Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people for just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners. So also through the obedience of the one man, the many will be made righteous.

Let's pray. God, we admit that we are sinners in need of a savior that we cannot be good on our own. Thank you for providing salvation and eternal life through Jesus. May those who don't know you cry out to you. And for those of us who do know you, help us to reveal your saving ways to others. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.