TODAY IN THE WORD
Dostoevsky wrote, “The most pressing question on the problem of faith is whether a man as a civilized being can believe in the divinity of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, for therein rests the whole of our faith.” The final focal point of our study on crime and punishment in the Bible is the one who committed no crime and who rose victorious over all punishment, for He is the central figure in the destruction of sin and the end of death. The discussion of sin cannot be complete without considering the resurrection of Christ.

Most of the consequences we’ve studied have been natural repercussions of ungodly actions, the act that dealt a death blow to sin was entirely supernatural. Today’s key verse speaks not only to the miraculous nature of the resurrection of Christ, but also to the hope that those who have died will follow Him back to life. Jesus is the undoing of the curse of Adam’s original sin.

To our great anxiety, the progression is not immediate. We wait and serve patiently until Christ’s return. It’s encouraging to know that the problems that plague followers of Christ, which have been the product of thousands of years of disobedience, will be overthrown by the hand of Christ. Jesus will reign over all. The philosophical questions such as “Why does God allow evil?” or “Why is there suffering in the world?” will be answered once and for all when it all is subject to the rule of Christ and the dominion of God.

There is a perfect completion in God’s plan through Jesus Christ. God has given His Son the authority to rule and judge (John 5:27) over that which God already had sovereign power on a supernatural level. By inserting His Son into the realm of creation, sending His Spirit to indwell the hearts of believers, and establishing His reign within that realm as well, God has become all in all. He is not merely ruling over us, He reigns within us as well. We long for that day when there is no crime and no punishment, only a perfect relationship with God in the service of His Son, Jesus Christ.

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The promise of the resurrection gives us reason to live holy lives in God’s service. Death is not the finish line but a milestone along the eternal road. Later in this chapter, Paul exhorted his readers to “come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning” (v. 34). We are approaching a day when all of creation lives happily under the reign of Christ—why delay that reality in our hearts? There is so much pain that erupts from sin and so much promise ahead in Christ. Recommit your heart to obedience.

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