EXPLORE THE TEXT
Our lives can be transformed by the matchless grace of Jesus.
18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone,
so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone.
19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners,
so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
20 The law came along to multiply the trespass.
But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more
21 so that, just as sin reigned in death,
so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Adam and Jesus.
What do the verses say about each one?
Highlight how Jesus’s death overcame the curse of Adam’s sin:
“Adam’s act of disobedience had a ripple effect on everyone everywhere. .
Just like Adam, we face the certainty of God’s judgment.
In stark contrast to the darkness of eternal punishment that awaited us,
the obedience of Christ glistened with the brilliant light of eternal hope.
Through His obedience, Jesus changed everything for us.
By being obedient, He became the appropriate sacrifice
for our sinful disobedience.”
What Adam lost, Jesus restored.
Summarize: Review these points from Apply the Text on page 45 of the Personal Study Guide.
Using a scale of one to five, with one being “seldom” and five being “often,” direct adults to respond to these statements:
Lead a brief discussion on the first set of questions on page 45 of the PSG: Identify all the promises given to believers in this week’s focal passage. Which of these truths is hardest for you to embrace right now? How can your group encourage one another to live in that promise?
Refer back to Pack Item 5 (Poster: Key Verse: Romans 5:19). Encourage the group to use Pack Item 9 (Handout: Praying Scripture in Romans) as they continue praying through that verse this week. Close the session in prayer, thanking God for sending Jesus as Savior and asking Him to reveal opportunities to share the gospel with someone else during the week.
Send the group a text or email during the week to focus on the second set of questions on page 45 of the PSG. Encourage them evaluate their walk with Jesus honestly and to consider the difference He should make in their lives each day. Consider calling any adults who have not attended this quarter. Share what has been covered in Romans to this point and encourage them to join the group for the next session.
Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God. (See Romans 3:28;
Titus 3:5-7.)
Study the life of a key character in Scripture.
Use a Bible dictionary and other Bible study tools to learn more about the life of Esau, focusing on the reconciliation of Esau and Jacob. Identify the events that prompted Esau to hate his twin brother Jacob. Read Genesis 33 and reflect on the brothers’ reconciliation. Consider: What anxiety did Jacob feel about reconciliation? What had to happen before the two brothers could be reconciled? How did Jacob try to reconcile with gifts and good works? Why was reconciliation ultimately dependent on Esau’s grace?
What