personalizing my faith through personalizing my sin

in my mind, i knew that we couldn't just attribute our sin just to adam and eve sinning in the garden, as if it was soley their fault. as i read scripture today, i found affirmation in what i knew, and much more eloquently put: "adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. yes, people sinned even before the law was given [by moses]. and though there was no law to break, since it had not yet been given, they all died anyway--even though they did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as adam did" (romans 5:13-14a). so to summarize, using a paraphrase of what my pastor said sunday, even if we had found a way to cover adam's sin that he has passed down from generation to generation (which we haven't), we would have to find a way to cover our own sin (which we can't).

from this verse, i was able to personalize my own sin. it wasn't just that adam brought death, but it is also because i sinned, sin, and will continue to sin which brings about my own death. as i have personalized my own sin and recognize how much i've played a role in my own death, it helps me really appreciate the gift of life that Christ has extended to me, as an individual. "but because one other person [Jesus Christ] obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight...giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (romans 5:19b, 21b). hallejuah and amen to that! :)