“But the gift is not like the trespass.”

“But the gift is not like the trespass.” Romans 5:15

This morning I come to you as a contemplative, and that is part of who I am. I think upon different things, process them in my mind, surrender them to the beautiful feet of Jesus my Lord, searching until Christ’s nature is branded upon my heart. The fire of his love burns away all the things that try to replace him, or the vain imaginations that glorify the wrong ruler. I have a king and his name is Jesus, He is the servant ruler of all. I want to highlight the first sentence of a verse: “But the gift is not like the trespass.” Through the principles of magnetism we know that opposites attract. Humans are interesting creatures. We are attracted to the opposite things that we despise about ourselves. For example, a shy person may be attracted to an outgoing, bubbly person because they possess qualities the timid person always longed for. Let’s say a shy person marries an extreme extravert; a problem arises when the bubbly extravert who by nature acts more spontaneously embarrasses their partner because they spoke carelessly at an inappropriate time. Who determines the regulations for careless words and when they should be spoken? The timid person is the one who has made this unspoken rule. The irony is they are angry at the other person because they themselves have not spoken. Many times we assume everyone holds the same value system as us, and we judge others according to our own values. The reason why we are attracted to someone is because we wish we were more like them, but when they act naturally we become jealous and despise them. How do you get out of this trap? We need a revelation, “that the gift is not like the trespass.” We need to realize that we have “we have all sinned and have fallen short of the grace of God.” The sin in others is the same as in us just a different expressions. Jesus came to rescue us from sin. Many times we see it in others but they only reflect what is hidden in our hearts. How will people trapped in these mindsets become free? First we need to acknowledge that we need forgiveness from God. He offered His son, who is not like us in heart; He knew no sin. We on the other hand were born with a sin nature. We need to ask God to forgive us for believing the lie that we are like Him but others are not. Did you get that? Other people will always be an excuse in your life if you believe the lie that you are different from your brother in nature. Believe me, we are not different in nature we are the same. First repent for believing this lie and receive the forgiveness of God. Then forgive others for the things they have done that hurt you, intentionally or unintentionally. Then you will receive the gift unlike the trespass that knows no end.

Kerry