Romans 7 | Bound to Christ, Not Religion

On 2026-09-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 7:1-3 (NLT) – Now, dear brothers and sisters – you who are familiar with the law— don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.

DEVOTIONAL: Having studied Paul’s teaching concerning sin, grace, and the law, we now find him helping those who were very familiar with the law of Moses understand an important truth. The law had served its God-given purpose, but it could never provide the salvation that sinful mankind desperately needed. Only Jesus Christ could do that.
Paul uses marriage to illustrate his point. A husband and wife are bound together in marriage as long as both are living. However, when one dies, the surviving spouse is released from that marriage covenant and is free to marry another. Death has changed the relationship.

In the verses immediately following today’s Scripture, Paul applies this illustration to the believer. Through our identification with the death of Christ, we have died to the law as the means by which we attempt to become right with God. We now belong to Christ. What an important distinction! We are not saved by how well we keep religious rules; we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us on the cross.

While it may be easy for us to look back at the Jews of Paul’s day and wonder why some found it so difficult to loosen their grip on the law, perhaps we should pause and examine our own hearts. Could we possibly be guilty of doing something similar today?

Do you find it easier to follow the rules and traditions of your church and its leaders, or are you committed first and foremost to following the teachings of God’s Word? Churches, pastors, teachers, and denominations can be tremendous instruments in God’s hands, but none should ever take the place that belongs to Christ alone.

Please don’t misunderstand me. God’s Word teaches us how His children should live. Grace is certainly not permission to disregard God’s commands or live however we please. Rather, obedience should flow from a heart that has already been changed by Christ, not from an effort to earn salvation or God’s favor.

You may have been saved in a church, but you were not saved by the church. You may have learned about Jesus from a preacher, teacher, or Christian friend, but none of them could save you. Only Jesus can do that.

Without the Word of God, a church risks becoming little more than a gathering of like-minded people. Without Christ, even our most sincere religious efforts cannot make us right with God. Paul wanted his readers to understand that their hope was no longer found in their ability to keep the law. Their hope was found in Christ alone.

Friend, could it be that you have become more attached to a denomination, a church tradition, or a list of religious expectations than you are to Jesus Himself? There is nothing wrong with godly traditions that agree with Scripture, but they should never become a substitute for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ or take precedence over the authority of His Word.

Therefore, please allow me to invite you to examine your heart today. Don’t place your hope in religion, church membership, good works, or your ability to follow the rules. Place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, because you belong to Him, allow His Word and His Spirit to guide the way you live.

Churches may point us to Christ, but only Christ can save us. God’s Word may reveal our sin, but only Jesus can make us right with God.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Ask yourself honestly: Am I following Jesus Christ, or am I simply following the religious practices with which I have become comfortable? Choose Christ above tradition, His Word above human opinion, and obedience that flows from love rather than an attempt to earn God’s favor.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Your Word and for revealing to me that I could never make myself right with You through good works or religious observance. Thank You for Jesus, who accomplished for me what I could never accomplish for myself. Please search my heart and reveal anything I have allowed to become more important than Christ or the truth of Your Word. Help me to appreciate the church and those You have placed in my life to teach and encourage me, while always remembering that my salvation and my hope are found in Jesus alone. May my obedience flow from a heart of love and gratitude for all You have done for me. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I pray that one of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. For my earlier devotionals, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org, or if you choose, subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you invite God to work through you to bless them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!

Romans 6 | Don’t Go Back to Your Old Boss!

On 2026-09-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, September 9, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:19-23 (NLT) –.¹⁹Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. ²⁰When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. ²¹And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. ²²But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

DEVOTIONAL: Paul often followed Jesus’ teaching method by using everyday illustrations his audience could easily understand. Because slavery was deeply familiar in first-century Rome, Paul used it to explain a profound spiritual reality: our allegiance to, and the one to whom we commit to serve, determines our destiny.

Although Paul recognized the limitations of using human terms to describe heavenly truths, he was eager to become “all things to all men” to reach hearts with the Gospel. His imagery makes one reality crystal clear: if we expect different results in life, we must serve a different Master.

In verse 19, Paul contrasts who we were with who we are now in Christ. Imagine leaving one employer and going to work for another yet continuing to show up every morning at your old workplace! Why would you continue taking instructions from your old boss when you no longer work for him?

Jesus has freed us from the power of sin, yet there are times when we wander back to the old workplace and begin taking instructions from our old boss. Old habits call. Old attitudes return. Old desires try to regain our attention. And before we realize it, we may find ourselves behaving as though nothing has changed.

But everything has changed!

Paul reminds us that our old way of life produced things of which we are now ashamed, and ultimately that road leads to death. But serving God produces an entirely different result. As we surrender ourselves to Him, He leads us in righteousness and holiness, and the end result is eternal life.

What a difference our new Master makes!

Paul had already addressed the dangerous idea that God’s grace somehow gives Christians permission to keep on sinning. Absolutely not! Grace isn’t permission to return to our old master. Through Christ, we have been set free from sin so that we might now live for God.

That doesn’t mean Christians will never stumble or sin. But it does mean that sin is no longer our rightful master.

So perhaps the question for us today is not simply, “Am I doing something wrong?” Maybe the better question is, “Whose instructions am I following?”

When bitterness tells me how to respond, am I listening to the old boss?

When pride tells me that I must have my own way, am I reporting back to the old workplace?

When temptation calls me to something that doesn’t honor God, have I forgotten who my Master is?

On the other hand, when God prompts me to forgive, love, serve, obey, and pursue righteousness, am I willing to follow His instructions?

Child of God, we have changed employers! Let’s stop reporting for duty at the old workplace. Let’s surrender ourselves completely to the One who purchased our freedom and gave us new life.

Our old master paid wages, and those wages were death. But our new Master offers something we could never earn: the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Now that’s a benefit package that is out of this world!

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: As you examine your heart today, and every day, honestly consider your thoughts, attitudes, intentions, actions, and words.

Who has been influencing them?

Do they look like instructions coming from your old boss? Or is there growing evidence that you are listening to, respecting, and obeying your new Master?

Let’s remember whose we are, and let’s live like we belong to Him!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for setting me free from the power of sin through Jesus Christ. Forgive me for those times when I return to old habits, old attitudes, and old ways of thinking, as though my old master still has authority over me. Please help me remember that I belong to You. Guide my thoughts, words, attitudes, and actions so that my life reflects Your righteousness and brings glory to Your name. Thank You that eternal life is not something I could ever earn, but a precious gift You have given me through Jesus Christ my Lord. May I live today like someone who truly belongs to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Romans 6 | You Become the Slave of Whatever You Choose to Obey

On 2026-09-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, September 24, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:15-18 (NLT) – ¹⁵Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! ¹⁶Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. ¹⁷Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

DEVOTIONAL: What an eye-opening truth for us today! Paul gives us a sober reminder: you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey.

Throughout our lives, we naturally yield our devotion and attention to various influences. As children, we look to parents for guidance; as students, we yield to teachers to gain wisdom; in marriage, we gladly sacrifice self-interest to love and honor our spouse. We are constantly choosing where to place our allegiance.

In Romans 6, Paul takes this concept to the highest spiritual level. He exposes a profound truth about human nature: no one is truly independent. We are all serving a master.

Isn’t it amazing how subtly this world tries to gain our allegiance? We are constantly told what we need in order to be happy, successful, attractive, accepted, or fulfilled. Advertisements promise satisfaction. Worldly pleasures offer temporary enjoyment. Society encourages us to believe that having more, doing more, and experiencing more will somehow satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

Without Christ, it is so easy to become enslaved to what this world offers without even realizing it.

But praise God, He offers us something infinitely better!

From the beginning, our Creator had a plan for His creation. In His mercy and grace, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we no longer have to remain enslaved to sin. Through Christ, we can be forgiven, made new, and set free to live in obedience to God.

Paul lays the choice before us plainly in verse 16. We can continue serving sin, which ultimately leads to death, or we can turn to God in faith and obedience, which leads to righteous living.

Christian friend, perhaps this passage should also cause us to examine ourselves. Although Christ has set us free from sin, are there things in this world that we are allowing to exercise too much control over us? Our habits? Our possessions? Our entertainment? Our ambitions? Our desire for the approval of others?

Freedom in Christ does not mean freedom to do whatever we please. It means we have been set free from the mastery of sin so that we may wholeheartedly belong to God.

And perhaps you are reading this today and have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. God, in His great love and mercy, has made a way for you to be reconciled to Him through His Son.

So let me ask you the same question I must ask myself: Who, or what, am I choosing to obey?

And an even more important question: Am I at peace with the choice I have made?

As long as God has given us breath, today is an opportunity to turn our hearts toward Him.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Take a few quiet moments today and ask God to show you anything that has begun to exercise control over your heart and life.

If you know Christ, ask yourself: Is my daily obedience showing that Jesus is truly Lord of my life?

If you have never placed your faith in Him, please don’t assume that another opportunity is guaranteed. Consider the choice Paul places before us and turn to Jesus in faith. He alone can free us from the bondage of sin and give us new life.

The question isn’t whether we will serve something. The question is: Who will be our Master?

PRAYER: Father, thank You for loving us enough to provide a way out of our slavery to sin. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price we could never pay and to make it possible for us to be forgiven and made new.

Lord, please examine my heart today. Show me anything I have allowed to become more important than my obedience to You. Forgive me for the times I have listened to the voice of this world instead of listening to Yours.

Help me to remember that true freedom is not found in doing whatever I please, but in belonging completely to You. Give me the desire and strength to obey You wholeheartedly and to live in a way that reflects the change You have made in me.

And Father, I pray especially for the person reading this who has never trusted Jesus as Savior. Please soften their heart, help them understand Your love and grace, and draw them to Your Son.

May our lives declare that we belong to You.

In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Romans Chapter 6 – The 180° Turnaround: From Sin’s Master to Grace’s Freedom

On 2026-09-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, September 23, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:11-14 (NLT) –.¹¹So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. ¹²Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

DEVOTIONAL: Paul’s words in these verses remind us that following Jesus is not merely about improving our lives or adding religion to our schedules. Salvation is a life-changing encounter with the living Christ that leads us in an entirely new direction.

In Romans 6, The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, calls us to make a deliberate choice: to turn away from sin and the allure of this world, and to take an entirely new direction for our lives. We are no longer to offer ourselves as instruments of sin, but as instruments available for God’s purposes and glory.

The image of a 180-degree turn illustrates this truth well. When a person genuinely places their faith in Jesus Christ, they begin turning away from their old way of life and toward a new life of obedience to God. Following Christ and following the world lead in opposite directions. Trying to compromise by mixing the old life with the new only pollutes your walk of faith.

Paul describes this transformation as a death to the old life. The attitudes, desires, priorities, and practices that once controlled us are no longer to define who we are. Instead, we are called to embrace the new life that God has graciously provided through His Son.

Some may wonder whether such a dramatic change is even possible. Perhaps the sins of the past seem too great, the habits too deeply rooted, or the failures too overwhelming. Yet God’s Word assures us that His grace is greater than our greatest sin.

Romans 5:20 reminds us, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”
1 John 1:9 declares, “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
And in Ezekiel 36:26-27, God promises to give His people a new heart and place His Spirit within them so they may walk in obedience to Him.

I believe it is evident in this kind of life-changing decision that this is not something we can accomplish on our own. If we believe, and if we place our trust in Jesus, He will save us and He will guide us to a life of obedience to Him. That means that authority and power is in Him, not in anything we are capable of. Simply b e l I e v e dear friend and surrender your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: As you meditate on this message today, you may feel that you are “too far gone” – that your past is so broken a holy God would never accept you. Be assured of this: God does not leave us in the mud of our past; He reaches down in mercy to pull us out and set us on higher ground.

There are no degrees of sin in God’s sight. Your sin is no greater than anyone else’s, and the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient for all who believe. You do not need to figure out how God accomplishes this miracle before coming to Him. Simply place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He handles the cleansing, He transforms the heart, and He will present you faultless before the Father in Heaven one day!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing grace that is greater than all my sin. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to die in our place and to rise again so that we may have new life. We admit that in our own strength, we cannot overcome sin or clean up our past. Today, we surrender our minds, our words, and our actions to You. Use our lives as instruments of righteousness for Your glory. Where guilt or shame tries to tell us we are too far gone, remind us that Your grace abounds all the more. May our lives reflect the transforming power of Christ, and may others see Your work in us and be drawn to You. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Romans Chapter 6 – Grafted Into Christ

On 2026-09-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: ^day, September ^, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:5-10 (NLT) – ⁵Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. ⁶We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. ⁷For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. ⁸And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. ⁹We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. ¹⁰When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. ¹¹So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

DEVOTIONAL: To be united with Christ in His death and resurrection is much like being grafted into a living tree. I was blessed to have a father-in-law who taught me the art of grafting in agriculture. You can take a healthy branch and lay it beside a tree, tie it to a limb, or even tape it securely in place, but nothing remarkable will happen. However, when that branch is properly grafted into the tree, it begins receiving nourishment, sap, and life from the tree itself because it has become united with it. The branch no longer relies on its own weak resources – it lives entirely off the strength of the root.

This illustration helps me better understand what Paul taught in Romans 6. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are united with Him. His death becomes our death. His victory becomes our victory. His resurrection becomes our resurrection. Just as that branch becomes one with the vine, we become one with the Savior.

Paul reminds us that our “old sinful selves were crucified with Christ” (v. 6). This does not mean that we suddenly become sinless, but it does mean that sin is no longer our master. Before salvation we lived according to our sinful nature and stood condemned before a holy God. Through Christ, however, the power of sin has been broken, and we have been set free to live for Him.

Just as Jesus died in obedience to His Father, we are called to leave behind our old way of life. The attitudes, habits, and desires that once controlled us are no longer to define us. We have been given a new identity in Christ.

Paul also points us to the resurrection. Because Christ was raised from the dead, those who belong to Him share in His life. This promise reaches beyond the grave into eternity, but it is also a present reality. We are alive to God today. We can walk in victory, experience His peace, follow His direction, and live for His glory.

Verse 11 brings Paul’s teaching home to our hearts: “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” What an incredible truth! Because we are united with Christ, we no longer need to make excuses for sinful living. Instead, we can rejoice in the new life He has given us and trust Him to guide our steps toward righteousness.

Dear friend, if you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ, I encourage you to surrender your life to Him today. Be grafted into the Savior through His wonderful grace. There is life in Him that you will find nowhere else.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Take a few moments today to slowly read Romans 6:5-11. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of your life where you may still be holding on to attitudes, habits, or desires that belong to your old nature.

Remember that through Christ, the power of sin has been broken. You do not have to live as you once did. Thank God for the new life He has given you and ask Him to help you walk each day in the victory that is yours through Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your only Son to die in our place. Thank You that through faith in Jesus Christ we can be forgiven, made new, and united with Him in both His death and resurrection. Help us to consider ourselves dead to the power of sin and alive to You. Strengthen us through Your Holy Spirit to walk in obedience, trust Your direction, and reflect Your love in all we do. Remind us daily that our hope is secure because Christ lives. May our words, thoughts, and actions bring honor and glory to Your name. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Romans Chapter 6 – A New Life Requires a New Walk

On 2026-09-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Monday, September 21, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:1-4 (NLT) –.¹ Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ²Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? ³Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? ⁴For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

DEVOTIONAL: In Romans 5:20, the apostle Paul introduces a mind-blowing truth: where sin abounded, God’s grace abounded all the more. But Paul knew human nature. He anticipated that some might twist this truth into a license to keep sinning, assuming that more sin simply gives God more opportunities to display His grace.

Paul responds with immediate and emphatic clarity: “Of course not!”

Paul reminds believers that we have died to sin. This does not mean that we never struggle with temptation, but it does mean that sin is no longer the master of our lives. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. The old life that was dominated by sin has been replaced by a new life that seeks to honor God.

Consider a person who has received mercy after facing the consequences of wrongdoing. Would he immediately desire to return to the same actions that brought him trouble? Certainly not. Gratitude for mercy creates a desire for change. In a much greater way, the believer who has experienced God’s saving grace should desire to walk in obedience rather than return to a life of rebellion.

Paul points to baptism as a beautiful picture of this spiritual reality. When we are baptized, we publicly identify with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Going beneath the water symbolizes the burial of the old life. Rising from the water reminds us that we have been raised to walk in newness of life through the power of Christ.

As we process what this looks like in our daily lives, two practical questions often arise:

1. “What if I haven’t been baptized yet? Am I still saved?”

Remember the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He had no opportunity to enter a baptismal pool, yet Jesus promised him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Salvation is a gift received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. However, just as you naturally want to share exciting news about your family with the world, baptism is your opportunity to publicly celebrate your new life in Christ. It is an outward expression of an inward transformation—a sacred step where fellow believers rejoice with you and commit to lifting you up in prayer.

2. “I was baptized years ago, but lately I feel far less enthusiasm for the Lord.”

Consider how marriage works. If you only spoke to your spouse once or twice a week, or spent quality time together once or twice a year, that relationship would quickly drift into coldness and distance. Strong, vibrant marriages are built on daily, sweet communion. Your relationship with God is no different. Spoken prayer, listening to His voice through Bible study, and walking in loving obedience are the daily habits that keep the flame alive.

Relationships flourish and enthusiasm is energized based on what we put into relationships, not what we hope to receive from them.

The Christ who died for us and rose again has called us to a new life. May we never treat His grace as permission to sin, but rather as motivation to pursue Him with all our hearts.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Take a sincere look at your walk with Christ today. Has your love for Him grown stronger, or have other priorities crowded Him out?

If you sense that your passion has cooled, recommit yourself to spending time with the Lord in prayer, Bible study, and obedience to His Word. Remember that Jesus willingly went to the cross because of His love for you. Let your response be a renewed desire to love, honor, and follow Him more faithfully.

PRAYER: Lord God, I recognize that a deep and lasting relationship with You requires intentional commitment, daily devotion, and a heart yielded to Your Word. Where my enthusiasm has cooled, reignite the fire of Your Holy Spirit within me. Draw me so close to You today that when others interact with me, they see the character, love, and grace of Jesus reflected in my words and actions. Fill me afresh with Your presence, Lord. Be glorified in my life and in every encounter I have today. I also pray for those in my circle of influence who do not yet know You as Savior. Soften their hearts, open their eyes to Your grace, and bring them into the peace and contentment that only comes through a relationship with You. I pray all these things in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.

Romans Chapter 5 – In Adam or In Christ: Whose Legacy Will You Choose?

On 2026-09-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Sunday, September 20, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:18-21 (NLT) – ¹⁸Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. ¹⁹Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. ²⁰God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. ²¹So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

DEVOTIONAL: While it might seem like the Apostle Paul spends a great deal of time contrasting Adam and Jesus, his explanation is vital to our spiritual understanding. Between the two of them, Adam and Jesus represent all of humanity—and every person who has ever lived is ultimately identified with one or the other.

Without any choice on our part, we were all born identified with Adam, inheriting a sinful nature. However, we can choose to be born again by making a conscious decision to receive Jesus as Lord, placing our identity firmly in Him. Without this spiritual rebirth, we face eternal separation from God in Hell.

But praise God, the story does not end there!

How do we make this choice? Jesus Christ came into the world and accomplished what no one else could do. Through His perfect obedience, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His glorious resurrection from the grave, He provided a way for sinners who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be forgiven and gain a right relationship with God. While we had no choice in being born into Adam’s family, God has graciously provided a way for us to be born again into the family of Christ.

Some might object, thinking, “I don’t have any real connection to Adam.” But whenever we sin, we demonstrate our connection to the man who first brought sin into the world. Others might feel they have no association with Jesus, yet God in His infinite mercy grants every person the freedom to choose where they will spend eternity. Sin cannot enter Heaven; unless you decide to lay down the heavy burden of sin and trust Christ for your salvation, God’s Word warns that you remain separated from Him.

Scripture leaves no doubt about the path to peace with God:

— Romans 10:9–10: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

— John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

If you feel hesitant today, know that many of us who now walk with Jesus once struggled to take that same step of faith. Rest assured that Jesus is patient, loving, and kind. He created you in His image and longs for a relationship with you. He has given us His Word as our guide to receiving Him as Savior.

If you would like help taking this step, please reach out to a Bible-teaching pastor at a local church, or send a message directly to NuggetsFromGodsWord@Outlook.com. We would be honored to share from God’s Word and help you make the single most important decision of your life.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: We are only guaranteed the present moment. If the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart right now, do not delay. Reread Romans 10:9–10 and John 3:16, turn to Jesus in prayer, and surrender your life to Him today. God went to extraordinary lengths by giving His only Son so that you could have a right relationship with Him. Respond to His call today and step into the new life He has prepared for you.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are full of mercy and truth. I believe Your Word when It tells me of the sacrifice You made for my sins on the cross. I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. Cleanse me today, forgive my sins, and grant me the power to overcome the ways of this world so that I may walk in obedience to Your Word.

I long to be with You in glory when my time on earth is done, knowing this is only possible because of Your shed blood and victorious resurrection. Because You rose from the dead, I trust that You will raise me up to spend eternity in Heaven with You and the Father. Teach me Your ways, Lord, and guide my path every day as I walk closely with You. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen!

Romans Chapter 5 – The Gift of Righteousness: Living in Christ’s Victory!

On 2026-09-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Saturday, September 18, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:15-17 (NLT) – ¹⁵But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁶And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. ¹⁷For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

DEVOTIONAL: In the preceding verses, Paul began introducing a remarkable contrast between Adam and Jesus Christ. In today’s passage, he expands upon that comparison and reveals a glorious truth: while Adam’s sin brought death and condemnation, God’s grace through Jesus Christ brings forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life.

Throughout Scripture, we find several meaningful comparisons between Adam and Christ. Notice how the tragedy that entered the world through the first Adam is completely overcome by the victory secured through Jesus:

Adam	Jesus
First man, formed from the dust (*Gen 2:7*)	The Lord from heaven; the Last Adam (*1 Cor 15:45, 47*)
First to sin, bringing death to the world (*Rom 5:12*)	Dealt decisively with sin, bringing life (*Rom 5:18–19, 1 Cor 15:22*)
Disobedience brought condemnation (*Romans 5:18*)	Perfect obedience brings justification (*Rom 5:18*)
Sin separated humanity from God (*Genesis 3:23-24*)	Reconciles believers directly to God (*2 Cor 5:18*)
In Adam all die (*1 Corinthians 15:22*)	In Christ all shall be made alive (*1 Corinthians 15:22*)

Paul’s goal was not simply to compare two men. His purpose was to show the overwhelming superiority of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Adam’s sin affected every person born into this world, bringing condemnation and death. Yet Christ’s work is far greater. Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, He offers forgiveness for sins, righteousness before God, and the promise of eternal life to all who place their faith in Him.

What wonderful encouragement this provides for believers today! While Adam reminds us of humanity’s fall, Jesus reminds us of God’s redemption. Through Adam came death, but through Christ comes life. Through Adam came separation from God, but through Christ comes reconciliation. Through Adam came condemnation, but through Christ comes justification.

We serve an awesome God who not only created us but also provided the way of redemption through His Son. Because of Jesus, believers have more than hope for tomorrow; they have purpose, joy, and victory to experience today. Sin and death do not have the final word. Jesus does.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Share that joy of knowing what tomorrow holds in store for you. If you chose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are assured of taking part in that glorious resurrection on the day God calls us home. Share with them the hope you have found in Jesus Christ. Let them know that because of God’s wonderful grace, forgiveness, peace with God, and eternal life are available to all who trust in His Son.

PRAYER:Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wonderful grace displayed through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We acknowledge that through Adam sin entered the world and death followed, but we rejoice that through Jesus we have forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life. Thank You that Your grace is greater than our sin and that Your gift of salvation is available to all who believe. Help us to live each day in the victory Christ has secured for us and to boldly share this hope with those around us. May our lives point others to the Savior who conquered sin and death once and for all. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Romans Chapter 5 – From Adam’s Fall to Christ’s Victory

On 2026-09-17 By Ed AlgreenIn God’s Word, All have sinned, God Cares For Us, Acknowledge God, Awesome God, Accept Jesus NOWLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, September 17, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
I would love for you to read today’s Scripture in your own personal Bible!

Romans 5:12-14 (NLT): ¹²When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. ¹³Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. ¹⁴Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I hope you’ve taken a moment to read the verses referenced above, as they’ll help you better grasp the context of this devotional.

As we read today’s verses, it may be tempting to move quickly past them without fully grasping their significance. Yet every word of Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for our understanding. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired Paul to write these words for our instruction, and they reveal an important truth about our condition and our need for a Savior.

Paul takes his readers all the way back to the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, Satan, speaking through the serpent, questioned God’s command and tempted Eve to doubt the word of God. Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and Adam knowingly followed her into disobedience. Even before a written law was delivered through Moses, God’s original instruction was broken.

As a result, sin entered the world through Adam, and death followed. God had warned Adam in Genesis 2:17 that disobedience would bring death. From that moment forward, the effects of sin spread throughout all humanity. Paul points to the undeniable reality that death reigned from Adam to Moses, even before God gave His Law through Moses. The presence of death was the result of sin.

Paul’s purpose is not merely to recount history. He is preparing his readers for a glorious truth. Adam serves as a picture of one who was to come. Through Adam came sin and death, but through Jesus Christ would come righteousness and life. Paul will unfold that contrast more fully in the verses ahead.

As we consider these truths, we are reminded that every funeral, every graveyard, and every reminder of mortality points back to humanity’s fallen condition. Yet for the child of God, death is not the end of the story. Because Christ came, died, and rose again, we have hope beyond the grave. The same Savior who conquered death offers eternal life to all who place their faith in Him.

As we share God’s Word with others, let us ask the Holy Spirit to prepare both our hearts and theirs. God did just this in Acts 10, when He prepared Peter to share the Gospel with Cornelius. Only God can soften hearts, open eyes, and draw people to Himself. Our role is to faithfully share the truth while trusting God to do His transforming work.

Challenge: When called to share God’s Word with someone, do not only pray for the recipient, but ask God to also minister to your own heart as you go. Additionally, the next time you attend a funeral or face the reality of grief, look beyond the pain brought on by Adam’s fall. Reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which secured eternal life for every believer. Even in the face of death, we have an unshakable hope!

Prayer: Almighty and everlasting Father, thank You for the eternal hope we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. Though sin and death entered the world through the first man, Adam, we praise You that the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Your precious Son brought eternal life to all who believe. I pray for everyone reading these words today. Soften hearts, Lord, and draw them by Your Spirit toward Your saving truth. Prompt those who do not yet know You to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord today. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I pray that one of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org, or if you choose, subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, as you will also find that option on this page. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you invite God to work through you to bless them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!

Romans Chapter 5 – Friends of God: Your Input Will Determine Your Output

On 2026-09-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
I would love for you to read today’s Scripture in your own personal Bible!

Romans 5:9-11 (NLT): ⁹And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ¹⁰For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I hope you’ve taken a moment to read the verses referenced above, as they’ll help you better grasp the context of this devotional.

Romans 5 reminds us of one of the greatest blessings available to every believer: through Jesus Christ, we are no longer condemned sinners standing at a distance from God, but forgiven children welcomed into a restored relationship with Him.

Therefore, from this reminder, it is evident right from the opening verses of today’s Scripture, the incredible grace of God. Although we have fallen short of His expectations and have strayed from His teachings, God did not abandon us in our sin. Instead, through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ, He made a way for us to be justified and restored into a right relationship with Himself.

The Bible remains the world’s best-selling book, yet many who own a copy rarely open its pages or allow its truths to shape their lives. Nevertheless, God’s Word clearly points us to the hope found in Christ. And this should be the primary input for our heart. Paul reminds us that through the blood Jesus shed on the cross, our sins can be forgiven, and we can be saved from God’s condemnation.

However, it is important to remember that this gift is not automatically received by every person. John 3:16-17 tells us that God gave His Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Earlier in Romans chapter 5, Paul reminds us that it is through faith that we are made right or justified before God. Salvation is God’s gift, but it must be accepted through faith in His Son.

Consider the relationship between a husband and wife. Before marriage, they may have been strangers. But once married under God’s ordinance, they spend their lives learning about one another, growing closer, and seeking to please each other. So it is with God. Through Jesus Christ, we are brought into a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. We become recipients of His grace, mercy, and love.

Because of this relationship, we should desire to draw closer to Him every day through prayer, reading His Word, meditating on His truth, and following His guidance. The more we fill our hearts and minds with God’s Word, the more His character will be reflected in our lives. If Jesus truly reigns within our hearts, His presence will become evident in our thoughts, words, attitudes, and actions. The total output from our heart.

This is where today’s theme becomes especially important: your input will determine your output. When God’s Word becomes your daily input, Christlike living becomes your output. The things that consume our hearts inevitably shape our lives.

I love the sentiment shared by Paul in verse 11 when he tells us that we can rejoice in our relationship with God. Not because we have somehow achieved perfection, but because Jesus Christ has reconciled us to the Father. Imagine the excitement of becoming friends with someone greatly respected or influential. We naturally want to talk about them and share our joy with others.

How much greater should our joy be when we consider that the King of kings, Lord of lords, Creator of the universe, and Savior of our souls has made a way for us to become friends of God? What an amazing privilege! Through Christ, we have been welcomed into a relationship that will last for all eternity.

Today’s Challenge

Who is your closest friend? Who occupies most of your thoughts? Who do you talk about most often?

Take a moment today to evaluate the input filling your heart and mind. Is it drawing you closer to Christ, or pulling your attention elsewhere? The evidence will often be seen in your output: your words, attitudes, choices, and priorities.

God has given believers the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide, strengthen, and direct them each day. Listen carefully to His leadership. Fill your heart with God’s Word and watch as the life of Christ shines through you.

PRAYER
Father God, thank You for loving us even when we were consumed in sin. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to shed His blood so that we might be forgiven, justified, and restored into a right relationship with You. Help us, in our input, to fill our hearts and minds with Your Word each day so that, in our output, our thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions reflect the presence of Christ within us. Through the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, draw us closer to You and help us rejoice in the privilege of being called Your friend. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I pray that one of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org, or if you choose, subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, as you will also find that option on this page. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you invite God to work through you to bless them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!