“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

Foundational Scripture: Romans 5:12-19

V12         Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all that all have sinned.

V13         (For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

V14         Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

V15         But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.  For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

V16         And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

V17         For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

V18         Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

V19         For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

 

As born-again believers, it is very important that we understand exactly what transpired at Calvary’s Cross.  Jesus was paying the price for the sins of the world.  He was the second Adam and He came to get back what the first Adam lost.  When Adam sinned and committed high treason, he bowed his knee to the devil and death reigned.  For this reason Jesus had to pay the price, being obedient to die on the cross.  Even as by Adam’s disobedience death reigned, so by Jesus’ obedience, life came.  He didn’t do it for Himself, but for us.  He went to the cross as 100% Man and 100% God.

 

Phillipians 2:5-8

V5           Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

V6           Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

V7           But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

V8           And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 

He was despised for us – He bore our grief – He carried our sorrows – He was wounded for our transgressions.  He was bruised for our iniquities – He was chastised in order to obtain peace for us – He

bore stripes so that we could be healed.  He bore the iniquity for us all – He was oppressed – He was afflicted – He was cut off from the land of the living.  He was stricken for the transgression of His people –

He made His grave with the wicked and the rich man in His death.  He was bruised and put to grief by God’s pleasure for us – He was made an offering for sin.

 

Isaiah 53:1-10

V1           Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

V2           For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

V3           He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

V4           Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

V5           But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

V6           All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

V7           He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

V8           He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

V9           And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

V10         Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

 

Adam, by His disobedience, went to the tree of knowledge of good and evil and brought death upon mankind.  Jesus, by His obedience, went to the cross and died, resulting in eternal life for us.  Jesus took your and my place.  By His obedience we have life.  Adam’s disobedience was a selfish act, motivated by sin, resulting in death.  Jesus’ obedience was an unselfish act, motivated by a love that knows no limits.  Jesus’ act of unselfish love resulted in our eternal life.