Your daily Olympic devotional
A snippet from a new sports devotional, The Spirit of Victory. Available through your favourite bookstore.
Picking a captain: Which team are you on? - Romans 5:12-21
Imagine aspotlight that switches to highlight two sporting captains on the field. As one’s actions are highlighted the spotlight shines on them. Then it moves to the contrast the other’s actions.
The spotlight moves back and forward between the two captains, each time contrasting the differences between them. This is a distinctive literacy style used by Paul to contrast Adam to Jesus.
The spotlight switches between death and life, trespass and gift, judgement and grace, condemnation earned and righteousness gifted, disobedience bringing death and obedience imputating life.
As the spotlight switches between captain Adam and Captain Jesus the contrast is made about how bright Jesus is in comparison.
Jesus is described with His “Christ” title as God’s Anointed One to fix Adam’s problem.
The first challenge comes from Jesus described in Romans chapter 5 as OUR Lord. It is a personal invitation to make Him my Lord. To choose Him as the Captain means we receive His victory.
It is the same in sport when a captain accepts the champion’s trophy on behalf of their team.
The supporters cry out, “WE won!” even though they never set foot on the field. The application is we have to pick a captain, so pick Jesus! Romans chapter 5 explains we must make a choice to pick Captain Jesus.
Jeremy Dover is a former sports scientist and Pastor
Jeremy Dover's previous articles may be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover1.html
And https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover.html
