A moment to talk about Romans, and grace.

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.   What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” –Romans 5: 20 & 21 – Romans 6: 1 & 2

Please, allow me for just a moment to talk about Romans and grace.  The end of Romans chapter five, and the beginning of Romans chapter six to be specific.  In our day and time, we rely on laws and statues to govern the people.  Our laws instruct us not to speed, or park in a handicap space; sometimes they overlap with God’s laws and instruct us not to: steal, murder, or commit adultery.  The Jewish law was much the same way, however, unlike our laws; Jewish law was handed down from God to Moses to the people, with the purpose to both govern and guide.  In addition, it was to provide instructions on how to atone for sins committed (for surly there would be committed sin, whilst carnal sin was reigning within).  The law articulated the sinfulness of man, it laid out the expectations of God in the plainest terms, and in doing so, highlighted the sobering fact that man was/is sinful.  Sin abounded, despite their best efforts (or worst efforts), the people would sin and repent, sin and repent, and sin and….you get the idea.  Where “sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” though they were living in this sin and repent state, God gave more grace and offered pardon, even sent his own Son to bring in a “new and living way.”  Where the law brought only death and defeat, Jesus brought victory and life.  Before Christ, sin reigned.  After Christ, God made it so “grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life.”  God reached way down, and sacrificed so much, so that he might redeem a lost and sinful man; now the cross and shed blood stands forever a testament to that grace which is available for whosoever will. 

So what then, now that we have grace, pardon, and power in his blood we are to continue in sin?  This is what Paul is rhetorically asking in Romans 6:1.  Do you think because of Jesus that you now have a blank check to sin all you want?  “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid.”   The obvious answer is NO.  God did not send Jesus to simply be a better Band-Aid.  He sent Christ to be a redeemer, and a model for our redemption.  Which is why he follows with a statement, that if the human race fully understood and totally experienced, it would do more good for this world than any charity, technology, or business has ever hoped to accomplish.  I am not knocking those things, but merely trying to make you, dear reader, realize that when you are dead to sin, and not living any longer therein, then that will eliminate sin in your life which is the source of all the evil that is in this world.  The gospel of Jesus Christ strikes a death blow to the principle problem that plagues all mankind.  Under the law, they were dead to God and alive to sin, but in grace we are alive to God and dead to sin. 

This grace we are in, the grace of God, extends further and reaches way beyond his pardoning mercy.  Yes, this is an element of it, but only a small part of the whole.  God’s grace allows human existence, it provided patience and abundant pardon under the old law, and it sent His only Son to bleed and bring victory, thereby bringing to fallen man a part of God himself; holiness.  The desire of God is for us, through death, to be in His likeness.  This is done when we, as Christ, die out to our: wills, ways, and wishes; die out to our sin and self, die out to the world, flesh, and the devil.  We die, so that we might live; live with Christ through the Spirit of Christ, in this world.  This is the “grace that reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”