“Grace Abounds; What About My Sin?”
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Where sin abounds grace abounds much more. This is the point we ended with last week! Romans is a building block book. We can not move into the truths found in Romans 6 and beyond until we have what Paul has taught us already. The truths established up to this point help us in our understanding of the principles yet to be taught. Let’s review the building blocks up to this point:
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1. The reason Paul was writing Romans was to declare the just shall live by faith. 2. There are three groups of people Paul identifies, the wicked, those under law, and the morally good people not under the knowledge of the law. 3. Paul concluded it did not matter what group you came from, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; there is none who can find righteousness on their own. 4. There is a righteousness apart from the works of the law and apart from man’s own works; this is the righteousness of God that comes exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ. 5. Those who have come to God’s defined righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ have access granted. 6. Access granted means God will change our character bringing our soul and body in line with what God did in our spirit at salvation. At the point of salvation we are perfected in our spirit 2 Corinthians 5:17 Hebrews 10:14. At the point of salvation a work begins in our soul or mind Romans 12:1-2. At the point of salvation our body is affected however it will have to wait for the final redemption Romans 8:23.
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Where sin abounds grace does much more abound. What does a believer do when they have fallen short again? Have you ever been on a sin repent, sin repent, sin repent cycle? We need a revelation of the greatness of God divine influence upon our life. The good news is you don’t have to live on a sin repent, sin repent, sin repent cycle for the rest of your life. The truth that can set you free; where sin abounds grace does much more abound.
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Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
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Paul taught grace so strong that the question arose “Shall we continue in sin that grace might abound?”. If the question does not arise grace is not being taught properly! The grace message Paul taught was fought against in his day. The battle rages on today. When teaching on grace it often brings confrontation.
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Romans 3:8 And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"?; as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
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This abounding grace will ever be founded on the fact of one Man’s obedient act brings righteousness. It is not our obedient act, but Jesus Christ alone that has provided righteousness for those who will believe upon Him. Grace should be preached to the degree that the soothsayers of the day will slanderously report we teach lets go on sinning. Grace should be preached so strong the next obvious question is, shall we go on sinning that grace might abound?
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Romans 6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
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If we have the genuine salvation experience we have died to sin. If we have a true faith in Jesus Christ we died to old man (sin nature) and surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.
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The beloved John did write specifically what a child of God is to do if we sin. It is not written in 1 John chapter 1 but in 1 John chapter 2.
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1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. :2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
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John the beloved wrote if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. When we the believer sin we need to run to our Advocate Jesus Christ. Much of the church has never learned to reckon themselves dead to sin and alive unto God. Jesus will evermore be the propitiation for the sin of the believer!
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Romans 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowingthat Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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If a believer sins or even perhaps is on the sin, repent, sin repent cycle consider our Advocate Jesus Christ. If repentance alone was enough victory would have already been gained. One has tortured their self asking why is my repentance not working? Do I not have true repentance? The devil has tortured them with accusations of hypocrisy; in their weakened sate they have even agreed with the devil’s lies. Considering the Advocate Jesus Christ is the answer.
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How many times did Jesus die for sin? Is there more deaths for Him to die? Romans 6:11 clearly says “Likewise”! In the same way Jesus Christ died to sin once and now lives unto God, you too died to sin once; now by faith reckon yourself dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus soul was poured out as an offering for our sin. Jesus bore the punishment and guilt for our sin; our blood covenant says we are dead to sin and alive unto God.
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Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death,that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
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These verses are not pointing to water baptism as some have claimed, or of the baptism of the Holy Spirit but the experience of putting your faith in Jesus Christ. However, if you have believed, you have been commanded to be water baptized, and likewise if you have truly believed the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for you! Jesus is still the baptizer of the Holy Spirit.
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Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
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When Paul wrote there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. He was writing about the baptism into Jesus Christ. He was not writing about water baptism, the baptism of the Holy Spirit or even the baptism of suffering. The one baptism is the baptism into Christ. We have been baptized into Christ becoming a child in the kingdom of God . We have come into the kingdom of God to walk in the newness of life.
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1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
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It is a supernatural work of the Spirit of God to be baptized into the body of Christ. Salvation is the point where you genuinely put your faith in Jesus.
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Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
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John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
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The baptism into Christ is a revelation that Jesus is the Messiah. Just like Peter confessed “You are the Christ the Son of the living God”, and much like the thief on the cross “Remember me when you come into your kingdom”, baptism into Christ comes at your confession.
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1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
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1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,
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Romans 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
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Our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with. Verse 7 is so strong, in past tense, he who has died has been freed from sin. We must see ourselves as set free from sin.
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John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
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The specific truth that sets you free: When Jesus sets one free from sin they are free indeed! Where sin abounds grace does much more abound because he who the Son set free is free indeed.
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Romans 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
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There is a perfected work God has done in our spirit. When we are reckoning our self dead to sin we are acknowledging we have been joined back to God Spirit to spirit and we are renewing our soul with the Word.
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Hebrews 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
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With the promise of abounding grace comes the promise of correction from the Father of spirits. If one can sin and go on sinning without the correction of God, know that one is not a true partaker of grace. We who are truly abounding in grace are under subjection to the Father of spirits and live!
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Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
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Your spirit made new, your soul is being renewed, and one day this body will be changed with a new body. Grace abounding will be the empowering force to living worthy of our calling.
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