“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” Romans 5:20, 6:1-2a
Grace isn’t just amazing in the things we do understand, but in that it goes beyond our understanding. The human mind is insufficient for grace. The human conclusion either fails to believe in grace, or interprets it to being a green light unto sin. Without grace, all would be hopelessly condemned under the law, because to keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, is to be guilty of all – James 2:10 – AND all have sinned, Romans 3:23.
The law defines guilt as being the fact of sin committed. Grace is God’s provision for after the fact of sin. Thus, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” And since grace is for after the fact the sin, it is not about continuing in sin, or thinking because of grace, it is okay to go ahead with sin. So under grace, we are not correct if we eliminate man because he has done wrong by the law. And neither are we correct if we use grace as a license to do that which is contrary to the law.
Salvation by grace is established on the grounds that Jesus Christ’s shed blood made the atonement for all sin, and that His Divine righteousness stands as the only merits upon which any and all are accepted. So under grace, it is not a matter of what sins have or have not been committed, but whether or not the sinner repents and accepts Christ as their Saviour. Since salvation is a heart matter, it is something that no one other than the individual and God has anything to do with.
Since grace abounds beyond sin, salvation is not relative to our sin, but relative only to Christ’s substitution offering for our sin: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 Thus, David did not lose his salvation when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband’s death on the battlefield. But the rich young ruler, who professed to have kept God’s commandments all his life, was not saved, because he did not receive Christ as his personal Saviour.
But even though grace abounded beyond David’s sin, it did not serve as a license for his sin, because God judged David for his sin. Even though grace provides for the sinner’s salvation who does not measure up to the law, grace never authorizes the practice of the sins that it stands as a provision for. God’s grace is amazing, in that it provides deliverance from things that are never approved of by God.
SHARING
