Abounding Grace Series

ROM 6:1 -23 GRACE ABOUNDS IN CHRIST

LAST WEEK WE SAW THAT PAUL HAD TAKEN US THROUGH OUR ANCESTRY AND HAD SHOWN US ALL THAT WE WERE EITHER IN ADAM OR IN CHRIST THAT IN ADAM CAME SIN AND DEATH REIGN IN CHRIST GRACE AND ABUNDANT ETERNAL LIFE REIGN ... WE ALSO SAW THAT WHEN SIN INCREASES GODS GRACE INCREASES ALL THE MORE V20 ......

THIS GOT PEOPLE ASKING A SERIOUS QUESTION “DOES THAT MEAN THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I SIN GODS GRACE IS GOING TO INCREASE TOWARDS ME?”

OF COURSE THIS WASNT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS CHARGE WAS PUT FORWARD TO PAUL 3:7 -8 SO PAUL BEGINS BY ANSWERING THIS CHARGE V1-2.

IN CHAPTER 6 HE UNPACKS THE WORK OF SANCTIFICATION (ONGOING WORK OF HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS ROM 15:16 ) FIRSTLY HE REFUTES THE ALLEGATIONS THAT GODS GRACE IS A LICENCE TO SIN V1- 2 HE THEN EXPLAINS THAT AS A RESULT OF GODS GRACE A BELIEVER IS DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE IN CHRIST – HE POINTS TO THEIR BAPTISM - THE DEATH OF CHRIST - AND HIS RESURECTION 3-5 AND INFERS WHEN CHRIST DIED - WE DIED - WHEN CHRIST ROSE WE ROSE ALL OF WHICH DESTROYS SINS CONTROL 6 -11 HE THEN LAYS DOWN THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS INWARD REALITY OF DYING TO SIN AND LIVING TO CHRIST AND ENCOURAGES US TO OFFER OURSELVES NO LONGER TO WICKEDNESS BUT TO GOD AS INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTOUSNESS V12 – 14 .

1. ABOUNDING GRACE IS NOT A LICENCE TO SIN V2

V1 “WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? SHALL WE GO ON SINNING, SO THAT GRACE MIGHT INCREASE?” LOOK AT HIS STRONG WORDS PAUL RELATES HERE V2 BY NO MEANS (GOD FORBID) PAUL RETORTS WITH A QUESTION OF HIS OWN V2 WE DIED TO SIN HOW CAN WE LIVE IN IT ANY LONGER?

WHEREVER JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE IS PROCLAIMED THIS CHARGE WILL BE FIRED AT YOU....IT WAS ONE I OFTEN HEARD IN THE OPEN AIR IN PARTICULAR BY MUSLIMS THEY COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND THE GRACE OF GOD - THEY ONLY EVER SAW IT AS A LICENCE TO IMMORAL LIVING RATHER THAN A LICENCE TO HOLY LIVING. AND SADLY MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE FAILED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE GRACE OF GOD – IT BECOMES A CHEAP GRACE WHICH THEYE USE AGAIN AND AGAIN TO JUSTIFY THEIR SINFUL ACTIONS AND IT IS ALL WRONG.... THEY MAY SAY THINGS LIKE “OH GODS IN THE BUISSNESS OF FORGIVENESS.” GODS LOVING HE WON’T JUDGE ME” “SIN AIN’T SO BAD, AFTER ALL EVERYBODY DOING IT TODAY.”

DIETRICH BONHOEFFER IN THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP, CHRISTIANITY TODAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1994, And P. 39 CHEAP GRACE IS THE GRACE WE BESTOW ON OURSELVES. CHEAP GRACE IS THE PREACHING OF FORGIVENESS WITHOUT REQUIRING REPENTANCE, BAPTISM WITHOUT CHURCH DISCIPLINE, COMMUNION WITHOUT CONFESSION. CHEAP GRACE IS GRACE WITHOUT DISCIPLESHIP, GRACE WITHOUT THE CROSS, GRACE WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST, LIVING AND INCARNATE. COSTLY GRACE...IS THE KINGLY RULE OF CHRIST, FOR WHOSE SAKE A MAN WILL PLUCK OUT THE EYE WHICH CAUSES HIM TO STUMBLE, IT IS THE CALL OF JESUS CHRIST AT WHICH THE DISCIPLE LEAVES HIS NETS AND FOLLOWS HIM.

WE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO USE GODS GRACE AS A CLOAK FOR OUR OWN SINS TO FLOURISH - OF COURSE WE ALL SIN - NO BODY IS PERFECT - YET SCRIPTURES STATE V2 WE DIED TO SIN HOW CAN WE LIVE IN IT ANY LONGER?

WATCHING A TRAPEZE SHOW IS BREATHTAKING. WE WONDER AT THE DEXTERITY AND TIMING. WE GASP AT NEAR-MISSES. IN MOST CASES, THERE IS A NET UNDERNEATH. WHEN THEY FALL, THEY JUMP UP AND BOUNCE BACK TO THE TRAPEZE. IN CHRIST, WE LIVE ON THE TRAPEZE. THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD BE ABLE TO WATCH AND SAY, “LOOK HOW THEY LIVE, HOW THEY LOVE ONE ANOTHER. LOOK HOW WELL THE HUSBANDS TREAT THEIR WIVES. AND AREN’T THEY THE BEST WORKERS IN THE FACTORIES AND OFFICES, THE BEST NEIGHBORS, THE BEST STUDENTS?” THAT IS TO LIVE ON THE TRAPEZE, BEING A SHOW TO THE WORLD.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SLIP? THE NET IS SURELY THERE. THE BLOOD OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST, HAS PROVIDED FORGIVENESS FOR ALL OUR TRESPASSES. BOTH THE NET AND THE ABILITY TO STAY ON THE TRAPEZE ARE WORKS OF GOD’S GRACE. OF COURSE, BUT WE CANNOT BE CONTINUALLY SLEEPING ON THE NET. IF THAT IS THE CASE, I DOUBT WHETHER THAT PERSON IS A TRAPEZIST AT ALL. BIBLE.ORG

YOU SEE PAUL HAS STRONG WORDS: A PERSON WHO IS USING THE GRACE OF GOD AS A COVER TO HABITUALLY SINNING IS CONTRARY TO GODS WORD AND IS FAILING TO PUT SIN TO DEATH WILL BE CONDEMNED ROM.3:7-8. AND THERE CONDEMNATION IS DESERVED. THE EARLY CHURCH WAS RIDDLED WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD NOT DIED TO SIN AND THOUGHT THAT GODS GRACE WAS A LICENCE FOR THEM TO SIN.... JUDE: V3 - 4. READ WHOSE CONDEMNATION WAS WRITTEN ABOUT....