THE REIGN OF GRACE

Romans 5:20–21 “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Introduction

Message Title: The Reign of Grace

My goal this morning is to introduce you to an aspect of the Gospel that you may not know about and doesn’t get talked about very much

NOT TO BE ACADEMIC OR THEOLOGICAL - to tell you something that changed my life and can change your life too

There are three main aspects of salvation - justification, sanctification, glorification

JUSTIFICATION

This is what gets talked about the most

We believe God, and our faith is counted for righteousness

Even though we’re ungodly sinners, if we put our faith in Christ, God imputes righteousness to us as a free gift

Romans 4:4–8 “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but 3as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

It’s by one man’s obedience!

Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

GLORIFICATION

This gets talked about more than sanctification, but still not enough

This talks about our future hope in Christ

1 Corinthians 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Titus 2:13 says our blessed hope is the glorious appearing of our lord and savior Jesus Christ

John 14:1–3 ““Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Philippians 3:20–21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

Revelation 21:1–5 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.””

SANCTIFICATION

Consecration, purification, holiness - being set apart for God

The Reign of Sin

Because of Adam, we’re all under the dominion of the law of sin and death

This is where we’re going to avoid being too theological or academic

Let’s just acknowledge that what the Bible says about indwelling sin is true of us - let’s take a look

Romans 7:8 “But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.”

Romans 7:21–25 “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

SIMPLY: There’s a power that dwells in us called sin that produces all manner of evil desire in us and without christ, it reigns over us like a king, producing death and destruction along the way

THE DEEPER PROBLEM - This is the root of all our problems

It’s why we’re destined for Hell

It’s why our bodies are sick and dying

It’s why we commit actions of sin

IT’S SPIRITUAL - We have a spiritual problem and no man-centered invention or self-help method will cure it

BUT THERE’S GOOD NEWS!!!!! GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY!!!

Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound!!! Where sin has reigned, even so might grace reign!!!

The Reign of Grace

Grace isn’t just forgiveness of sins | not just a home in heaven

Grace is deliverance from the reign of indwelling sin

In Romans 5-8, Paul declares this in several different ways, and we don’t have time to look at them all this morning, so we will just look at one passage where he summarizes it:

Romans 8:2–4 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

There’s a law (a reign) that is great than the law of sin and death - it’s the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

Where sin produced death in us, grace produces life in us

Where sin produced evil desire in us, grace produces the fruit of the Spirit in us

Where sin held us captive, grace sets us free

Indwelling sin is the problem; God’s grace is the solution

BUT HOW DOES GRACE WORK

Again, it’s all over the place, but let’s focus in on our passage

The law couldn’t do it because it was weak through the flesh

Merely knowing what to do isn’t enough - our flesh is a slave to indwelling sin

We can know what to do and WANT to do it but not be able to

WE NEED SOME HELP

WHAT THE LAW COULDN’T DO, GOD DID BY SENDING HIS SON IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH

On the cross, Jesus condemned sin in the flesh

LET’S NOT BE TOO THEOLOGICAL RIGHT NOW

It’s not about what you do! It’s not about following a set of rules! It’s about what Jesus has done! It’s about God’s free gift of grace for ungodly sinners who believe! JUST BELIEVE!

I WAS BOUND, BUT I REMEMBERED: I HAVE A SAVIOR!!!!

CHRISTIANITY - AND LIVING OUT THIS CHRISTIAN LIFE - IS ABOUT HAVING A SAVIOR

He saves me not just from the consequences of my sin, but from the sin that dwells in me

Not just once in the beginning, not just at the end of the age, but right now, today, NOW IS IT HIGH TIME TO AWAKE FROM SLEEP AND CAST OF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS

We’ve been delivered from the powers of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son

So let’s live as Sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, shining forth as lights in the world

Come Back to Grace

Romans 6:17–18 “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Come back to what first set you free - the Gospel

Come back to the way not of saving or helping myself, but the way of being a weak, ungodly sinner who’s dependent on a Savior and the free gift of grace He offers to those who work not but believe