Rom 5-Superabundant Grace

| Superabundant Grace! Romans 5:20-21

July 23, 2006(NIV) 20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (NLT) 20God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful kindness became more abundant. 21So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (ESV) 20Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (NCV) 20The law came to make sin worse. But when sin grew worse, God’s grace increased. 21Sin once used death to rule us, but God gave people more of his grace so that grace could rule by making people right with him. And this brings life forever through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Phillips Translation) Now we find that the Law keeps slipping into the picture to point the vast extent of sin. Yet, though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God His grace is wider and deeper still! The whole outlook changes—sin used to be the master of men and in the end handed them over to death: now grace is the ruling factor, with righteousness as its purpose and its end the bringing of men to the eternal Life of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.(The Message) All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.  Prayer Memory Verse: (NIV) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. – Romans 5:17 Intro: “The bigger they are the harder they fall.”Grace is a giant killer. There is no sin so great, no sin so terrible, that the grace of God cannot more than cleanse it. In fact, in order for us to truly appreciate grace, we need to more fully appreciate the depth of our sin. This morning and next week vv. 20-21…The rest of Romans is, as one commentator put it, “virtually nothing but an extended commentary” on these two verses. (D. Martin Lloyd Jones)This week: 1. The Purpose of the Law & The Abundance of Grace Next week:1. The Reign of Sin and the Reign of GraceWhat is the purpose of the law? Why was it given to us?1. The Purpose of the Law☞    The law was NOT given to provide a means for us to be right with God.“The law tells you what you should do, but it does not enable you to do it. All it does is reveal that you are a sinner.” (James Boice)☞    The law was not given to condemn us. That had already happened. “It seems to say that God wanted more sin & that He decided to create sin by giving the law.” (James Boice)NOT! – God is not the author of sin or of evil. He does not encourage it or tempt anyone to it.James 1:13-14 – (ESV) 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. v. 20: (NIV) The law was added so that the trespass might increase.The law was “added” – Phillips: “keeps slipping into the picture”Lit: it “entered along side of” sin.In other words, the law doesn’t MAKE sin; rather it does something to it. It increases it.The law increases our knowledge of sin. (Romans 7:7 (NIV) - I would not have known what sin was except through the law.)Q: What does it mean that the law increases sin?Martin Lloyd Jones (4 ways the law increases sin):☞    The law defines sin for us.v. 20a – (The Message) All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers.i.e. a child doesn’t know that it is wrong to hoard his/her toys until they are told so. – Wrong acts are sinful, even without the law. But when it is pointed out that it is wrong, and we still do it, that makes it even more sinful.There is a difference between doing something which is wrong in ignorance, and doing something wrong in rebellion. “Law turns sin into transgression” (James Boice)We can much more easily rationalize or justify our actions when they are not clearly spelled out as sin, than when they are clear.Many times we really do not WANT to know what the rules are because then it is easier for us to ignore them. – Chris Labs: “It is easier to ask for forgiveness then permission.”“Ignorance is bliss!”It angers us to have sin defined as such. – This is why there is such anger in people who are pro-choice and pro-homosexual.Mark Twain: I have no problem with the parts of the Bible I do not understand…Question: Do we WANT to know God’s standards? Do we WANT the light of the gospel to shine on our sin?☞    The law reveals sin’s nature.v. 20a – (NLT) God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. Sin: Willful rebellion against GodWe are, by nature rebels. We hate to be told that we can NOT do something, or that we MUST do something.The cartoon: “Absolutely NO machete juggling.” “Suddenly I have an urge to juggle machetes…”The law reveals this rebellious spirit to be grounded in a rejection of God.It is only when we see our sin in this light, as rebellion against God that we begin to see sin for what it really is. Only then do we begin to grasp the real horror it.The law shows us the ugliness of the sin which we would rather not deal with.Question: Do we WANT to have our sin exposed, (as long as that means really knowing God’s grace)?☞    The law exposes sin’s power.(NCV) 20The law came to make sin worse.We are like the addict who refuses to acknowledge that he/she has a problem. As long as they are convinced that they are not under the power of the alcohol, or whatever, they will not get the necessary help. As long as they are in denial about their addiction, then that addiction holds them all the more securely. The first step to overcoming any addiction is…to acknowledge that there is, indeed, a problem. |   | So it is with the law. It exposes the power sin has over us. It exposes our weakness, our helplessness, our inadequacies… AND WE DON’T LIKE IT!!!It has been said that pride and true Christianity are incompatible. They are mutually exclusive…An arrogant Christian is a contradiction in terms.When we are arrogant, when we are proud, we are self-sufficient. When we are self-sufficient we are not drawing upon God’s power, but merely running on our own. Like the addict who deceives him/herself into believing that they are really in control of themselves.Someone once said that “Christianity is crutch for weak people.” – You got it!Until we acknowledge our desperate need we will not embrace the gospel.And even after embracing the gospel, unless we acknowledge our utter dependence upon God, we will continue to fail.2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – Christ said to Paul: (NCV) “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.” So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me. 10 For this reason I am happy when I have weaknesses, insults, hard times, sufferings, and all kinds of troubles for Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong. Question: Are we willing to acknowledge the power sin has over us, apart from the grace of God in Christ?☞    The Law unveils sin’s deceit.v. 20a – (Phillips Translation) Now we find that the Law keeps slipping into the picture to point the vast extent of sin.i.e. writing with lemon juiceWe are usually willing to admit that we are not perfect, that we have areas of weakness, but it is much more difficult for us to fully acknowledge the depth of the sin that is within us.We are slow to fully grasp or to acknowledge the truth of Jeremiah 17:9 – that our heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? We desperately want to be better than we are. It is natural for us to want to feel good about ourselves. The problem is that our tendency is to want to feel good about ourselves independently from God…Question: Are we willing to acknowledge the deceitfulness of sin in our lives and to allow the law to drive us to our knees and thus to the gospel?As long as we think of sin only as a violation of some abstract moral code, it will not trouble us very much. We will just try to get away with as much as we can. It is only when we come to grips with the fact that sin is serious offense against God, Himself, that we will deal with it as it should be.As long as we think of sin merely in human terms, we will be content with merely superficial evangelism. If sin is thought of only in human terms, then, indeed, there are many people, all around us who really do not need the gospel…2. The abundance of grace(NIV) 20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.(ESV) 20Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.(NCV) 20The law came to make sin worse. But when sin grew worse, God’s grace increased.(Phillips Translation) Now we find that the Law keeps slipping into the picture to point the vast extent of sin. Yet, though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God His grace is wider and deeper still!So where does grace come in?☞    The very exposure of sin is an act of grace by God.☞    The law, and the sin it reveals, point to the coming of the gospel. – Gen. 3; the bloody sacrificial system, etc.The Greek word for sin or trespass increasing has the idea of numerical increase, growth, even multiplication. The word for grace increasing (NIV), however, is different. It means more to abound, to overflow, to have MORE than enough. It does not have to do so much with numbers as with excess. Then, just make it even MORE pronounced, Paul adds the prefix hyper. In other words, an more accurate translation of this is found in the ESV: Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.We might say that it super-abounds!The ctr. between the effect of a drop of dye in a cup of water vs. the flush of the faucet.Two points:☞    Grace is not withheld because of sin.We have a hard time with this concept because it is so foreign to our way of thinking. When we are offended by someone, it is natural for us to withdraw from that person, to avoid them as much as possible.Not so with God. Where sin increases, grace superabounds!“No dam erected by sin can hold back the abundant flow of God’s grace.” (James Boice)“Grace ceases to be grace if God is compelled to bestow it in the presence of human merit…. Grace ceases to be grace if God is compelled to withdraw it in the presence of human demerit.” (C. Samuel Storms) ☞    Grace is never reduced because of sin.Sometimes we have the idea that we can only push God so far, and then our “grace period” comes to an end. This is necessary, at times, in this fallen and broken world. But it is not so with God. It is not that some of us need more grace and others need less grace. We all need complete grace and that grace is available to any and all – the gospel –Do you, or have you in the past, sometimes, felt like your sin has forever condemned you to be only a second-class or third-class Christian? Do you struggle to believe that God hasn’t given up on you? Do you, at times, struggle to believe that God still loves you and delights in you? Do you feel somehow unworthy of His love?Think back to what it means to embrace Christ. Did He die for you because you deserved it? Did He call you because you were good? Will He reject you now after He has brought you to Him?Phil. 1:6 – (NLT) And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. Does that mean that God turns a blind eye to our sin?Absolutely NOT! He loves us too much to do that. He hates sin SO MUCH that He sent Jesus to die to rescue us from its destructive tyranny and deception!But His grace will never be put off. We may resist it. We may render it virtually meaningless in our everyday existence through our unbelief. But He will never give up on us.When the Bible talks about falling away from grace (Galatians 5:4), it is not referring to losing our salvation—then it would no longer be grace—rather it means that you have fallen into law as a way of living. You take on a burden that you were never meant to bear.A Truth to Remember:There is no sin so great that God’s grace cannot more than overcomeA Challenge to Consider:Are you willing to ask God to show you your sin, in all its awfulness so that you might know more fully His grace in all of its matchless beauty?  |