Where Sin Increased, Grace Abounded All The More

Where Sin Increased, Grace Abounded All The More

Romans 5:20-21 “Law came in, to increase the trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that , as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

When I read this verse this morning I knew it was the one to talk about because one of the speakers mentioned it in their talk last week at the conference and I thought he made a really good point.  I will see if I can help you see the beauty in the time we are living in.  Let me begin with the first line of this verse because I didn’t understand it.  It was one of those lines that I just want to skip over to get to the part I can explain at least a little better.  However, my commitment to you is that we will really examine these scriptures and we will gain a better understanding of what they mean.  We can not do that if I skip over the ones I don’t understand.  So, instead I decided to see what those who do Bible commentary have to say about this verse.  

The reason I don’t understand it is because it sounds like it is saying God gave us the law so that we might sin more.  Do you see why that would be confusing to me?  Why would God want us to sin more?  Figuring out what scriptures like this is really saying is why I love doing this podcast.  A few years ago, if I was reading that on my own, I probably would have just moved on, I don’t know that I would have looked it up to see what it was saying.  This is another reason I am grateful for each of you listening to this podcast.  You push me to learn and to grow because you are willing to learn and grow with me.  Thank you!

What I found out about this verse is that ever since Adam and Eve took and ate of the apple, sin came into the world.  It is not that people were sinning more, it was that they were noticing their sin more.  In this verse, Paul is not saying that God introduced the Law because He wanted to make us sin more, but that He wanted us to be more aware of our sins and the fact that we had a totally sinful nature.  We were already sinning, we just didn’t realize what we were doing was a sin.  The analogy I read said its like accusing a kid of stealing a cookie before you even tell him what stealing is.  If there is no law against taking a cookie then he is not stealing it.  However, once there is a law and once he understands it, then any cookies he takes after that is willful disobedience.  God was helping us to see all the ways we were not living how we were meant to live.  They say the first step to change is acknowledging that you need to change.  How could the Israelites be expected to change if they did not know what they were doing was wrong?  This was the point to the law, to show them their sins, not to make them sin more.

The next part of the verse above says, "but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”  This line explains to us that God didn’t just give them the law, but He gave them grace as well.  Here is a quote from an article titled, "Pastor: What the grace of God does in us” by Rev. J. Patrick Street.  I will place a link for it in the show notes (click here for article).  This is what the pastor said about grace:

“You see that the grace of God is more than salvation but also everything we need for life and godliness. The definition of grace could be “God's life, power and righteousness given to us by unmerited favor.” It is through grace that God works effective change in our hearts and lives. Grace gives us a new life which is not condemned by God. Through God's grace we are forgiven, transforming our thinking, resulting in the renewal of our mind and heart. Through grace we live the kind of life that God would like every one of His children to experience.”  The grace of god is essential for us to live the way God wants us to live.  We need God’s grace.  

One of the speakers at the conference was talking about how the world is crazy right now.  He was talking about how the devil is having a hay day with the world and that sin is running rampant.  He also said we shouldn’t be afraid because where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.  God’s grace is alive and well and is within all of us.  We received a word of prophecy almost six months ago in our prayer group and I think it fits well with what we are talking about today.  Let me read it to you:

"How often I tell you my people to listen. To listen to my word, to not harden your hearts, but to listen to my voice. How often I tell you parables, parables that compare to life, to the life you live. You look around you and you think the world has never been in worse shape than it is now. For you that is true for others that have come before you they felt the same. But the world is in the best shape it has ever been in because I was born into this world and I gave my life for each one of you and redeemed you and set you free. So do not look at the world, look at me and do not listen to the world, listen to me, to my voice. I am faithfulness itself and I am faithful from the beginning until the end of time. You have nothing to fear. You have NOTHING to fear. You have a grand and glorious God who has fought the battle and won the victory. Listen to what I tell you. Do not look at the world, look at me. Open your hearts, listen to my Word, and I give you life.

Grace is abounding today just as it has so many times before.  God knows all that will happen.  He is not surprised by any of it.  He will give us grace according to our need.  God knows what we need and when we need it.  We can trust Him to take care of us.  I think it is important to know what is going on in the world.  I think we should be walking through life with our eyes wide open, and at the same time I don’t think we need to be scared of what is coming.  God is prepared, and He is preparing us.  It can be daunting to see all the craziness that surrounds us, all the mayhem.  There is so much we could worry about and yet God is calling us not to worry.  He is calling us to trust him and to rely on His grace.  I believe the reason we are seeing so many people that God is using in miraculous ways right now is precisely because of all the evil in the world right now.  God’s grace is all around us and we just have to rely on that instead of relying on the world.  

God is telling us in the word of prophecy that He gave to my prayer group that we need to not look at the world, but look at him.  He does not want us listening to the world, but He wants us listening to His voice.  He is telling us we have nothing to FEAR, so why aren’t we listening to Him?  Why are we so fearful and anxious all the time?  Why are we so worried about the future when we know the ending to the story?  We know what happened, death was defeated, sin was defeated, the enemy was defeated.  It doesn’t matter what it looks like here on earth.  It doesn’t matter who seems to be winning.  God has already won the war and He as already defeated the enemy.  I will leave you with the Lord’s words today, “You have nothing to fear!”

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this podcast today.  Lord, we know you are amazing and we know you have already won the war, so why are we so anxious and scared.  We ask you to take this anxiety from us Lord.  We ask you to fill us with your grace and help us to live the life you want us to live.  We are so grateful for the grace you have already given us and we ask you for more Lord.  Lord, we ask you to help us to see the world through your lens.  Helps us to see what you see.  We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you and so do I! Have a blessed day!

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