Sin and Grace

Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” Romans 5:20.

What that’s saying is that no matter how bad we’ve been, God’s grace is greater. His forgiveness is ready and waiting for us to ask. In fact, the only thing that can’t be forgiven is an attitude that says, “I’m so good, I don’t need forgiveness.”

On the other hand some christians seem to think that the extent of God’s grace means that they don’t need to take sin seriously. I remember working with a Pastor as he was about to end his third marriage. He and his wife were in my office and she was crying and saying, “It’s not right to just walk away. God can help us fix this.” And this guy said to his wife, “Do you think God can’t forgive a divorce?”

In reality, it’s impossible for a genuine Christian to not take sin seriously.

To think like that Pastor would mean that we would have to call the Holy Spirit a liar as He convicts us about the sinful life that we are living.

The death and resurrection of Jesus has set us free. We are no longer in bondage to sin (Romans 6:17). Whether it’s an addiction to porn or mood altering chemicals, whether it’s an unfaithful heart or a dishonest heart, because of what Jesus accomplished when He “made a spectacle of satan and his demons,” we no longer have to obey sin’s demand that we obey.

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

1^st Corinthians 6:9 -11

Every single day, people in each of these categories and more are being changed by the power of Jesus the Christ. You now have the power to say “no.” Because of God’s grace, we never again have to let sin rule over us. Knowing that it was our sin that sent Jesus to the cross, how could we ever justify continuing in obedience to sin?

Knowing God’s grace, “We can freely and with confidence approach the throne of grace to receive grace and find mercy in our time of need.”