(GRACE AND DISGRACE - Day 2 of 7)
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?”
Romans 6:1
One thing that the word of God does, and specifically here in Romans 6:1, is to expose the fallacy of human “logic”. In this case, if God’s grace is glorified in the forgiving of sin then the more we sin the more we glorify God (or give God the chance to be glorified). If that’s the case, should we continue in sin so that the grace of God increases and is glorified all the more? The answer is emphatic and clear, “May it never be!”
Sin does not glorify God, and more sin does not glorify Him all the more. Righteousness glorifies God. Obedience honors and glorifies God. Rejecting sin honors and glorifies God. This ancient truth is seen in the Old Testament as well. God is not pleased with sacrifice. God is pleased with doing what is right so as not to need to offer a sin sacrifice. While God in His love and mercy and grace has made provision for atonement for us in our sin, His preference, and what truly honors and glorifies Him, is our love for Him - keeping His commandments - not transgressing His law.
It is a dangerous and spiritually deadly game that men play when they begin to excuse sin and even worse so when they promote it in thinking it will somehow bring glory to God. Sin is always dishonorable and it makes a mockery of God’s grace if we are to ever develop the attitude to continue in sin to increase the grace of God. God is not mocked! And His warnings about such are also clear.
We honor the grace of God when we have a penitent and contrite heart and broken spirit. We dishonor the grace of God, we disgrace His grace, we mock His grace when we foolishly, ignorantly, and/or arrogantly continue in sin that grace might abound. Jesus did not die, His precious blood was not shed, so that we might continue on in sin, but that the penitent of heart might truly grasp the cost of one’s wrongs and humbly turn to the righteousness of our Lord from faith to faith.
“Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?” May it never be! Are we to continue in the teaching of grace that Christ might be glorified? May it always be!
Comments