Monday, August 15, 2011

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?



Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?


I rarely allow my critics to guide me in what I write these days. Most of what they say has been said as what they say contradicts itself and then end up agreeing with me—only to say I am still “not saved”. I see them as sad little people who do not know how to love others and have a warped understanding of the Gospel. 

Now that is out of the way…

Romans 6:1.  What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

I was reading in Romans six and it hit me how so many people read this and miss the point completely. Why? They read this verse out of context of the others and not within the overall teaching of Scripture.

Yes, if you just take this verse it seems to say, “You cannot keep on sinning and expect grace to cover you.” But think about that…. If we can out sin grace, then grace means nothing. 

So, if we look at what Paul taught in chapter five we see that Paul just unpacked a teaching about grace in a profound and deep way. He stated things like:

Romans 5: 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.

To summarize chapter five is to say that Jesus is our:

Reconciliation
Justification
Obedience
Salvation from death (as we died with Jesus on the cross) 

We also find that this is all by Grace. 

Then we hit chapter six. If we read it out of context we find that, yes, grace is not sufficient to cover all those things, but we just saw it did. So what is Paul saying?

Romans 6: 1. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2. By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3. Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  5. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.  6.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,  that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7. because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  9.  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10.  The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We died to sin. How? When we were “Baptized” (Immersed) into Christ. If you believe in Jesus, this already happened! We were buried with Jesus for a reason—to be raised again to New Life! You are united with Jesus in His death and then united with Jesus in His resurrection.  Your old self is dead (contrary to some who teach it still lives and you struggle with your old self). The process is then about the renewal of the mind and not dealing with sin. We are no longer slaves to sin because we died to sin and now live in Christ Jesus. Your old self is dead… buried… never to be dug up again… your old self is dead as sin…

Let me show another scripture out of Romans that shows more clearly what I’m, saying. We skip over to Romans chapter eight: 

Romans 8: 1.  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2.  because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  3.  For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,  God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4.  in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 

I guarantee that people will say I am soft selling sin. Not at all, I am agreeing with the bible as to what happened to sin. Here we read that God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to die for us or in place of us. When Jesus was on the Cross, He condemned sin IN sinful man. Man was never condemned, but SIN WAS!  In fact, what God did was make you His very righteousness. You are all that is right about God by His Grace! 

2 Corinthians 5: 21.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

So  when I read how some misuse this passage I am saddened that  in one breath they claim grace, then in another misuse a passage to abuse and condemn others and miss that it states the opposite of their intentions. So like Paul states in Galatians 3:

Galatians 3: 1.  You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2.  I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3.  Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 

So do not let some legalist twist the bible to take away Grace from you. Live as the rightness of God through Jesus by His very Resurrected Life.

 My only (slight) disclaimer as I know some idiots out there will ask this is, no, I am not saying go out and live however you want. You are no longer "slaves to sin", but the rightness of God. However, unlike many who would even suggest that (as I see it a lack of trust and faith in God), I trust that the Grace of God is sufficient to save as well as the Holy Spirit greatly qualified to change a person how God sees fit and not by my own agenda and understanding. When it comes to a person's "sin", I believe God has dealt with it and deals with us on a much deeper basis than outward "sin". I see God as going to the core of our being and working in the renewal of our minds. Some people are more messed up than others and need patience and kindness. I wonder at those who judge and condemn others, when Jesus himself never did so. In fact, I see that those who act such a way toward others as to it to Jesus himself.



8 comments:

pastorboy said...

To bad that your definition of sin is completely lacking. For example, homosexuality is a sin just as much as adultery is. Yet outlaw preachers and your outcasts claim that they are saved by grace as though it is a get out of jail free card. Grace covers sin upon repentance. grace transforms. Is God's grace so weak it cannot save a homosexual out of homosexual sin?

Unknown said...

My definition of "sin" is "unbelief"... and that is very strong....

The difference is I believe the bible for what it says and you make it say what it does not by adding more to it.

Unknown said...

So when I read the verse I read it as, "do not continue in unbelief or as an unbeliever that Grace may increase,by no means as you cannot do so as you are a new creation!" I would also add: "Now grow in the Grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ." but I guess you also do not agree with that or say you do, but somehow I am still wrong and going to hell as you usually state only proving my post even more spot on. LOL!

Unknown said...

So you know PB, all your future slanderous comments will go instantly to spam and deleted. Your hate is not "christian" or healthy. I pray you change your ways from slander and lies for those whose identity is in doing such will not inherit the Kingdom. I pray for you.

Philip Verghese 'Ariel' said...

Hi Iggy, Good to meet you at this blog. Happy to note that good thoughts are here, keep up the good work, keep sharing
will come again i just joined in
best regards
phil

K L W said...

Wow. You took offense pretty quickly there.

I agree with you that PastorBoy doesn't have a right view of Grace, but he simply disagreed with your position by posting the antithesis of your view of grace.

That he is wrong, I would agree with you. But to resort to calling him "hateful", or a liar, or a slanderer...

That's a bit trigger happy, isn't it? Or does this guy have a long history of this that I haven't seen?

Anyway, I came here to respond to this: Your old self is dead (contrary to some who teach it still lives and you struggle with your old self). I can only assume that you believe that your "old self" is dead. To which I ask, then what exactly are you struggling with today if it is NOT that old self? Are you struggling with the new creation? Are you suggesting that you are a bad fit for the kingdom of heaven because the clothes dont fit? If you are not struggling with "the old self", the either you are not struggling at all (which is unlikely), or you are struggling with what God gave you and called good.

How does all this play out in your estimation? I'm not being cocky or fascisous, in case it sounds that way. These are just the sorts of questions that come to mind when someone suggests that the "old self" is dead when plain, ordinary daily experience ought to be enough to convince us otherwise.

Unknown said...

First off, yes, there is a ton of history between pastorboy and myself. He tends to bend the truth so far one can no longer recognize it. He has lied, slandered and done hateful things toward me and my ministry including sending a letter to my pastor about how horrible I am... BTW my pastor read it and laughed at what PB wrote. My pastor knows me...

My view is based on Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

as well as: Romans 5: Romans 5
Peace and Hope
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 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!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Footnotes:
Romans 5:1 Many manuscripts let us
Romans 5:2 Or let us
Romans 5:3 Or let us

Unknown said...

Sorry, the html will not allow for as many words as I am typing. = ) Sooo...

I am in agreement with Paul... as well as Jesus who stated:


John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:5-7

The struggle is not with my "old self" but with the sin that still remains in my body of flesh. Though sin was judged, our flesh still seeks to fulfill desires... or as Paul states in Romans 7 and 8

How this plays out is that we must live in full dependency on Christ for He is our all. We must walk in the Faith that God gifted us to walk in... we may "sin" but sin was dealt with and taken away at the Cross and as Romans 5:10 states: For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

We are saved by the imparted life of Christ... this is the same Life that raised Him from the dead and will one day raise those who live in the Spirit.
The struggle is not with my "old self" but with the sin that still remains in my body of flesh. Though sin was judged, our flesh still seeks to fulfill desires... or as Paul states in Romans 7 and 8

How this plays out is that we must live in full dependency on Christ for He is our all. We must walk in the Faith that God gifted us to walk in... we may "sin" but sin was dealt with and taken away at the Cross and as Romans 5:10 states: For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

We are saved by the imparted life of Christ... this is the same Life that raised Him from the dead and will one day raise those who live in the Spirit.