The purpose of the Law and God's super-abounding Grace that extinguishes sin!

Believers, we believe and preach Grace not because we want to sin. Neither are We saying that it is okay for people to continue to sin anyhow because of Grace. NeveThere are some people who teach or live their lives this way and this is not new. Jude spoke of such who try to redefine God's saving Grace as a license to commit immorality in Jude 1:4-

"I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."

See the Amplified version: “For certain people have crept in unnoticed [just as if they were sneaking in by a side door]. They are ungodly persons whose condemnation was predicted long ago, for they distort the grace of our God into decadence and immoral freedom [viewing it as an opportunity to do whatever they want], and deny and disown our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."

Paul too was misunderstood and falsely accused of preaching that it is okay to commit sin because of Grace by religious Jews who used the Law that condemns all to death as their standard of righteousness (Romans 3:7-8). 

God knows about such people who pretend to be under Grace or try to redefine Grace as an excuse for immorality....and He deals with them. Their rejection of Christ should not make any of us try to “help" Grace by introducing the Law to keep New Covenant believers in check regarding the issue of sins. Grace - Christ Himself- is enough. The Law condemns the best of us but being under True Grace without reigning over sin is as impossible as jumping into the sea naked without getting wet. Titus 2:14 says of Him:

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Grace saves from sins. Grace is the antidote to sin.

People don't need a license to sin. The church is filled with people that are committing heinous sins and immorality without license. Reject Grace and try to keep the Law and sin will still have dominion (Romans 6:14.) But many see God's saving Grace as a potential cause of immorality in the church! See Romans 5:17-

"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!"

See the NLT: "For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17. 

How can applying the force of a million fire extinguishers (God's abundant provision of Grace) to a house that is on fire (sinners entrenched in sins) make the fire burn more? Many are unaware that some rooms in their house are on fire (temptation has not come to them in that area) and that the Law is what stokes the fire: see Romans 7:5- 

"When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death."

The one with the old nature is not a new creation in Christ- made right with God by Christ's obedience (Romans 5:19.) Such are trying to be righteous by keeping the law but the law that many are trying to keep in order to be godly and douse their "house fires" aka sins only "aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death." When Law is introduced as a means of checking sins, Sin has dominion (the fire gets out of control) and death is the result.

Grace stops sin! Can you imagine feeling great guilt and condemnation and expecting punishment for the sin of responding with 12 o' clock when the time was really 12.02 after someone asked for the time... and by mistake o! Can you imagine expecting punishment for using hyperbole in a sentence e.g. "she spilled water all over the floor" when the water didn't really cover the entire floor? Let's not even begin to talk about "big sins" like telling your mom that you are almost at her place when you were really just leaving your house. That is how much we grace children "wanted to sin" before God opened our eyes to His Grace- the message of Christ:) We got so exhausted trying get right with God by keeping the Law that the PURPOSE of the law was fulfilled in our lives:

Galatians 3:19 - "Why then was the law given? It was meant to be an intermediary agreement added after God gave the promise of the coming One! It was given to show men how guilty they are, and it remained in force until the Seed was born to fulfill the promises given to Abraham."

Also Romans 3:19-20- "Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are."

Also Romans 5:20- "The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more."

See the TPT: "So then, the law was introduced into God’s plan to bring the reality of human sinfulness out of hiding. And yet, wherever sin increased, there was more than enough of God’s grace to triumph all the more!"

Believer, let's be for the Law for the purpose for which it was given: to show everyone up as guilty and make us see our need for God's saving grace. I'm yet to hear anyone who is advocating for keeping the Law in a bid to be godly preach these verses, especially Romans 5:20- "The law was given so that sin would increase." The Law is what makes sin have dominion over one.

Plus the verse "...where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more" is not so that we should continue to wallow in sins because of God's super-abounding Grace. With every sin, there is more than enough grace to help us overcome- akin to quenching a lit matchstick (sin) with the power of a zillion fire extinguishers (Grace.) 

We see how "God’s grace increased even more" in the life of Peter who many of us see as the disciple that "failed the most" after Christ was arrested in Gethsemane. Imagine Peter remembering Christ's words in Matt. 10:33- "but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven." How fallen and lost he must have felt. 

But check out what happened on resurrection morning in Mark 17- the women who were going to anoint Jesus' body were shocked to see an angel in the tomb, 

6 "but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid His body. 7 Now go and tell His disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there, just as He told you before He died.”

See "go and tell His disciples, including Peter..." Why the special mention of Peter's name and not that of any other disciple? It is because "But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more." All of the disciples fled and went into hiding, but the one who many of us see as having "failed the most" among them got a special mention.

Did you know that Peter, the one who denied Christ three times, was also the first of all of the remaining disciples to see the resurrected Jesus Christ? We see this in Luke 24:34 and 1 Corinthians 15:5. Super-abounding Grace. Also remember this conversation in John 21-

"15 Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these do?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 Jesus said a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love You.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 17 Jesus said a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” and said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed My sheep."

Three was a special number for Peter:) For us, it shows us that the disciple that we see as "failed the most" as Christ suffered for us - he denied Jesus three times- was restored and given the responsibility of shepherding the church! This is Grace- undeserved, unmerited favour. Judas, who also committed a similar sin of betrayal, tried to right himself by doing what the Law commanded. He died because he tried to merit/earn his restoration. 

So did this abundance of Grace make Peter continue to deny Jesus, even in the face of threats to his life that still remained and caused him to sin before? Let's see:

Then came the Day of Pentecost– Peter who had been so scared of being associated with our Saviour after His arrest, who lied upon being accused by a simple servant girl and then two more times, the one who many of us see as "failed the most" among the disciples, preached a sermon (in public!) that got 3,000 people saved. No fear of the teachers of religious law and Pharisees who were still out to get Jesus' followers. Through the power of Christ in him, the dead were raised to life and the sick were healed! Today, Peter who denied Jesus three times is regarded as a pillar of the early church! 

"The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more."

This is the effect of God's super-abounding Grace. He EXTINGUISHES sin from our lives and transforms us from Simon (meaning Reed, easily swayed by the elements/circumstances) to Peter (meaning Rock- bold and unshakable in Christ.) Truly, "...But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more," Not just one batch of grace; it continues forever: "From His fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace," John 1:16.

Notice Christ called Simon "Peter" long before Peter did any exploits in His name; the same way God changed Abram's name to "Abraham" and Sarai's to "Sarah" before they bore Isaac? Believer, believe and confess (speak out) how God sees us in Christ: Romans 5:9 -  "And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."- when your believing is right, right living will follow.

Like our heavenly Father, we who are under Grace HATE sin and by Grace ALONE, we get to "live in triumph over sin and death" through Jesus Christ- Grace-personified.

When the love of God, expressed in His undeserved, unmerited favour (Grace - our Saviour Jesus Christ) towards us, is unveiled from the pulpit, the people will live right. We love because He first loved us. Under Grace, we have all the moral excellence and everything else that we need to live a life of morality. Starting a relationship with our ex-husband (Mr. Law) in order to get moral excellence, bear fruit to God or become whatever while married to Grace is adultery (Romans 7:1-6.)

The letter kills. Why would we go to another man (who will kill us at the slightest error) to teach us how to race-drive (and for our lives too!) if our husband was Louis Hamilton's personal trainer who loves us and wanted to be our personal trainer/see us perform well and win so much that He gave His life for us for these reasons? Grace has all it takes. 

By Grace, let's keep believing that "By His divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own honor and glory.” 1 Peter 2:3.

Law-keeping is anything one does by human effort in order to be acceptable to God aka become and remain a branch of the True Vine. Only in Christ the Beloved are we accepted (Ephesians 1:6.) The life of the branch comes from the Vine. As His branches, we get our nourishment from Him and GET TO bear MUCH FRUIT through Him too (John 15:5,) so we cannot boast in our own efforts. Why be cut off from Christ the True Vine? Galatians 5:4 tells us:

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace."

By grace, let’s keep believing Galatians 5:1- “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

Grace can never be preached "too much." An abundance of Grace is what we need to reign over sin. Only when we receive God's ABUNDANCE of GRACE and His GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to us in CHRIST do we get to live in triumph over sin and death and through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

Right believing always produces right living.