Under Grace
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” —Romans 6:14-15
I spoke Sunday to you regarding Acts 15 – the first Council of the early church. The Council officially recognized that keeping the law of Moses is not necessary for salvation. As part of this affirmation, it is acknowledged once again by the Apostles Peter and Paul, Barnabas, and James that salvation comes to us by grace alone through faith. No one has ever been able to keep the perfect standard of God’s law, apart from Jesus, He being divine. Trying to earn favor with God through law keeping is a fruitless and self-defeating effort. The law is a yoke that no one can bear.
However, the moral law is used by God to bring us to salvation. We come to salvation when the law reveals our sinful state, convicts us of our sin, and then subsequently we turn away from that sin in repentance. With a repentant heart, by faith we call out to Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin. We are saved from the wrath of God toward sin by the grace of God extended to us in Jesus Christ. Once we have entered into salvation by grace, the use of the law changes. In Christ the moral law is used to direct us toward righteous living. As Christians we can make real progress in godliness. When a person comes to salvation, grace must never be used as a license to sin further. The truly repentant are grieved by sin and want earnestly to make progress away from old ways and into the new life of Christ.
The entire chapter of Romans 6 revolves around this theme. The chapter can be summed up in that those who believe in Jesus as Savior, must also walk fervently in His ways. We cannot claim salvation and continue to walk in sin. This encompasses the genuine direction of the heart. What do you love or desire? As we grow to love Jesus, we also grow to love His ways. As we love the ways of Jesus, we leave behind the sinful ways of this world. There is always a struggle in our hearts, but real progress is made toward sanctification. I encourage you to read and carefully consider the entire chapter of Romans 6. These considerations are not new to our age. The church has always struggled to sort out the relationship between law and grace. Paul spoke on this subject often because it was essential for a correct understanding of the Christian life.
Let’s walk briefly through Romans 6:
- As disciples of Jesus, we are forgiven by His grace. In newness of life, we pursue the commands of Jesus.
- We must obey the commands of Jesus and walk in His ways. We cannot claim to believe in the salvation of Jesus and ignore the ethic of Jesus.
- We obey the commands of Jesus because we love Jesus. Our motivation is love, not duty or guilt.
- By the salvation of Jesus:
- We are set free from the penalty of sin. We are justified. We are declared not guilty before God.
- We have new power over sin to live in the ways of Jesus, though not perfectly. This power comes to us by the work of the Holy Spirit.
- We are not yet free from the presence of sin. Though all authentic Christians make progress in their faith and character over time, only in the glorification of heaven will the presence of sin be fully removed.
- (v.11) We are to “consider ourselves” dead to sin and alive to God. This is a mindset for living; the way we ought to see ourselves before God.
- (v.13-14) We are to commit ourselves (present ourselves) to God regularly as instruments of righteousness. This means exactly what it says. In our hearts we give ourselves to God. We consider that we are dead to sin, and we actively ask for God to use us for good in the world as we commit ourselves to living virtuously for Jesus.
- (v.18-19) Paul tells us in an analogy that this goes as far as seeing ourselves as “slaves to righteousness.” This should not be understood through the lens of 19th century American slavery, but as slavery was known in Paul’s time. This essentially means that our lives are no longer our own. As disciples of Jesus, we are wholly given over to following God’s will for our lives. Mysteriously, as we die to ourselves, we find true life in a way we did not understand before. This is a walk of faith which leads to sanctification and ultimately eternal life (v.22).
I urge you to hear the law of God and be convicted of your sin. In conviction, do not despair, but call out to God to believe in Jesus and be forgiven of your sin! In new life, rejoice in the grace of God and learn day by day what it means to enter into the life of Jesus by obedience to His commands. All this resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Should we continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be.
-Pastor Vic