Parresia · Let’s Keep the Amazing in Grace, Session 4: “Grace vs. Law”

Introduction

Welcome to the 4th session of Let’s Keep the Amazing in Grace. This session is entitled, “Grace vs. Law.” In the last session we talked about the two Adams. This evening we will continue that discussion as we move into a contrast of law and grace.  Let’s start with one of the most foundational of all the foundational truths of the Gospel:

Romans 5:17 – For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, [Who is that? Adam] much more those who receive abundance of [His] grace and of the [free] gift of [His] righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

those who are worried about too much grace are not reading their Bibles. God wants us to aggressively take hold of, for ourselves, a superabundance of it.

Let’s look at a few phrases in Romans 5:17 – 

• those who receive: Receive is the Greek word “lambano” and it means take hold of, to seize upon. It’s an aggressive, active verb. And it’s in the Greek present active participle tense. (“ing”) We are to keep on keeping on receiving. Receiving what? Two things:

• #1 – the abundance of grace: Not just a little grace, but the abundance of it! It’s the Greek word “perisseia” [peri-sī-ah] means an abundance that exceeds normal expectations, and it means superabundance.

• #2 – the gift of righteousness:  “Gift”- dōrea – meaning it is freely given without merit or entitlement purely because of the desire of the Giver. And the gift is righteousness which literally means the “clearance of all your guilt.”

Through Jesus, we are to actively and continuously take hold of and seize upon two things: the superabundance of God’s unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor and the clearance of all our guilt, and we will –  

• Reign in life: reign is the Greek word “basileuō” which means to “exercise kingly power and authority; to exercise the highest influence.”

When we receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, we’ll no longer live life “under our circumstances,” or under the authority of sin and death, but instead we will be reigning in life, under grace, as kings and priests of a heavenly kingdom with this world under our feet.

Why the law was added

Continuing in Romans 5, we come to two verses we read last week when we talked about federal headship and which “Adam” we are in: First Adam’s sin, or Last Adam’s righteousness:

Romans 5:18-20 – Therefore, as through one man’s offense [speaking of Adam] judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act [Jesus on the cross] the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. [Justification means the free gift of righteousness] 19 For as by one man’s disobedience [Adam] many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience [Jesus] many will be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.. 

NASB – The Law came in so that the transgression would increase

NLT –  [the law came] so that all people could see how sinful they were.

TPT – [the law came] to bring the reality of human sinfulness out of hiding.

Paul wrote that the law “entered” that sin might abound.” It was added. The Greek word there is “pareiserchomai.” It means “to come in secretly or by stealth, to creep in, to come alongside, to come in beside (Thayer’s lexicon).” Beside what? We’ll see in a later session that the law came in beside the unconditional covenant of grace that God made within Himself on behalf of Abraham and all his descendants — which was a forerunner of the unconditional New covenant of grace we have in Jesus Christ today. The law came in beside grace, but grace was there first, and grace was never annulled, and grace was always God’s heart for man. So grace remains and is available to all who will wave the white flag of surrender and say, “I cannot do it on my own. I need Jesus.” Those who want to be under the law, I ask the question that Paul asked – 

Galatians 4:21 – Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

Paul is saying that the law has a voice with something to say!

Romans 3:19-20 – Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. [The law stops every human being from attempting to come to God with a list of their accomplishments or a defense of their good intentions. The law with its standard of absolute perfection shuts every mouth and declares all unworthy!] 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, [no one can make himself right on his own through the flesh, without God. Why? Because – ] for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The purpose of the law was to bring out sin and make everyone guilty. There is nothing wrong with the law. It’s a mirror that shows you what’s wrong with you. It’s not the mirror’s fault. It’s just giving you the facts. And BTW – you can’t take a mirror and clean your face. The law has no power to cleanse you. The law did not make a man a sinner, and the law did not produce the condition of death. The law simply diagnosed our condition as sinner, but it couldn’t cure the condition. The law had a purpose:

• The law was given to condemn you.
• The law was given to bring awareness of the wrath of God.
• The law was given to keep you conscious of your faults.
• The law was given to make you feel constantly unworthy.
• And as Colossians 2:14 says, the law was against us, contrary to us, opposed to us, hostile to us.

• The law was not given to encourage you.
• The law was not given to strengthen you.
• The law was not given to give you life.
• The law was not given to save you.
• The law was not given to make you righteous.
• The law was not given to make you holy.
• The law was certainly not given to help you stop sinning.

The law is a bar set so high that the only purpose it could possibly have is to tell us that none of us could ever achieve it. The law wasn’t given to be reached! It was given to prove that we couldn’t so that we would give up and turn to Jesus. I am for the law for the purpose that God gave the law. The law is holy, just, and good, (Romans 7:12) but it can’t make me holy, just, and good. It can only show me that I’m not.

On the other hand, the gospel of grace reveals a righteous condition that you already have in Christ Jesus if you are born again! Or it’s a righteousness that you can receive, today if not.

Religion 

Before I go any further – there may be someone listening to this and thinking, “But what does this message have to do with people who never read the Bible and don’t know a thing about the Old Covenant law? What does this have to do with them? How is it relevant?”

All religions are inherently condemning – and I would include not only organized religions that ascribe to a god with a set of laws, regulations, and punishments; but also every form of atheistic humanism that doesn’t claim a god, but has an elaborate system of do’s and don’t’s, written and unwritten rules, punishments, but all without offering a forgiveness, redemption, or a Savior. Religion is like chasing the carrot on the end of a stick. “Just do one more thing for God, and He’ll be pleased with you.” Do one more thing for the “greater good,” and you will be accepted. Do good, get the carrot. Do bad, get the stick. It’s like a treadmill with the carrot dangling before us, but no matter how hard we try or how fast we run, we’ll never reach the carrot!  It’s designed for failure. It’s designed to mercilessly show us that we’ll never reach the perfection demanded.

Many have rejected Christian legalism only to ascribe to an equally brutal cultural legalism.  So keep in mind a couple of broader definitions when I say “law” and “sin”:

• Law – nomos – any system of religious thinking with forces or influences that impel (from the outside) one to comply
• Sin – harmartia – missing the mark – never reaching the carrot.

Religion works from the outside through pressure and shame. Grace works from the inside through love. Only the gospel of grace offers a way off the treadmill with forgiveness, redemption, and a Savior who is God Himself, Jesus Christ.

Where Sin Abounded, Grace Superabounded

Romans 5:20 – [verse 20 again – ] Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound, But [here’s the good news – ] where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign [and rule] through [His] righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more”! We see the word “abounded” twice, but it’s actually two different Greek words!

• The 1st abounded is“pleonazo” which means “to exist in abundance.” Sin existed in abundance.

• The 2nd abounded is “hyperperisseuo,” [hoo-per-per-is-sē’-o], and it means “to abound beyond measure to overflowing.”

I love the Kenneth Wuest expanded translation of Romans 5:20:

“Where sin existed in abundance, grace was in superabundance and then some more added on top of that.” [Page 80 of Golden Nuggets, Kenneth Wuest]

God’s grace has completely overcome our sin.

Shall we sin that grace might abound?

The next verse is the question that was brought up to Paul and is brought up with everyone who strongly preaches the amazing grace of Jesus Christ:

Romans 6:1 – [Moving into chapter 6 – ] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

Paul never said, “Let us sin that grace may abound.” What he said was, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” Paul had more confidence in the grace of God than in the flesh of man.  Some people have more confidence in the power of sin in the flesh than they do in God’s grace. But God’s grace is greater than all our sin!

Don’t worry – grace doesn’t give a license to sin! You already have free will to do what you want and believe what you want.   grace isn’t a license to sin, it’s the answer to sin! Grace isn’t freedom to sin, [the verb] it’s freedom from sin! [the noun – the nature] So Paul’s answer to the question “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” was – 

Romans 6:2 – Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Paul’s answer was that it was an impossibility. He DIDN’T say, “You SHOULDn’t live in sin.” His answer was, “HOW SHALL we who have DIED to SIN live any longer IN it?” It’s an IMPOSSIBILITY. 

We are a NEW CREATION in Christ, and we NO LONGER live “IN SIN” (the NOUN – harmartia). We no longer have a nature of sin in the core of our identity in Christ because we DIED to it with Christ.

Co-Crucified and Co-Raised

Romans 6:3 – Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? [baptizō in the Greek – immersed into His death.] 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, [so] that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of [Zoe, God-] life.

So we were co-crucified with Him:

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. [By dying my death!]

We were co-raised with Him:

Ephesians 2:5-6 – [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

At the cross, Jesus identified with us. He became our identity so that we could be identified with His. He stepped into our very worst so that we can receive His very best. There is no depth of darkness and depravity that He refused to absorb on our behalf.

Romans 6:5 –  [Back to Romans 6 – ] For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. [Because His resurrection is our resurrection!]

Notice the past tense verbs in the first few verses of Romans 6. It has already happened. Every believer has been baptized into His death.  We were – co-crucified;  co-buried. And we were co-raised;  co-ascended;  co-seated with Him in heaven, and we are co-equal heirs with Christ and heirs of God. [Romans 8:17] We are not trying to get there one day. We are there NOW!

Dead To Sin

Romans 6:6-7 – [next verse -] …knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, [ding dong the witch is dead!] that the body of sin might be done away with, [the flesh separated from our spiritual identity in Jesus] that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Have you ever tried to “die to sin?” When you feel a temptation, do you ever think things like, “I’m going to die to that SIN. I’m dying to anger, to fear, to lust…” But the more you say you are dead to it, the more you seem to be alive to it! Trying to die does not work. Why?  Because you’re trying to do something that has already been done. Imagine how frustrating it would be for me to try to be on this stool when I’m already here! There are two grammatical points I want to mention from Romans 6:7

1. The verb – died: the word “died” is in the aorist Greek verb tense that means it’s a one-point-in-time action, never be repeated. When you died, you died for good. So we can all stop trying! And just start believing!

2. The noun – sin: In the whole book of Romans the English WORD SIN is used 48 TIMES. 40 of those times it is the noun “harmartia”, and only 8 of those TIMES is it the VERB “harmatana. In Romans 6, “SIN” is a verb only once, and that’s in Romans 6:15. In this verse, Romans 6:7, sin is a noun: “For he who has died has been freed from sin” – the noun – speaking of the nature, imputation, penalty, and condemnation of sin.

People mistakenly think this verse says we are “freed from sinnING” (the verb). So they get discouraged because they are trying to be dead to sinnING, and they are failing. You keep thinking, “What’s wrong with me? I’ve tried so hard to DIE to SIN!” But there’s nothing is wrong with you. There’s something wrong with what you are believing.  The Bible doesn’t say you will never commit another sin again. It says we are free from “sin” (noun).

I know what someone may be thinking – didn’t Paul say, “I die daily”? He did, but it was not in the context of sinning. It was in the context of risking his life every day to preach the resurrection. Listen to that passage in The Message:

1 Corinthians 15:30-31, The Message – And why do you think I keep risking my neck in this dangerous work? I look death in the face practically every day I live. [there’s your “I die daily” (NKJV, NASB, KJV)] Do you think I’d do this if I wasn’t convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus?

It’s clear that Paul was referring to persecution here and not “dying to sin.”

Likewise you also reckon…

Romans 6:8-10 – [On to Romans 6:8 -] Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all [key phrase]; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. [forever!]

Why is it important for us to know that Jesus died to sin once and for all? The next verse tells us:

Romans 6:11 – Likewise you also, [You also died to sin in the same manner that Jesus died! Likewise you also – ] reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Whatever is true of Jesus is true of us. In whatever manner Jesus died to sin, you died to sin. Is Jesus dying to sin little by little? Obviously not. He died to sin once and for all! We to died to sin once and for all.  But are you free from sinful behavior and desires? No. None of us is. However, you can say that you are free from sin! (the noun) Why? Because – 

• Sin does not have dominion over you. 
• It does not identify you!
• It is not your nature. 
• It is not your true “want-to’s” on the inside.

Where it says, “Reckon yourselves dead indeed to sin,” the word “reckon” doesn’t have the meaning Southerners use when they say, “I reckon sp…” meaning maybe so.  “Reckon” is the Greek word “logizomai,” and it’s an accounting term.  It means “to calculate, to count it as a fact.” Reckoning has nothing to do with probabilities or opinions. If I recking that I have $1,000,000 in the bank, it’s because I have $1,000,000 in the bank.Because of what has happened to you in Christ, you are to calculate/ to count yourself, as a fact, “dead indeed to sin.” 

That beings  us to the next question: how did Jesus die to sin once for all? Unless you understand what it means to be “dead to sin” (the noun), you’ll never understand the power you have over sinnING (the verb).

1. Did Jesus die to sinning? Did He die to sinful actions, deeds and thoughts?     OR
2. Did He die to the imputation, penalty, and condemnation of sin? 

Could it be #1? Did Jesus Die to sinful behavior? Was Jesus ever influenced by sin? Did Jesus ever come under the power of sin? Obviously not! Why? Because He had none. The ruler of this world had nothing on Him.

Hebrews 4:15 – For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. [That word “sin” is the noun hamartia]

Most people read that verse as if it’s a verb: “tempted as we are yet without sinnING” as if Jesus wanted to sin. But that’s not what this verse is saying. Jesus was never tempted to sin – the verb. He was tempted, yet without sin – the noun!!!  The word “tempted” means “to test, to try whether a thing can be done, to put it to proof” like testing gold to make sure there are no impurities. Jesus was tested and tried and proved to be pure and holy without a nature of sin. For instance, in the desert temptation. For instance, in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

He was not of the fallen race of Adam. He has His Father’s of divine nature. Jesus was born as a human being the same way we are, however, instead of being conceived by the seed of a mortal man with sinful flesh, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus’s blood came straight from heaven from His Father. His blood was holy, royal, sinless, and divine. That’s why His blood is the only blood that could save us and wash our sins whiter than snow. Jesus was the perfect, spotless, sacrificial lamb of God for us. 

1. Jesus had no sin – 1 John 3:5

1 John 3:5 – And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

2. Jesus committed no sin – 1 Peter 2:22

1 Peter 2:22 – Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.

3. Jesus knew no sin – 2 Corinthians 5:21

2 Corinthians 5:21 – He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

Back to the question: how did Jesus die to sin “once for all?”

1. Did He die to sinning, the verb? Obviously not.   OR
2. Did He die to the imputation, penalty, and condemnation of sin, the noun? 

Yes! Jesus died to sin [the noun].

That’s the way Jesus died to sin, and that’s how we died to sin in Him – once for all.  Only when you realize that you will never come under the condemnation and penalty of sin will sin lose its power in your life.

The next verse starts with a “therefore.” What is it therefore there for?

Romans 6:12 – [Back to Romans 6, verse 12 – ] Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

• Verse 11 is like when Jesus said to the WOMAN CAUGHT in ADULTERY, “NEITHER do I CONDEMN you.”
• Verse 12 is like when Jesus said to the woman, “[NOW!] GO and SIN NO MORE.”

Romans 6:13 – [next verse – ] And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin [“Members” is referring to the parts of your body], but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. [Instruments is literally weapons of warfare! Use your body as a weapon of warfare for righteousness!]

Under Grace

Romans 6:14 – [Next verse] For sin shall not have dominion over you, [why?] for you are not under law but under grace. 

Conversely, you could say that sin did have dominion over everyone who was under the law! The law is like quicksand – the harder you try to keep it, the deeper you fall!

1 Corinthians 15:56 – …the strength of sin is the law…[the “dynamis” power of sin is the law! Just as the gospel is the “dynamis” power of salvation]

It’s like one of those Chinese finger traps. You put your fingers in and the more you try to pull them apart, the more stuck you are. The more you focus on the rule, the boundary, the line, the thing you are trying to become without God’s help, the tighter the trap becomes. The only way to get out of the trap is to let go, and let God. 

Shall we sin because we are under grace?

Romans 6:15 – [Next verse in Romans 6 -] What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?

This is the only place that sin is used as a verb in ALL of ROMANS 6, and it’s USED by THOSE who would QUESTION whether PAUL was CONDONing SINful behavior. 

Romans 6:15-16 – [Paul’s answer to the question – AGAIN – ] Certainly not! [Now when I read the next verse, don’t forget what Paul wrote about First and Last Adams – ] 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Is this verse saying that if we commit a sin, it will lead to our death? And if we behave, we will be righteous?

Well, that would negate everything that Paul took pains to explain in the first 5 chapters of Romans! We can’t be righteous by our works. We are made righteous by Jesus’s obedience!

The word “obey” there in the Greek is the word “hypakouo” which means “to listen to, be attentive to, harken to.”

Romans 6:16 literally says: “You are slaves to whomever you listen to, [hypakouo] whomever you pay attention to.”  – to whomever you are believing and putting your faith in.

Paul is talking about doctrine here – what we BELIEVE.  Who are you going to listen to?

• to Adam, whose disobedience made us sinners?      or
• to Jesus, whose obedience makes us righteous?

Romans 6:17 – [Next verse – ] But God be thanked that though you were [past tense] slaves of sin, [you were a sinner] yet you obeyed [listened to, gave attention to; you believed] from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. [past tense]

Doctrine is the Greek word “didachē” and it means teaching. We were delivered to a teaching!  What teaching? The gospel! The Good News of that you are no longer a sinner, but a child of God! That is the truth that will set you free!

Can you see how important good teaching and good doctrine is?

Did you know that New Covenant obedience is called “obedience to the faith” in several places – Romans 16:26; Romans 1:5; Acts 6:7. You can look that up.

And every time you say, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” you are being obedient to the faith!

Paul said we “obey from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” – in other words, we will live out what we believe. 

Prisoners of righteousness

Romans 6:18 – [Back to Romans 6 -] Having been set free from sin [NOUN], you became slaves of righteousness [NOUN].

Before we were saved, no matter what good we did, we were still sinners by nature.  No righteous act could change our status. Our works were dead – they could not bring life!

Today, however, even when we fail, God sees us as righteous. He has freed us from the prison of sin – the noun – into the prison of His righteousness – the place called “in Christ.”

What Jesus has done is much more powerful than what Adam did. And that’s the best news ever! Jesus has become our everything forever! 

1 Corinthians 1:30-31, NASB – But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

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