“But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more“
Romans 5:20
This passage suddenly spoke to me in my thoughts and my mind. Thinking and pondering on my past mistakes and sins, and even my most recent ones, I look back and see God’s mercy and grace at work. Now, for anyone to read this passage on its own, one might be confused as to what it truly means. One might be tempted to say, “oh okay, so the more sin, the more grace, so let’s continue to sin!” But this is not the message Paul is relaying, as he also says:
“What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life”
Romans 6:1-4
So don’t let this passage make you think that we are free to sin, and that we are encouraged to sin, so that we might receive more of God’s grace. I think what Paul is trying to say is that we are all sinners, yes we sin everyday, yet in this struggle of sin, in this hatred of sin, no matter how much sin is present, God gives us His bountiful and amazing grace, this grace which ABOUNDS all sin, which COVERS all sin. Paul is trying to tell us, that yes, we are sinners, but we should not simply give in to sin, but we must strive to get rid of it, we must hate sin, and aim for perfection, as Jesus said, “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Yes, we will never be perfect and sinless while we are here on earth, but that should not stop us from aiming high, that should not stop us from running the race, this race of faith. In this race, yes, there may very well be bumps along the way, possibly some hills, maybe even mountains to climb, we may fall here and there, but let not those moments when we fall discourage you from getting back up and running the race, do not be discouraged! We are encouraged to press on forward …. we are not encouraged to fall, we are encouraged to finish the race! To keep pressing forward, to keep our eyes on the prize, anticipating the prize in Heaven.
So as we reflect once again on this passage, “but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” let us be ENCOURAGED by His LOVE, His GRACE, His MERCY, which covers all our sin, and let us be renewed by His great love for us, and may His Love FUEL our hearts, into spreading this LOVE, His LOVE, to everyone around us.
May God be praised.