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Morning Thoughts |
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Romans 5:20-21, "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." This morning, many people do what the Jews did during the days of the early church. They go about to establish their own righteousness, and they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of Christ. To the Jew then and the Arminian today, they fail to see that the law does not make righteousness, but it points out our shortcomings. If the law brings hope, then we would be of all men most miserable. When looking at God's righteous law, I find myself nowhere near the perfect mark that it requires. So, how then does one have consolation and strength in time of trouble? Because of Jesus Christ and His perfect work, we can have hope through the grace that He bestows. Paul writes that grace abounds much more than sin. Isaiah puts it as "received double." (Isaiah 40:2) Therefore, our sin has not only been cancelled, but we are as far up (by God's grace) in the positive as we were in the negative. Consider how far down we were. Mathematically, we would call the distance negative infinity (which is an immeasurable amount). Now, His grace has put us into positive infinity (still immeasurable). Truly, that is an awesome and humbling thought that our Lord is that good to poor, undeserving wretches as us. However, this blessed doctrine of grace does not give license to sin. Paul even states earlier that some slanderously reported such of the early church. The church suffers the same slanders today. Folks think that this doctrine promotes sinful activity. It does not! For what better of a doctrine would promote godly living? Paul even begins the 6th chapter of Romans by asking if we should live ungodly, since God's grace covers us. He responds, "God forbid!" This subject is deep and unfathomable, and there is no possible way that it could ever be preached out. But, the grace that covers us eternally is not the only grace that He bestows. He was not obligated to ever give us the grace to stand righteous before Him in eternity, but nothing obligates Him to do anything for us here in time either. But, thanks be unto Him that He daily loadeth us with benefits, and He is the God of salvation. He controls both timely and eternal deliverance by the word of His authority. Without Him, we can do nothing. But, through Christ, we can do all things.
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