Angelic Conflict part 300: Reigning in life – Rom 5:12-21; Jam 4:6; Psa 50:7-12; Eph 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Tit 2:1-14.

Title: Angelic Conflict part 300: Reigning in life - ROM 5:12-21; JAM 4:6; PSA 50:7-12; EPH 2:1-10; 3:1-11; TIT 2:1-14.

 

 

ROM 5:20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

 

Every believer must come to a full knowledge of this and lay aside his pride in his flesh. Grace is not withheld because of sin.

 

So if grace cannot be withheld because of sin, can grace be lessened?

 

In other words, can sin cause God to give less grace to some and more to others?

 

This verse is about saving grace. Although I don’t like to distinguish between saving grace and living grace because they are the same, it is true that some believers submit their will to God in humility and take advantage of God’s grace in their spiritual walk while other believers get their minds on the things of the flesh and resort to law and works. This is what James is referring to in JAM 4:6.

 

Our text in ROM 5:20 says that grace is infinite and measureless, so how could there be greater grace for some?

 

"increase" [sin] - pleona,zw[pleonazo] = to increase to abundance. "abounded" = u`perperisseu,w[huperperisseuo] = to abound beyond measure, abound exceedingly.

 

Playing these two words off each other between sin and grace is significant. Sin is abundant, but it is measurable and finite. Grace is superabundant and it cannot be measured and so it is infinite.

 

Grace is not bestowed in proportion to our deeds. Neither does God give more or less grace to a good man then a bad man. Grace is God superabundantly supplying everything we need in order to execute His plan.

 

JAM 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

 

Is there a greater grace if grace is infinite and unfathomable? The point that James makes here is that the humble have more capacity and therefore more options in spiritual growth to receive from God in time the blessings of maturity, like agape love for instance. These things, freely given, are not appropriated by the proud, but only by the humble.

 

1TI 1:13-14

And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;  and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

 

Super abundant grace is given to every believer. The humble take advantage of that grace and open more options for them to prosper in it in mature virtue, thus allowing God to use them for His purposes.

 

Yet grace is not owed to anyone. God is not in debt to anyone. Grace is freely given and so it should be freely received.

 

At a certain time some in Israel thought God owed them a debt because of all the animal sacrifices they had made. God responded to this.

 

PSA 50:7 "Hear, O My people, and I will speak;

O Israel, I will testify against you;

I am God, your God.

 

PSA 50:8"I do not reprove you for your sacrifices,

And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.

 

PSA 50:9"I shall take no young bull out of your house,

Nor male goats out of your folds.

 

PSA 50:10"For every beast of the forest is Mine,

The cattle on a thousand hills.

 

PSA 50:11"I know every bird of the mountains,

And everything that moves in the field is Mine.

 

PSA 50:12"If I were hungry, I would not tell you;

For the world is Mine, and all it contains.

 

Peter picked up on this theme also.

 

MAT 19:27

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?"

 

God doesn’t owe you something because He created you.

 

In fact the only logical thing that God owes us is the lake of fire. Grace however, defies logic, and it is freely given so that we can drink from it abundantly.

 

Grace is given over abundantly to all men through Jesus Christ. Sin increased when the law was given and grace exceeded that by miles. There is no cost to it or it wouldn't be grace.

 

Grace is not God ignoring sin or casting it off the books through His good heart. Grace is the act of pouring the sins of the world onto Christ so that His justice is satisfied in full. Grace is the payment of the wages of sin in Christ on the cross. No matter how much a person has sinned or for how long a person has practiced sin they are saved in grace through the work of Christ when they believe in Him as their Savior.

 

We are sinners by nature, in Adam. We are sinners by choice in our daily lives through setting our minds on the things of the flesh. We are sinners by divine declaration in God's word. Christ died for every single one of those sins. So instead of dead in Adam we are alive in Christ. Instead of guilt over personal sin there is forgiveness in Christ. Instead of condemnation through God's understanding of our old nature there is freedom in Christ through God's declaration of our new nature. Grace is the work and the gifts given by the fulfillment of that work. Forgiveness, freedom, happiness, righteousness, justification and many more are both the manifestation and the results of that grace.

 

Now, how could our walk in these wonderful gifts turn to human works? Looked at plainly it is the most ludicrous conclusion that could be made.

 

I have emphasized lately the change of heart from the things of the flesh to the things of the Spirit. It is grace that allows a believer to make that change. How would he have ever understood the things of the Spirit if it were not for the free gift of the word of God and the teaching ministry of God the Holy Spirit? How would he be able to turn away from any sin without guilt if he didn't know the grace gift of Christ and the grace gift of His spiritual death on the cross? Grace is always super-abounding and it does not depend on works, ordinances, sacraments, or repentance. Grace gives the believing sinner the ability to follow commands in God's very power. Grace gives the believing sinner the ability to turn his mind from the flesh to the Spirit without guilt or condemnation. Grace gives the believing sinner the ability to walk in the works that God has foreordained. Grace gives the unbeliever the power of the gospel, for without grace the gospel would be just words without power to save anyone, but with Christ those words have the very power to snatch a person from hell and freely give them eternal life. Grace does not depend on these things, but these things all depend on the grace of God and human power, energy, or effort cannot give them.

 

True grace acts without thought of reward. Though we know that we will receive rewards for our good works (gold silver and precious stones) this must not be our sole motivation or number one motivation. God worked without reward. Although He did bring and will bring many more sons to glory, what more can be added to God's happiness or possession? What He did was for us. What Christ did was for us and His reward was His new title and new royal family, but He clearly showed that He had a greater motivation than that in that He did what He did even for those who would reject Him and never taste salvation or receive His gifts. He did it because it was right, righteous, just, gracious, loving, eternal, true, beautiful, and the will of His Father which is always these things.

 

We have been created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works, but what is our motivation to walk in those works? Grace made us alive.

 

EPH 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

 

EPH 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

 

EPH 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

 

EPH 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 

EPH 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

 

EPH 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,

 

EPH 2:7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

 

EPH 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

 

EPH 2:9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

 

EPH 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

The new creature is not a result of works, but works result from him when his reality and purpose are understood.

 

Saved in grace, made a new creature by His own hands, created in Christ Jesus so that God could use us in certain works that He has preplanned for us to walk in. We certainly would not be saved in grace and created new creatures in Christ so that we could ignore that divine nature and resort back to a crucified flesh in an attempt to work the works of God.

 

TIT 2:1 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

 

TIT 2:2

Older men are to be temperate [sober minded], dignified [honorable], sensible [sound mind; self-control], sound [healthy] in faith, in love, in perseverance.

 

TIT 2:3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

 

TIT 2:4 that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

 

TIT 2:5

to be sensible [sound mind; self-control], pure [holy; separate from proven evil], workers at home [keeping the home], kind [agathos - good], being subject to their own husbands [literally (military word) under ranks], that the word of God may not be dishonored.

 

TIT 2:6

Likewise urge the young men to be sensible [sound mind; self-control]; [that was is for all of them]

 

TIT 2:7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

 

TIT 2:8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

 

TIT 2:9

Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters [same word as wives to husbands] in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative [speaking against],

 

TIT 2:10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

 

TIT 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

 

TIT 2:12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

 

TIT 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;

 

TIT 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

 

God saved us and designed us for fruit production.