Romans continue to bring powerful truths that reveal the completed work of Christ. We began the week with reading Romans 5:15-21, and it was blessed way to begin.

Paul uses language to make us realize how overwhelming, and in abundance, is the grace of God. I was struck with the words “much more”; “the abundance”; and “even so”.

It was the words of verse 20 which drew our attention:

“… but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (NASB).

Grace rushes into our lives, continuing  its abounding and overwhelming work throughout the course of our lives!

“When sin had us trapped, grace rushed in and set us free.”

(from Romans: The Gospel of Grace, page 122)

It truly is the gift that keeps on giving!

The study asked us to reflect on this >>> Throughout the passage Paul uses the phrase “much more” as he contrasts Adam and Jesus. Why do you think he does this? In what ways is what we receive from Jesus much greater than what we receive from Adam?

All our lives we go from glory to glory and grace upon grace!

The familiar words of an old hymn came to mind. May it bless you as it did me!

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We then moved to Romans 6:5-15. In this passage, Paul seeks to explain to us who we are, and why it should make a difference in how we live our lives.

“Justification compels us to sanctification. Justification is fully and wholly a work of God. Sanctification is a work of God as well and yet He invites us in to join Him in this process.”

(from Romans: The Gospel of Grace, page 130)

How amazing is this to think on?

We cannot change on our own. We are in partnership with God, through the work of His Son, and the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

How should who we are in Christ change the way that we live?

We won’t get it perfectly but we will be perfected as we live with Him in our lives day by day.

The gospel is an invitation into the process of change and growth until the day we see Him face to face.

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We closed our week with reading Romans 6:20-23 and several contrasts stood out:

• We are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. But we are all slaves to one or the other.
• Our lives either bear the fruit of sin or the fruit of righteousness. But all of our lives bear fruit of one sort or the other.
• Sin makes you think you are free, while you are actually in bondage. The gospel may seem restrictive but gives us true freedom.

Sanctification is a process that takes place in our past days, in our present days, and in our future days.

I loved this quote from the study:

“As we behold Him in His Word and grow in sanctification He changes our desires. A desire for sin and the consequences it brings is replaced with a desire for God and the fruit of sanctification.”

(from Romans: The Gospel of Grace, page 139)

This is the great exchange which takes place in our hearts.

Sanctification is something that God does. How does this reminder free us from trying to live in our own strength?

Praying for the Lord to keep on working in each of our lives.

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Grace abounds all the more,
as the Gospel invites us into the process of growth and change,
giving us lives of true freedom.

Photo 1: by Oksana Berko on Unsplash
Photo 2: by David Clode on Unsplash

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