“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14 NIV
Greetings, friend, and welcome back to the course. Today we want to see that all of humanity is under something. We are either under the law and its power, or the grace of God and the power of the cross of Christ.
And isn't it wonderful that through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, sin shall no longer be "your master" (Romans 6:14)? Because of the cross, we are not under the weight of the law any longer! This is such good news because the law exerted power over us, pushing us under the waters of sin, down into the deepest darkness of condemnation, with all its guilt and shame.
All people are either under God's law where sins' mastery reigns or we are under God's grace, where SIN shall no longer be YOUR MASTER. Sin was "over" us pushing us "under" where we couldn't breathe, couldn't see, and couldn't find our own way out because it's weight was too heavy for us—too powerful for us.
Here’s the ”good news” though friend, as we look up to the cross, we see that Jesus carried the “weight” and suffered “under” the curse for us; we see that He was under the law and under the resulting judgment against us that it brought to Him. And being under the law in this way He took that which was over us and put it to death, so we could be under His blood as a protective covering. Under the grace of God. Under the One who shed His blood, gave up His robe of righteousness to us, gave up His back to be ripped apart for us, and lifted His face to be struck for us!
Jesus went “under” sins’ judgment like a criminal so we could be “under” His grace like a son or daughter. Under His care! Under His healing wounds! Under His forgiveness! Under His love! Everyone is either “under the law” or “under the grace” of God, where Jesus’ blood ran red and our sins were washed white!
“The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21 NIV
When the law was “brought in” the trespass “increased.” This was the very purpose of the law that the glory and grace of God might be displayed in brighter brilliance through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, so that “grace might reign through righteousness.” The grace of God, the righteousness which brings eternal life and washes us clean is found in the blood of Jesus. We were bought when blood was slain. And where this grace of God reigns, the law no longer has power over you. Isn’t this good news to you? Aren’t you relieved that you are no longer under the law with its power over you but under the blood of Christ?
“The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more” Romans 5:20
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Romans 6:1-2 NIV
Question 2. What is the reason believers cannot say that “God’s grace” is a “license” to go on sinning?