Grace Abounds
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? (Romans 6:1)
Ancient legend tells of preachers of yore that were so hard on their congregations that everyone… well actually, I don’t know what happened to them.
But!
Fire and Brimstone is what they preached. Nothing ever came from the pulpits other than frightful warnings of hell and sin and eternal damnation.
Church discipline, they say, actually happened. When members of the congregation claimed Christianity but lived contrary to it, the preacher, it is rumored, called that person out on his behavior.
Now I have never in my life met such a preacher. But everyone knows of them. They were so bad that the stench of their intolerance still lingers in most churches today.
Christians don’t need Hell and Brimfire preaching, do we? All that does is turn people away from Christ, right? After all, we are saved by grace. There is no condemnation for Christians. Right? So if there is no condemnation, then surely there is no longer sin. And if there is no longer sin, then we need to only hear of God’s grace.
Grace. That’s what we want. Give us grace. We don’t need to hear about anything we might be doing wrong. We want grace.
We want grace like the Israelites in the wilderness wanted meat, and I’m afraid that’s what we’re getting.
And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’ (Numbers 11:18–20)
………………………………………….
Then a wind from the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague. Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. (Numbers 11:31–34)
Surely we’re making ourselves sick. We live lives so full of undisciplined abounding grace, that there isn't a trace of holy sanctification left among us. There is more Fruit of the Spirit found in your disciplined Buddhist neighbor than there is in a whole congregation sometimes.
And would we have it any other way? I suppose we are no different from the Israelites. I truly think we would rather suffer the wrath of God with bellies full of grace than to be told how to improve upon our sinful condition each week.
And I suppose the Romans were no different from us. It seems Paul knew that they would try to justify their own continuing sin: so that grace may abound.