LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
The Gospel of Grace
It is not to our surprise that Paul, in his letter to the Romans, preaches the gospel to the believers. To the initial faith for salvation, there is often an innumerable amount of human additions that do not proceed from faith, but from works of the flesh. Almost every problem in the Christian life seems to be resolved with a method from the flesh. Of course, in practicality, all of this is given a disguise of humanism or of a religious tradition. In definite, this is a flesh and blood affair.
When Paul writes his gospel in Romans, he takes us even further. He takes us far from human resources and submerges us in God’s resources, where we have God’s grace. For many Christians, God’s grace may only be a refrain from childhood, so as not to seem proud. Yet, in Paul’s teaching, God’s grace is the fountain of the divine resources placed at man’s disposition.
Now, God’s grace is not a heavenly cloud. It is the grace of Jesus Christ (5:15). God’s grace is Jesus Christ, and his resources for Christians, are his own son.
In Romans, the word grace appears 24 times, and some of these mentioned times are conclusive. For example, grace is associated twice with steadiness. The promise of the gospel, for the believers, is steady because it is by grace; “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed…” (4:16). The Christian’s position before God is firm in grace: “Through whom (Jesus Christ) also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (5:2). Faith introduces us to the grace in which we stand.
Where does our steadiness come from? From our care, will, or cleverness? From the years lived in a religion as Christians? All these things have their support in the flesh, and if the flesh is present, sin is also present; Therefore, there cannot be steadiness.
According to Paul’s language, who are those that will “reign in life”? Not those who strive the most, or the strongest, but those who receive the most. “Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (5:17). Why do these reign? Why have they received so much grace, that in them, grace reigns through justice? Grace is not a slogan in them, but the queen. Grace has control over the Christian, And grace, we’ve already said, is the grace of a man, Jesus Christ.
Sin has no dominion over grace, that is why the Christian who reigns in grace, reigns in life. “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (6:14). The only way to overcome sin is to dwell under God’s grace. How can we dwell un grace? Paul shows us in Galatians how we can fall from grace. “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (6:14). It is very easy to confess grace with our lips, as well as taking hold of our carnal strength in practical matters, and in this, we fall from grace.
Grace means waiting on God’s resources, the ones that will not arrive as immediately as we would like (or the way we would like to obtain them ourselves), but they will arrive, without a doubt. Grace needs to stop being second choice for us, even if it takes a while to produce its fruit.