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Romans 6:1-2,
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God
forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
This morning, I am awestruck by man's woeful tenacity to repeat the cycle of
history and the cycle of his own warped, carnal thinking. When considering man's
reasoning about philosophy and behaviour down through the centuries, it has
amounted to the same thing: self. Whatever the technological circumstances or
the modern dress code, man's thoughts (philosophy) and walk (history) have shown
a regrettably predictable pattern. That pattern revolves around me, and how can
I improve the circumstance of "me?" During these blazing efforts, man will,
oftentimes, inflict harm and pain upon himself and others seeking the
advancement of self and self-worth. Due to this shameful predictability of man's
pride and carnal desire, the questions on Biblical record stay just as fresh,
vibrant, and pertinent today as they were the day they were penned. Let us look
at man's predictable answer to the great story of salvation and justification as
recorded by the Bible.
Paul has concluded (for the moment) with a grand flourish the in-depth
discussion of representation that is found in Adam and Christ. This discussion
on representation is a subset of the greater subject at hand: justification.
Without labouring too much into the context, for sake of time and space, it well
serves the question asked to consider what prompts it. If we are represented as
sinners by what Adam did, and we are represented as saints by what Christ did,
what is the result? As Paul masterfully demonstrates, Adam brought us from
innocent to lower than low. He fully plunged us into a position that there was
no outlet from save by the grace of Almighty God. Christ brought us from the
lowest of low states to the highest of high states. He fully lifted us to where
God is without the loss of one for whom He represented. Just as fully as Adam
represented us to the pit of total depravity, Christ so much more represented us
to the free justification of life by grace and blood.
The end result of this segment of discussion is found in Romans 5:20-21. If Adam
took us from basic innocence and purity to total depravity and Christ took us
from total depravity to wholly righteous, then obviously this is not a one to
one ratio. What Adam did, while fully and completely effective to all of his
posterity, does not equal what Christ did fully and effectively to all of His
family. Adam took us from zero to negative eternity (eternal separation from
God). Christ took us from that separation to eternal life with God. What Christ
did was effectively a double work to what Adam did. (Isaiah 40:1-2) Christ did
not elevate us to Adam's original state - to perhaps fall again from it - but
rather to a state far superior to Adam from whence falling is an impossibility.
This is Paul's glorious meaning and import in saying "where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound."
Therefore, looking at that scene of double grace for sin and iniquity, what is
man's logical response? Well, knowing something of the depths of his carnal
nature, he will immediately reply in a way that most suits him and his desires.
If that be the case, then I can just do whatever I want, right? If salvation
verily is free, what then must/can I do? To man's carnal way of thinking, what I
must/can do is whatever I want to do. If I want to continue in sin, then I will
do that. If I want to do what makes me happy, then I will do that too. Salvation
is free, so it does not really matter. All of these thoughts (and more) are what
carnal desires repeatedly show from history and philosophy. Man aspires to
better his circumstance (sometimes by any means necessary) and conjures up
theories that show him in better refulgence.
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, knew that this would be man's
reaction, and hence he offers up the carnally logical question. Knowing that all
of my sins are doubly covered, should that free my hands to sin more and more?
Paul immediately thunders the spiritually logical response. To the old man's way
of thinking, the question makes perfect sense. To the new man's way of thinking,
the answer makes perfect sense. I am reminded of a story told to me by my late
father and several others about the late Elder Jimmy Bass. An Arminian posed the
question to him, "If Christ did it all, then I can just go do whatever I want
right?" seeking to punch a hole in salvation by free grace alone. Brother
Jimmy's response was, "Well, I want to be faithful to my wife, go to church,
care for my children, do a good job for my boss. What do you want to do?"
Sometimes our questions speak volumes about what nature we are asking with. The
obvious answer to Brother Jimmy's question was that this man wanted a license to
sin or to show that our doctrine gives a license to sin. Rather, this doctrine
gives every encouragement to live Godly, for it shows exactly why these desires
(new desires) are there. We are dead to sin (whereas before we were dead in
sin). Surely, unless the Lord returns first, we will go the way of all the
earth, but dear ones, we have been removed from those final effects that Adam
legally endangered us unto. While still being held in covenant love by a Holy
God, we were legally rendered revolting to God's justice by Adam's sin.
Likewise, while we still bring abhorrent odours before Him with our sins and
transgressions, we are rendered legally righteous and holy to God's justice by
Christ's righteousness.
This being made dead to sin (dead to the final effects) also carries the thought
of being dead to the pleasures it once brought. While our old flesh still loves
this sin-cursed world and its pleasures as much as ever, it must contend with
the new man that absolutely despises it - as Paul will go into greater detail in
the 7th chapter. How can we live therein happily? We cannot, and how much more
anguish of soul should we endure whenever those of us enlightened to the grace
of God through His word, His church, and His gospel stray from the good way
where rest is found? We have been given much in the way of knowledge of this
great work, and therefore, much is required of us to walk circumspectly. (Luke
12:48)
It should be no marvel to us when we encounter the same, tired arguments from
people in the world that Paul received in his day. These same arguments will
plague us until the day the Lord folds it up, for we will still carry these
clods of clay about us that seek to find ways to justify carnal behaviour. May
our steps attune to that good way doing what the new man desires, for
ultimately, that is doing what God desires. Two proofs that will spot false
doctrine quickly are: 1. the teaching gives too little glory to God, 2. the
teaching gives too much glory to man. Many times, false doctrine contains both,
but certainly it contains at least one of them.
Therefore, the same arguments of doing what makes us happy fail as they most
certainly give too much glory to man. What makes God happy should be our first
concern, and if we are fulfill the desires of the new man, we will find
ourselves pleasing God, as the new man bears His image. (Colossians 1:27) Will
we stumble, find ourselves in iniquity, commit transgressions, and continue to
sin in the dumbest of ways at times? Unfortunately, history, experience, and
certainly Scriptural record has shown that the answer is yes to those
circumstances. However, may we seek the higher ground that is borne of
temperance of spirit, mortification of the flesh, and devotion to the glory of
God. When engaged in these activities, we will find sweet peace in the thought
that a merciful God has rewarded us double grace for all our sins! Then may we
sing that sweet refrain, "Whether many or few, all my years are His due; May
they all be devoted to Him!"
In Hope,
Bro Philip
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