Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

Paul says he was good at being religious and keeping the law. In Philippians 3:6, he says regarding the law that he was “blameless.” He was great at keeping the first nine commandments. But when it came to coveting, he was guilty. On the outside, he was fine, but on the inside, he was a mess.

We either live under the law or we live under grace. If we live under the law, then we must allow it to judge not only our external behavior but also our internal motivation—the things that only God sees, the motives that only God knows, and the thoughts of which only God is keenly aware. We need to be honest about ourselves and our internal condition so we will give our sins to Jesus and get a new nature under the reign of grace.

Three things happen to those who live under grace instead of the law.

1. You get a new nature. You’re not perfect, but you’re new and in the middle of a process that will ultimately result in your perfection. Paul calls it sanctification. Some people come to this text in Romans and argue, “Is Paul talking about a carnal Christian who’s met Jesus and never changed? Or is he talking about a perfect Christian who no longer struggles with sin?” The truth is, we’re all somewhere in the middle. We’re not who we were, and we’re not who we will be. We’re in the process, the struggle.

2. You get new desires. You hate living under the law, but you love living under grace.

3. You get new power. God gives you the power of the Holy Spirit, so you no longer have to rebel.

Law is about what you must do; grace is about what you get to do. Law is about rules; grace is about tools. Law demands; grace helps you do what the law demands. As there is more and more law in this world, we must give each other more grace. God gives more and more grace to us. Your relationship with God is under grace. You are forgiven. God loves you, and He’s not going to change His mind. He’s married to you. He’s committed to you. He’s devoted to you. He’ll never leave you, forsake you, abandon you, abuse you, or betray you.

Today’s Reflection

How can you be a bearer of God’s grace to the people around you?