Where Sin Abounds, Grace Abounds Much More

Many reason like this: “I am terrible; I sin in thought, word, and deed. But it doesn’t really matter, because ‘where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.’” Many also think they must continue in sin in order that grace might abound. Paul refutes this in Romans 6:1-2, where he writes: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”

This line of thought does not produce any glory. If a man were a habitual thief, he would be under the condemnation of the law, and he would feel persecuted. Suppose, though, that he were to be freed from the law and were to come under grace; then he could steal as much as he liked, because “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” The more he stole, the more grace would cover him. How terrible it would be if this were actually the case.

“Then what does it mean?” you ask. Let us keep to the illustration. If the man steals, he is under the law. The law can do no more than condemn and punish him so that, at the very most, he would not dare to do it again. But sin abounds. Stealing is a disease with him; he has kleptomania, inherited through many generations. No matter how severe his punishment might be, he cannot stop stealing. However, where sin abounds, grace—the help to free us from sin’s power—is infinitely greater. If he seeks refuge in Jesus, he will receive grace—the power from heaven not only to stop stealing, but also to stop coveting his neighbor’s goods.

“Obviously he must quit stealing,” you say, “because one cannot steal and still be a Christian.” Of course not! But it should be just as obvious that we must stop gossiping, backbiting, seeking our own, and lording it over others; we must stop being jealous, envious, offended, ill-tempered, etc. “Yes,” you may reply, “but we can never be perfect; besides, these things are deeply rooted.” True, they are. But where sin abounds—that is, where it is deeply rooted—grace (help to be freed from its power) is infinitely greater. It was not in his own strength that the man stopped stealing, but by the grace he received from Jesus. Is His grace not sufficient for us to put an end to all other things too? Or would you take away some of the glory with which Jesus came?