*For mature readers.
‘Where does sin abound, there does so much more grace abound’
Recently, I received an email requesting prayer from a person who has known the Lord for some 20 years, but who has had so many troubles in her life because she was not willing to ‘cast every care upon the Lord’ and dig at the root of the many sins in her life.
Through experience, I have learned that the more we can cast upon the Lord, the more He is enable to entrust His mysteries with us.
The mystery of why He would come to this lonely planet.
The mystery of how many persons there are in the God-head and who they are.
The mystery of the power of His Name.
The mystery of the Lamb and the power to overcome sin. (Are but a few of the mysteries the Lord can share with the obedient servants of God.
Before I tackle the often misused word, ‘grace’ I will speak first about the Greek word, oikonomia oy-kon-om-ee'-ah ; administration (of a household or estate); and, especially, a (biblical term) "economy":--dispensation, stewardship.
The word, economics comes from this word. It relates to a store-house of goods and the stewardship of the goods, and how things are ‘dispensed’.
Imagine the days when you may have attended camp as a child. Maybe there was a ‘canteen’ where they had some sweets, souvenirs and necessities for sale.
Maybe you were given some ‘tuck money’ to buy a treat every now and then. But you were given only so much money and this money could only be spent in the only place where money was used. So the place where the money could be used is a type of ‘dispensary’, and a place where the goods are kept and ‘doled’ out according to the authority of the person behind the counter.
The person behind the counter uses the cash box and the key is kept with this person who has the authority.
Authority and dispensation, are therefore, key words to understanding the word, grace.
Now, back to the study of the word, grace.
What is it and how can it be applied?
Many use ‘grace’ to give them permission to sin. (Like one who emailed asking for prayer. She also fell into a sexual relationship that the Lord would never allow.) How can she ask for ‘grace’ when she is really asking for permission to lie, cheat and commit fornication?
Let’s go back to the Tuck shop: someone who has money goes to the tuck shop to buy a Popsicle is approached by someone without money, and asked, ‘When you are there, please ask for permission from the one who as authority to dispense a popsicle for both of us, even though I haven’t any money.”
Would this be possible? No, not normally: one must have the right amount of money to purchase. The one behind the counter usually cannot dispense anything at their own discretion unless they have the authority to do so.
‘Yet where sin abounds, there does so much more grace abound’, many quote to me. Yes, sin does abound, and the Lord does give grace abundantly, not to sin, but to lead sinners to the Cross: for forgiveness and victory over sin, never to return to it again.
Some short points about ‘grace’ and sin:
Grace is never given as an excuse or allowance to sin.
Romans 6 is the central aspect of grace.
Romans 6 is the single most important chapter of the entire Bible.
Romans 6 grants us access to the Throne, to make our petitions known, and to expect answers to prayer.
Without Romans 6, there is no Romans 8 35 – 38 verses, (also quoted as a reason to allow sin in a person’s life), which say, “Nothing can separate us from the Love of God.”
How do we then, go ‘boldly before the Throne of God’ to make our petitions known?
Romans 6 gives us the access, and the authority is from the One who now sits upon the Throne, who can bring our petitions before the Father.Without Romans 6, however, we really have no legitimate right to ask anything. In fact, without Romans 6, we do not even have the ‘right’ to call Jesus’ Father, our Father!
Therefore, our Lord, who knows all this, still grants much ‘grace’ to overcome our naivety, and our clumsy ways which are not yet according to the Protocol of the Throne in God’s Kingdom.
Grace is dispensed on our behalf from Jesus, the One who is given all authority. He can, if He chooses not to dispense this grace, withhold it at any time. The result: judgment.
Did the woman caught in adultery in the story in the Gospels have the right to expect ‘to be forgiven’? No. She expected a quick death. But Jesus, in His mercy upon her, seeing her to be repentant and full of the fear of the Lord, did grant the grace to be forgiven.
Is this then, an example to expect ‘grace’ when one sins grievously towards the Lord? No, it is an example of the authority of Jesus, who used it to grant mercy upon the sinner, who was told, ‘Go and sin no more!’
Sin no more is an aspect of grace as well.
If we are totally repentant, then Romans 6 can work in our lives.
From the story in Matthew 18, we see much about grace. When the one who was forgiven a great debt was able to forgive a great debt in return, the Lord was pleased. But the one who was forgiven a great debt, but in turn did not forgive even a small debt, the Lord will cast into the Lake of Fire. Where is the grace in that?
There is no ‘onus’ on God, the Father to grant grace at all. Jesus grants the grace, He is the Authority behind the Dispensary. He dispenses grace, mercy, wisdom, power and authority by the power of the Blood of the Lamb.
To know more about this grace, and the power to overcome: read, the following chapters:
· Revelation 3:21
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Revelation 3:20-22 (in Context) Revelation 3 (Whole Chapter)
· Revelation 12:11
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
Revelation 12:10-12 (in Context) Revelation 12 (Whole Chapter)
Also, please pray about the word, ‘grace’. It is something that we all need, in order to learn all need to learn how to overcome every aspect of sin, as well as the wiles of the evil one who has recently unleashed a greater number of his minions to make war against the saints. Please contact the writer of this web site for additional information and prayer.
Sent to you with love,
