For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:19-21
Grace is a wonderful and priceless gift. It doesn’t conceal faults and blemishes; it heals. It is a lightweight and pure balm, one that can be applied to the sinful nature in the deepest recess of our being. Grace never runs out. The supply is endless, just like our sins are endless on this side of our glorified body in Christ. The substance of grace is never in question; the application of it is the tricky bit. Without recognition of its need, it can’t be accessed.
It is, many times, hesitancy in acknowledging sin and the depths of its wickedness that hinders the reach for grace. The pride that determines one sin is small or insignificant, while others are worse is faulty wiring. All sin results in separation from God. The lie that sin can be managed or controlled is rooted in the false belief that sin can be healed apart from grace. All sin causes heart damage, though some can be seen more readily than others. All sin needs Christ to be made right.
But grace… Grace is always there, readily available. A Savior exists. No sin is too small or too big, no sin is too stubborn or too rooted in the heart, and no sin can overcome the grace of God. The law multiplied and amplified the rebellion and sin that had been in the human heart since the fall in the Garden of Eden. It was proof to us that we needed salvation and the Lord to rule over us. God knew that truth; He established that truth by His will from the very beginning of time. A beautiful aspect of this portion of Romans is that it first highlights our sinfulness for the sake of overlaying it on the righteousness of Christ. Through that process, it is discovered that we disappear, and all that is left is the glory of God. Just as Romans 5 says, “Grace will reign through righteousness.” This is not our righteousness but Christ’s.
The gift of grace is marked by the work of the Triune God. God, as a judge, offers grace. Holy Spirit convicts those called and they learn we were made sinners, and it is their core identity, and He testifies about Christ. Christ shows us we can’t overcome sin, only He, as the perfect Lamb of God, can do so. His victory is righteousness being bestowed on Him. In a perfect ebb and flow of the Trinity working in tandem, we are called, our sin laid bare, our sin multiplied under the law, Christ’s sacrifice revealed, and in a grand crescendo, we are covered in righteousness we didn’t earn by the saving power and grace of God.
