"Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound"

Some time ago I criticised a faulty reading of Romans 7 which concluded that even regenerated Christians are still totally depraved. I argued that this was not a defence of the "T" in TULIP, but a denial of the "I", irresistible grace, by which we have new life. For example, when Paul says that he cannot do the good that he wills to do, he does not mean that he cannot do good absolutely, but rather that he wills to do more good than he actually achieves. If he were totally depraved, of course, he would neither do any good, or even will to do good at all.

Now, I would like to give similar treatment to a faulty reading of Romans 5 regarding another letter in TULIP, "P", the perseverance or preservation of the saints. This pseudo-Reformed interpretation latches onto the phrase, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" ignoring the surrounding context, especially the more full explanation expounded in the following chapter. It concludes that the more you sin, the more the grace of preservation abounds, and even that grace does not abound where there is no sin. In other words, although the conclusion of Romans 6:1, "shall we sin that grace may abound?", ought to be and will be hated as impious by those who are redeemed by Christ, it is nevertheless supposed to be a legitimate conclusion. This is in fact not a defence of the preservation of the saints, but a denial of the perseverance of the saints.

The rest of Romans 6 and following proves that the conclusion is both impious and illegitimate, but even a careful reading of Romans 5 itself does not support the conclusion. The conclusion is in fact a wicked slander against the Christian faith, not to be entertained or admitted, but to be refuted with extreme prejudice so that the name of God should not be blasphemed. Consider the following:

1. The passage (Romans 5:12-21) is not primarily speaking about how God preserves His people, but about the history of sin and grace, comparing and contrasting Adam with Christ.
2. Grace did not abound strictly everywhere that sin abounded, since many of those in Adam are not in Christ (Rom. 5:14-15).
3. The passage nowhere says or even implies that grace abounds only where sin abounds, in fact the passage consistently teaches that grace abounded much more than sin (Rom. 5:15, 20).
4. The abounding of sin is described as a reign of sin/death, and the abounding of grace is described as a reign of grace/life (Rom. 5:17, 21). These two reigns cannot co-exist in the same place at the same time, since they are wholly antithetical to each other and one is unto death, while the other is unto life.
5. We are told that those who "receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life" are in contrast to those in whom death reigned, meaning that they are no longer under the reign of sin and death. The comparison is that they will much more reign in life by one (Christ), than the reign of death was by one (Adam). And this is because of the contrast between the condemnation by one offence from the judgement of Adam, versus the justification from many offences by the free gift of Christ (Rom. 5:16). The free gift surpasses that judgment by far, and therefore the reign of life by far overturns the reign of sin and death.
6. Roman 6 begins the exposition of the reign of grace, concluding that since we are now dead to sin, we cannot live any longer in it. By re-using the term "the gift", Romans 6:23 illustrates that this is the same "free gift" as in Romans 5, and therefore the whole chapter is a more detailed treatment of what the abounding of grace (or reign of grace) actually looks like. According to this passage, consistent with Romans 5, sin/death has been dethroned, no longer having dominion (Rom. 6:6-7, 9, 12, 14), and is no longer abounding because grace has been much more enthroned in its place (Rom. 6:2-5, 8, 10-11). We must reckon ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God (Rom. 6:11), not because we like to entertain comforting fantasies, but because this is the spiritual reality for all who have been united to Christ in the power of His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:5; cf. Eph. 1:19-20; 2:4-6).
7. Under the reign of grace, we are servants of righteousness and no longer servants of sin (Rom. 6:16-18). Now that grace is abounding much more, sin is no longer abounding (Rom. 6:19-22). Not to say that sin is not still present and does not still retain a great measure of power so that we must battle it and we cannot do what we will, but that groaning wretchedness we still experience despite all the victory and progress of the reign of grace in this life is a subject treated in the next chapter (Rom. 7).

So then, the correct view of the "P" in TULIP is not that preserving grace is abounding more when we are sinning more, or that for example, preserving grace is not abounding when we are not falling into some grievous sin like David's adultery or Peter's denial of Christ. The main thrust of the answer of the Canons of Dordt concerning the preservation of the saints is that the grace of God causes us to persevere:

Article 1. Whom God calls, according to his purpose, to the communion of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and regenerates by the Holy Spirit, he delivers also from the dominion and slavery of sin in this life; though not altogether from the body of sin, and from the infirmities of the flesh, so long as they continue in this world.

Article 2. Hence spring daily sins of infirmity, and hence spots adhere to the best works of the saints; which furnish them with constant matter for humiliation before God, and flying for refuge to Christ crucified; for mortifying the flesh more and more by the spirit of prayer, and by holy exercises of piety; and for pressing forward to the goal of perfection, till being at length delivered from this body of death, they are brought to reign with the Lamb of God in heaven.

Article 3. By reason of these remains of indwelling sin, and the temptations of sin and of the world, those who are converted could not persevere in a state of grace, if left to their own strength. But God is faithful, who having conferred grace, mercifully confirms, and powerfully preserves them herein, even to the end.

Lamentable falls, such as in the biblical examples given, are the awful extraordinary exception (Canons 4.4), when this preserving grace is not abounding in us so richly for a time (cf. Canons 1.16), so that we fall into some terrible sin, but then the divine solution is not the abounding of preserving grace while we remain impenitent. The answer is that when preserving grace begins to abound again we are restored again to repentance. Until restored in this way, preserving grace can for a time be a mere trickle, just enough that we do not fall away completely, so that the incorruptible seed of regeneration is always preserved in us (Canons 5.7). Even so, when restored from such a fall, preserving grace then abounds all the more, because it then makes us more diligent and much more careful and solicitous in persevering in the ways of the Lord and using the means of grace which He has provided (Canons 5.7, 13).

There is another, much simpler, theological reason from Scripture why the wicked slander (which says that the more you sin, the more grace abounds) against the Christian faith is necessarily and hopelessly wrong. Grace itself is not merely or primarily unmerited favour. It was preserving grace which kept the angels which did not fall in Satan's rebellion. Grace abounded, and still abounds, in these angels, yet they are without sin and have always been without sin. In the angels that sinned, preserving grace did not abound, and now will never abound (II Peter 2:4-9). Our Lord Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and abounded in favour with God (Luke 2:52) yet was and will always be without sin (Heb. 4:15). Our definition of grace must be consistent with these truths too.

Grace is divine beauty, the glorious and resplendent moral and spiritual pleasantness and delightfulness of God (Ps. 84:11; Ps. 90:17). As an attitude of God towards the creature, it is a beautiful attitude of unmerited favour, but as God has done all that pleased Him (Ps. 115:3), it is also necessarily the omnipotent power of God by which those who are spiritually ugly in their sins are made spiritually beautiful (Ps. 149:4; Eph. 5:25-27). In short, towards us, grace is the power and spiritual virtue by which we are transformed into the image of Christ (II Cor. 3:18; Col. 3:9-10) who is personally the beautiful image of the invisible God (Heb. 1:3). It is utterly impossible therefore, for grace to abound where and when sin is abounding. Sin is spiritual ugliness, grace is spiritual beauty. The two are completely antithetical to one another.

The meaning of Romans 5 is very simple then: first sin abounded by Adam, but afterwards where sin had previously abounded, grace abounded more by Christ. This true both in the history of redemption, and also in our own lives personally, though we have ups and downs according to God's inscrutable wisdom. And this the significance of the distinction between the reign of sin through offences unto death versus the reign of grace through righteousness unto life: where the reign of sin is, there is not the reign of grace. When grace comes along by Jesus Christ, sin is necessarily dethroned, and the throne of grace is much more abundant than sin ever was. We await the day of perfection with earnest expectation, but until then, with grace-worked diligence and care, we press forward and persevere and progress according as the grace of Christ abounds in us.

P.S. Thanks to my friend and brother in the faith, Marco Barone, for his helpful input on this subject especially regarding the importance of the more complete biblical definition of grace here.

Grace by admonitions?

What is the place of admonitions both among the saints and in the preaching? Should we be dismissive of admonitions for fear that telling people about their calling will not increase their ability or motivation to carry it out?

When Canons III/IV:17 says "For grace is conferred by means of admonitions" it certainly does not mean that admonitions by themselves are of any value, as much as sacraments in and of themselves are also of no profit. These means of grace are only empowered when the light of the Gospel illuminates them. And further, that illumination is only seen through the eyes of faith: "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4:2)

The very same can be said of admonitions--to the unregenerate and unbelieving, they are of no value. But to those who believe the Gospel, as the knowledge of the Gospel has been preached to them, "grace is conferred by means of admonitions". And this is why the preaching may not merely consist of admonitions--since these admonitions not only ought to be connected to the Gospel as the motivation, power, and freedom to do them, but also for any who may be present who have as yet no living knowledge of the Gospel (without which the admonitions are fruitless).

Notice how in this passage, "the word of God which ye heard of us" is specifically the exhorting, comforting, and charging them to walk worthy of God, and that this word of God, including these admonitions, effectually work in the believers:

"As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:11-13)

Yet the Gospel is similarly vain if it is not connected to admonitions. The Gospel does not produce the fruit of holiness and righteousness spontaneously of itself if not connected to admonitions. And yet the purpose of the Gospel is our salvation from sin to the glory of God in Jesus Christ. That purpose is not achieved without our sanctification in this life, and our glorification in the next. And God always accomplishes His purposes. Therefore wherever the Gospel is preached, admonitions are also heard.

"This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and published to all nations, and to all persons promiscuously and without distinction, to whom God out of his good pleasure sends the gospel." (Canons II:5)

To take Paul's letters to churches as an example, almost every letter could be divided into a more theological and more practical section--yet even this division is artificial, since the two are so closely intertwined and connected that it is impossible to separate them. Try, if you can to separate the admonitions from the Gospel in these verses--we can identify and distinguish them very clearly and distinctly, but we cannot separate them:

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." (Titus 2:11-15)

Let us not despise the Gospel or the admonitions of the Gospel.

Legalism and motivation

Reformed Christians speak so much and so highly about gratitude for salvation as a motivation for Christian living that some might be tempted to think that gratitude was the only motivation for Christians. You may have even heard it claimed that legalists are people who keep the laws for motives other than gratitude. But what is legalism?

There are basically two ways to be a legalist. One is by pursuing justification by self-righteousness. The other is by making up laws and standards beyond what is written, usually with an emphasis on outward observation, and often as part of a pursuit of self-righteousness, and typically also as a means to condemn others in order to make oneself seem more righteous than them (again, often because of a pursuit of self-righteousness). This second kind of legalist shows that at the very least their practice is contrary to justification by faith alone, in that they attempt to puff themselves up by their invented standards, while simultaneously looking down on others.

Christ never condemned the Pharisees for keeping the law, rather He condemned 1) their pursuit of self-righteousness, 2) their hypocrisy, 3) their unjust condemnation of others, 4) their elevating of their traditions as if they were law, 5) their setting aside the law by their tradition, 6) their focus on merely outward observance, 7) their wrong priorities, straining at gnats and swallowing camels, carefully tithing mint and cumin, while neglecting justice and mercy, and placing temporary ceremonial laws (or ceremonial observances connected to moral laws) above eternal moral law.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." (Matthew 23:23)

Grace fulfills the law, so that we are freed from its condemnation, so that we may keep it. Grace also gives us far more reason to keep the law than others, and also frees us from the power of sin in us so that we actually can begin to keep the law from the heart.

Gratitude is a very powerful motivator for a Christian, and the proper response to the Gospel of grace (how we are delivered from our misery), but it is by no means the only motivation. For example, should a Christian not be motivated by the glory of God? Sola Deo Gloria? What about the motivation of love for God? Or do we only love Him because we are grateful? Or do we love Him because in His love for us He has revealed Himself to us and given us a new heart that seeks after Him and delights in His goodness? Are we motivated also by love for our neighbour, or do we love our neighbour only because we are grateful for the forgiveness of our sins? Are we motivated by wisdom, the beginning of which is the fear of God? Are we motivated by deep concern for our neighbour's salvation (Paul was!)? Are we motivated by humility, knowing our place before God as His servants? Are we motivated by joy? By other Christians who spur us on? Are we motivated by our hatred for sin, not merely of others, but especially of our own? Are we motivated by the failures of others? Are we motivated by the wickedness of this world? Are we motivated by the growing cold and apostasy of many? Are we motivated by having our affections in heaven, not on earth? Are we motivated by love for the church? Are we motivated by peace and by patience? Are we motivated by sufferings? Are we motivated by looking for a city that has foundations? Are we motivated by our blessed hope? Wisdom finds motivations everywhere!

Also consider the Canons of Dordt, Head V, Article 13:

"Neither does renewed confidence or persevering produce licentiousness, or a disregard to piety in those who are recovering from backsliding; but it renders them much more careful and solicitous to continue in the ways of the Lord, which he hath ordained, that they who walk therein may maintain an assurance of persevering, **lest by abusing his fatherly kindness, God should turn away his gracious countenance from them**, to behold which is to the godly dearer than life: the withdrawing thereof is more bitter than death, and they in consequence hereof should fall into more grievous torments of conscience."

This article speaks about the motivation of the restored repentant sinner, that he never again wants to experience His father's chastisement, or lose sight of His father's smiling countenance over him.

As father raising children, it is important to me that my children enjoy fellowship with me and can see my love and delight in them, when they are walking in the right way. When they go astray, they have to know that I am terribly displeased with their behaviour, and that I can't enjoy fellowship with them in their disobedience, or delight in their disobedience. I hope that this gives them strong motivation to continue in my delight over them, in the way of careful obedience. And when I read Scripture, this is how I see God has always dealt with His people, and I also see that He deals with me this way.

"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (Hebrews 12:5-6)

His chastisement of me is very gracious and very merciful, but I don't want to walk in the way of His chastisement, but in the way of His delight. Fear of His chastisement motivates me, and desire of His delight motivates me. And yes, gratitude motivates me, also simply knowing who God is, that He is worthy, and my Father. I hope that God would use everything to motivate me in the right way! I need all the motivation I can get!