Can I Sin More So That I Get More Grace? Part 6

Romans 6:12-13

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.”

We are continuing to examine Paul’s answer to his questions in Romans 6:1.

The questions he asked are:

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?”

These questions arise from what he taught in Romans 5:20.

Romans 5:20 states:

“The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”

Paul was stating that a person could not out-sin grace.

The more a person sinned, the more grace he received.

This may lead some to conclude they should “go on sinning so that grace may increase.”

Therefore, in Romans 6, Paul addresses those arriving at the wrong conclusion about grace.

As we have learned earlier, Paul writes Romans 6 to instruct those who see sinning as an opportunity to get more grace.

He is not writing to provide believers with a prescription for how not to sin.

Rather, he is writing to the small amount of believers who are considering sinning more so they can get more grace.

In Parts 1-6, we have examined Romans 6:1-11.

In this teaching, we will take a look at Romans 6:12-13.

In these verses, Paul personifies sin as an evil and wicked ruler desiring to rule over the bodies of people.

He tells those desiring to sin more so that they can get more grace not to allow sin, this evil and wicked ruler, to reign over their body...to be in charge of their bodies.

Sin, this evil and wicked ruler, desires to destroy them.

So Paul is telling them that rather than seeing sin as an opportunity to get more grace, see sin as an evil ruler desiring to destroy their lives.

Paul tells them (those desiring to sin more so they can get more grace) not to offer any part of their bodies to sin as instruments of wickedness, but to offer every part of their bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.

When I think of an instrument, I think of a musical instrument.

Depending on whose hands the instrument is in will determine the sound coming from the instrument.

In the hands of a skilled musician, beautiful music flows from the instrument.

In the hands of non-musician, terrible sounds come from the instrument.

In the same way, Paul is telling this group of people that they can allow sin to play its harmful, destructive “sounds” in and through their bodies, or they can allow God to play his beautiful music of righteousness (God’s grace, love, and right living) in and through their bodies.

In these verses, Paul is instructing this group of believers, who are misusing grace, to make a choice to whom they will present their bodies to: Sin or God.

Whoever they chose will determine what happens in their lives:

Wickedness or Righteousness.

Wickedness will bring hurt and heartache for themselves and others.

Righteousness will bring peace and wholeness.

CLICK HERE to read Part Seven.