GRACE TRIUMPHANT OVER SIN

ROMANS 5:1

A. MAN IN BONDAGE OF SIN AND DEATH
  1. The reign of sin:
    1. "Sin hath reigned unto death" - Rom. 5:21
    2. "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." - John 8:34
    3. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God - Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22 EXAMPLES -
      1. Paul's personal admission - Rom. 7:14
      2. Ahab a slave of sin - 1 Ki. 21:20-23
  2. The reign of death:
    1. The divine sentence over the sinner - Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:19; Rom. 5:12
    2. Death reigns over all men because all have sinned - Rom. 5:12, 21; Heb. 9:27; that is one appointment which cannot be set aside.
  3. Man is unable to free himself from either sin or death:
    1. Sin has taken full control of the heart of man and defiled it completely - Jer. 13:23 EXAMPLES -
      1. The lost coin
      2. The lost sheep
      3. The prodigal son - Luke 15:4-7, 8, 9, 11-34
    2. Evil habits have made a helpless slave out of him; Paul's commentary - Rom. 7
B. GRACE TRIUMPHANT
  1. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."
    1. Here is the anchor of the soul, "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." - Rom. 5:21
    2. The reign of grace is based upon the righteousness of Christ - 1 Cor. 1:30
  2. Righteousness is the foundation of the kingdom of grace:
    1. Doing what is right is the basis of salvation; to do otherwise is misusing the grace of God - Rom. 6:14
    2. "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." 1 John 3:7
  3. It is, however, the righteousness of Christ that counts:
    1. All human righteousness is like filthy rags before God - Isa. 64:6
    2. Only the righteousness of the Son of God is acceptable to God - Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30
C. GRACE TRIUMPHANT OVER SIN
  1. This is the Magna Carta of the saints:
    1. No believer in Christ needs to be in the bondage of sin - Rom. 6:16, 17
    2. Grace triumphs over the reign of sin - EXAMPLES -
      1. Rahab the harlot in Jericho is a typical example of the triumph of grace - Ps. 87:4
      2. The thief on the cross is still another trophy of grace - Luke 23:42-44
      3. Mary Magdalene is another example of the reign of grace - Mark 16:9
  2. The fruit of grace:
    1. It melts away the guilt of sin - Isa. 1:17-19
    2. It dissolves difficulties - Zech. 4:7; Rom. 9:8
    3. Delivers from the power of sin - Acts 26:18
    4. Transforms character - 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 12:2; the church of God is full of transformed lives.
    5. It makes us fellow heirs with Christ. That is a wonderful blessing, the gift of God through grace - 2 Pet. 1:2-4
    6. What has this grace done in my life and in yours?
    7. Thank God that where sin reigned, grace lives now in the hearts of all who come to God by Jesus Christ our Lord.


Design © John Bryant 2011