Should we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
It’s been eighteen months since we began the Acts 17:11 Bereans Bible Study at the Rock Church in Greeneville TN. We began with the question; What is Truth?
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17
When we first met we discussed how bible exegesis has changed over time. The last Apostle John the Revelator, discipled Polycarp at Antioch. Polycarp taught Irenaeus who wrote “Against Heresies” in the 2nd Century AD. The emphasis was on the literal interpretation of scripture. Scripture means what it says and is to be understood in its original historical, grammatical, and literary context. Hence as Acts 17:11 Bereans, we begin by asking who is the author? To whom is it addressed? What is the cultural setting? We compare English translations and dig into the deeper meaning of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words. We do so with the understanding that while the Bible was written for us,
it was not written to us.
In contrast, the allegorization of scripture began with Origen in the early 3rd century in Alexandria and continued under Augustin. Allegorization is very common today, especially in the charismatic stream. It is the search for a deeper, often personalized, and hidden meaning in the text that may or may not be there. Allegorization is one root of the gnostic heresy. Not all allegorization results in heresy. The problem arises when allegorization is the only approach to scripture.
“Why?” you ask.
Consider that all scripture is God-breathed. 2 Tim 3:16 Truth is by definition absolute. Any allegorical revelation we receive cannot contradict the literal interpretation of scripture and be true. Also, scripture never contradicts itself. Any apparent contradiction points to a problem with the readers’ understanding, not the scripture. For example, regular readers will be familiar with differences in the English word Judge. Judge not lest you be judged Mat 7:1 seems contrary to 1 Cor 2:15 A righteous person judges all things. When we delve into the Greek we find that Judge in Mat 7 isKrino to sentence or condemn based on opinion. Judge in 1 Cor 2 is Anakrรญnล to discern as in discerning good from evil. In addition to word definitions, we need to consider the context. In Mat 7 Jesus is addressing the issue of hypocrisy. In 1 Cor 5 Paul commands us to Krino in the context of church discipline.
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindlerโnot even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. โPurge the evil person from among you.โ
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Is a popular quote (actually a misquote) possibly from which Steve Furtick derived โGod broke the Law for loveโ. This is bad theology known as Antinomianism. Antinomianism otherwise known as “Greasy Grace” is the idea that Christians don’t need to uphold God’s laws because we are saved by faith and His grace covers past, present, and future sin. I recently heard a local believer say that ethics do not apply to Christians because they prevent God from moving. In essence, we should sin more so grace may abound. That might make sense if the Bible ended with Romans 5. It does not.
In any case, Paul clarifies the conclusion of Romans 5 in Romans 6.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
The emphasis that is missed and or misinterpreted by contemporary Antinomianists is How can we who died to sin still live in it? One popular evangelist claims that he never sins. Yes, he does. His statement is a lie. What Paul is saying is that if indeed We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, we can not sin and live in denial of the unbearable discomfort that conviction brings.
Before I was baptized into His death I was filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness a gossip. I was a slanderer, hater of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, an inventor of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though I’d heard Godโs righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, I not only did them but gave approval to those who practice them. Rom 1:29-32 Today even a hint of bitterness or unforgiveness in my heart is unbearable and drives me to the throne of grace Heb 4:16 where I confess 1 John 1:9 and repent.
God’s promise is that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life, the fullness of which will be received in eternity. In the meantime, we have Holy Spirit in us as a down payment. Eph 1:13-14
While it is true that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Cor 5:17 New creation does not mean finished creation. We are works in progress being conformed to the image of His Son. Rom 8:29For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21
While some argue that the becoming is completed at baptism, the argument is not coherent in the context of scripture or experience. The process of becoming will not be complete until we see Him face to face. 1 Cor 13:12 Hence Paul exhorts us
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.Phil 2:12-13
The subject of sin can be a challenging topic to explain especially to unbelievers who view the idea of original sin as an absurdity. We can not explain our need for salvation unless we first explain sin.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.Rom 5:12-13
Sin is hamartรญato be without a share in, to miss the mark, to err, be mistaken, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong. I emphasize “miss the mark” because the English word “sin” is an archery term that means “to miss the mark”.
The mark is the bullseye.
How could a loving God allow man to sin? If God is omnipotent why didn’t he just fix the problem as soon as it happened? If He is all-knowing then He knew Adam and Eve would eat the forbidden fruit. Why would He set Adam and Eve up to fail?ย After all a loving father doesn’t tempt his children, he protects them. If indeed sin is the cause of all suffering then God is a sadist. Otherwise, He is not omnipotent. If He isn’t omnipotent then is he God? The Bible says sin is not imputed when there is no law. Wouldn’t a loving God simply dispense with the law?
How do you answer these?
Many simply defer to, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him… John 6:44 as a loophole for the apologetic mandate.
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,1 Pet 3:15
Still, we are commanded to explain our faith.
Consider the following analogy regarding the nature of sin. It takes 23,000 engineers to write three billion lines of computer code to run Google. In contrast, it takes 2 billion lines of code comprised of just four amino acids to run a cell weighing one billionth of a gram. There are at least 200 different types of cells in the human body. That is 400 billion lines of genetic code per person. It takes approximately thirty-seven trillion cells to make one human body. There are about 8 billion people on Earth today all with a unique genetic code (program). 37 trillion x 400 billion x 8 billion is 1.184 x 10 to the 35th power. The point here is that the numbers describing the complexity of life’s design are beyond comprehension. The hard drive (DNA) and program (Genetic Code) that form and drive life are far more complex than any computer hard drive or computer program ever created by man. And while man is still trying to mimic God’s computing system no one has pulled it off. Still, the overarching principles involved in computing remain the same for man-made computers and God’s creation. While the complexity points to intelligent design and the existence of God, it also points toย the severity and nature of sin.
The analogy is that sin coming into the world can be likened to a computer virus that corrupts a computer operating system and spreads and infects every other computer operating system on the same network. Computer viruses are like biological viruses in that they are pieces of information that left unchecked destroy the host.
There are two possible solutions. You can eradicate the host(s). Or create an anti-virus program that fixes the problem and protects from further infection.
God had the same choice at the time of the fall. He could have wiped out all of creation and gone back to the proverbial drawing board. Instead, thanks to His mercy, He chose an antivirus. ย
For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16
Consider that there can be no computer virus without a computer program. There is no biological virus without a host cell and DNA program. Similarly, there is no sin apart from the law. My analogy is not perfect but I hope most people will understand. Creation is the operating system. God’s law, is the program the enemy seeks to corrupt. Corrupt God’s law and corrupt His creation.
It’s not perfect but this is one way we might frame sin so that unbelievers understand.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.Rom 5:14
The proverbial virus that corrupted God’s program came through Adam. Hence we are dead in our trespasses and sinsEph 2:1 the moment we were born.
But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one manโs offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.Rom 5:15
Just as a computer antivirus program cleans and repairs a computer and then protects it from further infection, so does the free gift of grace reconcile and reset all creation to its original state of perfection. When a person truly surrenders to Jesus they are “sozoed”.
Jesus turned, and seeing her he said,ย โTake heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.โย And instantlythe woman was made well.Mat 9:22
Well is Sแนzล – to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, save, do well, to be or to make whole. Sozo occurs 103 times in the New Testament.
For as by one manโs disobedience many were made sinners, so also byย one Manโs obedience many will be made righteous. Moreoverย the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, graceย abounded much more,ย so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul is explaining a principle that was foreshadowed in the story of Joseph.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.Gen 50:20
Our omnipotent, omniscient Father
ย chose us in himย before the foundation of the world, that we should beย holy and blameless before him. In loveย he predestined us forย adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,ย according to the purpose of his will,ย
As we continue to study God’s word, all He did and does remains a mystery that we see in a glass darkly. Analogy is a dark glass that reveals just enough to inspire awe that drives us to worship our omnipotent, omniscient, all-loving God. Even what the enemy intends for harm is incorporated into God’s plan and assists Him in accomplishing His will.ย
…even as heย chose us in himย before the foundation of the world, that we should beย holy and blameless before him. In loveย he predestined us forย adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,ย according to the purpose of his will,ย to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us inย the Beloved.ย In him we haveย redemptionย through his blood,ย the forgiveness of our trespasses,ย according to the riches of his grace,ย which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insightย making known to us the mystery of his will,ย according to his purpose, which heย set forth in Christย as a plan forย the fullness of time,ย to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
We finished Romans 4 this week. Anyone who reads the first four chapters of Romans should have a clear understanding of Justification by faith and that faith is demonstrated by works. As we learned Pรญstis โ faith, is a noun. Pisteรบล โ belief is a verb.
Belief is faith in action!
Now we move on to Romans 5 where Paul gets into the meat of what faith looks like in practice.
Therefore,ย having been justified by faith,ย we haveย peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,ย through whom also we have access by faith into this graceย in which we stand, andย rejoice in hope of the glory of God.ย And not onlyย that,ย butย we also glory in tribulations,ย knowing that tribulation producesย perseverance;ย and perseverance,ย character; and character, hope.ย Now hope does not disappoint,ย because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.Rom 5:1-8 NKJV
Peace is eirแธnฤthe tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.
Glory is kauchรกomai to rejoice.
Tribulation is thlรฎpsisanguish, burdened, persecution, trouble, pressing together, pressure.
Do you have faith? What about peace? If so, in what do you place your faith? One thing is certain, what we elevate, we serve. Are you consumed by world events and the cares of this life such that you are prone to forgetting God? Or are you so terrified that you refuse to even look at the world? Being consumed can take the form of obsession with circumstances or the fear that drives one’s head into the sand.
The Bible tells us that people perish for two reasons; lack of knowledge and lack of vision. The correct approach is to view the signs of the times while remaining unmoved by circumstances. Mat 16:1-3 True faith is to stare reality dead in the face and remain at peace knowing that God’s purpose and plan will be fulfilled. Faith is partly produced by our history with God. Hope elpรญs is faith projected into the future. True hope says “I know God will complete what He started because I’ve seen Him complete it thus far.” False hope succumbs to absurd pipe dreams concocted by a misinformed, human imagination.
I wrote Truth or Trump in 2019 discussing how public opinion and markets are manipulated by media via our confirmation biases. I stood amazed as I watched otherwise sane friends and family or what I call the “lobotomized left” defer to a long-standing Marxist agenda whereby Jesus was reframed as a refugee oppressed by the white male patriarchy that he came to overthrow. Meanwhile, the wackified right proclaimed Donald Trump a Biblical Cyrus sent by God to Make America Great Again. Cyrus sent Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem after Israel repented in captivity. I was mocked and blocked on social media when I disputed the absurd exegesis and typology. For the record, God is not a man and can not be oppressed. The moral state of the USA has far more in common with Mystery Babylon than a repentant Israel emerging from captivity.
That said, today the wackified right and lobotomized left seem like muzzled dogs waiting for a coming fight.
Given the current global geopolitical environment and the level of insane online chatter regarding the potential for another civil war on American soil, it might be wise to have some extra beans and rice on hand.
For the record, Cathy and I are political atheists. We pick politicians like plumbers. We want the best job done for the least amount of money. At this point, we view all politics as leaven. Mark 8:15, Mat 16:1-12 The leaven of Herod is the world with its pride and lusts. The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees represents a religious spirit / political spirit.
There is no political solution to a spiritual problem.
Enter the Russians
Philosopher and Geopolitical analyst Alexander Dugin, a.k.a. “Putin’s Brain” is a former geopolitical advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin. I wrote more about him in Did You Say Prepping? As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, Dugin sees the ongoing conflict between Russia and NATO as the parable of the sheep and goats being played out in real time. Mat 25:31-46 While admittedly unwinnable for either side, Dugin, says a war between Russia and NATO remains inevitable. He says it will be a sovereign act of God and a final separation between the sheep and goats in which case,
Russians will go to heaven as martyrs. NATO members will go to hell.
At the time of this writing, Dimitri Medvedev has made concrete threats regarding nuclear war. The Biden administration has authorized the use of US weapons by Ukraine inside Russia. Putin has responded by positioning Russian Naval ships 70 miles off the coast of Florida. As many as eleven Russian Submarines are positioned along the East Coast of the US. He also signed a mutual defense agreement with North Korea. North Korean troops are expected to be fighting alongside Russians in Ukraine within a month. Biden just made selective service registration automatic for men between the ages of 18 and 26. While it hasn’t been implemented, the mechanism to do the same for women is being created. If all that wasn’t crazy enough, a terrorist attack using US-made, internationally banned cluster munitions just took place on a beach in Crimea. Russian news sources (see below) are claiming that the targeting could not have been completed without US intelligence support.
โOn June 23, during the great Orthodox holiday of the Holy Trinity, the US-backed Kiev regime carried out a horrific attack on civilians in the Russian city of Sevastopol in Crimea. 151 people were injured, including 27 children. 4 people died, including 2 children. All those responsible for this latest terrorist attack will be brought to justice. There is no doubt that the United States is directly involved in this crime…”
“…The US and its satellites, committed yet another heinous terrorist crime against civilians in Russia by firing missiles at Sevastopol. For their terrorist attack, they specially chose a day โ Holy Trinity Sunday โ one of the most important holidays celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church. Four people were killed, including a two-year-old boy, who was playing on the municipal beach, and a nine-year-old girl. 151 people applied for medical assistance; 82 โ 55 adults and 27 children โ were hospitalised, many of them in a grave condition. All patients are receiving skilled medical aid. – According to the Defence Ministry of Russia, the attackers used US ATACMS operational missiles with cluster warheads for greater kill ability. All flight data was entered by US military crews based on US reconnaissance satellite inputs. A Global Hawk US reconnaissance drone was on duty off Crimea.
The Investigative Committee of Russia has promptly started an investigation into this crime. All those implicated in this and other terrorist attacks in the territory of the Russian Federation will incur inevitable punishment.”
– Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Nebenzya, and Russian Foreign Ministry statement on the terrorist attack at Sevastopol –
The Russians do not make idol threats.
The sheer insanity of repeatedly poking the Russian bear in the eye and daring her to respond is beyond my comprehension and probably yours. Hence your confirmation biases might be telling you to dismiss all of this and return to Sports, Netflix, and video games. Do not be deceived.
The Russians are saying they are ready to fight WWIII.
Donald Trump looked like a perfectly composed genius compared to Biden in the recent debate. While I view Trump as gasoline on a match rather than a savior, his final statement guaranteeing WWIII, if Biden is reelected resonates with what Russia has promised. Just this past week Alexander Dugin wrote the following regarding the upcoming election.
Most likely, the globalists behind the weak Biden will try to remove the strong Trump from the election and prevent him from becoming president at any cost. Any methods may be employed here: assassination, imprisonment, organizing riots and protests, up to and including a coup or civil war. Or by the end of his term, Biden may start a third world war. This is also quite likely.
To be clear, the Russian goal is a decentralized multipolar world where individual nations respectfully compete with one another to find the best solutions for all. In their minds, the primary obstacle is the current unipolar world controlled by the hegemonic USA and its European globalist partners.
First and foremost, a second term for a US president with such an ideology will show that the first term was not an accident (for the globalists), but a regular occurrence. A unipolar world and the globalist project will be rejected not only by supporters of a multipolar world โ Russia, China, and Islamic countries โ but by Americans themselves. This will deal a powerful blow to the entire network of the liberal-globalist elite. And most likely, they will not recover from such a blow.
Meanwhile, Israel is prepping for war with Hezbollah as it continues to fight Hamas in Gaza. Iran says it will intervene directly if that happens. If the US and NATO intervene, Iran says it will attack NATO. Biden says he will pull all support if Israel attacks Iran. That might be because Russia says it will attack anyone who attacks Iran. The common denominator in all of this is gradual, continued escalation toward Ezekiel 38-39. That’s another conversation. Now let me ask you a question.
What is your reaction to the above?
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.Mat 24:6
Can you look soberly and realistically at the threats we currently face and remain at peace?
There are just a few reactions anytime I discuss these things with or around Christian brothers and sisters. The most common is dismissal. “God loves us. These things have always been,” 2 Pet 3:3-7 they say. “Social media just makes everything seem worse.” Others see a clear and present danger but react in the flesh. Some place their hope in Trump. Others are stocking up on guns and ammunition as if righteousness will be gained by shooting. Others remain willfully oblivious. “I don’t know what’s going on,” they say. “I don’t want to know. I canโt handle it.” Finally, there are a few who view the signs of the times and the emerging threats with 1 Peter 5:8 sobriety.
Calm, Dispassionate, and Circumspect
As Cathy and I preach, counsel, and teach it has become clear that people, including those in the body of Christ, are splitting into two groups. Those who are losing their minds or will lose their minds as their hearts fail for fear of what is coming. Luke 21:26 And those soberly preparing their hearts and minds to bring the gospel of peace into the chaos. One thing is certain. The world is not becoming saner, more moral, or stable. Could revival come? Certainly! Still, anyone who has studied the history of revival knows revivals are preceded by crisis and a renewed fear of God that compels people to repent.
The root of the matter for believers is in the question: In what is your faith? What does it look like in practice?
Semper Fi
Semper Fi short for Semper Fidelis is Latin for Always Faithful. It is the Marine Corps Motto. Given that I was a Marine itโs got me thinking about belief (faithfulness) and what it means for us in the context of the Christian walk.
The practice of Semper Fidelis is reflected in the Marine Corps Code of Conduct. HONOR, COURAGE, and COMMITMENT. The expression of Semper Fidelis in the life of an individual Marine is rooted in personal character. Every Marine understands that character is produced under pressure. It is defined by oneโs actions under pressure. Marines hope for the best by preparing for the worst.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Rom 5:3-8
Honor, courage, and commitment in the life of a Christian do not mean we charge off to kill the people we are called to disciple. In fact, Semper Fi for believers today might mean resisting the pressure to kill those we are called to evangelize. The faithfulness of an individual Christian is produced in the transformation of one’s character. Christian character is defined by faithfulness under pressure. So often people are in search of a specific outcome that produces or extends comfort instead of endurance 2 Tim 2:3 and the ability to stand. Eph 6:10-14
If you are young you may be inclined to validate faith and belief according to the intensity of the histrionics displayed. The greater the passion, the greater the faith. Mat 7:15-20 In my experience faith in action is correlated with sobriety, not theatrics. I find that the most histrionic people are often the first to fall when the pressure comes.
I promise you, that a deeper, more sober faith will be required in the coming days. Sobriety produces a calm, dispassionate, wise, and circumspect approach to circumstances. Sober faith understands that God causes or allows circumstances for the refinement of our character. Hence, Jason Upton quotes theologian Walter Brueggemann in his song In the Silence,
โSometimes praise can be a manifestation of our doubt. God wants to silence us to get to the root of whatโs really going on.โ
Am I saying the worst-case scenario is guaranteed? Absolutely not. I am a watchman, not a prophet. I am saying that Biblically we are on a trajectory that includes enduring tribulation at some point. We are called to peace, rejoicing, and hope in the midst of it. The purpose of this post and others like it is to pose the question,
Are you spiritually prepared?
Will Romans 5 peace with God be enough if we are called into a time of crushing and breaking? Will we lose our minds and fall away 2 Thess 2:1-3 if our expectations never come to pass? Or will we embrace the transformation of our character and the hope that it brings knowing that in the pressing (tribulation) that we endure for a season, God is making new wine? We may not be faithful, but God is
