Have you ever said or heard someone else say: “Well of course we’re not under law but under grace”. If we’re honest, nine times out of ten, this is simply an excuse to plough on and do something we know to be wrong. Years ago there was a silly song called: “I’m walking backwards for Christmas” and I want to do some “walking backwards” through that Scripture that people choose to quote.
Romans 6 Verse 14b: “… because you are not under law, but under grace.” Now let’s walk backwards to the start of the verse v14a: “For sin shall not be your master,…”, hence the actual reason this was said was not to provide a loophole for sin, but the very opposite, to stop sin controlling us.
Onwards and backwards: v13b “but rather offer yourselves to God…”, this is what being under grace really means, a life dedicated to God and not to sin. Back again: v13a “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness…”, and reversing yet more v12 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.”, if the drift wasn’t clear, surely it is now, sin cannot be given or gain the upper hand.
Ok, one last step back: v11 “…count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”, evidently sin within is meant to be kicked into touch and thus killed off. Sometimes we need a little silliness to reveal the silliness of the “bible excuses” we might use for carrying on in sin. Let’s be clear, grace is never a door stop for keeping the door ajar for us to go on in sin.