Romans 5:11-21: a reflection

11Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned. 13For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come. 15But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16The gift is not as through one who sinned; for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift followed many trespasses to justification. 17For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. 18So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous. 20The law came in that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly, 21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul draws a great contrast between the ruin that came through Adam and the salvation that comes through Christ, and at its heart is a word about grace that overwhelms. Where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly. However great the reign of sin and death that came through one man's trespass, the grace of God in Christ is greater still, abounding all the more, so that grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life. The abounding of sin is not the last word; grace abounds more, overwhelming the trespass, so that the gift is greater than the ruin, and grace reigns where sin once reigned.

Notice the abounding grace that surpasses sin. Paul does not minimize sin; he acknowledges its reign, its death, its condemnation coming through one man. But he insists that grace is greater: where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly. The free gift is not like the trespass; it is greater, abounding to the many, overwhelming the ruin. However far sin reached, grace reaches further; however much sin abounded, grace abounds more. The grace of God in Christ is not merely equal to sin, but surpasses it, so that grace reigns where sin once reigned, bringing righteousness and eternal life. Grace has the greater abounding, the final word.

That is worth resting in, for the grace of God in Christ abounds all the more, surpassing our sin. We can be overwhelmed by the reality of our sin, its weight, its consequences, and feel that it must have the last word; but Paul says where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly. However great our sin, the grace of God in Christ is greater still, abounding all the more. Grace has the greater abounding, and it, not sin, has the last word for those in Christ. Do not think your sin, however great, is greater than God's grace; where sin abounded, grace abounds more exceedingly. Rest in the abounding grace of God in Christ, which surpasses and overwhelms even your sin, so that grace, not sin, has the last word, as Paul says where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly; for the grace of God in Christ is greater than all our sin, abounding the more where sin abounded, and it reigns unto eternal life for those who receive it.

Lord, Paul draws a great contrast between the ruin that came through Adam and the salvation that comes through Christ, and at its heart is a word about grace that overwhelms. Where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly. However great the reign of sin and death that came through one man's trespass, your grace in Christ is greater still, abounding all the more, so that grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life. The abounding of sin is not the last word; grace abounds more. Show me the abounding grace that surpasses sin. Paul does not minimize sin; he acknowledges its reign, its death, its condemnation. But he insists that grace is greater: where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly. The free gift is not like the trespass; it is greater, overwhelming the ruin. However far sin reached, your grace reaches further. Your grace in Christ is not merely equal to sin, but surpasses it, so that grace reigns where sin once reigned. Let me rest in that, for your grace in Christ abounds all the more, surpassing my sin. I can be overwhelmed by the reality of my sin, its weight, its consequences, and feel that it must have the last word; but Paul says where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly. However great my sin, your grace in Christ is greater still. Grace, not sin, has the last word for those in Christ. Keep me from thinking my sin, however great, is greater than your grace; where sin abounded, grace abounds more exceedingly, Lord. Help me rest in your abounding grace in Christ, which surpasses and overwhelms even my sin, so that grace, not sin, has the last word.