“Let Grace Reign In Righteousness!”

“Let Grace Reign In Righteousness!”
“Whoever coined this statement was greatly inspired: “A text without a context is a pretext.” Unfortunately this is a frightening pitfall of misleading teaching. A half verse of scripture must be understood in the context of the whole verse, each verse within the context of a unit, each unit within the context of the chapter, each chapter within the context of the book and each book within the context of a Testament; while each Testament must be understood within the context of the Bible.
Consider this half verse has misled so many: “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more…” Over the years some false teachers have used this half verse as a tool of deception to keep and use their gullible followers for their selfish interest.
Knowing that what he had said could easily be misconstrued, Paul asked the questions,“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” He answered himself, “By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”(Rom.6:1-2).
Increasing grace is not a license for continuous sinning because grace reigns through righteousness.
“But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord “(Rom.5:18-21).
To be saved by grace means we put on the nature of Christ when we have been born anew. Grace finds us in the darkness of sin. Grace takes us out of sin, but grace reigns through righteousness.
Almost on a daily basis we struggle with sin because temptations surrounds us. We need to be in the company of the Holy Spirit in fighting temptations.
However, whenever any of us stumbles and falls, we have an advocate who speaks to the Father on our behalf – Jesus Christ, the Righteous Judge”(I Jn.2:1). Through Jesus Christ God listens to the penitent of heart and forgives his/her sins.
Weekend prayer: Thank you Lord for your amazing grace that has saved a wretch like me. Do not let me go astray anymore. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev. Babila Fochang.