---It
is not to our surprise that Paul, in his letter to the
Romans, preaches the gospel to the believers. To the
initial faith for salvation, there is often an innumerable
amount of human additions that do not proceed from faith,
but from works of the flesh. Almost every problem in
the Christian life seems to be resolved with a method
from the flesh. Of course, in practicality, all of this
is given a disguise of humanism or of a religious tradition.
In definite, this is a flesh and blood affair.
---When Paul writes his
gospel in Romans, he takes us even further. He takes
us far from human resources and submerges us in God’s
resources, where we have God’s grace. For many
Christians, God’s grace may only be a refrain from
childhood, so as not to seem proud. Yet, in Paul’s
teaching, God’s grace is the fountain of the divine
resources placed at man’s disposition.
---Now, God’s grace
is not a heavenly cloud. It is the grace of Jesus Christ
(5:15). God’s grace is Jesus Christ, and his resources
for Christians, are his own son.
---In
Romans, the word grace appears 24 times, and some of
these mentioned times are conclusive. For example, grace
is associated twice with steadiness. The promise of
the gospel, for the believers, is steady because it
is by grace; “Therefore it is of faith that
it might be according to grace, so that the promise
might be sure to all the seed…” (4:16).
The Christian’s position before God is firm in
grace: “Through whom (Jesus Christ) also
we have access by faith into this grace in which we
stand” (5:2). Faith introduces us to the grace
in which we stand.
---Where
does our steadiness come from? From our care, will,
or cleverness? From the years lived in a religion as
Christians? All these things have their support in the
flesh, and if the flesh is present, sin is also present;
Therefore, there cannot be steadiness.
---According
to Paul’s language, who are those that will “reign
in life”? Not those who strive the most, or the
strongest, but those who receive the most. “Those
who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
(5:17). Why do these reign? Why have they received
so much grace, that in them, grace reigns through justice?
Grace is not a slogan in them, but the queen. Grace
has control over the Christian, And grace, we’ve
already said, is the grace of a man, Jesus Christ.
---Sin
has no dominion over grace, that is why the Christian
who reigns in grace, reigns in life. “For sin shall
not have dominion over you, for you are not under law
but under grace” (6:14). The only way to overcome
sin is to dwell under God’s grace. How can we dwell
un grace? Paul shows us in Galatians how we can fall
from grace “You have become estranged from Christ,
you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen
from grace” (6:14). It is very easy to confess
grace with our lips, as well as taking hold of our carnal
strength in practical matters, and in this, we fall
from grace.
---Grace
means waiting on God’s resources, the ones that
will not arrive as immediately as we would like (or
the way we would like to obtain them ourselves), but
they will arrive, without a doubt. Grace needs to stop
being second choice for us, even if it takes a while
to produce its fruit.
(Translation:
Betsy Calvo, USA).
