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You are here: Home / Gospel / Where Sin Increased

Where Sin Increased

September 27, 2012 by Christina

“Today most people have very little awareness of their sin, which shows how desperate their condition has become. But perhaps you are one who, like John Bunyan, is very conscious of your sinfulness. You may consider yourself to have forfeited all hope of salvation by some sinful action that rises up before you like a great concrete dam against grace. I do not know what that transgression is. It may be some gross sexual sin or adultery. Or it may be a perversion.

Perhaps you have stolen from your employer or your parents or someone else who is close to you.

Have you destroyed somebody’s life work or reputation?

Committed murder?

Perhaps you remember a time in your life when you were so tyrannized by sin that you lashed out against God with blasphemies. Perhaps you cursed God. Perhaps you called down damnation on yourself. When you think back on those days—and they may not be long in the past—you shudder and tremble. You are sure you have passed beyond all bounds of hope, that you are destined to be lost eternally.

If you are such a person—fortunate at least in your knowledge of your sinfulness—then this text is a great cry of hope for you: “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Where sin multiplied, grace overflowed! No dam erected by sin can hold back the abundant flow of God’s grace. Grace is never withheld because of sin—not Adam’s sin, not the sin of the people at Sinai, not Peter’s sin, not Paul’s sin, not John Bunyan’s sin—not your sin. Therefore, you may come to God through Jesus Christ. Right now. Regardless of what you have done, you can repent and find full forgiveness in Jesus.

Have you done that? If not, will you do it now? Paul said that even “God’s kindness leads you toward repentance” (Rom. 2:4).

Boice, J. M. (1991-). Romans, Volume 2: The Reign of Grace (621). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

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Filed Under: Gospel, James Montgomery Boice, Repentance, Sin

Comments

  1. Barbara Thayer says

    September 27, 2012 at 10:53 am

    Wonderful reminder to post today. There is no sin so great that God’s grace cannot cover! How great is the Father’s love to all who repent and turn to Him. Thank you for sharing this!

  2. Diane says

    September 27, 2012 at 2:50 pm

    Awesome reminder Christina. I just love Boice’s plain talk. Have a blessed day in the Lord my friend.

  3. Laurie (@lauriebernardin) says

    September 27, 2012 at 4:41 pm

    Grace is far reaching, it travels beyond our sins and births mercy and forgiveness.
    Today’s culture is clueless to sin; a co-worker is having some serious health issues so I had the opportunity to speak of Christ with her. I quoted Romans 5:6, that Christ died for the ungodly, asking her if she saw herself as ungodly, a sinner. She replied ‘no’. More truth was given and prayer was offered on her behalf. This is the society in which we live, people do not view themselves as sinners, therefore, Christ is not seen as a ‘blessed hope’. What terribly dark times we live in…

    Thank you dear sister for this reminder, I enjoy reading Dr. Boice’s writings; it was through you that I was introduced to him. Blessings!

  4. rosemary says

    September 27, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Thank you for this wonderful passage, Christina.

  5. persis says

    September 27, 2012 at 9:01 pm

    “Grace is never withheld because of sin—not Adam’s sin, not the sin of the people at Sinai, not Peter’s sin, not Paul’s sin, not John Bunyan’s sin—not your sin.”

    Hallelujah! Thanks for sharing this, Christina.

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