The gift of righteousness

Romans 5:17-21 (TNIV) -

17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all.

19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

My thoughts -

Sometimes I wonder how critically we engage what we believe. I know, at least for me, when I think of grace I think of it as forgiveness. We get stuck in this model of sin and forgiveness that is depends on Jesus's sacrifice to cover our sins over and over and over again. We sin. Jesus was crucified for it. Our sin is forgive. Lather, rinse, repeat. Grace covers our sins so that when we die we get to go to heaven. We're forgiven.

My how we can cheapen grace! Paul is talking here about grace and yet he is also talking about righteousness. Death is in the past tense. Life is in the present and in the future. Grace isn't for the forgiveness of sins for AFTER our death so we get to avoid hell. Grace is for living. Grace is for empowering us to move from death into life. Grace enables us to receive this gift of righteousness.

Look at what Paul says in verse 17. He doesn't say we receive this gift when we die. He doesn't say we are made righteous at the moment of death to be able to enter heaven. He says we receive the gift of righteousness IN LIFE. In this life. Right here. This is what grace is for. It is not a "get out of hell free card" but a power for transformation to move us from death into life; from sin into righteousness.

It's not that in order to receive grace we have to stop sinning. Remember from yesterday: Christ died for us while we were sinners. Christ died for the ungodly. But, in so doing, he has given us Grace that enables us to stop sinning. We don't HAVE to be perfect to receive this gift. We GET to be righteous and this gift enables that. We no longer have to be held captive to sin in this life. We no longer have to be stuck in the pattern of sin and death. We can choose life. We can chose righteousness. Grace empowers us to be made righteous.

Are we being made righteous?