It is no wonder that the
religious voices of our day speak of a "grace" that is not very amazing at all.
It is because the true condition of all people by nature is denied. In Romans 5
the apostle Paul speaks of abundant and abounding grace. He tells of the true
grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ as it meets the true condition and need of
sinful men. What is the true condition that grace meets? Grace meets those who
are "without strength." (vs.6) They have no ability to save themselves, no
ability to perform works of perfect righteousness and no ability to come to
Christ that they might have life. Grace meets those who are "ungodly." (vs.6)
They are "without God" and therefore without hope in this world. They do not
love God, desire God, serve God, worship God, praise God, believe God, come to
God or submit to God. They are ungodly! Grace meets those who are "sinners."
(vs.8) Those who must be saved by sovereign grace in Christ are those who are
sinners by nature, their very mind being enmity against God; sinners by birth,
by practice and especially sinners by proxy in Adam their representative when by
him sin entered in because all sinned in him. Then, grace meets those who are
"enemies." (vs.10) They are rebels against the throne of His glory and dominion,
defying His rule and government and defiling His kingdom. They are enemies in
their "minds." Their friendship with the world makes them the enemies of God.
The truth is, every person saved by grace is all of these things: without
strength, ungodly, sinners and enemies! Now grace that can save such as these
must be "marvelous grace!" This grace comes to these sinners through the
"obedience of one," Jesus Christ. By His obedience "many are made righteous."
This obedience is His obedience unto death! Because grace must "reign through
righteousness," Christ satisfied the claims of God's holy justice on their
behalf and now God can, on the basis of Christ's blood and righteousness, show
grace to them as a just God and a Savior. All the race fell in sin. The law
entered and sin abounded. But to those who are the objects of God's grace in
Christ, "where sin abounded, grace did MUCH MORE ABOUND!"