Having said this, Paul realizes that the old question is going to come up again: If the grace of God saves in spite of sin, then there is no need to discourage sin! Just let the grace of God take care of it.

The Jews, horrified by such ideas, said: If that is right, then to sin is better than to try to do right! They were wrong, of course, but we can catch their logic.

Paul taught that a man’s sins were not imputed to him when he put faith in Christ (Romans 4:8), that justification was entirely based on saving faith, not on “works” at all (Romans 3:27, 28), that the grace of God was triumphant over all of a man’s sins (Romans 5:20, 21).

Some say it to “justify” sin in their lives, though they profess to be saved by faith alone, insisting that obedience and works make up part of the basis of salvation. Either of these is a misunderstanding and distortion of the truth.

The issue itself, the anticipated question is: “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” If grace out-abounds sin (as in 5:20), then should we go on living in sin, depending on the grace of God to triumph? Would that magnify God’s grace and glorify Him?

Paul wants it firmly fixed that his doctrine of justification by faith does not condone sin. His teaching that grace out-abounds sin gives no excuse for continuing in sin. His strong insistence on faith as the sole basis for standing righteous before God does not leave one free to live in sin after obtaining that verdict of righteousness.

One cannot live in sin and be dead to sin at the same time, just as one cannot sensibly speak of “square circles.” The two terms are mutually exclusive.

This is the issue, then: Are we dead to sin, as believers, or alive to sin? And if we are dead to sin, how can we live any longer in sin?