‘But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? ‘

Romans 3:7

As believers, you may or may not be familiar with the accusations that have been leveled against the gospel of grace throughout the centuries. One of the most persistent and pernicious of these accusations is that the gospel of grace somehow condones or even encourages sinful behavior. This is a misunderstanding of grace that is not only harmful to individual believers but also slanders the character of God and the finished work of the cross.

‘I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”’

Galatians 2:21

In Romans 3:7, Paul addresses these accusations head-on. He writes, “For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?” In other words, Paul is asking how it is possible that he, a sinner, could be used by God to proclaim the truth of the gospel of the grace of God if the gospel itself is a lie. The answer, of course, is that the gospel of grace is not a lie, and Paul is not a sinner because of God’s grace. Ridiculous!

The accusations against Paul and the gospel of grace are rooted in a misunderstanding of what grace actually is. Grace is not a license to sin, but rather it is the free and unmerited favor of God. It is the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and it is offered to all people, Jews, and Gentiles alike. Grace does not negate the need for repentance and obedience (not for salvation), but rather it empowers believers to live a godly life because we are indwelled with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-5; 9-11).

It’s important to note that Paul faced many accusations and undermining during his ministry, from the leadership of Israel, the Romans, and even from some of the Jerusalem church, led by Peter, James, and John. In Acts 15:1–11 and Galatians 2, for example, the ascended Lord Jesus sends Paul to Jerusalem to confront Peter, James, and John, as well as the elders of the Jerusalem church, about sending spies into Paul’s Gentile congregations and commanding them to keep the law or they would not be saved. Horrors! The apostle Paul boldly tells Peter, James, and John what the gospel will be going forward, and the apostle Peter agrees (Acts 15:11).

The truth is that nothing has changed in the 2000 years since Paul wrote Romans 3:7. People are still misunderstanding and slandering the gospel of grace. They are still accusing believers of living in sin because of grace.