The Greatest Story Ever Told

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
After Paul restates the great theme of the second half of this chapter — the fall of all in Adam and the redemption of all in Christ (a theme so important that it is worth articulating again in verses 18–19) — he moves on to describe God’s grand plan in the unfolding story of His grace. It is a story that can also be summed up in other statements from Paul:
Romans 11:32 — “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.”
Or again in Ephesians 1:5–10:
“In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace… In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us… as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.”
God’s purpose in the world is to display His grace in Jesus Christ, and everything we see in the story of history, with all its various parts, points to this truth. Even the increase of sin and judgment in the world serves this purpose. We see this in verse 20, where Paul says, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” This is an incredible statement. If I could paraphrase what Paul is saying, it would be this: “God’s purpose in giving the law was that sin would become more sinful, so that grace would become more gracious.”
Then in verse 21 Paul says, “so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” In other words, God intends for the reign of grace to shine all the brighter against the dark backdrop of the reign of sin and death.
The key question is this: what part of the story are you part of? Are you part of the dark backdrop of sin and death, or part of the great display of abounding grace leading to eternal life?