Word Study – Abound – Part 1
20 May 2012
Sin abounds but God’s Grace abounds much more (Abound Pt1)
This week we will take a break from our current series of teachings on the resurrection and look at the word abound
as it is used in the Holy Scriptures. There are 19 occurrences of the word abound, 5 of abounded, 3 of aboundeth and
three of abounding.
According to the English Oxford dictionary the word abound means “overflow, either of vessel or of liquid. Be
plentiful; be rich; team or infested with.” The meaning of abound in the Scriptures appears to refer to being plentiful.
In this study we will cover three (3) points which include:-
1.The heathen abounds in sin
2.The law was given that sin would abound
3.God’s grace abounds through Jesus Christ much more than sin abounded
As part of this teaching it is hoped to answer the question; does a Christian’s sin abound because God’s grace
abounds?
Let us add a little detail to our three points and in the process answer our question;
1.The heathen abounds in sin
Prov 29:22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
See also Joel 3: 13, Mt 24:12
The verse from Proverbs does not specifically identify the heathen as the one who abounds in transgression. But
given that anger is not a sin, providing it is with a cause (see Matt.5: 22) and a furious man abounds in transgression
I have used this verse and applied it to the heathen, with the assumption that the furious man is a heathen. Now
compare the meaning of transgression in the Oxford dictionary, with the Bible meaning of sin; the Oxford
dictionary points out that transgression is “an act that goes against the law, rule, or code of conduct; an offence;” and
the Bible states that sin is transgression of the law (see 1Jn3: 4).
Paul points out that the heathen, those who reject the gospel of the grace of God serve sin, they do not seek good
and are unable to do righteousness (see Rom.6: 20) and hence our assertion that transgression abounds in the
heathen, they are overflowing with sin, their iniquity is plentiful, appears to be consistent with other verses in
Scripture.
When this truth dawns on us, we cease to wonder at why the world is continuing to decay in morals and the
acceptance of what has previously been known and accepted as sin. Take sodomy for example; look at the change in
people’s attitude toward this sin over the past 50 years. Just recently President Baraka Obama (a supposed
Christian) endorsed two sodomites marrying in what appears to be an effort to buy voters, not by good Christian
morals but by allowing himself to be seduced by the devil, to pretend that evil is good (see Ps.38: 20 & Mal.2: 17).
According to the Holy Scriptures the act of marriage is between a man and woman and sodomy is an abomination
before God (Lev.18: 22, 20: 13), it is evil and not good, it can never be good, it will alway be sinful because God’s
standards do not change.
So if God’s standards do not change how does our societies morals change?
When everyone does that which is right in their own eyes (Judg. 17: 6 & 21: 25). It is a gradual process, a gradual
decline, like the illustration of the frog in water where the temperature of the water is slowly increased such that the
frog does not know the water temperature is rising, until one day it dies. Society gradually accepts that which it
previously condemned as repugnant. It becomes dead to the sin of lying, then fornication and then sodomy. And in
doing so it defies the living God and calls evil good.
It uses medical science to show that a sodomite is a sodomite not by choice but because of a particular gene and so
there is a medical reason for such deviance. At the same time those who support the acceptance of the sin of sodomy
ask society to be more intolerant of those who are different, just as they do for any other medical condition that a
person has no control over, like a mental illness. In doing so society makes excuses for sin, and calls evil good.
I wonder how long before society accepts beastiality? The bible also says that beastiality is a sin (see Lev.20: 15).
As the heathen’s sin abounds, as his sin over flows, his iniquity is more and more plentiful, he will continue to make
up excuses for his transgressions, in an effort to make what he does – right. But the way of the fool is right in his own eyes
(see Prov.12: 15) And so the lines between good and evil will continue to be blurred, as everyone does that which is
right in their own eyes and the heathen abounds in their sin.
Let us remember that for the heathen sin abounds, they are free from righteousness (Rom.6: 20), they are free from
doing that which is good in the eyes of the Lord. Let us therefore should charity to the lost knowing that they abound
in sin.
2.The law was given that sin would abound
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
We see in Rom.3: 20 that by the law is the knowledge of sin, but our verse in chapter goes a little further and says
that the law entered that the offence might abound, which is reiterated in Rom.7: 13 where Paul points out that sin
became exceedingly sinful with the law. So the law brought about a knowledge of sin and with that knowledge the
volume or magnitude of sin increased, the level of humanities decay abounded, it became plentiful. Perhaps as the
flesh, had knowledge of sin, it lusted after more sin. Hence when the scriptures identify that the heathen abounds in
transgression, it is reasonable to state that the heathen also abounds in sin, because sin is transgression of the law.
What is the importance of a lost man knowing that he is sinful in the eyes of a Holy, Righteous and Just God?
The bibles say that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (see Gal.3: 24). So personal knowledge of our
sin is the vehicle for bringing us to Christ. Because unless we know we have sinned and done wrong before God, we
will never come to the point of needing a Saviour. Hence why the law is preached to the unsaved as part of the
gospel of Christ crucified, because a man can never believe that Christ bore his sin on Himself if he does not know,
if he does not have a conviction of his own sin, his own filthy rages (see Is.64: 6).
In each new town that Spurgeon went into it was said that he preached the law for a week before he preached the
good news. One website suggests that he preached 90% law and 10% grace. He focused his audience on knowing
they were sinners in the hands of an angry God, before he preached the love of God in Christ Jesus, the blessed
redeemer who bore our sin on himself.
“If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our
arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for.” Charles Spurgeon
“I’d rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them.” Keith Green
“The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire,
abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of
nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten
thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended
him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from
falling into the fire every moment.” Jonathan Edwards
“Be cold, sober, wise, circumspect. Keep yourself low by the ground avoiding high questions. Expound the Law
truly and open the veil of Moses to condemn all flesh and prove all men sinners, and set at broach the mercy of our
Lord Jesus, and let wounded consciences drink of Him.” William Tyndale – see http://
revivalandreformation.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/inspired-quotes-on-street-preaching/
Let us remember that if there was no law we would not know of our sin that abounds (see Rom.3: 20). For example;
thou shalt not covet, how would we know that lust is a sin if there was no law (see Rom.7: 7)? For without the law
sin was dead (see Rom.7: 8). The Scriptures teach us that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (see
Gal.3: 24), so if there was no law, we would not know of our sin that abounds and we would not know our need for a
Saviour. So our gospel message for today includes the law.
How many people have you spoken to about being a Christian and they have pointed out that they are a believer, yet
they did not know of their abounding sin?
How many people have you spoken to about the Lord and they have said, yes, I know Jesus, but they only know
that they have accepted Him into their hearts, they do not know of their sin? If a person professes salvation, but
does not know of their sin, then how can the Lord Jesus have borne their sin on Himself at calvary? If a person
does not know of their sin, they do not know of the law for it was given that our sin would abound in us and that we
would be convicted of our iniquity.
Let us remember that the law was given that sin would abound and when we have an opportunity to speak to the lost
that we preach all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (see Rom.3: 23), there is none righteous, no, not one (Rom.3:
10). The heathen abounds in sin! But God in His infinite love and mercy abounded with grace much more, as we will
see in our next point.
3.God’s grace abounds through Jesus Christ much more than sin abounded
Rom 5:15 But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of
God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
See also Rom 5:20, 2Cor 9:8 & 1Tim.1: 14.
Thats right, when sin abounded because of the law, God’s grace did abound much more (see Rom.5: 20). Our Loving
Heavenly Father showed us the abundance of His grace through His Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ
(see Rom.5: 17). According to Paul when sin abounded God’s grace abounds much more and in abundance, in Christ
Jesus. Note the double emphasis like the phrase free gift, which is also in our verse Rom.5: 15. And so the Lord
makes it clear on the magnitude, of the enormity of His grace that abounds, it is much more in Christ, than the sin
which abounded by the law.
Today, in this the church age, we do not see God’s grace, except IN Christ Jesus, for outside of Christ there is no
love of God (see Rom.8: 39). Grace that is beyond our human understanding, unmerited love that is beyond what
parents show to their children, what friends show to each other. Grace that leads a man to repentance, grace that
abounds through the Lord Jesus Christ is much, much more that sin that abounded. The very gospel Paul preaches is
called the gospel of the grace of God (see Acts 20: 24).
And so let us keep in mind, that because it is by grace that we are saved (see Eph.2: 8), it cannot be purchased (as
Simon found out in Acts 8: 18-20), it cannot be earned, it can only be received through faith (see Rom.5: 2 & Eph.2:
8), in all of its abundance. Any attempt to distort the gospel of the grace of God or to preach another gospel that
does not include grace, is taken seriously by Paul (see Gal.3: 1-3), as it was by Peter in Acts. Let us take seriously
any self acclaimed church today that professes the name of the Lord Jesus but excludes God’s grace that abounds
through Christ.
But given that we are now in this age of Amazing Grace (as the song goes) does a believer sin that the grace of God
may abound even more? A question asked in Rom.6: 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may
abound? The following verse responses; God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (see Rom.6:2)
Paul goes on to remind us:
Just as Christ died so is our old man crucified with Him (see Rom. 6: 5 & 6).
Therefore let not sin reign in our mortal bodies (see verse 12).
Neither yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield unto God (see verse 13).
Then in verse 15 Paul asks the question again,
This time he responds with further encouragement to:
Yield our bodies unto righteousness unto holiness (verse 19).
So, now that we are under grace and not under the law, do we sin? God forbid! When you consult the Oxford
dictionary on the word forbid, it means “a fervant wish that something does not happen” God is fervently against us
sinning just because He has graciously forgiven us for our iniquity. But nevertheless, I am sure there are things we
all do, things we say that are of the flesh, that are sinful that we continue to struggle with, and we continue to come
before our God in repentance. But the difference between this scenario and when a person sins that grace may
abound, is that the first occurs as part of our daily battle, where the flesh wars with the spirit and we come to God
with an attitude of true repentance and the other is where a believer lives a life of sin, accepts their sin and teaches
others to sin. A bit like the Anglican church in the city who accept and endorse civil unions between two sodomites
perhaps because they believe that God is a God of abounding grace and thats His whole character. But as we know,
God is also a Just and Righteous Judge (See Rom.3: 26). And so the Lord is both abounding in grace, whilst being a
just and righteous judge.
Have you ever met anyone that struggles with the grace of God? I remember a discussion with a man that was older
than I and he used the KJV he preached Christ on the street, but he could not accept that once we are saved we
have assurance of our eternal salvation. He believed that a person was saved, but could loose his salvation by future
sin, in other words he had no security about his salvation. But again this denies God’s grace that abounds through
Christ, for if we can loose our salvation then we can earn it. And God’s grace, by the virtue of being grace, is free, it
is unmerited, it cannot be earned and it abounds, it is plentiful. And God’s grace abounds through Jesus Christ much
more than sin abounded.
Having said what we have said, let us say it again. In this our first teaching on the word abound, we have covered
three points which include:-
The heathen abounds in sin
The law was given that sin would abound
God’s grace abounds through Jesus Christ much more than sin abounded