Abundant grace

Step 4. For this week’s LifeWay lesson “What about God’s Grace?” from Romans 5:12-21.

According to Romans 5:13, before the law, humans were sinful (wrong nature) and coupled with verse 20, the law multiplied sin. How so? The law was a standard that shed light on man’s behavioral sins over an above his sinful nature. Hence the law multiplied sin. In some ways it’s like using a lint remover. No matter how many times I pass a clean remover over my clothing it comes up full of lint. The law reveals sin like the lint remover picks up lint.

To illustrate abundant grace, post up a picture of an empty cross with a wastebasket below it, or set a real cross on a table, again with a wastebasket below it. Hand out a clean paper towel to each learner. Say, Christ died to take away the sin of the world—yours and mine. Through grace He gives us righteousness that wipes away all sin. Have them pass the paper towel over their whole body in a wiping motion. Then ask each person as they leave the room to place his or her paper towel in the wastebasket to illustrate that their sins are gone and they are clean before God. Lead them in prayer thanking God for His abundant grace—that is, giving each one of us what we do not deserve—forgiveness and acceptance.