Grace & The Law (A Study In Romans) No.17- What Can Stop Grace?

One of my jobs as a pastor is funerals. Funerals are hard. Families hurting, grieving, trying to make sense of the pain. Sometimes they are struggling with regret or shame, like they could have done more, or loved the one they lost more. That’s why in almost every funeral I do, like for James yesterday, I turn to today’s passage in Romans. You’ll see why. In those moments, people don’t need pious clichés, polished religion, “thoughts & prayers. They need something real. They need rock-solid truth. They need to know for certain that God hasn’t let go. That He’s still holding on. But here’s the thing: this passage wasn’t actually written for funerals. It was written for life. Why do we wait until a funeral, a crisis, or when it feels like it’s too late, to turn to promises meant for everyday life? Paul wrote these words so all of us would know, in good times or bad, God’s sovereign grace has no limit and no rival. So all God’s elect can know that grace has no limit to its power over any kind of darkness this life can threaten us with. So, when our life feels blessed, or feels like a grind, or a mess, or even catastrophic, this truth is our anchor. Don’t just quote it at a funeral. Live it in the fight. This isn’t just a promise for the end. It’s power for right now.