"Where sin increases, grace superexceeds" (Romans 5:20). This is objective truth. The fact that Paul then says, "What, then, shall we declare? That we may be persisting in sin that grace should be increasing? May it not be coming to that" (Romans 6:1) does not cancel out the previous fact. It is just a
warning to not abuse it.
It's the same in Galatians 5:13. Paul warns the saints, "Do not use your freedom as an occasion for the flesh." This is instructive. Paul's answer to reports that, yes, there were probably some saints taking advantage of their freedom, isn't to withdraw the freedom or to punish the abusers of it, but rather to simply say, "Stop
taking advantage of it"
We are told that we are not to trust too many people with our grace and freedom message. (That is, with PAUL'S grace and freedom message.) "It's too dangerous," we're told, "to give this kind of grace and freedom to people LIKELY to exploit it." Paul heard this as well. The fact that Paul's answer to this is simply, "Stop doing
it," tells us clearly that 1) the grace and freedom message will OF COURSE be likely to be taken advantage of by some, 2) the message itself is as opposed to law as can be, as there is no punishment mentioned for those who do exploit God's grace, and 3) nothing will make Paul rescind the truth, not even the presence of people abusing it.
