Romans 5:21 speaks of the grace that may reign through righteousness unto eternal life. Verse 17 says that we reign by the grace in life, while verse 21 says that grace reigns unto eternal life. That means grace reigns over us and over everything so that we can enjoy the eternal life. Unto means “for.” Grace reigns for the eternal life. This means that we may gain the eternal life for our enjoyment.
Romans 6:14 and 15 speak of the grace that constitutes the dispensation of the New Testament, which is separated from the dispensation of the law of the Old Testament, and under which the believers are to overcome sin’s lording it over them. Paul says in these verses that we are not under law but under grace. This means we are not in the dispensation of the law but in the dispensation of grace. Because we are under grace, we have to overcome our sin.
God’s selection is by grace, not by works (Rom. 11:5-6). If it is by works, it is no more by grace. Jacob is a good example of God’s selection (9:10-13). God selected Jacob, who was the twin of Esau. They were both sons of Isaac. God said that He loved Jacob, but hated Esau. Jacob cheated his father, his brother, and his uncle Laban. He was a supplanter, a cunning one, but God selected him by God’s grace, not by Jacob’s works.
No one can do the works of an apostle in himself. But by grace, the apostles carried out their ministry (Rom. 12:3; 15:15).
Romans 12:6 reveals the grace according to which the gifts are distributed to the believers; hence, grace is the basis of the gifts. On the one hand, Romans 12:6 says that the gifts differ according to the grace. Grace produces and supplies the gifts. On the other hand, Ephesians 4:7 says that the grace is according to the gift (the gifted person). This means that grace is according to the measure of the gift. The measure of the gift is the size of a member of the Body of Christ. This is similar to our blood supplying the members of our body according to their size. The shoulder receives more blood supply than the little finger. Paul was like a big shoulder that receives more blood supply; he was a big member of the Body of Christ, so he received more grace.
Romans 16:20 says, “Now the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” If there is no grace with us, God has no way to crush Satan under our feet. We must enjoy the grace of God; that gives God the ground to crush Satan.