What Vomit and Grace Have In Common

Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Often, the focus of this verse is placed on sin and the gift of God, but the deeper truth lies in the contrast between death and life. The problem we face is that we can't always see this choice clearly. Grace is what opens our eyes, revealing that there must be a purpose in God’s salvation. Without grace, we continue blindly in destructive patterns, unaware of their true cost.

Consider the analogy of an alcoholic who has "eaten the vomit" of their addiction and been saved from it. They swallowed that death.  It should have killed them but by the grace of God, they are still alive.  It's not simply about avoiding sin; it's about understanding that what once seemed appealing was actually leading to death. In the same way, sin deceives us, disguising itself as desirable. If someone were to throw up in front of a pulpit, the pastor would not have to preach to people not to eat it. There would be no need for orange cones around it.  The consequences of eating puke would be apparent to all. The consequences of sin—broken relationships, guilt, spiritual emptiness, and separation from God—are far far worse. Yet,  most people continue consuming what is killing them.  It is only by tasting it and being saved from it, that our eyes can be opened to what it actually is.  That is why the only way we can be saved is by grace.  And it is why God bound all men over to sin.

Romans 11:32 "For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." (NIV)

Some pastors hesitate to fully preach the forgiveness of sins, fearing it will be taken as a license to do wrong—a concept often referred to as "cheap grace."  If grace came at a full price, it wouldn’t be grace at all. True grace doesn’t excuse sin; it opens our eyes to its consequences and offers the way to life instead of death.  If we lie about the extent of God's mercy, we WILL NEED to lie about how broken we are, and therefore, we will continue to sin, whether it's in a nightclub or in Sunday school.  A recovering alcoholic has had the scales ripped off of their eyes.  Every person in recovery got stopped on their own personal road to Damascus.

For me, recovering from alcoholism has been one the greatest gifts  God has ever given me.  He just didn't show me the way to overcome alcohol but by admitting I was powerless over alcohol, I also needed to admit I was powerless over my own sin.  The Father didn't just start me on the road from freedom to addiction but also from fear, and loneliness, and anxiety, and the lust for the things of this world. Only by realizing I could never earn eternal life, did I fully understand how worthy of it I am.

John 17:3:

"And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.