Section 3
such as sin and death. Verse 24 says, "Unless you believe that I am, you shall die in your sins." This means that those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus will remain in death. Furthermore, in verse 34 the Lord has a word about being slaves of sin: "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin." In verse 36 the Lord speaks about being set free: "If then the Son shall set you free, you shall be really free." Those under the bondage of sin and in death can be set free by the living Son of God, the One who is the living reality. Therefore, in the Gospel of John we have life, grace, abundance of life, sin, death, slavery, and being set free from sin and death.
All these matters are also found in Romans, where the truth concerning them is developed further. Although both John and Romans cover many of the same subjects and even use a num ber of the same terms, the Gospel of John does not speak of grace reigning, nor of reigning in life. The use of the word "reign" in Romans with respect to grace and life shows a significant de velopment over what is covered in the Gospel of John. Although the Gospel of John is rich and deep and although it speaks of the abundance of life, it says nothing about the reign of grace nor about the reign of life. Because Paul was one