Is grace a license to sin?
| “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2 King James Version The grace of God (the gospel) is so amazing that when presented correctly it sounds too good to be true and causes people to wonder if it’s ok to just do what you want and indulge in sin. But as I have said previously, grace (being treated better than we deserve) is not a license to sin, rather it is freedom from sin! The apostle Paul answers the question of can we just go live in sin because of God’s grace? twice in Romans chapter 6. Previously we looked at the first reason not to live in sin which is that we are dead to sin – we are no longer sinners. We now have new righteous natures and when we sin it conflicts with who we now are in Christ. (See that post here) “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14 King James Version This verse clearly shows us that we are not under the law but under grace. Many people freak out at this thought and try to defend the law because they think that without the external governance of the law, people will take it as a license to go live in sin. People think that by preaching grace we’re giving people a license to sin. The truth is that people don’t need a license to sin – they sin pretty good without any permission. Thinking that grace is a license to sin reveals that you may have heard the gospel, but you don’t have a proper revelation, yet. Straight after his statement that we’re not under law but under grace, Paul continues saying: “What are we to do, then? Should we sin to our hearts’ content since there’s no law to condemn us anymore? What a terrible thought!” Romans 6:15 The Passion Translation Paul is preaching pure grace – telling people about God’s unconditional love and grace and yet he smashes the idea that God’s grace is a license to sin. “Don’t you realize that grace frees you to choose your own master? But choose carefully, for you surrender yourself to become a servant—bound to the one you choose to obey. If you choose to love sin, it will become your master, and it will own you and reward you with death. But if you choose to love and obey God, he will lead you into perfect righteousness.” Romans 6:16 The Passion Translation You are no longer dominated by a sinful nature but a new righteous nature! You are completely free from sin’s influence. You are free to choose whether you serve sin (and choose it as your master) or whether you serve God (and choose Him as your master). As a Christian, sin is not an uncontrollable force that just comes upon you – you are free from that! Choosing to indulge in sin will only cause damage – God won’t punish you for it, but there are natural consequences to sin, sin will harden your heart towards God and if you give your enemy an opportunity to destroy you, he will try. If you’re struggling with sin as a Christian, you need to know that there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1) and that God’s heart towards you doesn’t change according to your behaviour. The sin in your life is causing you damage but the penalty for that sin was paid in full on the cross (Hebrews 10:12) and God sees you as innocent (Romans 5:1)! Allowing sin in your life is like allowing a poisonous snake to live in your house – it’s stupid and dangerous. If you’re struggling with sin you need to know that God is not angry at you or condemning you (you are not under law but under grace). You can be free and walk in freedom, and it’s easier than you realize. Look to Jesus and what He has done for you. Focus on your new identity in Christ and you’ll start to see change. |
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