Is Grace Ever A License to Sin?

What is grace? The grace of God is when God gives us what we don’t deserve. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that we are saved by grace and not by our own merit or our own works.
Therefore the grace of God is important for our salvation because if we were to attempt to work for our salvation, then we would certainly fail.
Ephesians 2:8 also informs us that salvation is a gift received through faith in Jesus Christ.

However, does the fact that we are saved by grace and not by our own works mean that grace gives us a license to sin? Does the fact that we live under grace mean that we are no longer obligated to obey God’s moral laws? If salvation is a gift and if salvation is by grace – then are we free to live as we please?

ANTINOMIANISM & FALSE GRACE
Antinomianism is a distorted view of grace which teaches that since God’s grace exists, then there are no moral laws which God expects Christians to obey. Therefore the belief is that a Christian can wilfully and rebelliously live a lifestyle of lying, cheating, sexual immorality and all sorts of sins, and still call him/herself a “Christian”.
Antinomianism falsely presumes that God no longer cares about sin or our sinful lifestyle. In fact, most professing Christians who are antinomian, prefer not to speak about sin or to expose sinful behavior.
Antinomianism is based on a deceptive and false understanding regarding the true meaning of the grace of God.
An antinomian is one who takes the principle of salvation by faith and God’s grace to the point of asserting that Christians are not bound to follow God’s moral law or to obey God’s written scriptures.
The word “antinomian” means against the law and this belief system is unbiblical.

Jude 4 speaks of people “who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

A false or perverted concept of grace indirectly or deceptively promotes a lifestyle of sin.
A false concept of grace presumes that God no longer cares about sin. A false grace assumes that God takes sin lightly, yet it is because of sin that Christ was crucified on the Cross.
Antinomianism therefore minimizes the consequence of sin and the fact that God hates sin.

THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD
Romans 6:1-2 says: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

True grace will compel the Christian to seek after God and to desire to please God. When you are under true grace, you will begin to have a growing hatred towards sin. However when you do sin as a Christian, you will feel a sense of brokenness, godly sorrow and a genuine desire to repent or change.
True grace understands that even though salvation is free for mankind – this same salvation came at a heavy price. It cost the Son of God. It is Jesus Christ who paid for our sins by His blood on the Cross, so that we may be freely saved.
Therefore the true grace of God does not undermine the penalty that Jesus paid for our sins on the Cross.
The true grace of God leads to genuine repentance from sin and will cause a genuine spiritual transformation in the life of the Christian believer.
True grace compels us in Christ to walk away from sin, instead of running towards it.
The true grace of God compels us to hate sin, instead of seeking the pleasures of sin.
The true grace of God will persuade us of our need to live a life of obedience to God.

Romans 6:12-13 says: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

Therefore if we are under grace, then we should not allow sin to “reign in our mortal bodies”.
When we are truly saved by grace, we will not justify our sinful actions. Instead we will repent of them.
When we are truly saved by grace, we will not wilfully and habitually seek the pleasures of sin, but instead we will allow Christ to reign and sanctify us so that we walk in righteousness for the glory of God. Therefore the true grace of God makes us instruments for righteousness and not instruments for sin.

Romans 6:14 says: For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
According to Romans 6:14 we should not allow sin to have dominion over us because we are under grace and not under law. Therefore if we are under the true saving grace of God – then we should not allow sin to rule over us.
Antinomians have misinterpreted Romans 6:14 and other verses like it by presuming that since Paul says that we are “not under law”, then it means that we are not obligated to obey the moral laws of God.
Examples of God’s moral laws include most of the 10 commandments with the exception of the Sabbath. These moral laws include for example: God’s view of sexual immorality; God’s view of idolatry; God’s view of stealing, killing, personal relationships etc.

Indeed, whilst we are not saved by the Old Testament laws, this does not mean that Christians should completely ditch God’s moral laws. The genuine Christian who is saved by the true grace of God will be persuaded in Christ to be obedient to the word of God.
Even scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and many others include elements of God’s moral laws and Paul warns people not to wilfully and rebelliously live under the control of various sins.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Therefore, whilst we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) – when Christ truly lives in us, then Christ will give us the ability to walk in obedience to God’s word and to live as instruments for righteousness (Romans 6:13).
However whenever we do sin against God, rather than to enjoy and defend the pleasures of sin, we will feel the inner desire to ask God for forgiveness, as well as repent and allow Christ to lead us.

The true grace of God teaches us to renounce ungodliness and to live a life that pleases God.
Titus 2:11-12 says: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

SAVING GRACE IN JESUS CHRIST
The truth is: nobody needs a license to sin. We are all sinners by nature (Romans 3:23).
We all deserve to go to hell because of our sin. However, because of the love and grace of God, Jesus Christ came to pay the penalty for our sin on our behalf (John 3:16). His finished work on the Cross makes it possible for mankind to experience the saving grace of God when we genuinely receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
God shows His grace to mankind by sending Jesus Christ so that we may conform to the image and nature of His Son when we become born again. It is through God’s saving grace that we experience the loving nature of God and seek to live a life that is pleasing to God.
Therefore the true grace of God does not give us a license to sin. Instead because of His grace we will desire to become more like Jesus Christ.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN or A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST???

1. ACKNOWLEDGE: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
This means that we have all broken God’s laws and God’s 10 Commandments like those mentioned in Exodus 20:1-17. For example, if you have told a lie; if you have stolen something; if you have lusted after somebody or if you have coveted. This means you are guilty of breaking at least one or more of God’s 10 Commandments. Breaking God’s commandments makes us sinners. The fact that we are sinners who have broken God’s law means that we are accountable to God who is the Lawgiver. Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death BUT the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
You must acknowledge that you are a sinner who has broken God’s commandments and that you therefore need Jesus in your life.

2. REPENT: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3), “Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19)
Repenting means: to change your mind; a sincere turning away, in heart, mind and action;
Therefore God wants you to repent of sinful values and of sinful living. God wants you to decide to
follow Him and to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

3. CONFESSION: “If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)
God is a forgiving God. God will forgive any sin that you have done because Jesus died for ALL your sins and to set you free from the bondage of all types of sin in your life.

4. BELIEVE: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
You must believe that ONLY Jesus can save you and restore your relationship with God. You must believe that Jesus is the ONLY way by which you can have everlasting life and escape from eternal separation from God. You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and resurrected from the grave.
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive him, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12)
By faith, You must receive Jesus as Your Lord & Savior and therefore; you become a child of God; you become born again; you become a Christian; you restore your broken relationship with God

Why Not Make Your Eternal Decision NOW?

We become born again Christians by GRACE through FAITH or TOTAL TRUST in Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior (Galatians 3:26) & (Ephesians 2:8,9). Salvation is a FREE gift received through FAITH in Christ.

PLEASE NOTE: You can choose to pray in your own words. This prayer is a sample prayer and it is only an EXPRESSION of your faith, belief & trust in Jesus. Salvation is by GRACE through FAITH or BELIEVING in Christ Jesus as your Lord & Saviour.

“Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your love. I thank You that You died on the cross for me and resurrected so that I may have life through You.
I confess Lord that I have sinned against You and today I ask You to forgive me of all of my sins, past present and future.
Today I repent and have decided to follow you. Thank you for forgiving all my sins.
From this moment, come into my life Lord Jesus & take full control of my life. I want to follow You Jesus and I want to follow Your ways. Save me and from today, make me the person You want me to be.
I receive You Lord Jesus right now by faith. I trust You as my Lord and Savior – Amen”

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